BY PYE POD.
At the head of the procession strode the four heralds.
Silently they marched, in silence the populace received them.
The spectacle reminded very old men of the day the great Axaya
was born in mournful pomp to Chapultepec.--_The Fair God._
When I had taken a bird's-eye view of Denver, and visited many of
its handsome streets and buildings, and met its hospitable
citizens, I dubbed it one of the most attractive cities.
One of the first to greet me was a member of the Jacksonian Club,
who invited me to attend a lawn party to be given at the home of a
fellow member. The grounds were illuminated with Japanese lanterns
and a platform was erected for speech-making, while indoors were
served refreshments. In the midst of the pleasant proceedings a
gentle rain frightened everybody into the house, where dancing
closed the festivities. Of course, every pretty girl wanted to
dance with Pod.
Sunday seemed to be the accepted day for sight-seeing. The "Seeing
Denver" car (electric) made two twenty-five mile trips a day,
threading the more attractive portions of the city and suburbs and
giving the passengers a splendid idea of the beauties and
possibilities of Denver. Each car was manned by a director, who
clearly described all points of interest en route.
Finally, the car was stopped on the heights overlooking Clear
Creek Valley, where, in 1858, Gregory, a North Carolina
prospector, discovered gold in quartz and proved his theory that
all placer ore came from a mother lode. People in the East,
hearing that gold could be found here in quartz, hurried to the
spot, resolved to be contented if they could only find it in
pints. While many were disappointed, within a year one hundred and
seventy quartz mills were erected, and in 1860 Colorado's gold
output amounted to $4,000,000.
The Colorado farmer raises everything in the fruit and vegetable
line that can be produced in the East. Through the system of
irrigation the soil is brought to such a state of production that
one farmer near Denver was reaping a revenue of $5,000 a year from
a twenty-acre plot.
"One of our best crops is tomatoes," said our guide, with the view
of enlightening some possible investor. "There, you can see in the
distance, is one of our largest canneries. It cans tomatoes only.
All the tomatoes they can are raised around Denver, and all the
tomatoes not consumed in the city are sent to this cannery to be
canned. They raise all they can and what they can't raise they
can't can. They eat all they can, and all they can't eat they can.
Moreover, all they can't can they eat, and what they eat they
can't can. All canned tomatoes they can and cannot eat they ship
to those who can't visit Denver to eat all they can. If you can
visit the cannery and see them can all they can and eat what they
can't can, and can't eat a can yourselves, you then only can
understand why it is they can't eat what they can and can't can
what they eat. Can you not?" When he had finished three women
cried.
Later on the journey the car was stopped in a different quarter of
the suburbs, where several got off to pluck wild flowers. In the
course of our tour many attractive buildings were pointed out,
among them the Consumptive's Home, erected by philanthropists of
the East, and the several smelting mills, one of which boasts of a
chimney four hundred feet in height, the tallest on the continent.
While the ladies were gathering wild flowers I was persuaded to
perpetrate a practical joke suggested by two jovial Johnny Bulls.
I had become quite chatty with their party. They had the
impression that I was a cowboy, and when they discovered their
error they proposed I should jostle a fellow countryman of theirs
as soon as they could decoy him off the car, they claiming that he
still believed me a real cow-puncher out for a holiday. They said
it was his first trip to America, and that he had frequently
expressed a curiosity to see one of those wild men of the plains.
On promises of their support in case of offense being taken, I
chuckled and awaited my chance.
Presently the man was persuaded to pick a wild rose, and as he was
about to pass me I backed roughly against him, almost sending him
off his feet. When he had regained his equilibrium and was on the
point of rebuking me, I turned furiously upon him: "Say, you
foreign tenderfoot," I said, "you got a preemption on the whole
earth? If so, just fence it in. Don't yer brush me that way agin,
or I'll show yer how we trim moustaches out in this country when
our razors ain't sharp. Understand?"
As I uttered these words I put my hand on my hip-pocket. My
sombrero was tilted, and the attitude I struck would have amused
any real cowboy. The astonished Englishman, red in the face, edged
away in silence and eyed me narrowly.
"Turn your lamps the other way, or I'll shoot off yer eyebrows!" I
shouted.
At once the innocent butt of our ungentlemanly joke ventured to
apologize for the carelessness that was not his, when a peal of
laughter from behind told plainly that the joke was off. I turned
to see everybody in a fit of laughter; I now began to feel
embarrassed, and had not my confederate immediately explained the
case and introduced me to their imposed-upon comrade, I certainly
would have felt very awkward. As it was, the tourist laughed
heartily at the joke, complimented me on my art in acting and gave
me a cordial handshake. At our journey's end I was introduced to
all the ladies, and induced to pose for their cameras, after which
I departed with the well-wishes of all.
I must not overlook an amusing incident of the trip. One of the
passengers was an Irishman, who caused much merriment by a stroke
of wit, or a blunder, just as the car stopped in front of the City
Hall.
"This lovely park which you see," said the director, "has been
brought to its present beautiful condition by levying a tax of one
mill on all property owners. The burden, you see, was light for
each person, and just to all."
"Light was it!" the Emerald-Islander exclaimed. "Begorry! mills
must be dom plintiful in these parts, whin every mon is willin' to
give uup a mill for an interist in a parruk. Be dad! it must ha'
been rough on th' mon that owned but one mill. It was thot!"
Whereupon our erudite guide politely dissertated on the great
difference in mills, to the amusement of the English party and the
Hibernian's satisfaction.
Before leaving Denver I found it advisable to add considerable to
my traveling equipment. I ordered a tin canteen from my own
design, to hold a gallon of water, and within it was fashioned a
receptacle for holding two pounds of butter. Its value was
constantly appreciated when crossing the deserts where we were
enabled to carry butter, and an extra quantity of drinking water
which was kept cool by wrapping the canteen with cloth and canvas
and keeping them in a moist condition. I also purchased a large
basket-covered demijohn of port wine (for medicinal purposes), an
extra pack-saddle and camp supplies.
Although that altitude of 5,000 feet was quite invigorating, the
sun at that season was unusually warm, and I intended to enjoy as
much camp life as possible. We took a southerly course towards
Pike's Peak, threading the villages of Littleton, Castle Rock,
Sedalia and Monument, and the city of Colorado Springs. The scenic
beauties of Colorado became more manifest every day.
Sunday afternoon I observed in the southwest a dark cloud draw a
threatening hood over that giant discovery of 1806 by Col. Zebulon
M. Pike, and I decided to camp in the vicinity of a dairy ranch.
Anticipating a shower, I rode Skates, my fastest donkey, to the
house with canteen and pail, leaving Coonskin to unpack, pitch
tent, and build a wood-pile under shelter.
On approaching the house, I detected a pretty dairymaid in the
doorway. I endeavored to dismount from my asinine steed with
grace, but the picture so unbalanced me that I caught a foot in a
stirrup and fell heels over appetite on the ground at my charmer's
very feet, much to my embarrassment and her amusement.
"Can you spare me a quart of milk, Miss?" I inquired, lifting my
hat. She smiled. Then, fearing lest I might have created the
impression of begging, I asked; "can you sell some? I mean to pay
for it, of course."
My words seemed to break her spell, and she replied sweetly, "We
have two kinds--cream and skimmed milk." And her eyes sparkled. I
caught my breath and gave her a chance to lose hers. "Per-per-perhaps
you might mix the two safely--mightn't you?" I now felt
the crisis coming, and twisted myself nervously. The maid laughed.
It quieted my nerves.
"But," she returned, "you see, the cream is all engaged, and--and
I would not like to sell you the skimmed milk, because--because we
feed that to the hogs."
I smiled now and tried to answer. "Well, what is good enough for
hogs ought--," and I hesitated, feeling I was getting things
twisted; but she came to the rescue nobly.
"What you mean is, what is good enough for you ought to be good
enough for hogs, eh?"
"Thank you," I said. "What you say goes," and I handed her the
pail, which she accepted with a shy courtesy.
As she hurried to the spring house, I watched her admiringly until
foosteps behind caused me to turn around. Behold! there was
another young lady, tall and becomingly gowned, even prettier than
the other. The softness of her brown, lustrous eyes bespoke the
tenderness in her nature. Even Don interpreted this when she
patted his head and observed: "What a nice dog you have!"
The expression "nice dog" was very familiar to Don, and they were
no sooner uttered than the huge dog arose to the occasion by
planting his fore-paws against the lady's breast and attempting to
steal a kiss.
The shock would have upset her completely if I had not caught her
in my arms. It was therefore under somewhat embarrassing
circumstances that the dairy maid witnessed the embrace--embarrassing
to all save the dog. Explanations will only make
matters worse, I thought, so I took the pail and kept mum, though
I know I looked anything but innocent.
Business over, we conversed until it began to sprinkle, and then,
after accepting the ladies' invitation to spend the evening with
them, I cantered back to camp.
"I feared you had gone on to 'Frisco," said Coonskin; "I'm dying
for a drink of water."
Indeed, I had forgotten to fill the canteen--all on account of
those charming girls. "I declare, Coonskin," I explained, "I had
such a time persuading the folks to sell me a little milk that I
never thought of water. I'll hurry back for it." And not giving my
companion time to anticipate me, or stopping to mount a donkey, I
did the errand on foot.
That evening we passed a pleasant hour with "wine, women and
song," and departed with another invitation to a fish and game
dinner next day, if I would tarry and provide trout and birds. Of
course, I tarried. Coonskin accompanied me into the canyon next
morning with rod and line, and in the afternoon with gun and bag.
By five he had caught a nice mess of trout and I had shot a young
jack-rabbit.
It was a delicious repast that was served us by those New England
girls. We ate fish till their tails stuck out of our mouths. The
bread tasted like angel's food, and the beans were well done, in
spite of the fact it required a whole day to cook beans in that
altitude.
I smacked my lips and said to myself: "I'll eat heartily now, for
it'll be long before I'll get another dinner like this."
On the way to the Springs next day I suggested to Coonskin that we
climb the Peak and see the sun rise.
"Why, is sunrise up there any finer than it is down here?" he
inquired.
I thought he was making a mental calculation of the number of
steps, and labored breaths, and obsolete words the ascent would
require.
"Certainly," I said, "the reflections to be seen from that
altitude are more beautiful and varied than from the plains."
"They're more beautiful perhaps, but I've been riding a mule over
three months now, and my reflections are about as varied as
anything could make 'em."
My donkey party reached Colorado Springs in time for dinner.
[Illustration: "_Independence Pass ... one of the loftiest of the
Continental Divide._"]
[Illustration: "_Trail to Florisant._"]
[Illustration: "_Two days of hard climbing to cross Western
Pass._"]