DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 



35 



ONE-DAY TRIPS FROM COLORADO SPRINGS. 



As most travelers on the Denver & Rio Grande Western Eailroad 

 stop here to sample the mineral waters of Manitou and to explore the 

 peaks and canyons of the near-by mountains, the more interesting 

 side trips that may be made in a single day will be described. 



MANITOU AND THE GAKDEN OF THE GODS. 



The place that is first visited by most travelers stopping at Colo- 

 rado Springs is Manitoii, 6 miles to the west, at the foot of Pikes 

 Peak. In order to reach Manitou from Colorado Springs the 

 traveler must pass through the historic town of Colorado City, which 

 sprang into existence as a result of the rush of gold seekers to the 

 Pikes Peak region in 1859. A cluster of log cabins was built at 

 the base of the peak, but no gold was found. In 1862 Colorado City 

 again came into prominence, when the second legislative assembly 

 of the Territorj'^ convened there, but after a four-day session it 

 adjourned to Denver, the real capital of the State. It is said that 

 the building in which the meeting was held is still standing but in 

 a much dilapidated condition. In 1910 Colorado City had a popula- 

 tion of 4,333; since then it has been consolidated with Colorado 

 Springs. In the palmj^ daj's of the Cripple Creek camp it had 

 four cyanide plants ^^ in operation treating the ores, but with the 

 decline of that camp the mills have been allowed to fall into decay. 

 At the present time only one of them is in operation. 



The town of Manitou has a permanent population (1920) of 1,357, 

 but during the summer it has manj' times that number. It was 

 originally called Villa La Font, but this name was later changed to 

 Manitou, which is the Indian name for the Great Spirit. It is said 

 that the Indians were familiar with the springs before the advent 

 of the white man, and that they believed that the bubbling was 

 caused by the breath of the Great Spirit. In Manitou there are 

 16 springs whose waters differ widely in the composition and quan- 

 tity of the mineral matter they contain. Some of the waters are 

 strongly impregnated with soda, others with iron and magnesia, 

 and some contain, it is said, lithia, lime, sulphur, potash, and other 



"The cyanide process of treating 

 gold ores was discovered in 1890 and 

 is now used all over the world. It 

 is best adapted to free-milling ores, 

 especially after the bulk of the gold 

 has been removed by amalgamation. 

 The ore is first broken and ground as 

 fine as flour. It is then carried to 

 great vats, whei'e the gold is dis- 

 solved by a weak solution of cyanide 



of potassium. After standing for 

 several days the solution containing 

 the gold is passed over zinc turnings, 

 which precipitate the gold with other 

 metals as a black slime. Similar re- 

 sults may be obtained by electrolysis 

 except that the gold is obtained in a 

 purer form on lead plates. The slime 

 or lead plates are then treated to sep- 

 arate the gold from the baser metals. 



