driver was also in high spirits at the prospect of a speedy termination of his arduous labors. He had frequently bemoaned his fate in having, at his age, and for the first time in his life, become reduced to the level of a common mule driver. The near sorrel mule, whose thick and unfeeling hide had, for three long days, been the recipient of unceasing wallopings from the driver's almost worn-out whip and nearly disabled arm, seemed to be inspired with the idea that he was approaching the end of his journey. His long ears, instead of flopping listlessly back upon his neck, suddenly assumed a rigid position a little forward of the perpendicular; and away he went over the almost trackless road, down hills, through caverns, gulches and gorges, at a rate which seemed to hazard the safety of our outfit, to say nothing of our own lives and limbs, till we reached the foot of Guy's Hill, which suddenly stretched its huge and uncouth sides directly athwart our path. The road up this formidable hill is located upon the zigzag principle-that is, it switches back and forth in the gorges, and along the rough mountain sides a distance of nearly two miles from the base to the summit. Fearful tales were told us by our driver, of the many accidents and hair-breadth escapes which had occurred here; and we were impressed with the idea that so important a thoroughfare, and one over which so large a traffic between Denver, and the heart of the mining regions about Central City, was necessarily carried on, should have been made to follow the equally direct, and far more gentle and uniform grades of the Valley of Clear Creek. This will, as a matter of economy, if not necessity, be done sooner or later, either by railroad or turnpike. Having safely reached the high summit of Guy's Hill, our descent through Golden Gate to Golden City, a dis tance of sixteen miles from the junction, was speedy and uninterrupted. CLEAR CREEK CAÑON-IRON AND COAL. Mr. Williams was desirous here, if time permitted, of making some further examination and notes of the coal and iron deposits; and also of the lower end of the Clear Creek cañon. Halting therefore, at eleven o'clock, at the Cheney House, we were speedily furnished with excellent saddle-horses, through the kindness of Messrs. Loveland and Fisher, the former of whom accompanied us some distance up the cañon; and also over a considerable extent of the outcroppings of iron-ore and coal, of which he is the principal owner. After which, and the partaking of a very good dinner, in company with the stage passengers from Denver to Central City, we resumed our journey to Denver. The snow had nearly disappeared from the surface at the foot of the mountain ranges; and had left in its place a deep salvy mud, which rendered the roads heavy and tedious. The near sorrel mule had evidently lost much of the interest in our progress which he had so satisfactorily manifested in the earlier part of the day; and his ears (that unfailing indication of a mule's thoughts) were manifestly tending considerably backward of the perpendicular. Our venerable driver's right arm, however, had become well rested, and he was able, by its constant use, to reach Denver by four o'clock in the afternoon. ENTRANCE INTO DENVER. It was, however, at this last stage in our eventful journey, and when near its termination, that Mr. Williams' commendable desire for further information, came near being the innocent cause of a most serious calamity to our venerable driver and outfit. Mr. Williams had intimated that he would like to approach, and enter the city, by another road from that by which we had departed, so that he might obtain a different view of its present extent and future resources. This induced the driver to take a road which, unfortunately, led past his stable, on the way to the Planter's House, where we were to stop. On passing the stable, the contest between the driver and mules was most spirited and exciting; business in town for the moment seemed to be suspended; and every one was anxiously awaiting the result of the driver's efforts to reach the hotel on the next block. It was in vain that I suggested that we had plenty of time to stop at the stable, and exchange our outfit before proceeding to the hotel-the driver swore that he would drive the d-n mules to the hotel or h-ll, and he did not much care which. And he came near succeeding in both; for, on finally reaching the hotel, and just as our venerable friend had taken the last article of baggage from the carriage, the pesky animals (if they may be dignified by that respectable name) started off suddenly on their own hook for a run-away. The driver was knocked down while closing the carriage door, but fortunately the wheels did not pass over him. And the outfit went sailing and crashing down the street, among the carriages, and herds of mules and cattle, towards the rivers. After recovering from a most improper, but uncontrollable fit of laughter, occasioned by the sudden and very unexpected turn things had taken, I assisted our venerable friend to his feet. He was covered with mud, his countenance was pale with rage and fright, and his lips and clenched teeth muttered curses low but deep against the whole family of mules and their offspring, now, henceforth and forever. The mules and carriage, unimpaired, were soon brought back, however, by an intrepid horseman who had stopped them in their mad career; and the last I saw of our outfit, it was going at double-quick toward the stable, the head of the driver surging above and below the top of the carriage, as he administered to the refractory mules such merited punishment as his remaining strength enabled him to do. Thus ended our trip to Berthoud Pass, and the Snowy Range of the Rocky Mountains. IV. COLORADO AGRICULTURAL FAIR-TRIP FROM DENVER TO LAPORTELAPORTE ΤΟ VIRGINIA DALE-STONEWALL CAÑON-STEAMBOAT BUTTE, ANTELOPE PASS AND THE LARAMIE PLAINS-ARRIVAL AT FORT JOHN BUFORD, LARAMIE PLAINS, D. T., The first Agricultural Fair of Colorado had been advertised to come off on Thursday, September 20, and be continued on Friday and Saturday; but the severe storm of the preceding Wednesday had made the travelling so bad, that the Committee determined to postpone the commencement till Friday, and continue the exhibition till the following Tuesday. On Friday morning Mr. Williams and myself were invited to visit the grounds by General Pierce, the Surveyor-General of the Territory, and General Hughes, the general agent and attorney for Holladay's Overland Stage and Express Company. We found that the grounds, which are situated about one and a half miles to the northeast of Denver City, consisted of forty acres of most beautiful plain in the form of a parallelogram, inclosed by a tight wall, composed of concrete, about two feet thick and eight feet high. Upon one side of the rectangle was an elliptical track one half mile in length, for the trial of the speed of horses and mules; and upon the other side were innumerable stalls for the exhibition of domestic animals. In the centre was a large covered amphitheatre, in which were exhibited the products of the soil, and such articles of trade and commerce as the mechanical skill of |