by Charles W. Bowman
Chapter I
Geography
Following
the thirty-fifth parallel westward across the continent, the traveler is
directed to notice that, at the intersection of his route with the 102d
degree of longitude, he is about to enter the region which now bears and
is likely to retain the name of Bent County. Finding himself on the
banks of the Arkansas River, he may diverge from his original path and
follow its sinuous meanderings for perhaps three miles further when he
will pass within the Colorado and Bent County lines. Sixty miles to the
north, twenty-four to the south, and one hundred and ten westward will
comprise the dimension of the county, making an area of 9,500 square
miles. The Arkansas, the vital artery of the county, will be found
traversing it from west to east a little below the middle; its principal
tributary, and second in importance, the Purgatoire River, flowing
northeastward from the Raton Mountains, and emptying into the first
named about midway of the county. Smaller tributaries of the Arkansas
from the south, beginning at the eastern border, are Two Butte Creek, so
named from Twin Mountains standing out in the plain forty miles from its
mouth, at the base of which it runs: Granada, Wolf, Clay, Mud, Caddo and
Rule Creeks, east of the Purgatoire; Crooked Arroya, Timpas Creek and
Apishapa River, west. Most of these rise beyond the southern line of the
county, and with the exception of Granada, Wolf and Clay, have
considerable timber about their sources and for some distance along
their banks. Plum Creek, a tributary of Two Butte, has some fine bodies
of cottonwood. The Purgatoire, with its tributary cañons, is also
wooded, making a pretty continuous belt of timber ten to fifteen miles
wide along the southern border from Apishapa to Two Butte Creek. The
streams mentioned head in a broken and mountainous country, and all of
their valleys, with numerous tributary arroyas take the form of cañons
with precipitous rocks on either hand. This rocky and broken region
adjacent to the streams and cañons is timbered with a scrubby, white
cedar. On the banks of the streams are found the cottonwood, box-elder
and willow, with occasionally an undergrowth of plum, mountain currant
and wild grape. Crossing to the north side of the Arkansas at the
Apishapa and traveling eastward, water-courses are met in the following
order: Bob Creek, fifteen miles long, taking its rise at Antelope
Springs; Horse Creek, having for tributaries Breckenridge, Pond and
Steele's Fork, all heading on the divide, and timbered about their
sources with pine; Adobe, or Coffee Creek, forty miles long, marked by a
few scattering cottonwoods; Limestone, ten miles long, with a few
cottonwoods; Graveyard Arroya, ten miles long, with a few cottonwoods,
so named because near its mouth was located a military burying ground;
lastly, Big Sandy, which heads north of Horse Creek, flows eastward,
enters the county about midway of its northern line and bearing
southward reaches the Arkansas thirty miles from the eastern boundary of
the county. A peculiarity of all the streams in the county, excepting
the Arkansas and Purgatoire, is that before reaching the river their
waters are absorbed by their sandy beds. In many of them there will be
found at intervals ponds or holes where the water comes to the surface.
It is usually fresh and appears to have current. Near the heads of the
larger ones, such as Two Butte, Big Sandy and Apishapa, the water will
be found running continuously on the surface. The smaller ones, in some
cases, have only a spring at their heads, with a water-hole or two
below, while the remainder of the bed appears as dry as the surrounding
plains. In the rainy season these harmless and quiescent arroyas often
wake to dangerous life. The rainfalls are characteristically sudden,
frequently taking the form popularly described as a "cloud-burst"; the
streams draining a large area, are quick bank-full, and the water
descends in a wave, sweeping away crops, stock, buildings and even the
unsuspecting camper who have sought a night's repose amid the tempting
verdure of its banks.
In a country where mineral springs are not the rule, Bent County
would be considered fortunate. Several are already well known within her
borders and others will probably be indicated in the future. No
scientific analysis has yet been made, so that the possible value of
their waters may be even greater than is now supposed. The best known is
the Iron Spring, situated on the Timpas, thirty-two miles from its
mouth, the waters of which compare favorably with those of the Iron Ute
at Manitou. Another fine spring, affording a cold, delicious iron water,
is found in Spring bottom, north side of the Arkansas, ten miles from
the western county line. At the mouth of Baker cañon, fifteen miles up
the Purgatoire, is a spring reputed to be beneficial in diseases of the
kidneys. Its diuretic effects are very marked. Further up the
Purgatoire, in Schell Cañon, is found an alum spring, and at various
places near alum is found in crystal form. A fourth spring is reported
in Caddo Creek, twenty miles from its mouth, the general character of
whose waters has not been ascertained, but no doubt exists of their
medicinal properties.
The
superficial appearance of Bent County is that of a grassy plain.
Geologically, its surface would be classed as belonging to the
cretaceous formation. Gray, brown and red sandstone are abundant, as
also gypsum and chalk. The gray sandstone measures crop out along the
Arkansas, the red and brown along the Purgatoire. The Arkansas Valley or
bottom averages perhaps one and a half miles in width the entire length
of the county. It is described by a series of low bluffs on the south
side, known as the "sand hills," and on the north side by alternating
banks of whitish clay and ledges of rocks. The surface of the county,
whether bottom or upland, produces a short but nutritious grass, the
gramma predominating on the uplands. On some choice tracts along the
rivers are taller varieties, some of it seed-bearing, which, when cut
and cured, is superior hay. These native grasses are peculiar, not alone
in being able to survive the long summers with little or no rain,
beneath the blazing rays of the sun, but in retaining the glutinous form
all their rich properties through the winter, thus affording feed for
countless numbers of wild and domestic animals. Originally, and up to
1872, large herds of buffalo grazed upon them, supplemented by antelope
even more numerous. The latter are still found in considerable numbers,
but the chief occupants of the plains are cattle, sheep and horses, vast
herds of which subsist the year round without other sustenance than that
provided by the generous hand of nature.
The soil for the most part is a sandy loam of alluvial origin. Its
fertility is proven by the native vegetation seen along the banks of
streams and in low bottoms where the necessary moisture is supplied.
Experiments in farming in these valleys during the last twenty-five
years show that, by the processes peculiar to arid counties, generous
crops can be produced.
Mammoth specimens of petrified trees have been found along the banks
of Two Butte Creek, supposed to be of the pine. Samples exhibited to the
writer have the appearance of agate. Large trees, it is said, are to be
seen lying on the surface, broken into sections from five to ten feet
long, all of adamantine hardness, but most of the remains are buried in
the soil and may be seen cropping out along the banks. In the same
vicinity there was picked up a few years ago a chunk of amber-colored
resinous substance of the consistency of horn, which, upon trial,
readily ignited and burned. The finder was unable to give it a name, but
the conclusion seems reasonable that it was gum-copal, a deposit made by
these same ancient pine trees.
A curiosity, whether natural or not remains to be seen, is found on
the Purgatoire, twenty miles from its mouth. It consists of a life-size
picture of a cinnamon bear delineated on the face of the cliff. History
nor tradition has been able to give the date of its appearance, or a
date when it was not there. The Indians testify that it was there when
they came to the country. A common theory with the whites is that it is
a photograph made by the lightning of an opportune moment as bruin was
passing, and while the face of the rock under some atmospheric condition
was sensitized. Others argue more plausibly that it is the work of some
Indian artist. It is at least a curiosity, well deserving a visit from
the tourist.
