﻿354 
  KEPORT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SlTRVEY. 
  

  

  east 
  of 
  south 
  and 
  west 
  of 
  north, 
  and 
  through 
  the 
  whole 
  State, 
  from 
  Wyo- 
  

   ming 
  to 
  New 
  Mexico, 
  it 
  offers 
  an 
  unbroken 
  front 
  to 
  the 
  approach 
  from 
  the 
  

   plains. 
  It 
  is 
  only 
  on 
  penetrating 
  the 
  first 
  foot-hills 
  that 
  the 
  broad 
  parks 
  

   would 
  be 
  imagined 
  to 
  exist. 
  The 
  streams 
  flow 
  out 
  generally 
  from 
  deep 
  

   caiions, 
  and 
  in 
  many 
  cases 
  the 
  very 
  foremost 
  mountains 
  of 
  the 
  mass 
  ex- 
  

   tend 
  above 
  the 
  timber-limit. 
  To 
  give 
  a 
  better 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  extreme 
  ab- 
  i 
  

   ruptness 
  of 
  the 
  change, 
  I 
  give 
  a 
  section 
  through 
  Cheyenne 
  Mountain 
  I 
  

   from 
  the 
  eastern 
  border 
  of 
  the 
  sheet. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  marked 
  case, 
  but 
  thor- 
  

   oughly 
  characteristic, 
  and 
  gives 
  an 
  average 
  specimen 
  of 
  the 
  small 
  break- 
  

   ings 
  of 
  the 
  plains. 
  

  

  In 
  a 
  northerly 
  and 
  southerly 
  direction 
  the 
  topography 
  of 
  this 
  sheet 
  is 
  

   not 
  at 
  all 
  marked, 
  although 
  it 
  includes 
  the 
  divide 
  between 
  the 
  Arkansas 
  

   and 
  Platte 
  waters. 
  Denver, 
  on 
  the 
  Platte, 
  has 
  an 
  altitude 
  of 
  5,200 
  feet, 
  

   and 
  Pueblo, 
  on 
  the 
  Arkansas, 
  an 
  altitude 
  of 
  4,700 
  feet, 
  while 
  the 
  divide 
  

   between 
  the 
  two 
  attains 
  7,400 
  feet 
  in 
  height. 
  The 
  rise 
  from 
  the 
  rivers 
  

   to 
  the 
  summit 
  is, 
  however, 
  extremely 
  gradual, 
  especially 
  on 
  the 
  Platte 
  

   side 
  ; 
  so 
  much 
  so, 
  indeed, 
  that 
  the 
  most 
  trained 
  eye, 
  when 
  near 
  the 
  

   summit, 
  is 
  utterly 
  unable 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  slope. 
  On 
  

   the 
  Arkansas 
  side 
  the 
  character 
  is 
  different, 
  being 
  steepest 
  near 
  the 
  J 
  

   summit 
  and 
  becoming 
  extremely 
  gradual 
  as 
  the 
  river 
  is 
  neared. 
  

  

  A 
  change, 
  however, 
  much 
  more 
  noticeable 
  than 
  the 
  change 
  of 
  topog- 
  ^ 
  

   raphy, 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  vegetation. 
  On 
  the 
  north 
  or 
  Platte 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  divide 
  i 
  

   there 
  is 
  a 
  most 
  luxuriant 
  growth 
  of 
  grass 
  and 
  only 
  isolated 
  patches 
  of 
  ' 
  

   timber; 
  but 
  immediately 
  the 
  actual 
  summit 
  is 
  reached, 
  a 
  most 
  dense 
  ■ 
  

   growth 
  of 
  yellow 
  pine 
  is 
  entered, 
  which 
  continues 
  in 
  a 
  narrow 
  and 
  ' 
  

   almost 
  uninterrupted 
  belt 
  from 
  the 
  mountains 
  far 
  out 
  into 
  the 
  plains. 
  

   This 
  timber-line 
  is 
  generally 
  as 
  clearly 
  defined 
  as 
  it 
  could 
  be 
  cut 
  with 
  au 
  

   ax, 
  and 
  follows 
  pretty 
  closely 
  the 
  summit 
  of 
  the 
  ridge. 
  There 
  are, 
  in- 
  

   deed, 
  considerable 
  patches 
  of 
  timber 
  around 
  the 
  Plum, 
  Cherry, 
  and 
  

   Kiowa 
  Creeks, 
  but 
  it 
  makes 
  at 
  the 
  summit 
  a 
  very 
  marked 
  and 
  notice- 
  

   able 
  change 
  in 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  slopes. 
  This 
  "divide- 
  timber" 
  

   has 
  already 
  proved 
  of 
  great 
  value, 
  from 
  its 
  ready 
  accessibility 
  and 
  good 
  

   quality, 
  and 
  through 
  it 
  all 
  saw-mills 
  are 
  now, 
  and 
  for 
  years 
  have 
  been, 
  

   constantly 
  working. 
  West 
  of 
  104° 
  30' 
  there 
  are 
  perhaps 
  somewhat 
  over 
  

   100 
  square 
  miles 
  of 
  it, 
  through 
  which 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  timber 
  has 
  

   already 
  been 
  used. 
  When 
  cut 
  over 
  it 
  springs 
  up 
  quickly 
  and 
  thickly 
  in 
  

   a 
  young 
  and 
  vigorous 
  growth, 
  and 
  promises, 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  its 
  area 
  permits, 
  

   a 
  constantly 
  recurring 
  supply. 
  

  

  The 
  climate 
  of 
  the 
  divide 
  is, 
  from 
  its 
  altitude, 
  much 
  colder 
  than 
  any 
  of 
  

   the. 
  better-known 
  places 
  on 
  either 
  side. 
  The 
  height 
  of 
  7,000 
  feet 
  at 
  this 
  

   latitude 
  in 
  Colorado 
  is 
  certainly 
  very 
  nearly 
  to 
  the 
  limit 
  at 
  where 
  cattle 
  

   may 
  be 
  wintered 
  with 
  any 
  safety. 
  Eanchers, 
  however, 
  near 
  the 
  summit 
  

   have 
  told 
  me 
  that 
  they 
  have 
  wintered 
  their 
  herds 
  there 
  without 
  loss. 
  

  

  The 
  lower 
  altitude 
  and 
  greater 
  amount 
  of 
  water 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  

   Platte, 
  and 
  even 
  nearly 
  to 
  the 
  summit 
  of 
  the 
  divide, 
  makes 
  the 
  whole 
  

   district 
  valuable 
  for 
  both 
  stock-raising 
  and 
  farming. 
  The 
  same 
  may 
  be 
  

   said 
  of 
  the 
  Arkansas 
  side. 
  As 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  timber-belt 
  is 
  passed, 
  the 
  

   rich 
  grass 
  region 
  again 
  commences 
  and 
  continues 
  uninterruptedly 
  to 
  

   the 
  river. 
  On 
  the 
  slope 
  almost 
  every 
  drop 
  of 
  available 
  water 
  is 
  already 
  

   used 
  for 
  irrigation. 
  The 
  Arkansas 
  still 
  contains 
  an 
  immense 
  amount, 
  

   requiring 
  long 
  ditches 
  to 
  throw 
  it 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  plains. 
  The 
  amount 
  of 
  farm 
  

   land 
  at 
  any 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  main 
  rivers 
  cannot 
  now 
  be 
  greatly 
  in- 
  

   creased 
  in 
  this 
  portion 
  of 
  Colorado 
  for 
  lack 
  of 
  water. 
  Windmills 
  may 
  

   be 
  used 
  to 
  some 
  extent 
  for 
  irrigation, 
  but 
  will 
  not 
  furnish 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  

   amount. 
  I 
  found 
  them 
  used 
  in 
  several 
  places 
  for 
  watering 
  stock, 
  and 
  

  

  