The Cheyenne Daily Leader

THE WANDERERS.
From the Magic City to the Carbonate Camp and Return.
There was a lively stir about the St. James, Denver, early Tuesday morning, caused by the early rising of the Wyoming excursionists who bobbed up serenely And descended down below To a six o'clock breakfast. preparatory to leaving Denver over the D. & S.P for Leadville. Of course, the morning papers added relish to the coffee, and the light laughs, contemptuous grunts and plainly spoken disapproval announced the perusal of the several announcements of the arrival in Denver of the Wyoming excursionists. The Tribune, with its characteristic news gleaning, made the matter a matter of news and treated it as such, but the News and Republican. the reporters of which must think themselves humorists in embryo. made the arrival the occasion for some very insipid attempts at humor. and manufactured out of their imagination a party of country bumpkins enjoying rides in the street cars and elevators, &c., with the air of huge enjoyment. The party excused these labored reportorial displays with a contemptuous pity, as a benighted condition of the mentally strained Faber pushers, and hastened to the Union depot, where awaited the special Denver & South Park train for the accommodation of the wanderers.
The special train was made up of five coaches, including Col. Fisher's special car, and was drawn by the engine Rico. W. W. Edwards, formerly one of the Cheyenne boys acted the pleasing part of a gentlemanly conductor in a manner which Cheyenne railroad boys generally have.
The first hours of the ride Leadville-ward over this road offers nothing particularly startling or pleasing in the way of scenery. The mountains which are plainly visible from the city of Denver. bound the horizon Further than this, only the brown grass of the prairie offers its monotony to the eye, and the passengers generally find plenty of interest within the pleasant narrow gauge cars, especially when there is as jolly a set as was the case with our Wyoming excursionists. And we don't mean by jolly a drunken carousal. which is common definition in Denver, judging from its press. Durbin, the "saloon man" met the many inquiries after telegraph poles with a quiet dignity, which at once cast a halo of respect about the business. Councilman Reel waxed romantic, and was found pressing to his lips the withering petals of a rose, which had fallen from some lady's throat The fragrant weed scented up the rolling club room of the commissary, and an occasional song or round of laughter announced that Col. Murrin had the boys well under his control.
As the train drew near the Platte canon and the mountainous boundaries of the plains drew together. the interior of the car lost its attractions, and all eyes were turned toward the massive piles of rocks on either side as the diminutive train turned and twisted through the narrow winding canon. The car platforms were crowded by passengers anxious not to lose a whit of the novelty of the situation or the grandeur of the scenery. The steep pitches in the grade and sharp curves were a constant source of surprise and remark. Soon, however, the constant and quick swaying of the coaches rather got the best of some of the passengers' internal affairs and there were some odd dozens of genuine cases of sea sickness, especially among the ladies; and the widow O'Brien was quoted occasionally.
At Webster the attention was attracted by the appearance of the road bed far up the side of the mountain beyond and over which the party passed, making the celebrated horse shoe curve and going three miles to make a point which was scarcely a mile away.
The Kenosha hill climbing brought the party to the summit of the divide, from which was had a delightful view of the Middle Park as its hundred miles of length lay stretched out off to where the indistinct mountains marked the limit of vision.
Como was reached some time after the dinner hour. but the stop was for dinner, and if mine host Gilman ever had a hungry crowd to feed it was the rushing, surging, mass of good-natured Wyoming appetite which swept into his dining room Tuesday afternoon; and we but echo the sentiments of the whole party when we say that Como gave the excursionists the best meal they had from their departure to their arrival in Cheyenne. There was no taking orders in that crowd. The waiters brought in the largest dishes of all they had and distributed them along the table with a "eat just as much as you want, we've got plenty," air.
Speaking about air, reminds us that Como is an airy place. There is more real genuine wind to the hatfull at that point than at any other point outside of a furnace blower. Our hat started off with a hop-skip-and-a-jump movement, as we were gazing at the far off snow caps, and disappeared in the misty distance. As we turned to telegraph the Clarendon clerk to assign it good rooms pending our arrival. a sable hired at. tache to our party waltzed off under full sail and run down our capillary covering in a short time.
There were numerous bunches of cattle grazing in the Middle Park and but little snow laying on the ground. It did not seem to be as well watered as some of the Colorado parks, but was evidently a profitable grazing ground.
At Buena Vista greater honor was done the party than at any other point along the line. Capt. Johnson, with his company band of state militia, greeted the Wyomingites' arrival with several tunes, by Hillar's brass band, which were heartily appreciated, and three cheers given for Buena Vista and also for the Wyoming legislature.
Gen. Pease, an old Wyomingite, was met here by many of his old acquaintances, and persuaded to accompany the party to the Carbonate Camp, as did from Denver Secretary Meldrum and Wolf Londener,
Leaving Buena Vista but little of moment occurred to mar or add to the grandeur of the mountain scenery or the pleasure of the ride, until worn and weary our party drew up at Leadville, after their 180 miles journey, and sought quarters at the Clarendon for a night's rest previous to doing the much talked of town, of which more to-morrow.