Part 1

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THE CREST OF THE CONTINENT:

A Record of a Summer's Ramble in the Rocky Mountains and Beyond.

by

ERNEST INGERSOLL.

"We climbed the rock-built breasts of earth! We saw the snowy mountains rolled Like mighty billows; saw the birth Of sudden dawn; beheld the gold Of awful sunsets; saw the face Of God, and named it boundless space."

Twenty Ninth Edition.

Chicago: R. R. Donnelley & Sons, Publishers. 1887.

Copyright, By S. K. Hooper, 1885.

R. R. Donnelley & Sons, The Lakeside Press, Chicago.

TO THE PEOPLE OF COLORADO, SAGACIOUS IN PERCEIVING, DILIGENT IN DEVELOPING, AND WISE IN ENJOYING THE RESOURCES AND ATTRACTIONS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED WITH THE HOMAGE OF THE AUTHOR.

PREFACE.

Probably nothing in this artificial world is more deceptive than absolute candor. Hence, though the ensuing text may lack nothing in straightforwardness of assertion, and seem impossible to misunderstand, it may be worth while to say distinctly, here at the start, that it is all true. We actually _did_ make such an excursion, in such cars, and with such equipments, as I have described; and we would like to do it again.

It was wild and rough in many respects. Re-arranging the trip, luxuries might be added, and certain inconveniences avoided; but I doubt whether, in so doing, we should greatly increase the pleasure or the profit.

"No man should desire a soft life," wrote King Ælfred the Great. Roughing it, within reasonable grounds, is the marrow of this sort of recreation. What a pungent and wholesome savor to the healthy taste there is in the very phrase! The zest with which one goes about an expedition of any kind in the Rocky Mountains is phenomenal in itself; I despair of making it credited or comprehended by inexperienced lowlanders. We are told that the joys of Paradise will not only actually be greater than earthly pleasures, but that they will be further magnified by our increased spiritual sensitiveness to the "good times" of heaven. Well, in the same way, the senses are so quickened by the clear, vivifying climate of the western uplands in summer, that an experience is tenfold more pleasurable there than it could become in the Mississippi valley. I elsewhere have had something to say about this exhilaration of body and soul in the high Rockies, which you will perhaps pardon me for repeating briefly, for it was written honestly, long ago, and outside of the present connection.

"At sunrise breakfast is over, the mules and everybody else have been good-natured and you feel the glory of mere existence as you vault into the saddle and break into a gallop. Not that this or that particular day is so different from other pleasant mornings, but all that we call _the weather_ is constituted in the most perfect proportions. The air is 'nimble and sweet,' and you ride gayly across meadows, through sunny woods of pine and aspen, and between granite knolls that are piled up in the most noble and romantic proportions....

"Sometimes it seems, when camp is reached, that one hardly has strength to make another move; but after dinner one finds himself able and willing to do a great deal....

"One's sleep in the crisp air, after the fatigues of the day, is sound and serene.... You awake at daylight a little chilly, re-adjust your blankets, and want again to sleep. The sun may pour forth from the 'golden window of the east' and flood the world with limpid light; the stars may pale and the jet of the midnight sky be diluted to that pale and perfect morning-blue into which you gaze to unmeasured depths; the air may become a pervading Champagne, dry and delicate, every draught of which tingles the lungs and spurs the blood along the veins with joyous speed; the landscape may woo the eyes with airy undulations of prairie or snow-pointed pinnacles lifted sharply against the azure--yet sleep chains you. That very quality of the atmosphere which contributes to all this beauty and makes it so delicious to be awake, makes it equally blessed to slumber. Lying there in the open air, breathing the pure elixir of the untainted mountains, you come to think even the confinement of a flapping tent oppressive, and the ventilation of a sheltering spruce-bough bad."

That was written out of a sincere enthusiasm, which made as naught a whole season's hardship and work, before there was hardly a wagon-road, much less a railway, beyond the front range.

This exordium, my friendly reader, is all to show to you: That we went to the Rockies and beyond them, as we say we did; that we knew what we were after, and found the apples of these Hesperides not dust and ashes but veritable golden fruit; and, finally, that you may be persuaded to test for yourself this natural and lasting enjoyment.

The grand and alluring mountains are still there,--everlasting hills, unchangeable refuges from weariness, anxiety and strife! The railway grows wider and permits a longer and even more varied journey than was ours. Cars can be fitted up as we fitted ours or in a way as much better as you like. Year by year the facilities for wayside comforts and short branch-excursions are multiplied, with the increase of population and culture.

If you are unable, or do not choose, to undertake all this preparation, I still urge upon you the pleasure and utility of going to the Rocky Mountains, travelling into their mighty heart in comfortable and luxurious public conveyances. Nowhere will a holiday count for more in rest, and in food for subsequent thought and recollection.

CONTENTS.

I--AT THE BASE OF THE ROCKIES.

First Impressions of the Mountains. A Problem, and its Solution. Denver--Descriptive and Historical. The Resources which Assure its Future. Some General Information concerning the Mining, Stock Raising and Agricultural Interests of Colorado. 13

II--ALONG THE FOOTHILLS.

The Expedition Moves. Its Personnel. The Romantic Attractions of the Divide. Light on Monument Park. Colorado Springs, a City of Homes, of Morality and Culture. Its Pleasant Environs: Glen Eyrie, Blair Athol, Austin's Glen, the Cheyenne Cañons 26

III--A MOUNTAIN SPA.

Manitou, and the Mineral Springs. The Ascent of Pike's Peak; bronchos and blue noses. Ute Pass, and Rainbow Falls. The Garden of the Gods. Manitou Park. Williams' Cañon, and the Cave of the Winds. An Indian Legend. 36

IV--PUEBLO AND ITS FURNACES.

The Largest Smelter in the World. The Colorado Coal and Iron Company. Pueblo's Claims as a Trade Center, and its Tributary Railway System. A Chapter of Facts and Figures in support of the New Pittsburgh. 51

V--OVER THE SANGRE DE CRISTO.

Up and down Veta Mountain, with some Extracts from a letter. Veta Pass, and the Muleshoe Curve. Spanish Peaks. Beautiful Scenery, and Famous Railroading. A general outline of the Rocky Mountain Ranges. 60

VI--SAN LUIS PARK.

A Fertile and Well-watered Valley. The Method of Irrigation. Sierra Blanca. A Digression to describe the Home on Wheels. Alamosa, Antonito and Conejos. Cattle, Sheep and Agriculture in the largest Mountain Park. 71

VII--THE INVASION OF NEW MEXICO.

Barranca, among the Sunflowers. An Excursion to Ojo Caliente, and Description of the Hot Springs. Pre-historic Relics--a Rich Field for the Archæologist. Señor _vs._ Burro. An Ancient Church, with its Sacred Images. 81

VIII--EL MEXICANO Y PUEBLOANO.

Comanche Cañon and Embudo. The Penitentes. The Rio Grande Valley; Alcalde, Chamita and Espanola. New Mexican Life, Homes and Industries. The Indian Pueblos, and their Strange History. Architecture, Pottery, and Threshing. 92

IX--SANTA FE AND THE SACRED VALLEY.

Santa Fe, the Oldest City in the United States. Fact and Tradition. San Fernandez de Taos--the Home of Kit Carson. Pueblo de Taos Birthplace of Montezuma, and Typical and Well-Preserved. The Festival of St. Geronimo. Exit Amos. 106

X--TOLTEC GORGE.

Heading for the San Juan Country. From Mesa to Mountain Top. The Curl of the Whiplash. Above the silvery Los Pinos. Phantom Curve. A Startling Peep from Toltec Tunnel. Eva Cliff. "In Memoriam." 115

XI--ALONG THE SOUTHERN BORDER.

The Piños-Chama Summit. Trout and Game. The Groves of Chama. Mexican Rural Life at Tierra Amarilla. The Iron Trail. Rio San Juan and its Tributaries. Pagosa Springs. Apache Visitors. The Southern Utes. Durango. 120

XII--THE QUEEN OF THE CAÑONS.

Geology of the Sierra San Juan. The Attractions of Trimble Springs. Beauty and Fertility of the Animas Valley. The Cañon of the River of Lost Souls. Engineering under difficulties. The Needles, and Garfield Peak. 129

XIII--SILVER SAN JUAN.

Geological Resume. Scraps of History. Snow-shoes and Avalanches. The Mining Camps of Animas Forks, Mineral Point, Eureka and Howardville. Early Days in Baker's Park. Poughkeepsie, Picayune and Cunningham Gulches. The Hanging. 136

XIV--BEYOND THE RANGES.

Ophir, Rico, and the La Plata Mountains. Everything triangular. Mixed Mineralogy, Real bits of Beauty. "When I sell my Mine." An Unbiased Opinion. Placer _vs._ Fissure Vein Mining. 149

XV--THE ANTIQUITIES OF THE RIO SAN JUAN.

Rugged Trails. Searching for Antiquities. The Discovery. Habitations of a Lost Race. Prehistoric Architecture, "Temple or Refrigerator." "Ruins, Ancient beyond all Knowing." Guesses and Traditions. Some Appropriate Verses. 156

XVI--ON THE UPPER RIO GRANDE.

Good-bye and Welcome. Del Norte and the Gold Summit. Among the River Ranches. Wagon Wheel Springs. Healing Power of the Waters. The Gap and its History. A Day's Trout Fishing. 166

XVII--EL MORO AND CAÑON CITY.

A Great Natural Fortress. Down in a Coal Mine. The Coke Ovens. Huerfano Park and its Coal. Cañon City Historically. Coal Measures. Resources of the Foothills. 177

XVIII--IN THE WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY.

Grape Creek Cañon. The Dome of the Temple. Wet Mountain Valley. The Legend of Rosita. Hardscrabble District. Silver Cliff and its Strange Mine. The Foothills of the Sierra Mojada. Geological Theories. 185

XIX--THE ROYAL GORGE.

The Grand Cañon of the Arkansas. Its Culminating Chasm the Royal Gorge. Beetling Cliffs and Narrow Waters. Running the Gauntlet. Wonders of Plutonic Force. A Story of the Cañon. 193

XX--THE ARKANSAS VALLEY.

Entering Brown's Cañon. The Iron Mines of Calumet. Salida. Farming on the Arkansas. Buena Vista. Granate and its Gold Placers,--Twin Lakes. Malta and its Charcoal Burners. A Burned-out Gulch. 201

XXI--CAMP OF THE CARBONATES.

California Gulch. How Boughtown was Built. Some Lively Scenes. Discovery of Carbonates. The Rush of 1878. The Founding of Leadville. A Happy Grave Digger. Practice and Theory of Mining. Reducing the Ores. 209

XXII--ACROSS THE TENNESSEE AND FREMONT'S PASS.

Hay Meadows on the Upper Arkansas. Climbing Tennessee Pass. Mount of the Holy Cross. Red Cliff. Ore in Battle Mountain. Through Eagle River Cañon. The Artist's Elysium. Two Miles in the Air. On the Blue. 222

XXIII--FROM PONCHO SPRINGS TO VILLA GROVE.

In Hot Water. A Pretty Village and Fine Outlook. Pluto's Reservoirs. The Madame's Letter. Poncho Pass. The Sangre de Cristo Again. Villa Grove. Silver and Iron. 225

XXIV--THROUGH MARSHALL PASS.

The Unknown Gunnison. A Wonder of Progress. Climbing the Mountains in a Parlor Car. Four Hours of Scenic Delight. Culmination of Man's Skill. On the Crest of the Continent. The Mysterious Descent. 243

XXV--GUNNISON AND CRESTED BUTTE.

Tomichi Valley. Gunnison from Oregon to St. Louis. Captain Gunnison's Discoveries. A Discussion with Chief Ouray. A Beautiful Landscape. Crested Butte. Anthracite in the Rockies. 250

XXVI--A TRIP TO LAKE CITY.

Lake City. A Picture from Nature. A Hard Pillow. The Mining Interests. Alpine Grandeur of the Scenery. The Home of the Bear and the Elk. Game, Game, Game. 262

XXVII--IMPRESSIONS OF THE BLACK CAÑON.

The Observation Car. Gunnison River. Trout Fishing Again. The Rock Cleft in Twain. A Beautiful Cataract. A Mighty Needle. The Cañon Black yet Sunny. Impressions of the Cañon. Majestic Forms and Splendid Colors. 266

XXVIII--THE UNCOMPAHGRE VALLEY.

Cline's Ranch. Montrose. The Madame and Chum Respectfully Decline. The Trip to Ouray. The Military Post. Chief Ouray's Widow. The Road on the Bluff. Hot Springs. Brilliant Stars. 273

XXIX--OURAY AND RED MOUNTAIN.

A Pretty Mountain Town. Trials of the Prospectors. A Tradition. From Silverton to Ouray by Wagon. Enchanting Gorges and Alluring Peaks. The Yankee Girl. A Cave of Carbonates. Vermillion Cliffs. Dallas Station. 278

XXX--MONTROSE AND DELTA.

Playing Billiards. Caught in the Act. A Well-Watered District. Coal and Cattle. A Fruit Garden. A Big Irrigating Ditch. The Snowy Elk Mountains. A Substantial Track. A Long Bridge. 290

XXXI--THE GRAND RIVER VALLEY.

An Honest Circular. Grand Junction. Staking Out Ranches. The Recipe for Good Soil. Watering the Valley. Value of Water. Some Big Corn in the Far West. A Land of Plenty. Going West. 296

XXXII--THE COLORADO CAÑONS.

A Memorable Night-Journey. Skirting the Uncompahgre Plateau. Origin of the Sierra La Sal. Crossing the Green River. Wonders of Erosive Work. An Indian Tradition. The Marvelous Cañons of the Colorado. 303

XXXIII--CROSSING THE WASATCH.

The Tall Cliffs of Price River and Castle Cañon. Castle Gate. The Summit of the Wasatch. "Indians!" San Pete and Sevier Valleys. "Like Iser Rolling Rapidly." Through the Cañon of the Spanish Fork. Mount Nebo. 312

XXXIV--BY UTAH LAKES.

Rural Scenes Beside Lake Utah. Spanish Fork, Springville, Provo and Nephi. Relics of Indian Wars. Pretty Fruit Sellers. First Sight of Deseret and the Great Salt Lake. Ogden and Its History. 317

XXXV--SALT LAKE CITY.

Sunday in Salt Lake City. The Tabernacle and the Temple. Early Days in Utah. Shady Trees and Sparkling Brooks. Social Peculiarities of the City. Mining and Mercantile Prosperity. Religious Sects. Schools and Seminaries. 324

XXXVI--SALT LAKE AND THE WASATCH.

The Ride to Salt Lake. A Salt Water Bath. Keep Your Mouth Shut. The Shore of the Lake. An Exciting Chase. A Trip to Alta. Stone for the Temple. An Exhilarating Ride. 335

XXXVII--AU REVOIR.

At Last. On Jordan's Banks. Chum's Grandfather. Let Every Injun Carry his Own Skillet. The Parting Toast. Good-Night. 342

ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

GARFIELD PEAK _Frontispiece._

DENVER 17

DEPOT AT PALMER LAKE 20

PHOEBE'S ARCH 21

MONUMENT PARK 24

IN QUEEN'S CAÑON 28

CHEYENNE FALLS 31

IN NORTH CHEYENNE CAÑON 34

A GLIMPSE OF MANITOU AND PIKE'S PEAK 37

THE MINERAL SPRINGS 40

PIKE'S PEAK TRAIL 45

RAINBOW FALLS 49

GARDEN OF THE GODS 53

ENTRANCE TO CAVE OF THE WINDS 57

ALABASTER HALL 62

VETA PASS 67

CREST OF VETA MOUNTAIN 69

SPANISH PEAKS FROM VETA PASS 75

SANGRE DE CRISTO SUMMITS 78

SIERRA BLANCA 83

OJO CALIENTE 86

EMBUDO, RIO GRANDE VALLEY 89

NEW MEXICAN LIFE 94

A PATRIARCH 98

MAID AND MATRON 99

OLD CHURCH OF SAN JUAN 102

PUEBLO DE TAOS 107

PHANTOM CURVE 112

PHANTOM ROCKS 118

IN MEMORIAM 119

TOLTEC GORGE 125

EVA CLIFF 130

GARFIELD MEMORIAL 131

NEAR THE PIÑOS-CHAMA SUMMIT 136

CHIEFS OF THE SOUTHERN UTES 141

CAÑON OF THE RIO DE LAS ANIMAS 146

ON THE RIVER OF LOST SOULS 152

ANIMAS CAÑON AND THE NEEDLES 157

SILVERTON AND SULTAN MOUNTAIN 162

CLIFF DWELLINGS 168

WAGON WHEEL GAP 173

UP THE RIO GRANDE 178

GRAPE CREEK CAÑON 181

GRAND CAÑON OF THE ARKANSAS 186

THE ROYAL GORGE 191

BROWN'S CAÑON 194

TWIN LAKES 199

THE OLD ROUTE TO LEADVILLE 202

THE SHAFT HOUSE 204

BOTTOM OF THE SHAFT 205

ATHWART AN INCLINE 206

THE JIG DRILL 207

FREMONT PASS 211

CASCADES OF THE BLUE 214

MOUNT OF THE HOLY CROSS 219

MARSHALL PASS--EASTERN SLOPE 223

MARSHALL PASS--WESTERN SLOPE 227

CRESTED BUTTE MOUNTAIN AND LAKE 230

RUBY FALLS 232

APPROACH TO THE BLACK CAÑON 235

BLACK CAÑON OF THE GUNNISON 241

CURRECANTI NEEDLE, BLACK CAÑON 247

A UTE COUNCIL FIRE 251

OURAY 255

GATE OF LODORE 261

WINNIE'S GROTTO 264

ECHO ROCK 267

GUNNISON'S BUTTE 271

BUTTES OF THE CROSS 274

MARBLE CAÑON 279

GRAND CAÑON OF THE COLORADO 283

GRAND CAÑON, FROM TO-RO-WASP 287

EXPLORING THE WALLS 292

CASTLE GATE 297

IN SPANISH FORK CAÑON 300

TRAMWAY IN LITTLE COTTONWOOD CAÑON 305

SALT LAKE CITY 311

MORMON TEMPLE, TABERNACLE AND ASSEMBLY HALL 325

GREAT SALT LAKE 331

I

AT THE BASE OF THE ROCKIES.

Old Woodcock says that if Providence had not made him a justice of the peace, he'd have been a vagabond himself. No such kind interference prevailed in my case. I was a vagabond from my cradle. I never could be sent to school alone like other children--they always had to see me there safe, and fetch me back again. The rambling bump monopolized my whole head. I am sure my godfather must have been the Wandering Jew or a king's messenger. Here I am again, _en route_, and sorely puzzled to know whither.--The LOITERINGS OF ARTHUR O'LEARY.