Introduction by
Ann Ronald
University of Nevada, Reno
To My Sister,
to whom
these letters were originally written,
they are now
affectionately dedicated.
Contents
Introduction, by Ann Ronald
LETTER I
Lake Tahoe - Morning in San Francisco - Dust - A Pacific
mail-train - Digger Indians - Cape Horn - A mountain hotel - A
pioneer - A Truckee livery stable - A mountain stream - Finding a
bear - Tahoe.
LETTER II
A lady's "get-up" - Grizzly bears - The "Gem of the Sierras" - A
tragic tale - A carnival of color.
LETTER III
A Temple of Morpheus - Utah - A "God-forgotten" town - A distressed
couple - Dog villages - A temperance colony - A Colorado inn
- The bug pest - Fort Collins.
LETTER IV
A plague of flies - A melancholy charioteer - The Foot Hills - A
mountain boarding-house - A dull life - "Being agreeable" - Climate
of Colorado - Soroche and snakes.
LETTER V
A dateless day - "Those hands of yours" - A Puritan - Persevering
shiftlessness - The house-mother - Family worship - A grim Sunday - A
"thick-skulled Englishman" - A morning call - Another
atmosphere - The Great Lone Land - "Ill found" - A log camp - Bad
footing for horses - Accidents - Disappointment.
LETTER VI
A bronco mare - An accident - Wonderland - A sad story - The children
of the Territories - Hard greed - Halcyon hours - Smartness -
Old-fashioned prejudices - The Chicago colony - Good luck - Three
notes of admiration - A good horse - The St. Vrain - The Rocky
Mountains at last - "Mountain Jim" - A death hug - Estes Park.
LETTER VII
Personality of Long's Peak - "Mountain Jim" - Lake of the Lilies - A
silent forest - The camping ground - "Ring" - A lady's bower - Dawn
and sunrise - A glorious view - Links of diamonds - The ascent of
the Peak - The "Dog's Lift" - Suffering from thirst - The
descent - The bivouac.
LETTER VIII
Estes Park - Big game - "Parks" in Colorado - Magnificent
scenery - Flowers and pines - An awful road - Our log
cabin - Griffith Evans - A miniature world - Our topics - A
night alarm - A skunk - Morning glories - Daily routine - The
panic - "Wait for the wagon" - A musical evening.
LETTER IX
"Please Ma'ams" - A desperado - A cattle hunt - The muster - A mad
cow - A snowstorm - Snowed up - Birdie - The Plains - A prairie
schooner - Denver - A find - Plum Creek - "Being
agreeable" - Snowbound - The grey mare.
LETTER X
A white world - Bad traveling - A millionaire's home - Pleasant
Park - Perry's Park - Stock-raising - A cattle king - The Arkansas
Divide - Birdie's sagacity - Luxury - Monument Park - Deference to
prejudice - A death scene - The Manitou - A loose shoe - The Ute
Pass - Bergens Park - A settler's home - Hayden's Divide - Sharp
criticism - Speaking the truth.
LETTER XI
Tarryall Creek - The Red Range - Excelsior - Importunate
pedlars - Snow and heat - A bison calf - Deep drifts - South
Park - The Great Divide - Comanche Bill - Difficulties -
Hall's Gulch - A Lord Dundreary - Ridiculous fears.
LETTER XII
Deer Valley - Lynch law - Vigilance committees - The silver
spruce - Taste and abstinence - The whisky fiend - Smartness - Turkey
Creek Canyon - The Indian problem - Public rascality - Friendly
meetings - The way to the Golden City - A rising settlement - Clear
Creek Canyon - Staging - Swearing - A mountain town.
LETTER XIII
The blight of mining - Green Lake - Golden
City - Benighted - Vertigo - Boulder Canyon - Financial straits - A
hard ride - The last cent - A bachelor's home - "Mountain Jim" - A
surprise - A night arrival - Making the best of it - Scanty fare.
