DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 



31 



hamlet of Greenland. After passing this village the train turns more 

 toward the southwest and pursues a direct course 

 toward the low gap which separates the headwaters 

 of East Plum Creek on the north from those 

 of Monument Creek on the south. This gap is at 



the foot of the mountains and is marked by Palmer Lake, the highest 

 point on the line between Denver and Pueblo. This 

 lake and its relation to the mountain front are well 

 shown in Plate XVI, B. The lake and town were 

 named for Gen. Palmer, the organizer, first presi- 

 dent, and inspiring genius of the Denver & Rio 



Grande Railroad. A more extended account of Gen. Palmer and his 



Greenland. 



Elevation 6,919 feet. 

 Denver 47 miles. 



Palmer Lake. 



Elevation 7,237 feet. 

 Population IGO. 

 Denver 52 miles. 



disposal of brush is the most neces- 

 sary measure for the protection of a 

 cut-over forest from fire. 



In the early days of settlement in 

 this country the forest suffered con- 

 siderably from fires. (See PI. XII, 

 A and B.) The present fire-fighting 

 methods and organization were un- 

 heard of. In 1869 a fire started by 

 hunters on Pikes Peak is said to have 

 burned intermittently for eight 

 months and to have covered many 

 thousands of acres, though there were 

 several times during this period when 

 a small crew of men could have ex- 

 tinguished it. Similar fires covered 

 about 250,000 acres in the Pike Na- 

 tional Forest, and of this area 60,000 

 acres is not restocking but must be 

 reforested. 



While vi.siting Colorado Springs the 

 traveler will notice burned-over areas 

 on the slopes of Pikes Peak. Several 

 cities and towns procure their water 

 supply from the slopes of this moun- 

 tain, so it is of great importance that 

 the forest growth be extended and 

 maintained. An agreement has been 

 entered into between the Forest Serv- 

 ice and the cities of Colorado Springs, 

 Manitou, and Cascade that the service 

 shall reforest these slopes as rapidly 

 as the funds available will permit. 

 Already about $100,000 has been ex- 

 pended in this work, and complete 

 plans have been formulated for its 

 continuation until tree growth has been 

 established upon the entire area suited 



to the purpose. In making the trip 

 to Pikes Peak over the automobile 

 highway the traveler passes through 

 several of these plantations. 



In order to accomplish this planting 

 a nursery has been established just 

 west of the town of Monument (PI. 

 XIV, A). At the present time over 

 1,1500,000 tree seedlings and 600,000 

 transplanted trees are growing in this 

 nursery. These trees will be planted 

 in the mountains when they are two 

 to tliree years old at a distance of 

 6 to 8 feet apart. During 1920 the 

 area thus reforested comprised 738 

 acres and the planting required 570,000 

 trees. 



Forest fires still caus'e great de- 

 struction in the national forest. (See 

 Pis. XII, A, B, and XV, A.) The pos- 

 sibility of fires in the Pike National 

 Forest is great, bec-ause eight rail- 

 roads traverse it, 5,000 people live in 

 it, and 250,000 tourists seek recrea- 

 tion within its borders. On the sum- 

 mit of Devils Head Mountain the For- 

 est Service has established a fire-look- 

 out station (PI. XV, B), at which an 

 officer is detailed to watch for fires 

 during spring, summer, and autumn. 

 This officer is in direct communication 

 by telephone with the supervisor's of- 

 fice in Denver and with the rangers 

 whose districts he overlooks. As soon 

 as a fire is discovereil he gives its 

 location promptly and accurately so 

 that the rangers can start with men, 

 tools, and supplies to tight it. 



