—+~

—

68 . CANON CITY.

 

 

sitting-room or hall, where we gathered about a flam-
ing, fragrant, open fire, and told stories and ‘laughed at
little jests, and, in short, were happy and glorious,
with the larger part of the human race far below us.
It is good to get above the world.”

Taking an affectionate leave of Manitou, I again
climb on top of the coach bound for the railway station,

“narrow gauge” for Pueblo,

and re-embark on the
forty-two miles farther south. This is one of the
principal towns of Southern Colorado, and has a pop-
ulation of 3,500—its existence only dating back as
far as January, 1867, when its population consisted of
about forty souls. From here there is a branch rail-
way to Canon City, where are some of the best coal
mines in Colorado, and iron in abundance. The tim-
ber regions of the upper Arkansas and Wet Mountain
Valley are made tributary to Pueblo by this branch,
and with the great cattle, wool, hide and grain pro-
duct of the lower counties, Pueblo is a very impor-
tant commercial entrepot. Canon City, distant forty-
five miles from Pueblo, is located on the Arkansas
river at the point where it issues from the great
canon, and is, owing to its wonderful natural resources
and riches, of the greatest interest and importance to
the tourist. The principal attractions are the coal
mines, five miles distant, the iron mountain (contain-
ing an inexhaustible supply, and showing sixty-seven
per cent. of magnetic oxide of iron), copper mines, five
miles, and the great canon of the Arkansas, eight miles
of which is one of the grandest and most sublime

 

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