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Show 134 ROCKY MO UNTAIN • C'ENU:H.Y. Onr illu tmtion co twc·yR a cll'at· idl'a of tit' . u<:er. sion of ·now-sltl'cb n,ncl tunnels tltronglt wltil'lt the Cl' nlrn.l Pacifie H.ailroad I'IIIIS in cros::; ing tlw iPrra NLwatla. The• tuntwls an· 13 in number, an<l Lito largt•st iH II P:t.r tlt C' suutntit, mot·c• th:tn 7,000 fc•l't nhon' tJw Pa. It i. l,OfiD fc•Pt through nms::;ii'C o·ranitc; of t iH' oLitcr tunnel·, th' ·ltort.e ·t is 02 and tlt' IOJtgt•st 870 f'l'l'l. 'l'hl' : now slt e<1;.; ar' f\ub;.;!anlial stl'lldttt'Cf\, built of' l'laW\'cl nn<l rou11cl timlwr, at a ('OSl of .'' 10,000 pl'r lllil t'. ThPt'C arc 40 nti! ·s of till'.'\' sli l' d ~ now compiPtcd, an<l lh<T art' r-;o conr-;truC'ted thaL tit\' itllllll'n '\' aralancil l':o:, wliirll HO often slide clown lilt' :-; idt'l:l Of thl• lliOUII[aiiiS in til\' .'pring, }Ja;.;s nvn lltt•m aml f:tll inlo tlu• c·hasltts l>L"low. Tll\'!::!t' L1tnn •l ·and SIIOII'-slic ·ds n.n• Vl' l".)' important lo the I'Oa.d, and tho latter har<' pron•d a proh•etion fron t tho snow::; but Lhl'y hide· from view some f tlte 1110 ·L magn ific·t•llt SCCIH'r.)' i 11 til l' \\'Orld. As till' tntvl'il'r c1l'i-i('(' ll\1S tlw Wl'StNn HIOpl' or Lill' SiC'I'm Nt'Y:l<la, ill' will R\'l' on eiliH•r Hitlt' of tltl' miii'Oacl tlte mo,.;t rl'ntarka.blt• cxhibitio11s of hychnu li(' I!Old-ntining in 1\111 •rica; no exampll'S in Uoloraclo m· Nt•w Mc•xieo cnn eom] are with till' giganti · Hcale on wlticlt thiH operat ion is h '1'\' clPvelopPcl. Pltotogr;tph XXX. was takC'n aL l)n te lt Flat in full vic•w from tlw railroad, nn<1 ]Jrt' '\' ttl: a el <•n.n• t· con ·c•ption of thil-l pt·oep::;r-;, tl1nn <:<)lllcl bo c·on,·t'.)'l'<l lo !Itt• lllincl l)y pao·t• of' dPK<:ription. "\Vitilin tho mcliu of' five or Rix mikt', a.ll to be 't'l'll from L!tt' railroa.d, arP a llttlnlwr of prt'lty litLIP mining town s, lwaring SIIC'h Pupl1onious nanws n::> " You Bl'l," " Reel Dog," " LiLtl l' York," ' 'Dutch FlnL" and '' Uolcl H.11n." 'l'lwr :ur qu ite flouri shing villag<'::>, soml' ha,·ino· :tbout 2,000 iJthabi!au h. Mi11ing rliklw C'IL11 lw S\'\'11 on every sidl', eonvl'ying largt' and mpi<l str<'am~ of water in long ltn.tTow ilunws (or telt>gntplt s, as tlt<•y arc ca iiPd by tllC miners) over tlw claims to lw workl'd. 'l'o the• flunH' is allaoll< '<l tlw lto:c h.)' which till' wall't' iH thrown a <rain ·t the bank · of f:anl and gmr cl with n·1·c•at l_)OW<'r. wa shing de wn an•a"' of gmvl'l from I 00 to HOO ft•Pt in thirknl' · . Many mill's of' Lhcsc ditelws and fiunH'S ltav' bl'Pll built in th 'fie mining n•gions and tlte urfac<' of tlt' country cntin•ly eltnngc·cl; one largP ditch was ·onstru ·Lpcl at It cost of a milli on of clolhtt·s. Cl'mPnts or conglompmlt• form o1w of tlw most conspi<"uouH f\.•at ur<'S of th' O'(•ology or tltP 'i\'rr:t Nl'V:t\la Mountains, and I lmv' )'' . 'JT cl t lt t•ir slncly f'or the eontemplatl'll second volunH', illu 'trating tho Ot•ntral Pa ·ific Railroad frpm Ogd n to nn Franci r:;co. IIAPTER VII. TilE ANC:II, NT LAKES 01•' WEi"'I'EI'tN A"~ll·: l!t A: '1'111-:rn I)EPO, f'I'S ANI) J)l(i\IN ,\ .E. THE wonc1Prful oll<'ction: of' f'o ·sil plants and animal remain · brought by Dr. lfa.rtkn from thr country bordering tho Uppl't' :i\1 ir-;souri have bPPn shown by hi ob. •rvations, anrl tIt' r ' ·Nm.:lw · of Mr. ft 'Pl< , to hare lwen dt>rir •d front depo ·it · macl' in extt•n:irc fr Hh-wat('r lakPs; lakt•s, which one' oeenpi<'cl lllll('h of' Lhe region lyin<r imln<'llialt·ly \'afit of' lh' Horky :i\fou11tains, but wltielt hav<' JIOW totally di:o:app<'arpcl. 'l'h' Sl·tlint t'J tl fi tlmt aCC IIInuln.tetl in the botlotnl:l of thes' old lakt• · Rl1ow tl1at in th · carli '-t ]Wl'iod.· of their lti l:llory lhPy ontained salt watl'r, aL ~Past that the SPa had ae 'l' · · to them, :wtl tlwir watl'I'S Wl'l'l' :m ort' or IPs· int})l'eo·Jtalvd wilh Halt, o a to bo inhabitt•<l by oy l 'I · and oLh('r twtrin ' or estuary mollu ·Jc Jn d1t' tim Ut \' co ntinental (• lcmtion wllirh brought all th' counlt·y \\'l' t of' the "Hi ·si ssippi up uL of' tho wid' spr •ad CrPta ·cous sea, rai •d tltp ·e lak •-basins altogPlhPt' above tlt' sea l ovt· l and Slll'I'Ollnde l tht'lll witlt a broad rxpan 0 or dry land. Tltcn en 'II •t1 Oil ' of' tile mosL inter , ··t ing dtaptors in th · gPological hi story of out· co 1tlin •nt antl on' Lhat, il' fairly writt •n out, coull not !'ail to be l'Ntd wiL!t plva 'Ill'' by all int•llig•nt p<'rson ·. The tlt•tails of thil:l hh;tory ar• ltowev'l', in a great 111\'llSlll'', yet tO be uppli •d_; ·inaSII1UCh as th• OT•at ttr•a Of' OUr Western poRsc sion · i still but vel')' pal'tially explor •cl, and it i · Cl'l'taiu that it form a o·t't'[Lt tn•a ·ur•-hou · ' of' <rt•oloo·ic·al knowl •dgt', from whieh many genemlion ·will draw ii·cs lt. a.nu iut •r •sling material before itl:l ri ·h 'S hall b' •xhaust •d. |
