DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 



167 



Chester. 



Elevation 9,412 feet. 

 Denver 249 miles. 



Sargent. 



Elevation 8,477 feet. 

 Population 288. 

 Denver 257 miles. 



The railroad gradually descends the slope, and at Chester it is at 

 the level of Tomichi Creek. For some distance the valley is small 

 and narrow, but farther on it opens, and crops of 

 hay may be seen on the flood plain. The chief 

 industry of the country is stock raising, for the 

 high mountains afford excellent summer pasture 

 and the bottoms along the creeks produce hay for the subsistence of 

 the stock during the winter. Cattle may be seen on the range at 

 many places, especially in midsummer, and bands of sheep find pas- 

 ture at the foot of the highest mountains. (See PI. LXX, C.) 



Below Chester the valley expands, and at Sargent the stream, 

 which the railroad has been following, is joined by a large branch 

 from the north. Sargent is a busy railroad point 

 which still bears the marks of a frontier settlement. 

 Here " helper " engines are kept to assist the trains 

 up the heavy grade to the summit. The rock near 

 Sargent is mainly granite, but it is not conspicuous, 

 for n;ost of the slopes are smooth and round and few ledges are visi- 

 ble. The granite ex- 

 tends as far as mile- 

 post 263, where it is 

 replaced by sandstone 

 (Dakota), which forms 

 a pronounced hogback 

 on both sides of the 

 tracks. This hogback 

 forms one edge of a 

 broad, flat basin of 

 sedimentary rocks that 

 extends practically to 

 Gunnison. Where first 

 seen the Dakota sand- 

 stone is overturned, as shown in figure 43, showing that the down- 

 folding of the basin was accompanied by a strong thrust from the 

 east. 



The Mancos shale forms the surface of the inner part of this great 

 basin for a long distance. This shale is so soft that it is seldom seen 

 in outcrop, but it has a decided effect in subduing the features of 

 the landscape. The valley has a width of 2 or 3 miles, the slopes 

 bordering it are gentle, and the hills are low. In the midst of the 

 broad valley, or rather on its north (right) border, is a prominent 

 mountain called Tomichi Dome, which rises more than 2,000 feet 



Figure 43. — Overturned eastern rim of the syncline at 

 Crookton. Dakota sandstone dips steeply to the 

 southeast. 



