A call came for the train for Omaha and all points West.  I got on the day coach.  It was an all night's ride.  When morning came I noticed we were in a flat country nearing the plains.  At one place, several buffaloes were in an enclosure near the railroad track and also near the railroad track there was a prairie dog village that could be seen.  Then again the train started ahead and startled a herd of deer that were grazing near the railroad.  They scampered away.  Some of the passengers lifted up their windows and drew heavy revolvers and commenced shooting at them, but I did not see any of them fall.  The deer were soon out of range.  I was seeing those things that were new to me.

I thought of the contrast that had taken place in a few days.  The Pennsylvania mountains were rough and many of them.  The land around me now was level as far as one could see.  Those scenes around me caused a feeling of newness to come over me.  I was thinking as I rode along what other new things would I see and when and where would I find work.  Suddenly a passenger cried out, "Look at the Rocky Mountains."  All the passengers looked toward the place he pointed out.  With me the sight was wonderful.  Peak upon peak kept rising higher and higher, all snow-capped.  The more you looked at them, the more you wondered at their grandeur, a sight one can not forget.

The train was now nearing Cheyenne, Wyoming.  There, we had to change for Denver, one hundred and ten miles away.  Cheyenne is a typical western town.  I noticed the people were looking toward mountains called the "black hills", 150 miles away.  It was there that CUSTER and his company of soldiers were slain by Indians a few years ago by Chief Sitting Bull.  Again came the call to take the train for Denver.

We reached Denver that evening.  While walking around to find a sleeping place, I noticed a large foundation being laid.  I was told it was TABORS, who struck it rich in Leadville, Colorado.  There was great excitement in Denver over silver found in Leadville.  Miners were crowding in from all the states by the thousand.  All headed for Leadville.

Next morning was Sunday.  I met two men from Missouri.  They were large and heavy built.  They also headed for Leadville.  We agreed to go together and walk all the way.  We looked toward the mountains which appeared to only be a few miles away.  At that time I did not know that rarefied air deceives you.  It makes objects seem so much closer than they really are.  The real distance from Denver to the foot of the mountain was nearly 23 miles.  When the three of us started out that morning we expected that we could be at the foot of the mountain in two hours.

All around, strange and wonderful things could be seen.  We traveled through South Park.  All Nature's work, but it seemed like the hand of man had helped, but I was told that it was all Nature's work.  I could see coyotes running across the park.  We were now getting further into the mountains and we came upon a gang of Chinese looking for mineral.  They had many red flags out and they said it was to keep the evil one away.  My age was now about twenty-five years.  These were the first Chinese I ever saw.  Their peculiar dress and appearance were strange to me.  Their camp was close to the trail leading to Leadville by way of Mosquito Pass.

We were told that a storm was raging on the mountain top and that it was unsafe to go that route.  My companions and I decided that we would go the south end of the mountain way, many miles further.  I noticed that my two companions were slowing up in their walk.  They said their legs were giving away and that they would have to stop at the first camp we came to.  When we came to one, there they stopped.  That was the last I saw of them.

I went on.  Kept on the stage road that was the only means of conveyance for passengers from Denver to Leadville at that time.  It was very rough riding on them as they were build unusually strong.  In some places it was dangerous.  Stages were crowded, inside and on top.  There were six fast horses to each coach and driven as fast as they could stand it.  Many of them dropped dead; I could see many of them lying in the snow.  Every ten miles horses were changed at a camp provided for that purpose.  In a few minutes fresh horses were in their places.  Then off they go again as fast as flesh can stand it.  Breathing is difficult in rarefied air.  If you go too fast, the heart will stop suddenly.