IN NEW YORK CITY.
Proceeding from Washington northward, they spent one day in Philadelphia very pleasantly; and, on arriving in New York, Mrs. Bloomer and her husband arranged for a stop in the great metropolis of several weeks. They spent two days with relatives in Westchester County, and after her return Mrs. Bloomer met her old and dear friends, Mrs. Douglass and Mrs. Chamberlain, and had very pleasant visits with them. A day was taken up in visiting some of the noted places in the city, and then Mrs. Bloomer accepted an invitation to visit Mrs. Stanton at her residence in Tenyfly, in New Jersey; but before she had time to do this, word came to her of the dangerous illness of her sister. Giving up all her plans, she at once repaired to the residence of Mr. John Lowden, at Waterloo, N. Y., and remained by the bedside of her sister until her spirit passed away. Of a large family of brothers and sisters, Mrs. Bloomer was then the only one left. After attending the funeral, she spent a few days with her husband in the excellent family of her niece, Mrs. N. J. Milliken, at Canandaigua, N. Y., being present at the marriage of one of her daughters; and then, after another stop in Buffalo of a few days more, returned to Council Bluffs.
One more visit was made to New York, in 1889, to attend the golden anniversary of her husband’s brother, Mr. C. A. Bloomer, of Buffalo. The occasion was a very happy one; and after some days spent in that city, she once more passed on to her old home in Seneca Falls, visiting also at Canandaigua and other places in the vicinity.
VISITS COLORADO.
In 1879 Mrs. Bloomer made her first journey to Colorado, its mountains and magnificent scenery. This was repeated in subsequent years, the last trip having been made in 1894, only a few months before her death. During these tours she spent many days in Denver, Leadville, Idaho Springs, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, and Manitou. All the points round the latter famous watering place were visited. She rode through the Garden of the Gods, Monument Park, and Cheyenne Cañon, and traversed the great caves opened up in the mountains. Climbing Cheyenne Mountain, she stood on the spot where the famous poet and writer Helen H. Jackson was laid at rest. The scenery from this point over the surrounding mountains and valleys is truly wonderful and makes a great impression on all beholders.
A LETTER.
The following descriptive letter written to a local paper by Mrs. Bloomer from Manitou, Colorado, August 12, 1879, gives her impression of that place and vicinity at that time:
“Our stay at Denver was a short one, as we found the weather at that place about as hot as in Council Bluffs. After looking over that city for one day, we hastened on to this famed resort for invalids and summer tourists seeking pleasure and recreation. As usual at this season, the hotels are crowded, and scores of camp tents dot the hills in every direction.
“We took up our temporary abode at the Cliff House, principally because of its nearness to the springs, three of which are in the immediate vicinity. This is a popular house and is crowded with guests. The Manitou and Beebe, though farther from the springs, are full and are first-class houses. Scores of cottages are leased for a few weeks or months by visitors, and many private houses take temporary lodgers or boarders. Among owners of the latter is Mrs. Dr. Leonard, formerly of Council Bluffs. She is proprietor of the bath-houses here, and is doing a good paying business, sometimes as many as a hundred a day taking baths. She has built a house of her own, but leases the bath-house, which belongs to the town company. She has also considerable practice as a physician.
“Cheyenne Cañon, Ute Pass, Williams Pass, Pike’s Peak, the Garden of the Gods, Glen Eyrie, Queen’s Cañon, and Monument Park are the principal points of interest visited daily by people here. A few mornings since, a party of seventeen gentlemen and ladies left one hotel on horseback for the ascent of Pike’s Peak. They made the journey safely and returned at dark, some of them feeling little worse for the trip, while others were pretty well used up. Yesterday a gentleman and lady made the same journey on foot. As the distance is twelve miles, all the way up the steep mountain side, this was considered quite a feat. To-day the same parties have gone on foot to Cheyenne Cañon, a distance of twelve miles. I have not heard that the lady is one of the celebrated ‘walkers,’ but she certainly deserves that her name be added to the list.