﻿flAYDEN.] 
  

  

  LETTER 
  TO 
  THE 
  SECRETARY. 
  11 
  

  

  a 
  point 
  six 
  miles 
  south 
  of 
  Pike's 
  Peak 
  to 
  within 
  fifteen 
  miles 
  of 
  Loug's 
  

   Peak. 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  district, 
  the 
  entire 
  Middle 
  and 
  South 
  Parks 
  are 
  located, 
  and 
  

   three 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  rivers 
  of 
  the 
  West, 
  the 
  Arkansas, 
  Grand, 
  and 
  Platte 
  

   IMvers, 
  together 
  with 
  several 
  of 
  their 
  large 
  tributaries, 
  have 
  their 
  ori- 
  

   gin. 
  The 
  principal 
  branches 
  are 
  Blue, 
  Snake 
  Williams, 
  and 
  Frazer 
  

   Rivers 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  slope, 
  and 
  Tarryall, 
  Fountain 
  qui 
  Bouille, 
  Bear, 
  

   Clear, 
  Saint 
  Vrain, 
  Boulder, 
  Thompson, 
  and 
  Buckhorn 
  Rivers 
  on 
  the 
  

   eastern 
  slope. 
  

  

  The 
  main 
  Rocky 
  Mountain 
  Range 
  and 
  its 
  minor 
  ranges 
  are, 
  in 
  this 
  

   district, 
  peculiarly 
  complicated 
  ; 
  for 
  the 
  latter, 
  at 
  times, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  

   their 
  height 
  and 
  magnitude, 
  seem 
  to 
  lose 
  their 
  subordinate 
  character, 
  

   and 
  become 
  independent 
  ranges, 
  while 
  the 
  main 
  range 
  contains 
  groups 
  

   or 
  clusters 
  of 
  peaks 
  so 
  complicated 
  in 
  their 
  form 
  and 
  connection, 
  that 
  it 
  

   requires 
  close 
  observation 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  topographer 
  to 
  lay 
  down 
  

   the 
  true 
  drainage. 
  

  

  Among 
  the 
  minor 
  ranges, 
  the 
  Park, 
  Williams 
  or 
  Blue 
  River, 
  Gore's, 
  

   Tarryall, 
  and 
  Platte 
  River 
  Ranges 
  rank 
  in 
  height 
  among 
  the 
  largest, 
  

   while 
  for 
  extreme 
  ruggedness 
  the 
  Gore 
  and 
  Tarryall 
  Mountains 
  cannot 
  

   well 
  be 
  surpassed. 
  In 
  this 
  district, 
  the 
  great 
  mining 
  industries 
  of 
  Colo- 
  

   rado 
  are 
  found. 
  

  

  The 
  geographical 
  features 
  of 
  this 
  area 
  are 
  as 
  follows: 
  — 
  Between 
  the 
  Ar- 
  

   gentine 
  and 
  Georgia 
  Passes, 
  a 
  ridge 
  of 
  mountains 
  diverges 
  from 
  the 
  main 
  

   chain 
  and 
  follows 
  a 
  course 
  about 
  southeast, 
  connecting 
  with 
  the 
  mount- 
  

   ains 
  near 
  the 
  Pike's 
  Peak 
  group 
  on 
  its 
  west 
  side. 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  Tarryall 
  

   Range, 
  a 
  rugged 
  and 
  abrupt 
  granite 
  wall, 
  with 
  several 
  peaks 
  over 
  12,500 
  

   feet 
  in 
  height, 
  and 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  others 
  rising 
  above 
  timber-line. 
  The 
  great- 
  

   est 
  depressions 
  in 
  this 
  range 
  are 
  where 
  the 
  Tarryall 
  and 
  South 
  Platte 
  

   Rivers 
  break 
  through 
  in 
  caiious, 
  and 
  where 
  the 
  Ute 
  Pass 
  and 
  Kenosha 
  

   Pass 
  afford 
  an 
  entrance 
  to 
  the 
  South 
  Park. 
  To 
  the 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  Kenosha 
  

   Pass, 
  a 
  few 
  miles, 
  the 
  Tarryall 
  Range 
  separates 
  into 
  two 
  ridges, 
  which 
  

   run 
  nearly 
  in 
  an 
  eastern 
  direction. 
  The 
  northern 
  ridge 
  borders 
  the 
  

   south 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  Korth 
  Platte 
  River, 
  and 
  is 
  called 
  the 
  Kenosha 
  or 
  

   Platte 
  River 
  Range. 
  

  

  After 
  completing 
  the 
  survey 
  of 
  Platte 
  River, 
  Tarryall, 
  and 
  the 
  South 
  

   Park 
  districts, 
  Mr. 
  Bechler 
  ascended 
  the 
  Arkansas 
  Valley, 
  crossed 
  the 
  

   Tennessee 
  Pass, 
  and 
  examined 
  the 
  country 
  that 
  lies 
  between 
  the 
  Eagle 
  

   and 
  Blue 
  Rivers, 
  of 
  which 
  very 
  little 
  was 
  known. 
  This 
  territory 
  is 
  

   bounded 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  by 
  the 
  imposing 
  mountain 
  masses 
  of 
  the 
  Mount 
  

   Lincoln 
  group, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  by 
  the 
  cliff- 
  walls 
  of 
  the 
  Blue 
  River 
  Range, 
  

   and 
  on 
  the 
  northeast 
  by 
  Gore's 
  Range, 
  with 
  its 
  needle-shaped 
  peaks 
  

   extending 
  for 
  twenty 
  miles 
  like 
  sharp 
  pinnacles. 
  

  

  In 
  completing 
  the 
  survey 
  of 
  this 
  district, 
  Mr. 
  Bechler 
  joined, 
  by 
  his 
  

   topographical 
  work 
  and 
  triangulation, 
  three 
  separate 
  surveys 
  of 
  pre- 
  

   vious 
  years. 
  

  

  Crossing 
  Gore's 
  Range 
  and 
  the 
  Blue 
  River, 
  Mr. 
  Bechler 
  passed 
  through 
  

  

  