University of California Berkeley 
 Gift of 
 
 MRS. L. NOBLE ROBINSON 
 
WILLIAMS' 
 
 ILL USTRA TED 
 
 THE PACIFIC TOURIST. 
 
 The handsomest Guide Book in the world ! Every traveler needs it ! Buy it, it is the best ! Williams' Illustrated 
 Trans-Continental Guide of the Pacific Railroad. Scenery of the Far West, Pleasure Resorts, Mines and Lands of California, 
 Ut!h, The Black Hills, Idaho, Nevada, and the Pacific Coast. The most wonderful book of Western Scenery ever known. 
 H820.OOO worth of engravings Full of Grand Illustrations of Scenery. It describes every Railroad Station of the Union 
 and Central Pacific Railroads for 3,500 miles. Tells you Where to Go, What to See, Where to Sport and Fish, all about 
 the Pleasure Re-orts. Springs, Lakes. Mountains, Mines. Lands, and every place that will interest you on your Overland 
 Trip. 378 pages, price SS1.5O, flexible covers. Railroad Euitiou, $2.OO, full cloth, 32O pages. 
 
 Endorsed by PROF. HAYDEN as the most accurate Map of the State ever published. Contains all the Hayden Surveys, 
 and is the handsomest Western .Map ever seen. Contains the elevation of eveiv Mountain Peak. Pass, and Lake in the 
 State, every Road and Trail, County Boundaries. Cities. Towns, and Post Offices. The only complete Map of Rivers, 
 Streams, Likes, Railro ids, and Routes to the Health and Pleasure Resorts and Mines of all portions of the State. Its geo- 
 graphical surveys of the San Juan Mining Region have been of unusual detail, completeness, and accuracy. Price, 50 
 cents, paper covers. 
 
 Tourists 9 Guide to the San Juan Mines. 
 
 Contains full description of all the Mining localities discovered within the past two years, their extraordinary richness, 
 and Routes of Travel thither. Full of information of practical importance to every miner and traveler ; nlso describes the 
 following topics : Beauty of Scenery. Hot Springs. vVagon Wheel Gap, Elevation of Mountains, Towns, Rates of Fare, 
 Expenses of Living. Prices Paid for Ore. Miners' Outfits, The Famous Pagosa Springs. Freight Charges. Reduction Works, 
 How to locate a Claim. Market Prices of Good* in principal towns of San Juan, etc.. etc.; all about the new Mines at Lake 
 City, Silverton. Ouray, Mineral City, P.irrott City, and Kosita ; Mining Laws ot the United States, and of Colorado ; all, in 
 fact that a Miner can possibly wish to know. Accompanied with a handsome colored MAP OF ROUTES TO COLORADO 
 FKOM THE EAST. Price, 50 cents, paper covers. 
 
 In preparation. Devo'ed to a full description of all the Health and Pleasure Resorts. Parks, Mountains, Springs. Mines, 
 Towns, Scenery, etc.. of Colorado. Will be magnificently illustrated, and contain over 25O pages of reading of exceeding 
 interest. Will be announced for publication as early as possible. 
 
 All the above Guides and Maps for sale on all Railroad Trains in the West, or sent by mail, on receipt of price, by 
 addressing 
 
 HENHY T. WILLIAMS, Publisher, 
 
 46 Beekman St., Hew York. 
 
 Also for sale at PUBLISHERS' AGENCIES, 
 
 BARKALOW BROS., 
 
 Omaha, Neb. 
 
 JANSEN, McCLURG & CO., 
 
 Chicago, 111. 
 
 RICHARDS & CO., 
 
 Denver, Col. 
 
 A. ROMAN & CO., 
 
 San Francisco, Cal. 
 
 E. DENISON, 
 
 Sacramento, Cal. 
 
 TRUBNER & CO., 
 
 London, Eng. 
 
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK OF WESTERN SCENERY 
 
 2 R ISSUE 3D . 
 
 The Most Complete, Accurate and Reliable Trans- 
 Continental Guide Ever Known. 
 
 Officially Endorsed by the Pacific R. R. Companies. 
 
 TESTIMONIALS. 
 
 GENERAL TICKET OFFICE UNION PACIFIC R. R. ) 
 Omaha, Neb., Feb., 16, 1876. ) 
 
 Having examined the proof-sheets and illustrations of 
 your new " Pacific Tourist, and Guide of Travel Across the 
 Continent," we take pleasure in saying that the book con- 
 veys more detailed in formation of the Union and Central 
 Pacific R. R. Line, and the Country through which it passes, 
 than any publication of similar character we have ever seen. 
 To those intending to settle, the miner, the tourist, the 
 health and pleasure seeker, it is an especially valuable and 
 reliable guide. Hoping it will find the ready sale it merits, 
 we are yours truly. 
 
 TH'OS. L. KIMBALL, G. P. and T. Agent. 
 
 LAND DEPARTMENT UNION PACIFIC R. R. Co. ) 
 Omaha, Neb., Feb 17. 1876. I 
 
 I have examined the prospectus and proof-sheets of your 
 " Pacific Tourist," and can state without hesitation that the 
 work meets my unqualified approval. Your book will sup- 
 ply a Ion? felt want for a complete and reliable Guide to 
 those crossing the Continent. I am glad you have under- 
 taken such a work; very few are so well qualified by per- 
 sonal experience and observation of this great region, to 
 know its attractions and resources. and able to present them 
 in a clear and concise manner. Your work has my must 
 hearty commendation, and I am confident you will have 
 the abundant success your enterprise and efforts deserve. 
 Yours truly, O. F. DA Vie!, Land Com. 
 
 PULLMAN PACIFIC CAR Co. ) 
 Omalia, Neb., March 11, 1876. f 
 
 I am glad to know that you have decided to publish a com- 
 prehensive and complete work for the guidance of the 
 thousands who vi>it our Western country in pursuit of 
 health and pleasure, and I will say in all sincerity that I 
 know of no person more competent than yourself for this 
 work, and I hope your fondest expectations will be more 
 than realized. 
 
 Yours truly, L. M. BENNETT, Supt. 
 
 CENTRAL PACIFIC R. R. ) 
 San Francisco, Cal., Feb. 29, 1876. I 
 
 H. T. WILLIAMS, Esq: We take pleasure in noticing 
 your efforts in the publication of a new and improved Guide 
 and Hand Book for the use of regular passengers and tour- 
 ists traveling over the Overland or Pacific R. R. Line, and 
 to places of resort, interest or curiosity in California and 
 Nevada. From proofs of your work which we have exam- 
 ined, we jddge that the same, when complete, will prove 
 satisfactory to the public, and we trust that it will meet with 
 ready sale. Very respectfully, 
 
 T. H. GOODMAN, G. P. A. and T. A. 
 I cheerfully endorse the above, 
 
 A. N. TOWNE, Gen'l Supt. 
 
 MR. .HENRY 1 WILLIAMS: J. a imgiy wen 
 
 pleased with The Pacific Tourist; the illustrations are of 
 remarkable beauty, and the descriptions of scenery are 
 very interesting. 
 
 It is in all respects the best volume yet produced, relat- 
 ing to Travel and Scenery of the Far West; and of the 
 Pacific Railroad, in particular, it is undoubtedly the most 
 fu!', accurate and complete Guide 1 have ever seen. 
 
 I consider it indispensable to every traveler to Califor- 
 nia; a great credit to the country, the Publisher, nml the 
 Railroad. (signed,) T. SICKELS, Chief Engineer. 
 
 CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & QUINCY R. R I 
 Chicago. Sept 12. 1876. I 
 
 Having carefully examined your ' Pacific Tourist" and 
 Guide across the Continent, I have no hesitation in pro- 
 nouncing it a "grand success." 
 
 It is full of interesting information and valuable statis- 
 tics, and I cheerfully recommend it to the Traveler and 
 Tourist. 
 
 D. W. HITCHCOCK, Gen'l Passenger Agent. 
 
 CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND & PACIFIC R. R. 1 
 Chicago. AugustSt, 1876. I 
 
 I am in receipt of your Illustrated Trans. Continental R. 
 R. Guide, and will say that it is the handsomest, most com- 
 plete, accurate and reliable Overland Guide that I have yet 
 seen. The Engravings are well executed, and the scenery 
 selected for Illustrations, the finest 011 the route. 
 
 I am confident that your efforts to furnish Tourists with 
 a correct and readable Guide, will insure its success. 
 
 A. M. SMITH, Gen'l Passenger Agent. 
 
 CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & QUINCY R. R. I 
 Chicago, Oct. 6, 1876. I 
 
 Allow me to express a hearty appreciation of your 
 " Pacific Tourist." 
 
 As a Guide to the Pacific, it is far in advance of any 
 other work of similar character that has come to my notice, 
 and one that you may justlv be proud of. 
 
 It is replete with valuable information to the traveler, 
 and so interspersed with excellent miscellany, I unlike other 
 so-called Guides.) that the reader can not fail to become 
 interested, and close with a verdict of " well done." 
 SAMUEL POWELL. Gen'l Ticket Agent C., B. & Q. R. R. 
 Also, Sec'y, Gen'l Ticket and Pass. Agent's 
 
 Association of U. S. 
 

 RAILROADS, THE PRESS, AND PUBLIC MEN. 
 
 "UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD Co., \ 
 
 OMAHA, NEB., May 30, 1876. ) 
 
 Mr. Henry T Williams: 
 
 I consider THE PACIFIC TOURIST a very complete 
 volume, indispensable to the overland passenger, and a 
 book that every library should contain. The information 
 it gives is correct and concisely stated, while the illustra- 
 tions are very true and beautiful, forming a most attractive 
 feature of the work. You should be liberally rewarded for 
 the paius aud expense you have been at in producing it. 
 
 J. J. DICKEY, 
 Superintendent Telegraph Department." 
 
 "OFFICE CHICAGO & NORTH- WESTERN RAILROAD, Co., \ 
 CHICAGO, June 3, 1876. J 
 
 You have made a Guide that you should be proud of. and 
 I trust that you will be amply repaid for your work. I sin- 
 cerely hope for its success. 
 
 W. H. STENNETT, 
 General Passenger Agent." 
 
 " Office of U. S. Geological and Geographical Survey 
 of the Territories, 
 
 WASHINGTON, June 10, 1876. 
 DEAR SIR: 
 
 Your Guide Book is splendid. Nothing like it ever 
 got out on this Continent. It is a world of information in 
 regard to the Far West. It will be useful, not only to the 
 traveler, but to all others, as a condensed library of infor- 
 mation about the West. Yours sincerely, 
 
 F. V. HAYDEN." 
 
 "MICHIGAN CENTRAL RAILROAD Co., 1 
 CHICAGO, May 29, 1876. I 
 
 I thank you for an opportunity to see ' WILLIAMS' PA- 
 CIFIC TOURISTS' GUIDE.' It makes a verv creditable ap- 
 pearance, and will meet the wants of all who are searching 
 for a correct guide to the many points of interest upon our 
 GREAT TRANS-CONTINENTAL ROUTE. I wish you much 
 success in the undertaking. Yours truly, 
 
 HENRY C. WENTWORTH, 
 General Passenger Agent." 
 
 "CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & QUINCY RAILROAD Co.. ) 
 BOSTON, June 1, 1876. ) 
 
 Your Guide is very finely gotten up, and is ahead of any- 
 thing of the kind I have yet seen. 
 
 E. P. RIPLEY, 
 General Eastern Agent." 
 
 " MICHIGAN CENTRAL RAILROAD, ) 
 BOSTON, June 6, 1876. I 
 
 I have examined your 'PACIFIC TOURIST,' and take 
 pleasure in commending it to trans-continental travelers, 
 not only as an accurate Guide Book, but as a work well cal- 
 culated to while away hours which become too heavy for 
 comfort. The work is well edited, and is worthy of a place, 
 not only in the hands of the traveler, but on the shelves of 
 the private library. I hope your labors will meet with sat- 
 isfactory reward. 
 
 J. Q. A. BEAN, 
 General Eastern Agent." 
 
 " We are surprised at the amount of information it con- 
 tains. The volume contains more matter than the com- 
 bined issues of Norilhoff's California, Picturesque America, 
 and Crolutt's book. Its illustrations of western scenery 
 and travel, in numbers, beauty and accuracy, exceed those 
 of any volume ever published. The railroad companies 
 have unqualifiedly indorsed it as the most accurate and le- 
 llable guide ever seen." 
 
 AMERICAN BOOKSELLER, N. Y. 
 
 "The Pacific Tourist is singularly full and complete." 
 THE EVENIKG POST, N. Y. 
 
 " THE PACIFIC TOURIST is as its editor claims, the costliest 
 and handsomest hook of the sort yet issued. The descrip- 
 tions are well written, and wood engravings after good art- 
 ists are very handsome. Mr. Williams lias done a great 
 deal of traveling, spent a considerable amount of money 
 in getting up the Guide, and has been very competently 
 aided by tourists and journalists of experience." 
 
 SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN, (MASS.) 
 
 "It will'not disappoint expectations in any respect, its 
 only fault being that its contents are of so comprehensive a 
 kind, that the intending tourist will, likely enough, sutler 
 from an embarrassment of riches." 
 
 DAILY INQUIRER, PHILADELPHIA, PA. 
 
 " This Guide ranks among the very best efforts ever issued. 
 Its richness and completeness in illustrations, information 
 and descriptions, can only be realized by an examination 
 of the work. The ground traveled over and described is 
 immense. It is doubtful if any other work offers so much 
 valuable and useful information to travelers in so suc- 
 cinct and attractive a form. We may say that it gives, in- 
 deed, too much for the money. The views are profuse and 
 notably good. The amount of illustration in the book con- 
 sidering its cost, is ab:-olute]y marvelous, and the ability and 
 energy Mr. Williams has shown in getting it up is some- 
 thing to be admired." 
 
 PUBLISHERS' WEEKLY, NEW YORK CITY. 
 
 " At last there is a Guide Book to the Pacific Coast, every 
 way worthy of the wonderful scenery, and inexhaustible 
 resources of the western part of the American Continent, 
 and the saaacity, skill and money that have given us the 
 Pacific Railroads. 
 
 THE PACIFIC TOURIST is edited by the one man in this 
 country, who is competent to furnish such a Guide Book. 
 Mr. Williams has, in persona] travel and by various excur- 
 sions, made himself personally familiar with the whole 
 ground. The volume is tilled with all possible information of 
 value to those intending to travel to the Pacific, and is so 
 interestingly written, and so lavishly and beautifully illus- 
 trated by the best artists, as to make it a volume worthy any 
 library. Time and space utterly fail to describe details. 
 The book only needs to be seen to be appreciated." 
 
 THE DAILY UNION, SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 
 
 "Indispensable to persons traveling in the West. It is 
 brought out in excellent, even sumptuous style, and is very 
 copiously illustrated with pictures of interesting places and 
 characters. 
 
 Every sortof information useful and entertaining, is givon 
 in regard to the whole region of the Pacific Slope, thus 
 making the book of the greatest value to tourists and busi- 
 ness men." 
 
 THE DAILY GRAPHIC, N. Y. 
 
San Francisco, Cal. 
 
 HINKLE'S PASSENGER AND BAG'GAGE ELEVATOR. 
 
 SHOdfiUS -s^s 
 
 COVERS ONE ENTIRE BLOCK. 
 
 Overland Travelers may secure Rooms in advance of 
 arrival, by Telegraph at our 
 
 JOHNSON & CO, 
 
 PROPRIETORS, 
 
 Corner Market and Montgomery Streets. 
 
THE BRAND PACIFIC HOTEL, 
 
 OHICA.GO. 
 Over 500 Rooms 250 with Baths and Closets. 
 
 ONE OF THE 
 
 Largest, Best Furnished * Finest Ventilated 
 
 I1ST 
 
 Occupies an Entire Square, having a frontage North, South, East 
 and West of Over One Thousand Feet. 
 
 of 
 
 of 
 
 I 
 
 PRICES OF ROOMS, WITH BOARD, 
 
 $3.00, $3.50, $4.00, $4.50 & $5.00 per Day, according to Location. 
 
 THE TA.BLE A.1STD SERVICE 
 
 N. IS. A Reduction will be made from, the above prices to parties remaining, a 
 
 vveek or more. 
 
 V3T Rooms can foe secured, stating Price of same, by Telegraph, at our expense. 
 
 JOHN B. DRAKE & CO., 
 
 PROPRIETORS. 
 
Copyright, 1876, by Henry T. Williams. 
 
I 
 
 PALACE-CAR LIFE ON THE PACIFIC RAILROAD. 
 
WILLIAMS' 
 
 OF 
 
 The Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. 
 
 CONTAINING FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF 
 
 RAILROAD ROUTES ACROSS THE CONTINENT, ALL PLEASURE RESORTS AND PLACES OF MOST 
 
 NOTED SCENERY IN THE FAR WEST, ALSO OF ALL CITIES, TOWNS, VILLAGES, 
 
 U. 8.- FORTS, SPRINGS, LAKES, MOUNTAINS, 
 
 ROUTES OF SUMMER TRAVEL, BEST LOCALITIES FOR HUNTING, FISHING, SPORTING, AND ENJOY- 
 
 MENT, WITH ALL NEEDFUL INFORMATION FOR THE PLEASURE TRAVELER, 
 
 MINER, SETTLER, OR BUSINESS MAN. 
 
 A COMPLETE TRAVELER'S GUIDE 
 
 AND ALL POINTS OF BUSINESS OR PLEASURE TRAVEL TO 
 
 CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, NEBRASKA, WYOMING, UTAH, NEVADA, MONTANA, THE MINES AND MINING 
 OF THE TERRITORIES, THE LANDS OF THE PACIFIC COAST, THE WONDERS OF THE 
 ROCKY MOUNTAINS, THE SCENERY OF THE SIERRA NEVADAS, THE COL- 
 ORADO MOUNTAINS, THE BIG TREES, THE GEYSERS, THE 
 YOSEMITE, AND THE YELLOWSTONE. 
 
 BY 
 
 HENRY T. WILLIAMS, EDITOR. 
 
 WITH SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS BY 
 
 PROF. F. V. HAYDEN, CLARENCE KING, CAPT. BUTTON, A. C. PEALE, JOAQUIN 
 MILLER, J. B. DAVIS, F. E. SHEARER. 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS BT 
 
 THOMAS MORAN, A. C. WARREN, W. SNYDER, F. SCHELL, H. W. TROY, A. WILL. 
 ENGRAVINGS BY MEEDER & CHUBB. 
 
 Price, $1.50 Railroad Edition, Flexible Covers, 278 pp. 
 " $2.00 Full Cloth, Stiff Covers, 320 pp. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 HENRY T. WILLIAMS, PUBLISHER. 
 
 1878. 
 
 Clark W. Bryan & Co., Printers, Electrotypers and Binders, Springfield, Mass. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 FEW can form an adequate idea of the immense field required to be covered by a Trans- Continental Guide. 
 The amount of labor, personal travel, and research, all of utmost faithfulness and accuracy, is beyond 
 expression or terms of comparison. Think of the wonderful results accomplished in a few years, by the 
 opening of the Pacific Railroad. In 1850, the Far West was unknown and unexplored. In 1860, its total 
 population was but 619,000, most of whom were residents of the Pacific Coast. In 1870, the population had 
 doubled. In .1876, seven years after the opening of the Pacific liailroad, see how wonderful the change. 
 The population of the Far Western States and Territories had again increased 40 per cent. And the 
 Far West now includes this immense field reached only by this Railroad. Population in 1875, 1,524,- 
 703; area of square miles, 1,445,332; area of square acres, 1,332,744,755. The entire capital now 
 invested in Railroad enterprises in this vast region now exceeds $750,000,000. Over 300 towns and sta- 
 tions have arisen on the great Trans-Continental Route and its branches. The annual receipts exceed 
 $30,000,000 a year, and the number of passengers, both through and local, exceed 1,000,000. The tide of 
 pleasure travel has turned westward, and Europe clasps hands with China and Japan across our Continent. 
 Thus have seven short years turned the travel of the world. 
 
 This volume represents over nine months' actual time spent in personal travel over 2,500 miles getting with faith- 
 fulness all possible facts of interest and the latest information. Over 40 artists, engravers and correspondents have 
 been employed, and the whole represents an outlay of nearly $20,000 : thus making it not only the most elaborate, 
 but the costliest and handsomest Guide Book in the world. No other volume in the world contains 
 so many views of the scenery of the West. The Editor and his Assistants have, in the past seven years, 
 personally traveled over this great Route more than 30 times. More than 100,000 miles of travel on the 
 American Continent have been traversed by the Editor, who during eight years' active service as an 
 associate editor of The New York Independent, has conducted four large editorial parties to the wonders of 
 the West, representing over 150 journals and a total circulation of over 3,000,000. 
 
 In this volume is combined every possible fact to guide and instruct the pleasure traveler, business man, 
 miner, or settler, who turns his face westward. Herein are found every Railroad Station, and time of- the 
 principal Railroads, all Stage Routes, Distances, and Fare to all principal points ; all the wonders of Western 
 JScenery, Springs, Mountains, Canons, Lakes, Deserts, Rocks, and Gardens are here described in detail. 
 
 The trans-ocean traveler from Europe to the Pacific will find all needful information of Routes on the Pacific 
 Ocean ; and the traveler eastward from Australia and Japan will find invaluable help for his route to New York. 
 
 Professor F. V. Hayden, the celebrated leader of the United States Geological Exploring Expedition, has 
 contributed specially to these pages an admirably condensed account of the Wonders of the Yellowstone ; 
 and with the assistance of A. C. Peale, this Guide is the only publication which gives the most detailed 
 and accurate information of Routes how to reach it. 
 
 The Big Bonanza Mines are also described in glowing language, and add to the interest of these pages. 
 
 The Representative Men of the Far West, who have been the energetic projectors and supporters of all its 
 active and successful enterprises, are illustrated in our pages. 
 
 I acknowledge, with pleasure, special thanks for the services of Mr. J. B. Davis, late editor of The Common- 
 wealth, Topeka, Kansas, and F. E Shearer, of San Francisco, who have done so much by personal travel and 
 effort to make this Guide complete ; also to G. W. Savage of Salt Lake City, for photographs. 
 
 As the Tourist looks with pleasure upon the sketches of Thomas Moran, who more than any other 
 American artist has illustrated the Glories of the West, or upon the scenes illustrated from the paintings of 
 Bierstadt, America's favorite painter, and the sketches by Warren, Will, and others, all from life and accurate 
 in every detail, let him give due credit to Art for these happy embellishments of nature. Wishing every 
 traveler " bon voyage," I am, cordially, 
 
 HENRY T. WILLIAMS, Editor. 
 
AMERICA'S GREATEST WONDER! 
 
 The Pacific Railroad. 
 
 HER grandest scenery borders its magnificent 
 pathway ; thither is her most popular route of 
 pleasure travel, and most celebrated health resorts ; 
 and along these iron lines, the monument of 
 financial intrepidity and daring engineering skill, 
 there is opened a new West, a Continent of itself, 
 richer in wealth than the most sanguine of hopes ; 
 and hither, in so short space of time, has poured 
 so immense a volume of trade, as to change the 
 entire commerce of the world. 
 
 Industries have arisen by the opening of this 
 great trans-continental line which were never ex- 
 pected or dreamed of by the projectors ; the 
 richest of mineral discoveries and the most en- 
 couraging of agricultural settlements have alike 
 resulted, where little was thought of, and stran- 
 gest of all, the tide of travel from the European 
 and the Asiatic countries, and the distant isles of 
 the Pacific Ocean, once the exclusive privilege of 
 English vessels through the Suez Canal, or around 
 the Continent of Africa, actually now crosses the 
 American Continent with far more speed and 
 greater safety. The exclamations of American 
 and European tourists, after a passage over its 
 magnificent route are alike, " The greatest wonder 
 of the nineteenth century ! " 
 
 Curiosities of History. To whom the 
 honor belongs of first proposing the plan of a rail- 
 
 road to the Pacific, history can never fully deter- 
 mine. Whitney offered to build it for a grant of 
 thirty miles in width along its track, and it was 
 looked upon as the freaky fancy of a monomaniac. 
 Benton, too, the famous statesman, was once 
 aglow with enthusiasm over the subject, and be- 
 gan to agitate the project, but it was considered 
 the harmless fancy of an old politician. And in 
 1856, when General Fremont was nominated, 
 the Platform of the National Republican Party 
 contained a clause in its favor but it was re- 
 garded as a piece of cheap electioneering " bun- 
 combe," and decidedly absurd. Perhaps the 
 earliest record of a devoted admirer of this project 
 was that of John Plumbe, in 1836. He was a 
 Welshman by birth, an American by education 
 and feeling, a civil engineer by profession, and 
 lived at Dubuque, la. He began to agitate 
 the project of a railroad from the great lakes 
 across the Continent to the Territory of Oregon. 
 From that time to his death, in California, sev- 
 eral years after the discovery of gold, he never 
 failed to urge his project ; earnestly and ardently 
 laboring to bring it before Congress, and attempt- 
 ing to secure a beginning of the great work. To 
 far-seeing statesmen, the idea naturally occurred 
 that in course of time there would arise on the 
 Pacific Coast another empire of trade and com- 
 
6 
 
 merce and industry, either at San Francisco, or 
 the Puget Sound, which would in time, become 
 the rival of New York and the East, and at 
 once the project was taken up and encouraged by 
 Carver, Wilkes, Benton, Whitney, Burton and 
 others ; but all such ideas met with indifference 
 and ridicule. 
 
 In 1844, when Fremont made his famous ex- 
 plorations across the plains, which has earned 
 him so world-wide a reputation, so little was 
 known of the geography of that country, that his 
 reports were considered an immense acquisition 
 to the collection of books of physical knowledge 
 of our country. This sectipn was fully 2,300 
 miles in distance, entirely vacant, no settlement, 
 entirely occupied by roving bands of Indians, 
 and the undisturbed home of the buffalo and 
 antelope. In that year Chicago was but an 
 obscure village, on a prairie without a single 
 inhabitant. And not a single line of railroad 
 was built from the Atlantic westward beyond 
 the Alleghanies, and on the Pacific only one 
 American flag covered a feeble colony. The dis- 
 covery of gold in California had its effect in 
 directing public attention to the unknown riches 
 of its Western border; and at last Congress 
 woke up to the need of thorough explorations 
 and investigations. In March, 1853, Congress 
 made its first appropriation to explore the Far 
 West, and ascertain if there was really a practi- 
 cable route to the Pacific. In 1854, Congress ap- 
 propriated $190,000 additional ; and, as a result, 
 nine surveying parties were organized and pur- 
 sued their work. Ten routes were surveyed 
 between the 32d and 49th parallel of latitude ; 
 the eastern ends ranging all the way from Fulton, 
 Ark., to St. Paul, Minn., and the western ter- 
 minal points from San Diego to Puget Sound. 
 The lengths of these routes varied from 1,533 to 
 2,290 miles. 
 
 The continued gold discoveries brought an im- 
 mense flow of population to the Pacific Coast, and 
 California, more alive to the necessities of such 
 roads than the East, after numerous agitations, at 
 last really made the first initiatory experiment. 
 Early in 1861 there was organized at Sacramento, 
 Cal., the Central Pacific Railroad Company, who 
 by the appointment of T. D. Judah, as chief en- 
 gineer, began the first and most thorough railroad 
 survey ever made on the Sierras. 
 
 Congress then woke up, and in July, 1862, the 
 first national charter was granted. As a curious 
 fact in the act the utmost limit of time allowed 
 for the completion of the road was fixed at July 
 1, 1876. In October, 1863, the preliminary organ- 
 ization of the company was completed. A capi- 
 tal of one hundred million dollars authorized, and 
 the first contract for construction begun in 1864, 
 but no practical progress was made till 1865, 
 when on the 5th of November, the first ceremony 
 of breaking ground, at Omaha, was celebrated. 
 Then was begun the great work; the rapid 
 
 progress of which afterward was a world-wide 
 sensation, astounding engineers, capitalists, and 
 even governments, with the almost reckless dar- 
 ing of construction. 
 
 Necessity and Benefits to the Govern- 
 ment. 
 
 From 1850 to 1860, the population of the far 
 Western States and Territories increased from a 
 mere handful to the large number of 554,301 
 persons, and in the whole area of 2,000 miles 
 there had been built only 232 miles of telegraph, 
 and 32 miles of railway. The United States 
 Government had established forts and trading 
 stations, and the year 187O saw the completion 
 of the Pacific Railroad line, Congress and the 
 whole country were astonished to see the rapid 
 rate of development, and the enormous expense 
 of government military service. In that year the 
 population had increased to 1,011,971, there had 
 been built over 13,000 miles of telegraph lines ; 
 there were completed over 4,000 miles of rail- 
 road ; all representing the gigantic capital of 
 $363,750,000. In the reports of distinguished 
 statesmen to the United States Senate, occur 
 these remarks which show the spirit of the times 
 then. Senator Stewart of California, says : 
 
 " The cost of the overland service for the whole 
 period, from the acquisition of our Pacific Coast 
 possessions down to the completion of the Pacific 
 Railroad was $8,000,000 per annum, and con- 
 stantly increasing." 
 
 As a curious fact of national economy, these 
 figures will show the result of the Pacific Rail- 
 road in saving to the United States Government : 
 
 Since the building of the road, the cost of 
 transportation to the government has been as 
 follows : 
 
 Amount cash paid to railroad companies for 
 one-half charge of transportation per 
 year, about $1,200.000 per annum, say for 
 7 years 1869 to 1876, $8,400,000 
 
 The cost to the government of military trans- 
 portation in 1870, was $8,000,000 per 
 annum, and increasing over $1,000,000 per 
 year. In 1876, would have been over $14,- 
 000,000. Average for 7 years, at 10,000,000 
 per year, $70,000,000 
 
 Total saving in 7 years to United States Govern- 
 ment, $62,600,000 
 
 The actual amount of interest during this time 
 paid by the United States Treasury on 
 bonds issued in behalf of the railroad, 
 average interest, $3,897,129 per year. Total 
 for 7 years, $27,279,906 
 
 Net profit over all expenses to United States, $42,320,094 
 These figures do not include vast amounts of 
 incidental items which would have been of incal- 
 culable trouble, or immense expense to the 
 United States, such as the indemnities constant- 
 ly being paid by the United States for destruc- 
 tion of life and private property by Indians; 
 also depredations of Indians on property in gov- 
 ernment service, increased mail facilities and 
 decreased mail expenses, prevention of Indian 
 
wars, the rapid sale of public lands, and the 
 energetic development of the mining interests of 
 all the Territories. 
 
 If these can all be correctly estimated, the net 
 gain to the United States by the building of the 
 Pacific Railroad, is over Jifty millions of dollars. 
 
 Hon. Henry Wilson, in a speech before the 
 Senate, Thirty-seventh Congress, boldly said : 
 " I give no grudging vote in giving away either 
 money or land. I would sink $100,000,000 to 
 build the road, and do it most cheerfully, and 
 think I had done a great thing for my country. 
 What are $75,000,000 or $100,000,000 in opening 
 a railroad across the central regions of this Con- 
 tinent, that shall connect the people of the 
 Atlantic and Pacific, and bind us together? 
 Nothing. As to the lands, I do not grudge 
 them." 
 
 It is a significant fact, that while the heat and 
 activity of Congressional discussion was most 
 earnest in aid and encouragement of the project, 
 the following sentiments were unanimously enter- 
 tained by all the members of Congress : 
 
 1. That the road was a necessity to the govern- 
 ment, and if not built by private capital, must be 
 built in time with public funds alone. 
 
 2. To encourage the capitalists of the country 
 to come forward and aid the project, the govern- 
 ment were willing to give one-half the funds 
 necessary as a loan, and were then merely doing 
 the least part of the whole. 
 
 3. That no expectations were entertained that 
 the road would ever, from its own means, be able 
 to refund the advance made by the United 
 States, and no other thought was ever entertained, 
 save of the banefits to accrue to the public from 
 the opening of this grand highway of national 
 interest. No expectations were formed of the 
 ability of the company to pay or repay the 
 interest on the loan, but one thought was con- 
 sidered, that the building of the road was ample 
 compensation and service in its vast aid to in- 
 dustry, and its saving in transportation. 
 
 As editor of this Guide, knowing well the re- 
 sources of the Far West, we positively assert that 
 the government has already, in seven years, realized 
 in both savings and sales, enough money to liquidate 
 one-third the whole principal, and accrued interest 
 of the government loan, and in less than twenty 
 years from the opening of the road, the government 
 gain will be greater than the whole of the financial 
 aid it has ever given. The Pacific Railroad is the 
 right-hand saving power of the United States. 
 
 Discouragements. Notwithstanding all 
 that the government had done to encourage it 
 (by speeches), the work languished. Capitalists 
 doubted it. The great war of the rebellion 
 attracted the attention of every one, and the gov- 
 ernment, after its first impulses, grew indifferent. 
 A few bold men determined to work incessantly 
 for its completion. And one of the results of the 
 great war was the conviction in the minds of 
 
 every one of a closer Union of the States. 
 " Who knows," said one, " but California and the 
 whole Pacific Coast may secede, and where are we 
 then f We can do nothing to retain them. The 
 Pacific Railroad must be built. It shall be built to 
 keep our country together." 
 
 The chief engineer of the railroad, Gen. G. M. 
 Dodge, in complimenting the directors on the day 
 of the completion of the last mile of track, says : 
 
 " The country is evidently satisfied that you 
 accomplished wonders, and have achieved a 
 work which will be a monument to your energy, 
 your ability, and to your devotion to the enter- 
 prise, through all its gloomy, as well as bright 
 periods, for it is notorious that notwithstanding 
 the aid of the government, there was so little 
 faith in the enterprise, that its dark days when 
 your private fortunes, and your all was staked 
 on the success of the project far exceeded those 
 of sunshine, faith and confidence." 
 
 The lack of confidence in the project, even in 
 the West, was so great that ev*n in localities 
 which were to be specially benefited by its con- 
 struction, the laborers even demanded their pay 
 before they would perform their day's work, so 
 little faith had they in the payment of their 
 wages, or in the ability of the company to suc- 
 ceed in their efforts. 
 
 Probably no enterprise in the world has been 
 so maligned, misrepresented and criticised as 
 this, but now it is, by unbiased minds, pro- 
 nounced, almost without exception, the best 
 new road in the United States. 
 
 Rapid f regress. Though chartered in 
 1862, yet the first grading was not done until 
 1864, and the first rail laid in July, 1865. At 
 that time there was no railroad communication 
 from the East ; a gap of 140 miles existed be- 
 tween Omaha and Des Moines, and over this it 
 was impossible to get supplies. 
 
 For 500 miles westward of the Missouri River, 
 the country was completely destitute of timber, 
 fuel, or any material with which to build or 
 maintain a road, save the bare sand for the road- 
 bed itself, everything had to be transported by 
 teams or steamboats, hundreds and thousands 
 of miles. Labor, and every thing made by labor, 
 was scarce and high. 
 
 Railroad ties were cut in Michigan and Penn- 
 sylvania, and shipped to Omaha at a cost, often, 
 of $2.50 per tie. Even the splendid engine, of 
 seventy horse-power, used at Omaha for the 
 company's works, was transported in wagons 
 across the prairies from Des Moines, the only way 
 to get it. Shops had to be built, forges erected, 
 and machinery put in place, and the supplies, 
 even, for the subsistence of laborers had to be 
 brought by river from the East; yet it was all 
 done. 
 
 As the Westerners concisely express it, " The 
 wind work had all been done, and grading note be- 
 gan." 
 
8 
 
 In 1865, 40 miles of track were laid to Fre- 
 mont. In 1866, 260 miles were laid. In 1867, 
 240 miles were laid, which included the ascent 
 to Sherman. By January 1, 1868, there had 
 been completed 540 miles. In 1868, to May 10, 
 1869, 555 miles more were laid, and the road 
 finished seven years in advance of the time set 
 by Congress, and the time actually spent in 
 construction was just three years, six months, and 
 ten days. 
 
 To show the enormous amount of materials 
 required in the Union Pacific Railroad alone, there 
 were used in its construction 300,000 tons of 
 iron rails, 1,700,000 fish-plates, 6,800,000 bolts, 
 6,126,375 cross-ties, 23,505,500 spikes. 
 
 Fast Building. Day after day the average 
 rate of building rose from one to two, three and 
 five miles. Many will remember the daily thrill 
 of excitement as the morning journals in the 
 East made the announcements of so many more 
 miles nearer the end, and as the number of com- 
 pleted miles, printed in the widely circulated 
 advertisements of the company, reached 1000, 
 the excitement became intense, as the rival roads 
 now were fairly aglow with the heat of compe- 
 tition, and so near each other. In previous 
 months there had existed a little engineering 
 rivalry, good natured, but keen, as to the largest 
 number of miles each could lay in one day. The 
 Union Pacific men laid one day six miles ; soon 
 after the Central followed suit by laying seven. 
 The Union Pacific retaliated by laying seven and 
 a half; to this the Central sent the announce- 
 ment that they could lay ten miles in one day ; 
 to this Mr. Durant, the vice-president, sent back 
 a wager of $10,000 that it could not be done. The 
 pride and spirit of the Central Pacific had now 
 been challenged, and they prepared for the enor- 
 mous contest, one of extraordinary magnitude 
 and rapidity. The 29th day of April, 1869, was 
 selected for the decision of the contest, as there 
 then remained but 14 miles of track to bring 
 a meeting of the roads at Promontory Point. 
 
 Work began ; the ground had already been 
 graded and ties placed in position, and at the 
 signal the cars loaded with rails moved forward. 
 Four men, two on each side, seize with their nip- 
 pers the ends of the rails, lift from the car and 
 carry them to their place ; the car moves steadily 
 along over the rails as fast as they are laid. Im- 
 mediately after follows a band of men who attach 
 the plate and put the spikes in position ; next a 
 force of Chinamen who drive down the spikes 
 solid to their homes, and last another gang of 
 Chinamen with shovels, picks, etc., who ballast 
 the track. The rapidity of all these motions, 
 which required the most active of exercise and 
 alert movements, was at the rate of 144 feet of 
 track to every minute. By 1.30 p. M., the layers 
 had placed eight miles of track in just six hours. 
 Resuming work again, after the noon rest, the 
 track-laying progressed, and at 7 P. M., exactly, 
 
 the Central men finished their task of 10 miles, 
 with 200 feet over. Mr. James Campbell, the 
 superintendent of the division, then seizing a 
 locomotive ran it over the ten miles of new track 
 in forty minutes, and the Union men were satis- 
 fied. This was the greatest feat of railroad 
 building ever known in the world, and when it 
 is known how vast the materials required to sup- 
 ply this little stretch of ten miles, the reader is 
 fairly astonished at the endurance of the laborers. 
 To put this material in place over 4,000 men 
 had been constantly employed. The laborers on 
 that day handled 25,800 cross-ties, 3,520 iron rails, 
 55,000 spikes, 7,040 fish-plates, and 14,080 bolts, 
 the weight of the whole being 4,362,000 pounds. 
 Upon both roads, for a year previous, there had 
 been remarkable activity. 
 
 A total force of 20,000 to 25,000 workmen all 
 along the lines, and 5,000 to 6,000 teams had 
 been engaged in grading and laying the track or 
 getting out stone or timber. From 500 to 600 
 tons of materials were forwarded daily from 
 either end of the lines. 
 
 The Sierra Nevadas suddenly became alive with 
 wood-choppers, and at one place on the Truckee 
 River twenty-five saw-mills went into operation in 
 a single week. Upon one railroad 70 to 100 
 locomotives were in use at one time, constantly 
 bringing materials and supplies. At one time 
 there were 30 vessels en route from New York 
 via Cape Horn, with iron, locomotives, rails and 
 rolling stock, destined for the Central Pacific 
 Railroad ; and it is a curious fact, that on sev- 
 eral consecutive days, more miles of track were 
 ironed by the railroad companies than it was 
 possible for an ox-team to draw a load over. 
 And when at last the great road was completed, 
 the fact suddenly flashed upon the nation that a 
 road once so distrusted, and considered too 
 gigantic to be possible, was constructed an actual 
 distance of 2,221 miles, in less thanfve years, of 
 which all but 100 miles was done between 
 January 1, 1866 and May 10, 1869 three years, 
 four months and ten days. 
 
 Pleasure of Overland Travel. Pal- 
 ace Car Life on tlie Pacific Kail- 
 road. In no part of the world is travel made 
 so easy and comfortable as on the Pacific Rail- 
 road. To travelers from the East it is a con- 
 stant delight, and to ladies and families it is 
 accompanied with absolutely no fatigue or discom- 
 fort. One lives at home in the Palace Car with 
 as much true enjoyment as in the home drawing- 
 room, and with the constant change of scenes 
 afforded from the car window, it is far more en- 
 joyable than the saloon of a fashionable steamer. 
 For an entire week or more, as the train leisurely- 
 crosses the Continent, the little section and berth 
 allotted to you, so neat and clean, so nicely fur- 
 nished and kept, becomes your home. Here you 
 sit and read, play your games, indulge in social 
 conversation and 'glee, and if fortunate enough to 
 
9 
 
 possess good company of friends to join you, the 
 overland tour becomes an intense delight. 
 
 The sleeping-cars from New York to Chicago, 
 proceeding at their rushing rate of forty or more 
 miles per hour, give to travelers no idea of the 
 true comfort of Pullman car life. Indeed the 
 first thousand miles of the journey to Chicago or 
 St. Louis has more tedium and wearisomeness, 
 and dust and inconvenience than all the rest of 
 the journey. Do not judge of the whole trip by 
 these first days out. From Chicago westward 
 to Omaha the cars are far finer, and traveling 
 more luxurious, likewise the rate of speed is 
 slower and the motion of the train more easy than 
 on roads farther east. 
 
 At Omaha, as you view the long Pacific train 
 just ready to leave the depot for its overland trip, 
 (often over 600 feet in length), giving an appear- 
 ance of strength, massiveness and majestic power, 
 you can but admit it is exceedingly beautiful and 
 impressive ; this feeling is still more intensified 
 when a day or so later, alone out upon the upland 
 plains, with no living object in sight, as you 
 stand at a little distance and look down upon the 
 long train, it seems the handsomest work of 
 science ever mad' for the comfort of earth's 
 people. 
 
 The slow rate ot speed, which averages but 
 sixteen to twenty miles per hour, day and 
 night, produces, a peculiarly smooth, gentle 
 and easy motion, most soothing and agreeable. 
 The straight t :ack, which for hundreds of miles 
 is without ac'irve, avoids all swinging motions of 
 the cars ; sidelong bumps are unknown. The 
 cars are cor/nected with the Miller buffer and 
 platform, and make a solid train, without the dis- 
 comforts of jerks and jolts. And the steady, 
 easy jog of the train, as it leisurely moves west- 
 ward, give?) a feeling of genuine comfort, such as 
 no one ever feels or enjoys in any other part of 
 the world. 
 
 A Pullman Pacific car train in motion is a 
 grand and beautiful sight too, from within as well 
 as from without. On some lovely, balmy, sum- 
 mer day., when the fresh breezes across the prai- 
 ries induce us to open our doors and windows, 
 there may often be seen curious and pleasant 
 sights. Standing at the rear of the train, and 
 with all doors open, there is an unobstructed 
 view along the aisles throughout the entire length. 
 On either side of the train, are the prairies, where 
 the eye sees but wildness, and even desolation, 
 then looking back upon this long aisle or avenue, 
 he sees civilization and comfort and luxury. 
 How sharp the contrast. The first day's ride 
 over the Pacific Railroad westward, is a short one 
 to nightfall, but it carries one through the 
 beautiful undulating prairies of eastern Nebraska, 
 the best settled portions of the State, where are 
 its finest homes and richest soil. Opening sud- 
 denly into the broad and ever grand Valley of 
 the Platte, the rich luxuriant meadow-grass, in 
 
 the warmth of the afternoon sun, make even the 
 most desponding or prosaic feel there is beauty in 
 prairie life. 
 
 On the second day out, the traveler is fast 
 ascending the high plains and summits of the 
 Rocky Mountains. The little villages of prairie 
 dogs interest and amuse every one. Then come 
 in sight the distant summits of Long's Peak and 
 the Colorado Mountains. Without scarcely ask- 
 ing the cause, the tourist is full of glow and 
 enthusiasm. He is alive with enjoyment, and 
 yet can scarcely tell why. The great plains 
 themselves seem full of interest. 
 
 Ah ! It is this keen, beautiful, refreshing, 
 oxygenated, invigorating, toning, beautiful, en- 
 livening mountain air which is giving him the 
 glow of nature, and quickening him into greater 
 appreciation of this grand impressive country. 
 The plains themselves are a sight most forci- 
 ble ; shall we call them the blankness of desolation 1 
 No, for every inch of the little turf beneath your 
 feet is rich ; the soil contains the finest of food 
 in the little tufts of buffalo grass, on which 
 thousands and millions of sheep and cattle may 
 feed the year through. But it is the vastness of 
 wide-extending, uninhabited, lifeless, uplifted 
 solitude. If ever one feels belittled, 'tis on the 
 plains, when each individual seems but a little 
 mite, amid this majesty of loneliness. But the 
 traveler finds with the Pullman car life, amid 
 his enjoyments of reading, playing, conversation, 
 making agreeable acquaintances, and with con- 
 stant glances from the car window, enough to 
 give him full and happy use of his time. 
 
 Night time comes, and then as your little berths 
 are made up, and you snugly cover yourself up, 
 under double blankets (for the night air is always 
 crisp and cold), perhaps you will often witness 
 the sight of a prairie fire, or the vivid flashes 
 of lightning ; some of nature's greatest scenes, 
 hardly less interesting than the plains, and far 
 more fearful and awe-inspiring. Then turning 
 to rest, you will sleep amid the easy roll of the 
 car, as sweetly and refreshingly as ever upon 
 the home-bed. How little has ever been writ- 
 ten of " Night on the Pacific Railroad," the de- 
 lightful, snug, rejuvenating sleeps on the Pacific 
 Railroad. 
 
 The lulling, quiet life by day, and the sound, 
 refreshing repose by night, are to the system the 
 best of health restorers. Were there but one 
 thing tourists might feel most gratitude for, on 
 their overland trip, 'tis their enjoyment of the ex- 
 hilarating mountain air by day, and the splendid 
 rest by night. But as our train moves on, it in- 
 troduces us to new scenes. You soon ascend the 
 Rocky Mountains at Sherman, and view there 
 the vast mountain range, the "Back 'Bone of the 
 Continent," and again descend and thunder amid 
 the cliffs of Echo and Weber Canons. You 
 carry with you your Pullman house and all its 
 comforts, and from your little window, as from 
 
10 
 
 your little boudoir at home, you will see the 
 mighty wonders of the Far West. 
 
 It is impossible to tell of the pleasures and joys 
 of the palace ride you will have five days it 
 will make you so well accustomed to car life, you 
 feel when you drop upon the wharf of San Fran- 
 cisco, that you had left genuine comfort behind, 
 and even the hotel, with its cosy parlor and 
 cheerful fire, has not its full recompense. 
 
 Palace car life has every day its fresh and 
 novel sights. No railroad has greater variety 
 and contrasts of scenery than the Pacific Rail- 
 road. The great plains of Nebraska and Wy- 
 oming are not less impressive than the great 
 Humboldt Desert. The rock majesties of Echo 
 and Weber are not more wonderful than the 
 curiosities of Great Salt Lake and the City of 
 Deseret. And where more grandly and beauti- 
 fully could a tourist drop down and finish his 
 tour, than from the grand, towering summits 
 of the Sierras, and amid the golden grain fields 
 of California, its gardens, groves, and cottage 
 blossoms ? 
 
 When the traveler returns home, nothing will 
 impress him more strongly or beautifully than 
 the loveliness of the Valley of the Platte. Com- 
 ing eastward, first, he will leave behind the mil- 
 lions of acres of little short buffalo grass, so dry 
 and yellow, and soon comes to a little green. 
 How refreshing it is after days of dry, sere vege- 
 tation. Gradually there come other grasses, a 
 little taller and more green; then nearer and 
 hearer to the end of the journey, come the wav- 
 ing of the corn-fields, the vast meadows of tall 
 green grass, and the happy little farms. So 
 complete a transition from the solitude of the 
 uplands to the lovely green verdure of the low- 
 lands of the Platte, is an inexpressible charm to 
 all. No traveler ever returns East but with the 
 most kindly of memories of the grand, and yet 
 simple beauty of the Platte Valley. 
 
 Think then, oh reader ! of the joys that await 
 thee from the window of thy palace car ! 
 
 Practical Hints for Comforts Inj the 
 Wai/. To enjoy palace car life properly, one 
 always needs a good companion. This obtained, 
 take a section together, wherever the journey 
 leads you. From Chicago to Omaha, the com- 
 pany in sleeping-cars is usually quiet and re- 
 fined, but beyond Omaha, there is often an 
 indescribable mixture of races in the same car, 
 and if you are alone, often the chance is that 
 your " compagnon du voyage " may not be agree- 
 able. It is impossible to order a section for one 
 person alone, and the dictum of sleeping-car 
 arrangements at Omaha requires all who come 
 to take what berths are assigned. But if you 
 will wait over one day at Omaha, you can make 
 a choice of the whole train, and secure the most 
 desirable berths. When your section is once 
 located, generally you will find the same section 
 reserved for you at Ogden, where you change 
 
 cars to the Central Pacific Railroad ; all through 
 passengers having usually the preference of best 
 berths, and about the same position as on the cars 
 of the Union Pacific. 
 
 Fee your porter on the sleeping-car always 
 if he is attentive and obliging, give him a dol- 
 lar. His attention to your comfort and care of 
 your baggage and constant watch over the little 
 articles and hand-satchel, against loafers on the 
 train, is worth all you give him. Often larger 
 fees are given. This is just as the traveler feels. 
 The porters of both Pacific Railroads are es- 
 teemed specially excellent, obliging and care- 
 ful. 
 
 Meals. The trains of the Union Pacific 
 Railroad are arranged so as to stop at excellent 
 stations at convenient hours, for meals. In 
 place of the usual dining station at Laramie, 
 there is now a most comfortable and conven- 
 ient eating station at Rock Creek, a little far- 
 ther west. Its pleasant, cheerful room filled with 
 plants, and the convenience of better hours for 
 meals, add greatly to the pleasure of the over- 
 land trip. At Green River you will find the 
 dining-room entrance fairly surrounded with 
 curiosities, and the office filled with oddities very 
 amusing. The meals here are excellent, con- 
 sidering all supplies are obtained at a great dis- 
 tance away. 
 
 Usually all the eating-houses on both the Pacific 
 Railroads are very excellent indeed. The keepers 
 have to maintain their culinary excellence under 
 great disadvantages, especially west of Sidney, 
 as all food but meats must be brought from a 
 great distance. 
 
 Travelers need to make no preparations for 
 eating on the cars, as meals at all dining-halls 
 are excellent, and food of great variety is nicely 
 served ; buffalo meat, antelope steak, tongue of 
 all kinds, and always the best of beefsteak. 
 Laramie possesses the reputation of the best steak 
 on the Pacific Railroad. Sidney makes a special- 
 ty, occasionally, of antelope steak. At Evanston 
 you will see the lively antics of the Chinese 
 waiters, probably your first sight of them. Also 
 they usually have nice mountain fish. At Green 
 River you will always get nice biscuit ; at Grand 
 Island they give all you can possibly eat ; it has 
 a good name for its bountiful supplies. 
 
 At Ogden you will be pleased with the neat- 
 ness and cleanness of the tables and service. At 
 Cheyenne the dinners are always excellent, and 
 the dining-room is cheerful. To any who either 
 have desire to economize, or inability to eat three 
 railroad meals per day, we recommend to carry a 
 little basket with Albert biscuit and a little cup. 
 This can be easily filled at all stopping-places 
 with hot tea or coffee, and a sociable and com- 
 fortable glass of tea indulged in inside the car. 
 The porter will fit you up a nice little table in 
 your section, and spread on a neat white table- 
 cloth. 
 
11 
 
 When the tourist reaches the Central Pacific 
 Railroad he passes beyond the domain of the 
 Pullman Car Company; nevertheless, the new 
 coaches of the Central Pacific Railroad are just 
 as elegant and convenient. 
 
 As the comforts of the new cars are far supe- 
 rior to the old ones, which still are used, it 
 would be better to wait over at Ogden one day 
 to make sure of them. The dining-stations of the 
 Central Pacific Railroad are bountiful in their 
 supplies ; at all of them fruit is given in sum- 
 mer-time with great freedom. Fish is almost 
 always to be had ; no game of value. The food, 
 cooking and service by Chinese waiters is simply 
 excellent. The writer has never eaten nicer 
 meals than those served at Winnemucca, Elko, 
 Battle Mountain and Colfax. The Humboldt 
 Desert is far from being a desert to the traveling 
 public, for its eating-stations always furnish a 
 dessert of good things and creature comforts. 
 
 A little lunch-basket nicely stowed with sweet 
 and substantial bits of food' will often save you 
 the pain of long rides before meals ; when the 
 empty stomach craves food and failing to receive 
 it, lays you up with the most dismal of sick head- 
 aches ; it also serves you splendidly whenever 
 the train is delayed. To be well on the Pacific 
 Railroad eat at regular hours, and never miss a meal. 
 Most of the sickness which we have witnessed, 
 has arisen from irregular eating, or injudicious 
 attempts at economy by skipping a meal to save 
 a dollar. We have noticed those who were regu- 
 lar in eating at every meal, passed the journey 
 with greatest ease, most comfort and best 
 health. Those who were irregular, skipping here 
 and there a meal, always suffered inconvenience. 
 
 In packing your little lunch-basket, avoid 
 tongue, by all m^ans, for it will not keep over a day 
 or two, and its fumes in a sleeping-car are any- 
 thing but like those from " Araby the blest." 
 Avoid all articles which have odor of any descrip- 
 tion. 
 
 Lunch counters are attached to all eating-sta- 
 tions, so that you may easily procure hot coffee, 
 tea, biscuit, sandwiches and fruit if you do not 
 wish a full meal. 
 
 The uniform price of meals at all stations over- 
 land, is f 1.00 greenbacks. On the Central Pacific, 
 at Colfax pay 75 cents in silver; at Lathrop 
 pay 50 cents silver the cheapest and best meal 
 for the money, of your whole tour. For clothing 
 on your overland trip, you will need at Omaha the 
 first day, if it is summer, a light spring suit ; the 
 next day a winter suit at Sherman. Again, at 
 Salt Lake City and the Humboldt Desert, the 
 thinnest of summer suits, and at the summit of 
 the Sierras, all your underclothing. We can 
 only advise you as you have to pass through so 
 many extremes of temperature, to always wear 
 your underclothing, day and night, through the 
 overland trip, and add an overcoat if the air grows 
 chilly. 
 
 Beware of the quick transition from the hot ride 
 over the San Joaquin Valley to the cold sea air 
 on the ferry from Oakland to San Francisco. 
 Invalids have been chilled through with this un- 
 expected sea breeze, and even the most hardy 
 do not love it. Keep warm and keep inside the 
 boat. Thus, reader, we have helped you with 
 kindly hints how to enjoy your trip. Now let us 
 glance, as we go, at each scene of industry where 
 our tour will take us. 
 
 HINTS. 
 
 1. Baggage. All baggage of reasonable 
 weight can be checked from any Eastern city 
 direct to Omaha, but is there rechecked. 
 
 2. At Omaha all baggage is weighed, and on 
 all excess of over 100 pounds, passengers will 
 pay 15 cts. per pound. This is imperative. 
 
 3. Railroad Tickets are easily procur- 
 able for the whole trip across to San Francisco. 
 It is better to buy one through ticket than to 
 buy separately. By returning a different route 
 from Omaha, from the one you went, the tour 
 will be much more interesting, and give you 
 fresh scenery constantly. 
 
 4. Buy your tickets only at known railroad 
 offices, and never of agencies. In the West, 
 railroads have offices at the principal hotels. 
 These are usually perfectly reliable. 
 
 5. To Check Baggage be at every depot 
 one-half hour or more before the departure of 
 trains. 
 
 6. Transfer Coaches. In all Western 
 cities there is a line of transfer coaches, which, 
 for the uniform price of fifty cents, will take 
 you and your baggage direct to any hotel, or 
 transfer you at once across the city to any depot. 
 They are trustworthy, cheap, and convenient. 
 The agent will always pass through the train 
 before arrival, selling transfer tickets and checks 
 to hotels. 
 
 7. At Salt Lake City, horse-cars run from the 
 depot direct to the hotels ; also there is an omni- 
 bus transfer. Price, fifty cents. 
 
 8. At San Francisco the Pacific Transfer and 
 Baggage Company will take your baggage to any 
 hotel or private residence for 50 cents. Their 
 agent is on every train ; you will save time by giv- 
 ing him your check. Hotel coaches charge $1.00. 
 Horse-cars run f i~om the wharf direct to all hotels. 
 
 9. Greenbacks are used for all railroad tickets 
 and payment of sleeping-car berths for the en- 
 tire distance to California ; also for all hotels to 
 and including Salt Lake City, but beyond that, 
 everything is payable in silver and gold. For 
 the Central Pacific Railroad, you do not need 
 more than $5 for coin expenses. After reaching 
 San Francisco, you can sell your greenbacks and 
 buy coin as often as necessary. If much coin is 
 needed, buy and use the gold notes which are 
 current everywhere within 300 miles of the city ; 
 beyond that the coin only is used. Gold drafts 
 
12 
 
 can be bought in all Eastern cities on San 
 Francisco. 
 
 10. The uniform prices of board in the West 
 are $4.50 per day at Chicago, $4.00 per day at 
 Omaha, Denver, and Salt Lake City. In San 
 Francisco, $3.00 gold per day at all hotels. To 
 secure good nice rooms in California, the tour- 
 ist must submit to extra charges of $1.00 to 
 $1.50 per day. 
 
 11. If traveling with ladies, it is good policy, 
 when within 100 miles of each city, where you 
 expect to stop, to telegraph to your hotel in -ad- 
 vance, requesting nice rooms reserved, always 
 mentioning that you have ladies. 
 
 12. Whenever disposed to take horses and 
 carriage for a ride, look out with sharp eyes for 
 the tricks of the trade ; if no price or time is 
 agreed upon, you will have to pay dearly, and 
 the farther west you go, the hire of horse flesh 
 grows dearer (though the value per animal rap- 
 idly grows less.) Engage your livery carefully at 
 so much per hour, and then choose your time to 
 suit your wishes. Ten dollar bills melt quicker 
 in carriage rides than any other " vain show." 
 
 13. Without much exception, all railroad 
 officers, railroad conductors, Pullman car con- 
 ductors are gentlemen in manners, courteous 
 and civil. No passenger ever gains a point by 
 loud orders or strong and forcible demands. 
 You are treated respectfully by all, and the same 
 is expected in return. The days of boisterous 
 times, rough railroad men, and bullies in the 
 Far West are gone, and there is as much civility 
 there, often more, than you will find near home. 
 
 14. Railroad tickets must always be shown 
 when baggage is checked. 
 
 ROUTES. 
 
 Route No. 1 from, New York. Take the 
 Pennsylvania Central Railroad which leaves foot 
 of Desbrosses street, by ferry, to Jersey City. To 
 engage a good berth in your sleeping-car, go to a 
 proper railroad office, and secure your berth by 
 telegraph. There are local telegraphs connect- 
 ing with the principal Pullman office. Do this 
 the previous night, or morning, as then the best 
 berths can be secured. Pullman cars run on the 
 Pennsylvania Railroad to Chicago and St. Louis, 
 direct, without change. Three trains leave per 
 day. To see the richest scenery, take the morn- 
 ing train and you will have a good view of nearly 
 the entire State of Pennsylvania by daylight, 
 the valley of the Susquehanna and Juniata, and 
 the famous Horse-Shoe Bend by moonlight. 
 The Pennsylvania Railroad is " always on time," 
 the most reliable in its connections. 
 
 Route No. 2 frotn Neiv YorJc. Leave 
 via the Erie Railroad from foot of Chambers or 
 West 23d street. The advantages of this route 
 are numerous. This is the famous Pullman 
 line which ran the first line of dining-cars 
 between New York and Chicago. The meals 
 
 are very fine and service excellent. The sleep- 
 ing-cars on the Erie Railroad belong to the Pull- 
 man Company, and are the finest in the world, 
 of extra width and extra comfort. The scenery 
 along the Erie Railroad (by all means take the 
 morning train) is specially fine, and at points is 
 remarkably lovely. The sleeping and dining- 
 cars accompany the train to Chicago. The 
 route passes via Salamanca, Atlantic and Great 
 Western and Chicago extension of Baltimore 
 and Ohio Railroad, direct without change, to 
 Chicago. Passengers also can take other sleep- 
 ing-cars of the train, if they wish, which will 
 convey them direct to Buffalo and Niagara Falls, 
 where there is direct connection via the Lake 
 Shore Railroad or Michigan Central to Chicago. 
 
 Route No. 3 From, New York is via 
 the New York Central and Hudson River. 
 
 Route No. 4 is via the Baltimore and 
 Ohio Railroad. Tourists by this route, to and 
 from California, have many advantages. It 
 is the shortest line from Chicago or Cincinnati 
 to the National Capitol at Washington. Its 
 scenery, on the mountain division, between 
 Harper's Ferry and Parkersburg, is grand and 
 full "of historic interest. Its dining stations 
 are exceedingly well kept, and the comforts 
 of its parlor and sleeping-cars are equal to 
 the very best. Pullman cars run through to 
 and from St. Louis and Chicago. 
 
 California travelers choosing this route 
 east, will include Washington, Baltimore, 
 Philadelphia and New York on one ticket, 
 with their numerous scenes and objects of 
 interest. 
 
 From Philadelphia. Tourists uniformly 
 prefer the Pennsylvania Central, though many 
 often wish to visit Baltimore and Washington, 
 and thence see the scenery along the Baltimore 
 and Ohio Railroad, and go westward via Cincin- 
 nati to St. Louis. 
 
 From Baltimore and Washington. 
 Tourists have choice of either the Northern 
 Central with Pennsylvania Central connections, 
 or the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Pullman 
 cars run on either road. 
 
 From Boston. Wagner sleeping-cars run 
 direct over the Boston and Albany Railroad, 
 to Rochester, N. Y., and usually through to 
 Chicago. Though this is an exceedingly con- 
 venient route, yet it gives no scenery of conse- 
 quence. Tourists who desire the best scenery 
 will do well to come direct to New York, the ride 
 by steamer being always pleasant; and from New 
 York make their start, the pleasantest time for 
 departure always being on the fast special ex- 
 press in the morning. 
 
 From Cincinnati, tourists have choice 
 of two routes; 1st, via Ohio and Mississippi 
 Railroad, direct to St. Louis, passing over the 
 famous St. Louis Bridge, with omnibus transfer 
 to other railroads ; or, 2d, via Indianapolis, Bloom- 
 
13 
 
 ington and Western Railroad, which run trains 
 direct to Burlington, la., or to Chicago. Pull- 
 man sleeping-cars run on either route. 
 
 .Fro in, Chicago, three roads run across 
 Iowa direct to Council Bluffs. 
 
 The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 
 Railroad crosses the Mississippi at Burling- 
 ton, la., and passes through Southern Iowa. The 
 Pullman cars are very elegant, and the road 
 popular. This line is now running dining cars 
 attached to its express trains, on both Eastern 
 and Western divisions. Meals served on them are 
 splendid, beautifully cooked, great variety, and a 
 great comfort to the traveler. Price, only 75 cts. 
 
 The Chicago and North-western Kail- 
 road is the shortest line, and crosses the Mis- 
 sissippi at Clinton, la. The eating stations on 
 this route are all very fine. In Iowa, especially, 
 they are the best of the Iowa railroads. The 
 Pullman cars are also very superior. There 
 has recently been added a magnificent Hotel 
 car to express trains, which increases the popu- 
 larity of the line very greatly. 
 
 The Chicago and Hock Island Kail- 
 road crosses the Mississippi at Davenport. 
 The view from the railroad bridge is very beau-i 
 tiftil, and the scenery of the railroad in the Des 
 Moines Valley, and westward, is charming. The 
 sleeping-cars on this line are owned by the rail- 
 road company, and are very good. The line has 
 recently added some elegant and expensive res- 
 taurant and dining cars, whose fine meals are 
 exceedingly well served. 
 
 Note. Upon railroads west of Chicago, no 
 sleeping-cars run through, except those connected 
 with the morning Pacific express train. These 
 run direct from Chicago to Council Bluffs, where 
 passengers will change cars for Union Pacific 
 Railroad. 
 
 From St. Louis two routes are open to 
 the tourist. The Missouri Pacific Railroad runs 
 up on the south side of the Missouri River, with 
 Pullman cars, direct for Kansas City, and also 
 The St. Louis, Kansas City and Northern, on 
 the northern side of the river. 
 
 Both of these routes are in direct connection 
 with the Kansa-t City, St. Joseph and Council Bluffs 
 Railroad, run through sleeping-cars from St. Louis 
 direct to Omaha. The sleeping-car between St. 
 Louis and Omaha, runs direct from Omaha de- 
 pot to Kansas city, and thence alternate nights 
 over each Missouri railroad. 
 
 Council Bluffs, Iowa, Railroad Trans- 
 fer Grounds. This, as well as Omaha, is a 
 transfer point for all passengers, and the starting 
 point of all trains on the Union Pacific railroad. 
 A recent decision of U. S. Supreme Court, fixes 
 the terminus of the Pacific Railroad on the east 
 side of the Missouri River. The company has 
 complied with the decision, and the necessity for 
 bridge transfer is now entirely removed. At 
 Council Bluffs is also the western terminus of 
 
 the Iowa Railroads. A Union Depot for all rail- 
 roads is proposed, and will soon be erected. 
 Henceforth, all passengers, baggage, mails, 
 freight, etc., and trains for the West, will start 
 from this point, as well as Omaha. Passengers, 
 however, usually prefer to take their sleeping- 
 cars at Omaha. The city of Council Bluffs is 
 located about three miles east from the Missouri 
 river, and contains a population of 15,000. Its 
 record dates from as early a period as 1804, when 
 the celebrated explorers, Lewis and Clark, held 
 a council with the Indians, which fact, together 
 with the physical peculiarity of the high bluffs 
 overlooking the town, has given it its name 
 Council Bluffs. 
 
 The . city is one of great enterprise, with a 
 large number of public buildings, stores. State 
 institutions, and dwellings, and is the nucleus of 
 a large trade from surrounding Iowa towns, and 
 is supported by a rich agricultural community. 
 It is intimately connected with Omaha with 
 frequent trains over the bridge, also steam ferry. 
 It will doubtless come more largely hereafter into 
 prominence as a railroad town, though the com- 
 mercial importance of Omaha, and its trade with 
 the far West, will doubtless be for a long time to 
 come, far superior. The general offices of the 
 Union Pacific Railroad Company will remain, for 
 the present, at Omaha. 
 
 At Council Bluffs the Union Pacific Railroad 
 Company have reserved ample grounds, over 
 1,000 acres, to accommodate its own traffic and 
 that of connecting railroads, and extensive prep- 
 arations will be made to accommodate the vast 
 traffic of freights, passengers, baggage and stock, 
 which daily arrives and departs. 
 
 Here are also located the stock-grounds of the 
 company, which in time will render the locality 
 a large stock-market. The past year over 3,000 
 cars of stock were transferred over the bridge, 
 and there is ample room for extension. 
 
 Keeping-Car Expenses. The tariff to 
 travelers is as follows, with all companies, and 
 all in greenbacks : 
 
 One berth, New York to Chicago, one and one-half 
 
 days, by any route, $5 00 
 
 One berth, New York to Cincinnati, one and one- 
 half days, by Pennsylvania railroad, 4 00 
 
 One berth, New York to Cincinnati, one and one- 
 half days, by other routes, 5 00 
 
 One berth, New York to St. Louis, two days, by 
 
 any route. 6 00 
 
 One berth, Chicago or St. Louis, to Omaha, by any 
 
 route, 3 00 
 
 One berth, Omaha to Ogden. by Pacific Railroad, 8 00 
 
 One berth. Ogden to San Francisco, by Central 
 
 Pacific Railroad, 6 00 
 
 MEALS. 
 
 All meals at all railroad dining-stations east of 
 
 Omaha, $0 75 
 
 Except dinners on Erie and New York Central, 1 00 
 
 All meals on Union Pacific Railroad, 1 00 
 All meals on Central Pacific Railroad, first day, 
 
 currency, 1 00 
 
 All meals on Central Pacific Railroad, at Colfax, coin, 75 
 
 All meals on Central Pacific Railroad, Lathrop, coin, 50 
 
SCENES IN OMAHA. 
 
 1. General View of Omaha and the Missouri Valley. 2,-Post-Offloe. 3. High School Building. 
 4. Grand Central Hotel. 5. Missouri River Bridge. 
 
15 
 
 OMASA. 
 
 OMAHA occupies an exceedingly beautiful sit- 
 uation, bold and commanding. Approaching 
 this city from the east, the broad valley of 
 the Missouri river first comes into view. Then, 
 as you near Council Bluffs, the great iron 
 bridge which spans the river is plainly visible. 
 Behind it, looking to the west, is Omaha, 
 covering a part of the low bottom lands, the 
 higher table lands, and the bluffs or hills 
 beyond. On the cover of a book recently writ- 
 ten by an English gentleman, on the advanta- 
 ges, etc., of Nebraska, there is a picture, in gilt, 
 of the Union Pacific bridge. On the top of this 
 picture the following expressive legend is 
 inscribed : " To the Plains ; To the Mountains ; 
 to the Pacific." This legend points the way, 
 and means all it says. 
 
 Omaha is the grand gateway through which 
 the western tide of travel and immigration is 
 passing, in search of what may be found, either 
 for amusement, pleasure or profit on these plains, 
 mountains, and the ocean named. It is the 
 half-way house, and resting-place for those who 
 are weary of continual travel, and has sufficient 
 attractions to render a visit profitable and inter- 
 esting. 
 
 Early History. In June, 1853, as a party 
 of gentlemen were standing in the shade of the 
 bluffs, at whose feet nestled the Mormon town of 
 Kanesville, now Council Bluffs, their eyes rested 
 upon the spot where Omaha now stands. The 
 plateau that ascended gently before them to the 
 finely-rounded hills and covered with a beautiful 
 green carpet, was a most captivating sight. It was 
 a fine location for a city, and the question of em- 
 barking in the enterprise of building one was 
 discussed by the party. The project was so 
 favorable in their view, that they shortly after 
 crossed the river and proceeded to make a per- 
 sonal examination of the grounds. They found 
 their anticipations fully realized the location 
 being even better than it had appeared in the 
 distance. The lines were at once laid down, 
 and the same year surveyed and lithographed. 
 But before the survey, a town company was 
 incorporated under the laws of Iowa, and 
 known as the "Council Bluffs and Nebraska 
 Ferry Company." The date of this organiza- 
 tion was July 23, 1853. The honor of naming 
 the town belongs to Jesse Lowe, at whose sug- 
 gestion it was called Omaha, after a tribe of 
 Indians which is now nearly extinct. The 
 records of Lewis & Clark's expedition up the 
 Missouri river, in 1804, show that they under- 
 stand the name of this tribe as " Mahas," but we 
 are in the dark as to how or when the letter 
 " O " was prefixed to the name. Having per- 
 fected their organization, the next step was to 
 obtain title from the Indians. A preliminary 
 treaty was made with them in the winter of 
 
 1853-54, which was ratified by the government, 
 to which the lands reverted ; and afterwards the 
 town site was obtained through two patents to 
 two gentlemen who acted for the town company. 
 The first ferry across the river was a cotton- 
 wood craft ; but it was superseded in 1853 by a 
 steam ferry-boat called the " General Marion." 
 After this event, by means of advertising, the 
 overland travel was rapidly concentrated, and 
 Omaha began to grow. The first house was 
 erected by the ferry company, in 1853, on the 
 corner of Twelfth and Jackson streets. The 
 erection of other buildings quickly followed. 
 In 1854, the first brick kiln was burned ; and 
 the Omaha Arrow, the first newspaper, made its 
 appearance. The first grave was dug where 
 Turner Hall now stands, for an old squaw of the 
 Omaha tribe, who had been left by her com- 
 panions to die. How prophetic the words of 
 Whittier in his poem : 
 
 " Behind the squaw's light birch canoe, 
 
 The steamer smokes and raves ; 
 And city lots are staked for sale 
 
 Above old Indian graves." 
 
 The first legislature of Nebraska convened 
 in the winter of 1854-5. There was a great 
 strife for the location of the capital, but Omaha 
 triumphed, and in 1856 the capitol building was 
 commenced on the ground now occupied by the 
 High-school building, which was donated by the 
 city. 
 
 Busy Times. In 1856 things were " boom- 
 ing" in Omaha, and corner lots were held and 
 sold for extravagant sums, but the crash of 1857 
 soon followed, and men who were supposed to be 
 wealthy the year before, found themselves penni- 
 less, unable to obtain money enough to get away. 
 These were forced to stay, and by this fact alone 
 many of them are now rich and prosperous. 
 But the discovery of gold in Colorado, in 1859, 
 was a godsend to Omaha. It lifted it from 
 depression and set it marching forward on the 
 road to an enduring prosperity. White-topped 
 wagons from the east came by the thousands. 
 On some of them these words were painted, 
 " Pike's Peak or bust," and " busted " the 
 owners of many of them became as the sequel 
 proved. It was during these flush times that 
 many of the solid merchants and business men 
 of Omaha laid the foundations of their wealth 
 and commercial prosperity. In the winter of 
 1857 a city charter wa.s granted to Omaha, and 
 Jesse Lowe, one of its original founders, was 
 the first mayor. In 1869, it was chartered as a 
 city of the first class. Up to 1867, the means 
 of public communication with the city were 
 stage-coaches, overland through Iowa, and the 
 steamers on the Missouri river. In the winter 
 the latter ceased to run. Various railroad proj- 
 ects were agitated, but until the year 1862 
 nothing definite was accomplished. Meanwhile 
 the growth of the city was slow, and attended . 
 
16 
 
 with varying fortunes and prospects. But in 
 that year an act was passed by Congress, author- 
 izing the construction of a trunk railroad from 
 the 100th meridian which is about 200 miles 
 west of Omaha and two branches, from points 
 on the western boundaries of Iowa and Mis- 
 souri. The first branch that reached the 100th 
 meridian was authorized to build the trunk line. 
 The terminus of the northern branch was fixed 
 by President Lincoln in a proclamation dated 
 November 17, 1863, and from this date the 
 progress of the city has been rapid and sub- 
 stantial. This is manifested by the fact that 
 in 1865 the population had scarcely reached 
 4,500 souls, while in January, 1875, Omaha had 
 a population of full 20,000, an increase of 
 15,500 in ten years. This remarkable increase 
 is due almost wholly to the location of the Union 
 Pacific railroad, and from the fact that this is 
 the initial point and eastern terminus of the 
 road. During those ten years marvelous changes 
 were wrought and wonderful improvements 
 made, until Omaha can now boast of as fine 
 business blocks, hotels, school-buildings and 
 churches as can be found in many older and 
 more pretentious cities in the East; while the 
 manufacturing enterprises now in operation and 
 contemplated, will surely make good its claim as 
 the commercial metropolis of the Missouri val- 
 ley. Its geographical position is eminently 
 commanding. Its railroad connections are in- 
 creasing, and as year by year it reaches out its 
 iron arms, more territory will be brought to pay 
 it tribute and establish its supremacy as the 
 seat of influence and power. 
 
 The first railroad that reached this city from 
 the East, was the Chicago and North-western the 
 first train over it arriving on Sunday, January 17, 
 1867. Then followed the Council Bluffs and St. 
 Joe, the Burlington and Missouri River and the 
 Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific. After these 
 came the Sioux City and Pacific, the Omaha and 
 North-western, and the Omaha and South-western 
 railroads. The last-named road has been leased 
 by the Burlington and Missouri. It extends to 
 Lincoln, the capital of the State ; then west- 
 ward uniting with the Union Pacific at Kearney 
 Junction. It has a branch from its main line at 
 Crete to Beatrice, a thriving town near the 
 southern boundary of the State. The Omaha and 
 North-western is completed about 50 miles, and 
 follows the valley of the Missouri on the west 
 side of that river, north from Omaha It will 
 probably soon be extended. More railroads are 
 contemplated and will doubtless soon be built. 
 
 Omaha is well supplied with churches, and 
 they are generally well supported, though some 
 of them are still without edifices for public wor- 
 ship. All the religious denominations are repre- 
 sented in these establishments, and some of the 
 church edifices are tasteful and elegant, present- 
 ing a fine architectural appearance. 
 
 In public schools, however, Omaha is without 
 a peer or a rival in the West. In 1866, the 
 capitol of the State was removed to Lincoln, and 
 the legislature afterwards donated the square and 
 capitol building to Omaha for high school pur- 
 poses. The old capitol building was torn down, 
 and in its place was erected the present high 
 school building ; which for beauty in design and 
 elegance in finish has but few, if any, superiors 
 in the country. It is 176 feet long by 80 feet 
 wide. The spire rises 185 feet from the ground. 
 It fitly crowns a hill, overlooking the city, plains 
 and valley for miles in either direction, and is 
 the first object that meets the eye of the traveler 
 as he approaches the gateway of the Pacific 
 coast. Its cost was about $250,000, and is the 
 pride of the city by whose liberality it was built. 
 Other elegant school buildings have been erected 
 in different parts of the city, the total costs of 
 which, with grounds, including the high school 
 building, amounts to $406,000. There are also 
 several denominational and private schools which 
 are liberally patronized. 
 
 Here are the government buildings ; such as 
 the head-quarters building used by the com- 
 manding officers of the military department of 
 the Platte ; the barracks about two miles north 
 of the city, and the elegant post-office, court- 
 house and custom-house combined, finished last 
 year (1875). 
 
 There are also numerous elegant private resi- 
 dences, with grounds beautifully ornamented 
 with trees and shrubbery, and magnificent busi- 
 ness blocks, which sufficiently attest the solid 
 prosperity of Omaha's business men. 
 
 Travelers who take advantage of the oppor- 
 tunity for rest which this city offers, may be 
 always certain of good hotel accommodations. 
 The want of such accommodations was recently 
 felt, not only by citizens, but by the traveling 
 public a few years ago. But, happily, this want 
 has been supplied in the erection of the Grand 
 Central Hotel, by a stock company in 1873. It is 
 a magnificent structure, 132 x 122 feet, and five 
 stories high, with large parlors, dining-rooms and 
 suites of rooms, all elegantly furnished, and is 
 first-class in its management and appointment. 
 Those who enjoy the hospitality of this fine 
 hotel once, are always anxious to do it again. It 
 is, without doubt, the finest structure, and the 
 best managed establishment of the kind between 
 Chicago and San Francisco. Its cost was fully 
 $300,000, not including furniture. Railroad 
 ticket-offices and telegraph-offices may be found 
 on the first floor of this hotel, with furnish- 
 ing stores, etc., convenient. Its halls and public 
 rooms are heated by steam, and it has water on 
 the lower floors, with gas throughout. The fur- 
 niture cost over $50,000. It has 150 rooms for 
 the accommodation of its guests. 
 
 In manufactures, Omaha begins to loom up. 
 She has an oil-mill, which supplies the extensive 
 
17 
 
 demand for linseed oil and oil-cake in the Mis- 
 souri Valley; several breweries, two distiller- 
 ies, foundry and machine-shops ; carriage and 
 wagon-shops and other manufactories, either in 
 progress or in contemplation. Among these may 
 be found in active operation, the extensive 
 machine-shops, car works and foundry of the 
 Union Pacific Railroad, and the Omaha smelting- 
 works. The shops of the railroad occupy, with 
 the roundhouse, about 30 acres of land on the 
 bottom adjoining the table-land on which most 
 of the city proper is built. Over one million of 
 dollars are paid out annually by the company for 
 office and manual labor alone, in the city of 
 Omaha. This does not include payments for 
 merchandise and supplies. The value of this 
 business, and the location of these shops to the 
 city can therefore bs readily seen, and is no 
 small factor in Omaha's prosperity. 
 
 One of ths principal causes of Omaha's growth 
 and prosperity will be found in tlu character 
 of its newspapers, tha Herald, tha Republican 
 and the Bee. Ths Omnha Arrow, the first news- 
 paper, was not strictly an Omaha concern, it 
 being published in the office of the Kaneuville 
 (Council Bluffs) Bugle. The Nebr-ixkian was 
 established shortly after the Arrow (1854), and 
 lived until 183 L In 1857, the Weekly Times 
 was established, which was afterwards absorbed 
 by the Nebraskian. In May, 1858, the first 
 number of the Omaha Republican was issued. 
 It was consolidated with a rival republican 
 paper, the Omaha Tribune, in 1871. The last- 
 named papar was started on the 25th of January 
 in 1870. In 1884, the Omaha Daily Herald was 
 first issued. It is democratic in politics, and a 
 lively, vigorous sheet. The Daily Evening Times 
 was started in the latter part of 1868, and was 
 moved, the following spring, to Sioux City. In 
 June, 1871, the publication of the Daily Evening 
 Bee was commenced. It is republican in 
 politics, and a wide-awake paper. The Omaha 
 Union (daily) was also established in 1874, by 
 the Printers' Union, on the co-operative plan. 
 It was a spicy, energetic little sheet, but was 
 short-lived. 
 
 Business of Omaha. Facts Interest- 
 ing and Curious. When Omaha was first 
 entitled to the honor of a post-office, the story is 
 told that the first postmaster used his hat for a 
 post-office, which he carried with him wherever 
 he went, delivering to anxious individuals who 
 were waiting eagerly for him, or chased and over- 
 took him. Twenty years after, Omaha possesses 
 a handsome stone post-office worth $350,000, and 
 the finest government building west of the 
 Mississippi River. The total receipts at this post- 
 office for 1875, were $1,089,660.34. The total 
 number of letters and newspapers delivered was 
 1,313,640; and number of money orders issued 
 and received, 16,070. 
 
 In 1861, the first telegraph reached Omaha, 
 
 2 
 
 and its only office was, for several years, the 
 terminus of the Pacific Telegraph. Now there 
 are 2 } telegraph wires radiating in all directions ; 
 15 offices, employing 40 operators. The number 
 of messages per day average 3,500, or about 350,- 
 000 letters, of which about one-third relates to 
 Pacific railroad business. 
 
 The total value of school buildings in Omaha 
 is $405,000, and the sum spent for erecting new 
 buildings and stores in 1875, was $360,000. 
 
 Omaha is the head-quarters of the army of 
 the Platte, and disburses per annum about 
 $950,000, besides an annual transportation ac- 
 count with the Pacific Railroad Company of 
 $350,000. 
 
 In 1865, Omaha did not have a single manu- 
 facturing establishment. In 1875, her manufac- 
 tories employed over 2,000 men. Here are located 
 the largest smelting and refining works in 
 America, the Omaha smelting-works, who em- 
 ploy 135 men, and do an annual business of 
 over $4,000,000. Seven breweries turn out 14,000 
 barrels of beer. One distillery pays the govern- 
 ment a tax of $316,000 per year, and upward of 50 
 other smaller enterprises, among which is a not- 
 able industry, the manufacture of brick ; over 
 500,000,000 brick being turned out of her four 
 brick-yards. The bank capital and surplus ex- 
 ceed $3,000,000. 
 
 In overland times, before the building of the 
 Pacific Railroad, or just at its commencement, the 
 wholesale trade of Omaha was wonderful. Single 
 houses handling as much as $3,000,000 per an- 
 num. Since that time the courses of trade have 
 been so divided, that the largest sales now of any 
 wholesale establishment do not exceed $1,200,000. 
 
 Large quantities of Utah fruit are received at 
 Omaha, both dried and fresh, and a large market 
 opened ; 40 car-loads were received in 1875, from 
 Salt Lake City. This is one of the greatest 
 curiosities developed by the Pacific Railroad. 
 Corn is shipped west from Omaha to feed the 
 inhabitants of tl*e Salt Lake Valley, while the 
 same cars bring back their surplus fruit. In 
 1871, the first shipment of fruit was made, 300 
 pounds. In 1875, the trade amounted to 900,000 
 pounds. 
 
 The business of collecting and drying hides, 
 buffalo robes, pelts and furs alone is $150,000 
 per year, and to supply the prairie settlements 
 with such modern inventions as the sewing- 
 machine, requires over $250,000 per year; one 
 company alone having sold last year $191,000 
 worth. One dealer reports a sale of such frivoli- 
 ties as 568 Canary birds, and 331 baby carriages. 
 
 Perhaps the best index of the enormous trade 
 of Omaha is gained from the statements of rail- 
 road transportation. The total number of cars 
 of freight received at Omaha from the East, 'in 
 1875, was 10,045, of which above 3,689 were of 
 coal, and 1.500 additional of grain from the 
 West. The freight paid by Omaha merchants 
 
18 
 
 in 1875 upon goods received for consumption was 
 $744,24:8. From the West there were received 
 1,277 cars of bullion, 40 of ore, and 4 for soda. 
 These items are of the trade and consumption of 
 Omaha only, and not the main traffic of the 
 railroad. 
 
 These are only a few of the many important 
 items which show how vast a business has been 
 built in 20 years, from the smooth, unopened 
 prairie soil, now made rich and active with the 
 hum of industry. 
 
 The U. P. R. It. Bridge Across the 
 Missouri River. The huge bridge, which 
 spans the Missouri, is a fitting entrance to the 
 wonders beyond a mechanical wonder of itself, 
 it fills every traveler with a sense of awe and 
 majesty, as the first great scene of the overland 
 journey. 
 
 The last piece of iron of the last span which 
 completed the bridge was fastened in its place 
 on the 20th of February, 1872. Previous to that 
 time, all passengers and traffic were transferred 
 across the treacherous and shifting shores of the 
 Missouri River in steam-boats with flat keel, and 
 with the ever-shifting currents and sand-bars, 
 safe landings were always uncertain. The bridge 
 comprises 1 1 spans, each span 250 feet in length, 
 and elevated 50 feet above high water-mark. 
 These spans are supported by one stone masonry 
 abutment, and 11 piers with 22 cast-iron col- 
 umns; each pier is 8 1-2 feet in diameter, and 
 made of cast-iron in tubes one and three-fourths 
 inches in thickness, 10 feet in length, with a 
 weight of eight tons. As fast as the tubes of 
 the columns are sunk, they are fitted together, 
 seams made air-tight, and process continued till 
 the complete depth and height is attained. Dur- 
 ing the building of the bridge from February, 
 1869, when work first commenced, until com- 
 pletion in 1872 (excepting a period of eight 
 mouths suspension), about 500 men were con- 
 stantly employed. Ten steam-engines were in 
 use for the purpose of operating the pneumatic 
 works to hoist the cylinders, help put the super- 
 structure into position, to drive piles for tempo- 
 rary platforms and bridges, and to excavate sand 
 within the columns. The columns were sunk 
 into the bed of the river after being placed in 
 correct position by the following method : The 
 top of the column being made perfectly air-tight, 
 all water beneath is extracted by pneumatic 
 exhaustion. Then descending into the interior, a 
 force of workmen excavate the sand and earth, 
 filling buckets which are quickly hoisted up- 
 wards by the engines. When the excavation 
 has reached one or more feet, the column sinks 
 gradually inch by inch, more or less rapidly, un- 
 til a solid bottom is reached. 
 
 The least time in which any column was sunk 
 to bed rock from the commencement of the pneu- 
 matic process was seven days, and the greatest 
 single depth of sinking at one time was 17 feet. 
 
 The greatest depth below low water which was 
 reached by any column, at bed rock, was 82 feet. 
 The g?-eatest pressure to which the men working 
 in the columns were subjected, was 54 pounds per 
 square inch in excess of the atmosphere. When 
 solid foundation is once obtained, the interior of 
 the columns are filled with solid stone concrete 
 for about 25 feet, and thence upward with ce- 
 ment masonry, till the bridge is reached. 
 
 The total length of the iron structure cf the 
 bridge is 2,750 feet. The eastern approach is by 
 an embankment of gradual ascent one and a 
 half miles in length, commencing east of the 
 Transfer grounds, and almost at Council Bluffs, 
 and thence ascending at the rate of 35 feet to 
 the mile to the bridge. 
 
 The old depot grounds of the Union Pacific 
 Railroad were on the bank of the river immedi- 
 ately beneath the bridge. When this was con- 
 structed, in order to connect the bridge and main 
 line of the railroad, it was necessary to construct, 
 directly through the city, a branch line of 
 road 7,000 feet in length, and construct a 
 new depot on higher ground, of which as 
 a result, witness the handsome, new structure, 
 and spacious roof, and convenient waiting- 
 rooms. From the first abutment to the bank, 
 a trestle-work of 700 feet more, 60 feet in 
 height was constructed; thus the entire length 
 of the bridge, with necessary approaches, is 
 9,950 feet. Total cost is supposed to be 
 about $2,650,000, and the annual revenue 
 about $400,000. The bridge has figured nota- 
 bly in the discussions of Congress, whether 
 or not it should be considered a part of 
 the Union Pacific Railroad. The recent de- 
 cision of the United States Supreme Court 
 has at last declared it so to be. and with this is 
 done away entirely the " Omaha Bridge Trans- 
 fer " of the past. 
 
 Preparing for the Westivard Trip. 
 Having rested and visited the principal points 
 of interest in Omaha, you will be ready to take 
 a fresh start. Repairing to the new depot, fin- 
 ished last year (1875), at the crossing of Ninth 
 street, you will find one of the most magnificent 
 trains of cars made up by any railroad in the 
 United States. Everything connected with them 
 is first-class. Pullman sleeping-coaches are at- 
 tached to all express trains, and all travelers 
 know how finely they are furnished, and how 
 they tend to relieve the wearisome monotony of 
 tedious days in the journey from ocean to ocean. 
 At this depot you will find the waiting-rooms, 
 ticket-offices, baggage-rooms, lunch-stands, news 
 and bookstand, together with one of the best 
 kept eating-houses in the country. You will find 
 gentlemanly attendants at all these places, ready 
 to give you any information, and cheerfully 
 answer your questions. If you have a little time, 
 step into the Union Pacific Land office adjoining 
 the depot, on the east, and see some of the pro- 
 
19 
 
 cl actions of this prolific western soil. If you 
 have come from the far East, it has been a slightly 
 itphill journey all the way, and you are now at 
 an elevation of 966 feet above the sea. If the 
 weather is pleasant, you may already begin to 
 feel the exhilarating effect of western breezes, 
 and comparatively dry atmosphere. With books 
 and papers to while away .your leisure hours, you 
 are finally ready for the start. The bell rings, 
 the whistle shrieks, and off you go. The road 
 first winds up a 
 little valley, passing 
 the Bridge Junction 
 1.5 (one and five- 
 tenths) miles to 
 
 Summit Sid- 
 inff, 3.2 miles 
 from Omaha ; eleva- 
 tion 1,142 feet. This 
 place, you will ob- 
 serve by these fig- 
 ures, is reached by 
 a heavy up grade. 
 You are 176 feet 
 higher than when 
 you first started, and 
 but little over three 
 miles away. Here is 
 a deep cut through 
 the hill, and beyond 
 it you strike Mud 
 Creek Valley with 
 a down grade for a 
 few miles. This 
 creek and the road 
 run south on a line 
 nearly parallel with, 
 and about two and 
 a half miles from, 
 the Missouri River 
 until the next sta- 
 tion is reached. 
 
 GUmore. It is 
 9.5 miles from Oma- 
 ha, with only 10 feet 
 difference in eleva- 
 tion 976 feet. The 
 valley is quite thick- 
 ly settled, and as you 
 
 look out on the left 
 
 side of the cars, about four miles from Omaha, 
 you will see a saloon called Half-Way House. 
 At about this point you leave Douglas County 
 and enter Sarpy County. Gilmore'was named 
 after an old resident of that locality, now dead 
 Here you are some nine miles south of Omaha, 
 but only about three west of the Missouri 
 River. Here you will first s-e what are called 
 the bottom lands of Nebraska. They are as 
 rich as any lands on this Continent, as the re- 
 markable crops raised thereon fully attest. 
 From this station you turn nearly due west, and 
 
 pass over the lower circle of what is called the 
 ox-bow. 
 
 Papilion, 14 5 miles from Omaha; eleva- 
 tion 972 feet, is the next station, and is a thriv- 
 ing little town (pronounced Pa-pil-yo). It derives 
 its name from the creek on whose banks it is situ- 
 ated. This creek was named by Lewis and Clark 
 in their expedition to Oregon, in 1804, and is 
 derived from a Latin word which means butter- 
 fly. The main branch was crossed a little west 
 ofGilmore. It emp- 
 ties into the Mis- 
 souri River about 
 one mile north of 
 the Platte River. It 
 is reported that the 
 early explorers 
 named, saw an im- 
 mense number of 
 butterflies in the 
 muddy and wet 
 places near its 
 mouth, and hence 
 the name. These 
 gentlemen explored 
 this stream to its 
 source, near the Elk- 
 horn River. The 
 town was laid out 
 in the fall of 1869 
 by Dr. Beadle, and 
 is the permanent 
 county-seat of Sar- 
 py County. It has 
 a fine brick court- 
 house, and a brick 
 school-house, hotels, 
 flouring mills and a 
 grain ware-house ; is 
 located as are all 
 the towns on the 
 first two hundred 
 miles of this road, 
 in the midst of a 
 rich agricultural 
 country. Sarpy 
 County has two 
 newspapers one 
 the Pupilion Times, 
 published at this 
 
 GOOD-BYE." 
 
 place, and the other, the Sarpy County Sentinel 
 published at Sarpy Center, some five miles in 
 the country from this station. Sarpy is one 
 of the best settled counties in Nebraska, and 
 has a property valuation of over $3,000,000. 
 
 Millar<t\s named for Hon. Ezra Millard, 
 president of the Omaha National Bank, who has 
 considerable landed property here. The station- 
 house is comparatively new, and there are a few 
 other buildings recently erected. It is pleas- 
 antly located, and, like all western towns, has 
 plenty of room to grow. It is 20.9 miles from 
 
20 
 
 Omaha ; elevation, 1,047 feet. Evidences of 
 thrift are everywhere visible as you cast your 
 eyes over the rolling prairies, and yet there is 
 ample room for all who desire to locate in this 
 vicinity. You have again crossed the boundary 
 line of Sarpy County, which is a mile or two 
 south-east of Millard, and are again in the 
 County of Douglas. 
 
 Elkliorn. 28.9 miles from Omaha, elevation 
 1,150 feet. This is a growing town, and does a 
 large business in grain ; it has an elevator, two 
 stores, a Catholic church, good school-house, and 
 a hotel. A new flouring-mill will be erected this 
 year (1876). It has a sprightly newspaper called 
 the Independent. You are now near the famous 
 Elkhorn Valley and River. By a deep cut, 
 the railroad makes its way through the bluff or 
 
 stream, where they were previously unknown. 
 The elevation of Waterloo is laid down at 1,140 
 feet. The town has a fine water-power which 
 has been improved by the erection of a large 
 nouring-mill. It also has a steam-mill in process 
 of construction, and a new depot. At this point 
 you enter the Platte Valley, of which so much 
 has been written and which occupies such a 
 prominent place in the history of the country. 
 The Elkhorn and Platte Rivers form a junction a 
 few miles south of this point, and the banks of 
 these streams are more or less studded with tim- 
 ber, mostly cottonwood. In fact, the Elkhorn 
 has considerable timber along its banks. 
 
 Valley is 35.2 miles from Omaha, and is 
 1,120 feet above the sea. It has a store and 
 hotel, and is the center of a rich farming dis- 
 
 N1GIIT SCENE. PKAIRIE ON FIRE. 
 
 hill on the east side of this stream, about a mile 
 from the station, and then on a down grade you 
 glide into the valley. The rolling prairies are 
 now behind you and south, beyond the Platte 
 River, which for the first time comes into view. 
 Crossing the Elkhorn River you arrive at 
 
 Waterloo, 30.9 miles from Omaha, and 
 only two miles from the last station. A few 
 years since, a train was tin-own from the bridge 
 spoken of, by reason of the high water of a 
 freshet. This train had one car of either young 
 fish or fish-eggs in transit ; the contents of this 
 car were of course lost in the river, and since 
 that time the Elkhorn abounds in pike, pickerel, 
 bass, sunfish and perch. What the California 
 sti'eams lost by this disaster, the Elkhorn gained, 
 as these fish have increased rapidly in this 
 
 trict. The land seems low, and one would easily 
 gain the impression that the soil here was very 
 wet, but after digging through the black surface 
 soil two or three feet you come to just such sand 
 as is found in the channel of the Platte. In 
 fact, the whole Platte Valley is underdrained by 
 this river, and this is one reason why surface 
 water from hard and extensive rains so quickly 
 disappear, and why the land is able to produce 
 such good crops in a dry season. Water is ob- 
 tained anywhere in this valley by sinking 
 what are called drive-wells, from six to twenty 
 feet. Wind-mills are also extensively used 
 by large farmers, who have stock which 
 they confine upon their premises, and which 
 otherwise they would have to drive some 
 distance for water. A branch of the Union 
 
21 
 
 Pacific llailroad runs to Wahoo and David 
 City. 
 
 Itiversifle, which is 41.4 miles from 
 Omaha, with an elevation of about 1,140 feet. 
 It will eventually become a station, as many 
 trains already meet and pass here. 
 
 Prairie Firei*. During the first night's 
 ride westward from Omaha, the traveler, as 
 he gazes out of his car window (which he 
 can easily do while reclining in his berth) will 
 often find his curious attention rewarded by a 
 sight of one of ths most awful, yet grandest 
 scenes of prairie life. The prairies, which in 
 the day-time to some, seemed dry, dull, uninter- 
 esting, occasionally give place at night, to the 
 lurid play of the fire-fiend, and the heavens 
 and horizon seem like a furnace. A prairie on 
 fire is a fearfully exciting and fear-stirring sight. 
 Cheeks blanch as the wind sweeps its volume 
 toward the observer, or across his track. Full in 
 the distance is seen the long line of bright flame 
 stretching for miles, with its broad band of dark 
 smoke-clouds above. As the train comes near, 
 the flames leap higher, and the smoke ascends 
 higher, and on their dark bosom is reflected the 
 fires' brilliantly-tinged light. Sweeping away for 
 miles towards the bluffs, the fire jumps with the 
 wind, and the flames leap 20 to 30, or more 
 feet into the air, and for miles brighten the 
 prairies with tne awful sight. We have never 
 seen anything of prairie life or scenery possessing 
 such majestic brilliance as the night glows, and 
 rapid advances of a prairie fire. Far out on 
 the prairies, beyond the settlements, the prairie 
 fires, (usually set on fire by the sparks from 
 the locomotives) rage unchecked for 
 miles and miles, but nearer to the little 
 settlements, where the cabins have 
 just been sat up, the fire is their deadli- 
 est and most dreaded enemy. No words 
 can describe, no pencil paint the look of 
 terror when the settler beholds advanc- 
 ing toward him the fire-fiend, for which 
 he is unprepared and unprotected. 
 When the first sign of the advancing 
 fire is given, all hands turn out ; either 
 a counter fire is started, which, eating 
 from the settler's ranch, in the face of 
 the wind, toward the grander coming 
 volume, takes away its force, and leaves 
 it nothing to feed upon, or furrows 
 are broken with the plow around the 
 settler's home. The cool earth thrown 
 up, and all the grass beyond this is 
 fired, while the little home enclosed 
 within, is safe. A curious feature of 
 prairie fires is, that the buffalo grass, 
 the next season, is darker and richer 
 than ever before ; and lower down, in 
 sections where the prairie fires are 
 carefully kept off, trees, shrubs, bushes, etc., 
 of many varieties, grow up spontaneously, 
 
 which never were seen before. So long as 
 prairie fires rage, nothing will grow but the little 
 tufts of prairie grass. Wherever the prairie fire 
 ceases or is kept restrained, vegetation of all de- 
 scription as far west as the Platte, is completely 
 changed. In the fall of the year these fires are 
 most frequent ; and creating a strong current or 
 breeze by their own heat, they advance with the 
 rapidity often of a locomotive, 20 or more miles 
 an hour, and their. terrible lurid light by night, 
 and blackened path left behind, as seen next day 
 by the traveler, are sights never to be forgotten. 
 In the lower river counties a prairie fire often 
 originates from the careless dropping of a match, 
 or the ashes shaken from a pipe. The little 
 spark touches the dry grass like tinder the con- 
 stant breeze fans the little flame, and five minutes 
 after it has covered yards. The loss to tillers of 
 the soil is often appalling. One of General 
 Sherman's veterans, in describing a prairie fire to 
 a visitor, raising himself to his full six feet 
 height, and with eve flashing as in battle excite- 
 ment, said : " Mr. C., if 1 should catch a man firing 
 the prairie at this time, as God helps me, I would 
 shoot him down in his deed." A traveler riding 
 on the prairie said, " only a few miles from me 
 an emigrant, traveling in his close-covered wagon 
 " with the wind, " was overtaken by the flames 
 coming down on him unseen. Horses, family, 
 wagon, were all destroyed in a moment, and him- 
 self barely lived long enough to tell the tale. 
 Nearly every night in autumn the prairies of the 
 boundless West, show either the near or distant 
 glow of a fire, which in extent has the appear- 
 ance of another burning Chicago. 
 
 BUSTED." 
 
 Pike's Peak; or Busf. This expression has 
 become widely known, and received its origin as 
 
K 
 
 REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD. 
 
follows : At the time of the opening of the 
 Pike's Peak excitement in gold diggings, two 
 pioneers made themselves conspicuous by paint- 
 ing in large letters on the side of their wagon 
 cover : " Pike's Peak or Bu*t." In their haste to 
 reach this, the newly discovered Eldorado, they 
 scorned all safety and protection offered by the 
 "train " and traveled alone, and on their "own 
 hook." 
 
 For days and weeks they escaped the dangers 
 attending their folly, and passed unharmed until 
 they readied the roving ground of the bloody 
 Sioux. Hhre they were surrounded and cruelly 
 and wantonly murdered ; their bodies were driven 
 through with arrows, nd pinned to the earth, 
 and left to tha sunshine and storms of the 
 skies. 
 
 Fremont is 46.5 miles from Omaha, and 
 has an elevation of 1,170 feet. It is the county- 
 seat of Dodge County, and has a population of 
 full 3,000. In the year 1875, over $100,000 were 
 expended in buildings in this growing young 
 city. It has never, so far as population is con- 
 cerned, experienced what may be called a great 
 rush its growth having been slow and steady. 
 It is located near the south-east corner of the 
 county. Originally the town comprised a whole 
 section of land, but was afterwards reduced to 
 about half a section. Tin town company was or- 
 ganized on the 26th day of August, 1856, and in 
 that and the following year, thirteen log houses 
 were built. John C. Hormel built the first frame 
 house in 1857. The Union Pacific reached the 
 town on the 24th day of January, 1866, nearly 
 ten years after it was first laid out, and trains 
 ran to it regularly, though the track was laid 
 some 11 miles beyond, when work ceased for that 
 winter. The Sioux City and Pacific road was 
 completed to Fremont late in the fall of 1868. 
 In the expectations of the residents, it was then 
 to become a railroad center, and lots were sold at 
 large prices. This last-named road runs from 
 Blair on the Missouri River, where it crosses 
 said stream and forms a junction with the Chi- 
 cago and North-western. It then runs north on 
 the east side of said river, to Sioux City. The 
 Elkhorn Valley Railroad completed the first ten 
 miles of its track in 1869, and the balance, some 
 50 miles, was finished to Wisner in the following 
 year. This road is one of the natural routes to 
 the Black Hills, and it is now stated that it will 
 soon be extended in that direction. It will con- 
 tinue up the Elkhorn Valley to near its source, 
 and then crossing the divide, will strike into the 
 Niobrara Valley, thence westward until the Black 
 Hills are reached. This road is a feeder to Fre- 
 mont, and very valuable to its trade. The Atch- 
 ison and Nebraska Railroad, is to be extended 
 from Lincoln to this place, during the present 
 year (1876). The city will then have a direct 
 line to St. Louis and the South, with two direct 
 lines to Chicago and the East. Other railroad 
 
 projects are contemplated, which will make this 
 place in reality a railroad center. 
 
 Fremont has a large, new hotel, the Occi- 
 dental, and several smaller ones ; has the 
 finest opera house in the West, and the largest 
 and finest dry-goods house in the State. It 
 has five or six church edifices, and an ele- 
 gant public school building, two banks, 
 three or four elevators, a steam flouring 
 mill, extensive broom factories, and two or 
 three manufacturing establishments where 
 headers are made. It also has a foundry 
 and machine-shop. It is now a regular eat- 
 ing station on the railroad, all passenger 
 trains east or west stopping here for din- 
 ner, which is really most abundant and ex- 
 cellent. 
 
 Fremont is virtually located at the junction of 
 the Elkhorn and Platte Valleys, and from its 
 position naturally controls a large scope of coun- 
 try. Its people are industrious, wide-awake and 
 energetic. It is in the midst of a thickly-settled 
 region, and its future prospects are very flatter- 
 ing. 
 
 Fremont has two newspapers the Fremont 
 Herald (daily and weekly), and the Fremont 
 'tribune (weekly). The latter was first estab- 
 lished, and probably has the largest circulation. 
 The enterprise of newspapers in these western 
 towns, contribute very largely to their growth 
 and prosperity. The town is the fourth in size 
 and population in the State. 
 
 The Elkhorn Valley is between two and three 
 hundred miles in length, is well timbered and 
 remarkably fertile, and the railroad which is to 
 do the carrying business of this valley, has its 
 terminus at Fremont. 
 
 The Ch'eat Platte Valley. You have 
 now passed over a few miles of the great 
 Platte Valley. At Fremont it spreads out won- 
 derfully, and for the first two hundred miles 
 varies in width from five to fifteen miles. 
 Through nearly all its eastern course, this river 
 hugs the bluffs on its southern side. These bluffs 
 as well as those more distant on the northern side 
 of the valley, are plainly visible from the cars. 
 Before the road was built, this valley was the 
 great highway of overland travel to Colorado, 
 Utah, California, and Oregon. Immense trains 
 of wagons, heavily freighted, have passed over it, 
 in their slow and tedious journeyings towards 
 the setting sun. Leaving the Missouri at differ- 
 ent points, the routes nearly all converged in the 
 Platte Valley, and thence westward to their des- 
 tination. The luxuriant grasses, and the prox- 
 imity to water, made this the favorite route. It 
 has also been the scene of deadly conflicts with 
 the savages, and the bones of many a wanderer 
 lie bleaching in the air, or are buried beneath 
 some rough and hastily-made mound near the 
 beaten road. But a wonderful change took place 
 with the advent of the road. The " bull- whacker," 
 
24 
 
 with his white-covered wagon and raw-boned 
 oxen his slang phrases, and profane expressions, 
 his rough life, and in many instances violent 
 death the crack of his long lash that would ring 
 out in the clear morning air like that of a rifle, and 
 his wicked goad or prod an instrument of tor- 
 ture to his beasts with all that these things 
 imply, have nearly passed away. Their glory 
 has departed, and in their place is the snorting 
 engine and the thundering train. 
 
 The remarkable agricultural advantages of 
 this valley are everywhere visible, and it is 
 rapidly filling up with an industrious and thrifty 
 class of farmers. The land grant of the Union 
 Pacific Company ext3nds for twenty miles on 
 either side of the road, and includes every alter- 
 nate section of land that was not taken at the 
 time it was withdrawn from the market, for the 
 benefit of the company. If you pass a long dis- 
 tance in the first two hundred miles of this 
 valley without observing many improvements, it 
 is pretty good evidence that the land is held by 
 non-resident speculators, and this fact has a 
 great influence in retarding the growth of the 
 country. Around many of the residences are 
 large groves of cotton-wood trees that have been 
 planted by industrious hands and which give 
 evidence of unusual thrift. In fact, the cotton- 
 wood in most every part of this region is indig- 
 enous to the soil, and will thriftily grow where 
 other kinds of timber fail. Trees sixty feet high 
 and from eight to ten inches in diameter, are no 
 uncommon result of six to eight years' growth. 
 The banks of the Platte and the many islands in 
 its channel, were formerly very heavily timbered 
 with cotton- wood, but that on its banks has 
 almost entirely disappeared, together with much 
 that was upon the islands. The favorable State 
 ami national legislation in regard to tree planting 
 will cause an increase in the timber land of 
 Nebraska in a very short time, and must of 
 necessity, have an influence upon its climate. 
 Many scientists who are familiar with the cir- 
 cumstances attending the rapid development of 
 the trans-Missouri plains and the elevated plateau 
 joining the base of the Rocky Mountains, assert 
 that this vast region of country is gradually 
 undergoing important climatic changes and that 
 one of the results of these changes is the an- 
 nually increasing rainfall. The rolling lands 
 adjoining this valley are all very fertile, and with 
 proper tillage produce large crops of small grain. 
 The bottom lands are better adapted for corn, 
 because it matures later in the season, and these 
 bottom lands are better able to stand drouth than 
 the uplands. The roots of the corn penetrate to a 
 great depth, till they reach the moisture from 
 the under-drainage. One of the finest sights 
 that meets the eye of the traveler, is the Platte 
 Valley in the spring or early summer ; to our 
 eastern farmer, it is fairly captivating, and all 
 who are familiar with farms and farming in the 
 
 Eastern States, will be surprised ; no stumps or 
 stones or other obstacles appear to interfere with 
 the progress of the plow, and the black surface-soil 
 is, without doubt, the accumulation of vegetable 
 matter for ages. The Platte Valley must be seen 
 to be appreciated. Only a few years ago it was 
 scarcely tenanted by man, and while the develop- 
 ment has been marked, it will not compare with 
 that which is sure to take place in the near 
 future. There is ample room for the millions 
 ye.t to come, and the lands of the Union Pacific 
 Company are exceedingly cheap, vaiying in 
 price from $3 to $10 per acre. The alternate 
 sections of government land for the first two 
 hundred miles of this valley are nearly all 
 taken by hdmesteaders, or under the preemp- 
 tion laws of congress. Much of it, however, 
 can be purchased at a low price from the occu- 
 pants, who, as a general thing, desire to sell out 
 and go West still. They belong to the uneasy, 
 restless, class of frontiers-men, who have decided 
 objections to neighbors and settlements, and who 
 want plenty of room, with no one to molest, in 
 order to grow up with the country. A sod house 
 near a living spring of water is to them a small 
 paradise. They might possibly suffer from thirst, 
 if they had to dig for water, and the labor re- 
 quired to build even a sod house, is obnoxious. 
 But this will not hold good of all of them. 
 There are many occupants of these sod houses in 
 the State of Nebraska, and other parts of the 
 West, who, with scanty means are striving for a 
 home for their wives and children, and they cling 
 to the soil upon which they have obtained a claim 
 with great tenacity, and with sure prospects of 
 success They are worthy of all praise in their 
 self-sacrificing efforts. A few years only will 
 pass by before they will be surrounded with all 
 the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. 
 These are the experiences of many who "bless 
 their stars " to-day that they have sod houses 
 homes in and adjoining the great Platte Valley. 
 Shooting Prairie Hens. This is a favor- 
 ite scene, often witnessed September mornings in 
 the far West. The prairi , is covered with its 
 grass, and wild flowers, which last all the season 
 through. Here and there is a stubble field of oats, 
 wheat, or acres on acres of the golden corn, 
 swaying gracefully in the breeze, and perhaps 
 there is a little music from the meadow larks or 
 bird songsters of the fields. The dogs with keen- 
 est of scent, hunt out and stir up,the game, and 
 as they rise on wing, the ready gun with its aim, 
 and deadly shot, brings them back lifeless. This 
 is probably the most attractive way to look at a 
 prairie hen, for we must confess that after a slice 
 or two of the meat, as usually served at the eat- 
 ing stations of the railroads, from which we 
 escape with danger to our front teeth, and unsat- 
 isfied stomachs, we can only exclaim " distance 
 lends enchantment." However tough the meat, 
 if served on the table when first killed, yet if 
 
25 
 
 kept till it grows gradually more tender, there is 
 a wild, spicy flavor, which make them very agree- 
 able eating. Buffalo meat and prairie hens are 
 not altogether reliable as viands of the railroad 
 dining stations, still every one must try for him- 
 self, with here and there a chance of finding 
 sweet tender morsels. 
 
 good an illustration as any, of the rapid growth 
 of some of the western towns and counties. The 
 county was organized in the spring of 1869, two 
 years after the railroad had passed through it, 
 with Schuyler as the county-seat. In the spring 
 of the present year, 1876, it has an assessed valu- 
 ation of nearly $1.250.000. Evidences of sub- 
 
 HUNT1NG PRAIRIE HENS. 
 
 Ames At present simply a side track, 53.5 
 miles from Omaha, and 1,270 feet above the sea. 
 This was formerly called Ketchum ; but bears its 
 present name from Oliver Ames, Esq., one of the 
 builders of this railroad. Observe the size of 
 the trees in the cotton-wood groves and hedges 
 near this place all planted within the memory 
 of the oldest inhabitant. 
 
 North lietid 61.5 miles from the eastern 
 terminus of the road, and 1,259 feet in elevation, 
 a little less than the preceding station. This is 
 a thriving little town, with several stores, hotel, 
 lumber-yard, grain elevator, etc. It is soon to 
 have a bridge across the Platte River, which will 
 materially increase its trade with Saunders 
 County on the south. The opening of many i'amis 
 in its vicinity have made it quite a grain ma k( t. 
 The town is so named from a northward bend in 
 the river, and it is the northernmost point on the 
 Union Pacific in the State of Nebraska. It is 
 the last town west in Dodge County. 
 
 Rof/ers is a side-track, will eventually be- 
 come a station ; is in the midst of a rich farm- 
 ing country ; is 68.5 miles from Omaha, and has 
 an elevation of 1,359 feet. 
 
 Schui/ler. The county-seat of Colfax County. 
 It is 75.9 miles from Omaha, with an elevation of 
 1,335 feet. This town and county, perhaps, is as 
 
 stantial growth are everywhere visible. The 
 town has about twenty stores, of all kinds, hotel, 
 a substantial brick court-house, several churches, 
 a beautiful school-house, grain elevators, etc. 
 New buildings to accommodate its increasing 
 trade, or its new residents, are constantly going 
 up. There are three flouring-mills in the county, 
 on Shell Creek, a beautiful stream fed by living 
 springs, which runs nearly through the county 
 from west to east, and from one to five miles 
 north of the railroad track. The land in this 
 county is most excellent, especially the rolling 
 up-land north of Shell Creek. Some of the finest 
 crops of spring wheat raised in the West are 
 grown in this vicinity. The people are turning 
 their attention to stock-raising more than for- 
 mej'ly, and several flocks of sheep and herds of 
 cattle are now kept in the county, by some of its 
 enterprising stock-men. All of this accom- 
 plished in about six years. Schuyler is the second 
 town west of Omaha that has a bridge across the 
 Platte, Fremont being the first. These bridges 
 are very advantageous to the trade of the towns 
 in this valley. 
 
 Kicltland. A small station 83.7 miles from 
 Omaha, with an elevation of 1,440 feet. Up to 
 a late period the land surrounding this station 
 has been mostly held by speculators, but a change 
 
26 
 
 having been effected, the town has brighter pros- 
 pects. Lots are freely given away to parties who 
 will build on them. The location is a very fine 
 one for a town, and it is surrounded by an ex- 
 cellent country. It is the last town west in 
 Colfax County. 
 
 Columbus is 91.7 miles from Omaha. It is 
 1,432 feet above the sea. A beautiful growing 
 town, with a rich agricultural country to back it. 
 It has several churches, school buildings, brick 
 court-house, two grain elevators doing a large 
 business. Good hotels and other building enter- 
 prises contemplated. It is located at the junc- 
 tion of the Loup Fork, with the Platte Rivers, 
 and near where the old overland emigrant road 
 crossed the first-named stream. It now has a 
 population of about 1,500 people, and supports 
 three newspapers the Republican, which, though 
 the youngest, has the most patronage, and the 
 largest circulation ; the Journal, which was first 
 established, and the Era. Columbus has had two 
 lives thus far. The first town-site was jumped 
 by a party of Germans from Columbus, O., 
 from which it takes its name. Afterwards the 
 two interests were consolidated. It was the 
 principal town west of Omaha until the railroad 
 came. The old town, near the ferry crossing, 
 was then moved to its present site near the sta- 
 tion. The old town had two or three small 
 stores, a blacksmith's shop and saloons ad libi/um. 
 It was mostly kept alive by the westward emi- 
 gration. At that time the Platte Valley was 
 well supplied with ranches and ranchmen, only 
 other names for whisky-shops and bar-tenders. 
 During the week those concerns would pick up 
 what they could from wagon-trains, and Sundays 
 the ranchmen would crowd into Columbus to 
 spend it the sharpers improving the opportunity 
 to fleece the victims of their seductive wiles. 
 At this time no attention whatever was paid to 
 agricultural pursuits. On the advent of the , 
 railroad in 1866. the wood-choppers, the freight- 
 ers, the ranchmen and others, lured by the 
 charms of a frontier life, jumped the town and 
 country. They could not endure the proximity 
 to, and restraints of civilization. Then the 
 second or new life of the town began. Farmers 
 began to come in, and it was found by actual ex- 
 periment that the soil was immensely prolific; 
 that it had only to be tickled with the plow in 
 order to laugh with the golden harvests. In the 
 lapse of the few brief years of its second or 
 permanent growth, it has become a great grain 
 market, and probably ships more car-loads each 
 year than any other town on the line of the road. 
 Men draw grain from seventy to eighty miles to 
 this place for a market. It has access to the 
 country south of the Loup and Platte Rivers, by 
 means of good, substantial bridges ; while the 
 country north of it is as fine rolling prairie as 
 can be found in any part of the West well 
 watered and adapted to either grazing or the 
 
 growing of crops. The men who first came to 
 olumbus were nearly all poor, and it has been 
 built up and improved by the capital they have 
 acquired through their own industrious toil. 
 The town has a good bank, without a dollar of 
 foreign capital. It will soon have other rail- 
 roads ; one from Sioux City, and another to 
 Crete and St. Joe, is projected ; while in its 
 immediate vicinity are large quantities of good 
 lands which are held at low prices. These are 
 only a few of the many advantages which Colum- 
 bus offers to those in search of future homes. 
 
 Hoiv Buffalo Robes are Ma<1c. George 
 Clother is one of the proprietors of the Clother 
 House at Columbus, Neb. It is one of the best 
 home-like hostelries in the West. Mr. Clother 
 is an old resident, having been in Columbus six- 
 teen years. When he first came, the country was 
 more or less overrun with wandering tribes of 
 Indians, among whom were the Pawnees, the 
 Omahas, the Sioux, and occasionally a stray band 
 from some other tribe. In those days he was 
 accustomed to traffic in furs and robes, and the 
 business has grown with his increasing acquaint- 
 ance, until it is now both large and profitable, 
 though with the disappearance of both Indians 
 and buffaloes, it is liable to decrease in the future. 
 General Sheridan, we think it was, said that the 
 vexed Indian question would be settled with the 
 fate of the buffaloes that both would disappear 
 together. During the past few years, the slaugh- 
 ter of these proud monarchs of the plains, has 
 been immense, and will continue, unless Congress 
 interposes a friendly and saving hand. It is safe 
 to say, that millions of them have been killed 
 for their hides alone, or "just for fun," which in 
 this case amounts to the same thing, as their 
 hides have been repeatedly sold for less than a 
 dollar, and regularly not more than $1.50. This 
 slaughtering has taken place principally in the 
 Platte, Republican, Solomon, and Arkansas Val- 
 leys, and where a few years since, travelers could 
 see countless thousands of them from the car 
 windows and platforms, on either the Union 
 Pacific, Kansas Pacific or Atchison, Topeka & 
 Santa Fe Railroads, they now, probably will see 
 but few, if any. Their hides have been shipped 
 East, where they make a poor quality of leather. 
 Those only which are taken late in the fall and 
 during the winter months of January and Febru- 
 ary, are fit for robes. The hair, at this season of 
 the year, is thick and firmly set. 
 
 About the time this- killing process began in 
 1870, Mr. Clother entered upon the work of tan- 
 ning robes, employing for this purpose the squaws 
 of the Pawnee and Omaha tribes. The Pawnee 
 reservation was only a short distance from Co- 
 lumbus, and the "'Bucks" were glad of the 
 opportunity of employment for their squaws. 
 Labor is beneath their dignity, and they depise it. 
 Besides this, tanning robes is hard and slow work, 
 and, in their opinion, just fit for squaws. 
 
 For a 
 
27 
 
 few years the squaws of both of the tribes named, 
 have been engaged by Mr. Clother, but the de- 
 parture of the Pawnees to their reservation in 
 the Indian Territory, precluded the possibility of 
 their employment, and hence in the winter of 
 1876, the Omahas seem to have a monopoly of the 
 work, though there is not as much to do as for- 
 merly. AVe visited their camp to inspect the proc- 
 ess of making robes. It was located in a body 
 of heavy timber, with a thick growth of under- 
 brush, on the narrow point of land where the 
 Loup Fork and Platte Rivers form their junction. 
 The low bushes made a perfect wind-break, and 
 in the midst of the tall trees their Sibley tents 
 were pitched. The barking of numerous dogs 
 greeted our approach, and after making a few 
 inquiries of one or two who could talk broken 
 
 English, we crawled into the tent occupied by 
 the " Bucks," whom we found intensely interested 
 in gambling playing a game with cards called 
 "21." In this tent were nine "Bucks " and one 
 squaw; three sat stolidly by disinterested wit- 
 nesses of the game ; the squaw was engaged at 
 some very plain needle-work, and occasionally 
 poked the partly burned brands into the fire, 
 which was in the center of the tent, and over 
 which hung a kettle of boiling meat; the re- 
 maining six, sitting upon a blanket a la Turk, 
 were shuffling and dealing the cards. Of course 
 they play for money, and before them were sev- 
 eral quarters in currency, and several silver quar- 
 ters, with some small sticks, which were xised as 
 money, and which enabled them to keep an ac- 
 count with each other, of the gains and losses. 
 During this game they passed around, several 
 times, a hollow-handled tomahawk, which was 
 used as a pipe. One would take three or four 
 whiffs, then pass it to the next, and so on, until 
 it had been passed around several times. One of 
 these " Bucks " was called " Spafford." He 
 could talk English quite well. After a while we 
 asked " Spafford " to show us some robes, but he 
 
28 
 
 pointed in the direction of his tent, and indicated 
 where they could be found. He said he could 
 not leave the gama just then. We went to his 
 tent where we found his mother, who showed us 
 two robes, one of which was hers a smaller one 
 which she held at six dollars. Spafford had pre- 
 viously told us that $12.00 was the price of his 
 robe. We then began to look for other robes, 
 and saw them in various stages of completion. 
 The process of tanning is simple, and yet, Indian 
 tanned robes far excel those tanned by white 
 men, in finish and value. When the hides are 
 first taken from the animals, they must be 
 stretched and dried, flesh side up ; if they are 
 not in this condition when the squaws receive 
 them, they must do it. After they are thor- 
 oughly dried, the squaws then take all the flesh 
 off, and reduce them to an even thickness, with 
 an instrument, which, for want of a better name, 
 may be termed an adze ; it is a little thin piece 
 of iron, about two inches long on the edge, and 
 two and a half inches deep. This is firmly tied 
 to a piece of the thigh bone of an elk, and is 
 used the same as a small garden hoe, by eastern 
 farmers in cutting up weeds. When the requi- 
 site thickness is obtained, the flesh side is cov- 
 ered with a preparation of lard, soap and salt, and 
 the robe is then rolled up and laid by for two 
 or three days. It is then unrolled and again 
 stretched on a frame, like a quilt, with flesh side 
 to the sun ; in this shape it is scraped with a 
 thin, oval-shaped piece of iron or steel, resem- 
 bling a kitchen chopping-knife without the han- 
 dle; this process usually lasts about two days. 
 The robe is then taken from the frame, and 
 drawn across a rops stretched between two trees, 
 with the flesh side to the rope, until it becomes 
 thoroughly dry and soft. This last process 
 makes it very pliable, requires a good deal of 
 time and strength, and renders the robe ready 
 for market. Before the Indians came in con- 
 tact with civilization, they used sharpened pieces 
 of bone, instead of the pieces of iron we have 
 named, and in place of tha preparation of lard, 
 soap and salt, they used buffalo brains, which are 
 considered alto^eth ?r preferable to this mixture ; 
 the brains of cattle are also used when they can 
 be obtained ; but the robes are taken out on the 
 plains, or iu the Platte and Republican Valleys, 
 and brought here by wagon or rail, and of course 
 the brains cannot very well be brought with 
 them. The squaws laughed when we pulled out 
 our note-book and began to write, being evidently 
 as much astonished and interested as we; they 
 looked with wonder at the book, pencil, and the 
 words we wrote. While the lazy " Bucks," sit in 
 their tents and gamble, the squaws are laboring 
 hard to secure means for their support. An 
 Indian is constitutionally opposed to labor. He 
 is evidently tired all the time. 
 
 Jackson So called from a former road- 
 master of the Union Pacific is 99.3 miles from 
 
 Omaha, with an elevation of 1,470 feet. The 
 Loup Valley is just over the hills to your right, 
 and the magnificent Platte bottom lands are still 
 stretching out before you. It has one or two 
 stores and bears a thrifty appearance; at one 
 time it was supposed that this place or Columbus 
 would be made the end of a division, but nothing 
 has been developed on this subject within the 
 past few years. 
 
 Silver Creek 109.4 miles from Omaha, and 
 1,534 feet above the sea. It is the first station 
 in Merrick County, as Jackson was the last in 
 Platte County. North of this station is the 
 Pawnee reservation, one of the finest bodies of 
 land yet unoccupied in the State. This once 
 powerful tribe, between whom and the Sioux a 
 deadly hostility exists, has dwindled down to 
 small numbers, and during 1875, they abandoned 
 their reservation entirely and went to the Indian 
 Territory. An attempt was made a short time 
 since to sell a part of this reservation at an ap- 
 praised valuation, but it was not successful, and 
 efforts are now being made to bring it into 
 market under the preemption laws of the govern- 
 ment at a fixed price, ($2.50 per acre) the pro- 
 ceeds of which are to go to the tribe on their 
 new reservation. When this takes place Silver 
 Creek will have a great impetus to its growth 
 and trade, as it is the nearest railroad station to 
 this reservation. 
 
 Clark. Named after S. H. H. Clack, gene- 
 ral superintendent of the Union Pacific; it is 
 sometimes called Clark's, Clarksville and Clark's 
 Station. It is 120.7 miles from the eastern 
 terminus of the road, with an elevation of 1,610 
 feet. It has three stores, school-house, church, 
 shops and dwellings, and is doing a fine trade ; 
 with a rich country around it, and the Pawnee 
 reservation soon to be opened on the north, it is 
 destined to become a thrifty town. 
 
 Lone Tree. The county-seat of Merrick 
 County ; has two or three churches, several stores, 
 a brick court-house, a two-story frame school- 
 house, hotel and numerous other buildings. The 
 name of the post-office is Central City. The Ne- 
 braska Central Railroad is expected to form a 
 junction with the Union Pacific, here. Local 
 dissensions have injured the town in the past, 
 and must operate to retard its growth in the 
 future. About three miles west of this place a 
 new side track has been put in. It is yet un- 
 named, though it will probably be called Lone 
 Tree, and it is expected that a post-office with 
 the same name, will be established. Merrick 
 County has two flouring-mills, both of which are 
 run by water, taken from the Platte River. The 
 identical " lone tree," from which the place was 
 named, has long since disappeared, but numer- 
 ous groves of cotton-wood are everywhere visible. 
 Elevation 1,686 feet ; 132 miles from Omaha. 
 
 Chainnan. 142.3 miles from Omaha, and 
 1,760 feet above the sea. It is named after a 
 
29 
 
 former road-master of the Union Pacific. The 
 town has two stores, school-house, and other 
 buildings, and is in the midst of a fine, thickly 
 settled country. 
 
 Loclcwootl is 147.8 miles from Omaha, with 
 an elevation of 1,800 feet. It is a side track 
 where trains meet and pass. A store has re- 
 cently been opened where a lively trade is done. 
 
 Grand Island. The end of the first divi- 
 sion of the Union Pacific Railroad, 1<53.8 miles 
 from Omaha, and 1,850 feet above the sea. The 
 town is named after an island in the Platte River, 
 which is some forty miles long, and from one to 
 three miles in width. It was first settled by a 
 colony of Germans from Davenport, la., in 1857. 
 The island is thickly settled, nearly every quar- 
 ter section being occupied by a thrifty farmer. 
 The soil is wonderfully prolific, being composed 
 of a black vegetable mold, and is especially 
 adapted to corn raising. The old town site of 
 Grand Island was south of the present site, on 
 the old emigrant road. The first three years of 
 this town were very severe on the settlers. They 
 had to haul all their supplies from Omaha, and 
 part of this tim3 they were obliged to live on 
 short rations. They immediately bagan the cul- 
 tivation of the soil, but at first had no market 
 for their crops. This was soon remedied, how- 
 ever, by the opening of a market at Fort Kearny, 
 some forty miles west, where they obtained good 
 prices for everything they could raise. In a 
 short time, the rush to Pike's Peak began, and 
 as this was the last place on the route where emi- 
 grants could obtain grain and other supplies, the 
 town grew, and many who are now in good cir- 
 cumstances, then laid the foundations of their 
 prosperity. In this vicinity stray buffaloes first 
 appeared to the early settlers of the valley. They 
 never came in large herds, but when hunted by 
 the Indians further west and south in the Repub- 
 lican Valley they would be seen wandering near 
 this place. While the war was in progress, the 
 settlers frequently saw war parties of the Sioux 
 pass to and from the Pawnee camp on the high 
 bluffs south of the Platte River, and opposite 
 Fremont. When they returned from their at- 
 tacks, they would exhibit the scalps they had 
 taken, and manifest great glee as they swung 
 them through the air, dangling from their 
 spears. In the early spring of 1859. the stages 
 from Omaha began to run. At 'first they came 
 once a week, then twice, and later, daily. Then 
 the telegraph line was put up. Meanwhile the 
 trans-continental railroad was agitated, and as it 
 became more and more talked about, the settlers 
 here fondly hoped that they were on the exact 
 spot where the three converging lines, as first 
 proposed, would meet. But they were doomed 
 to disappointment. The Union Pacific, Eastern 
 Division, now the Kansas Pacific, grew into an 
 independent line, while the Sioux City & Pacific 
 had its course changed, finally uniting with the 
 
 Union Pacific at Fremont. But the railroad 
 came at last in 1866. The heavy bodies of tim- 
 ber on the islands in the river and between the 
 Platte and Wood Rivers were nearly all taken for 
 cross-ties. It was only cotton-wood, but it would 
 hold the spikes and rails for a few years until 
 others could be obtained. Then the buildings 
 on the old town site were moved up to the rail- 
 road and the town began to grow. The round- 
 house for the steam-horses was built, and the 
 town was made the end of a division of the road. 
 An eating-house was erected, and stores, shops, 
 and dwellings followed in quick succession. It 
 is the county-seat of Hall County, and the first 
 station in the county from the east. It has a 
 fine large brick court-house, three church edi- 
 fices, school-house, hotels, bank, and one of the 
 largest steam flouring-mills in the State. This 
 is one of the regular dining-stations on the road. 
 Last year, 1875, the company put up an elegant 
 hotel for the accommodation of the traveling 
 public, at which all passenger trains stop for 
 meals. It is exceedingly well kept, and under 
 its present management will command the pat- 
 ronage of the public. Like all other towns of 
 any importance in this valley, Grand Island 
 hopes and expects more railroads. A road to 
 connect with the St. Joe & Denver, and the 
 Burlington & Missouri at Hastings, twenty-four 
 miles south, is nearly all graded, and will proba- 
 bly soon be finished. A line is also projected to 
 the north-west, and one to the north-east to reach 
 Sioux City. Its present population is about 1,200, 
 and its prospects for the future are flattering. 
 
 The country in this immediate vicinity is well 
 settled by a thrifty class of German farmers, who 
 have dug wealth from the soil, and when rations 
 were scarce and border scares frequent, still hung 
 on to their claims. The road came in 1866, and 
 gave them communication with the outer world. 
 The location of the roundhouse and necessary 
 repair shops, for the division, is a great help to 
 the town, as they give employment to quite a 
 number of skilled mechanics. It is also the lo- 
 cation of the government land office for the 
 Grand Island land district. It has two wtekly 
 newspapers, the Times and Independent, both of 
 which are well conducted. The new eating- 
 house, elsewhere spoken of, is the finest on the 
 road, though less expensive than many. It cost 
 about $15,000. This is a breakfast and supper 
 station, and the company has furnished ample 
 accommodations for the patrons of this house. 
 
 After leaving Grand Island, a magnificent 
 stretch of prairie country opens to view. The 
 same may be said of the entire valley, but the 
 view in other places is more limited by bluffs 
 and hills than here. After passing Silver Creek, 
 there is a section of the road, more than forty 
 miles, in a straight line, but the extent of prairie 
 brought into vision there is not as large as here. 
 Up to this point, you have doubtless witnessed 
 
EMINENT AMERICAN EXPLORERS AND ARTISTS. 
 
 1. Gen. Custer. 2. Gen. Fremont. 3. Lieut. Wheeler. 4. Prof. F. V. Hayden. 5 Albert Bierstadt 
 
 6. Maj. J. W. Powell. 7. Thomas Moran. 
 
31 
 
 many groves of cotton-wood around the numer- 
 ous dwellings you have passed, but they begin to 
 diminish now nearly the last of them being 
 seen at 
 
 Altla, the next station, some eight miles 
 west of Grand Island, 161.5 miles from Omaha, 
 at an elevation of 1,907 feet. There are one or 
 two stores, a school-house, and several dwellings. 
 It is two miles east of Wood River, which is 
 spanned by the first iron bridge on the line. All 
 regular passenger trains stop at this station and 
 receive and deliver mails. In other parts of the 
 country, Wood River would be called a rivulet or 
 small brook, but such streams are frequently dig- 
 nified with the name of rivers in the West. It 
 forms a junction with the North Channel of the 
 Platte River, just south of Grand Island. Its rise 
 is in the bluffs across the divide, north of Plum 
 Creek, and its general course is due east. The 
 road runs along its southern bank for several 
 miles, and in several places it is fringed with 
 timber. When the road was first built through 
 here, it was well timbered, but it was nearly all 
 taken for construction purposes and fuel. In 
 early days, say in 1859-60, this valley was the 
 frontier settlement of the West, and a few of 
 the old pioneer log houses are still standing, 
 though very much dilapidated. The settlers had 
 a few " Indian scares," and lost some stock, but 
 beyond this, no great depredation was done. Fort 
 Kearny was their first market-place to which 
 they hauled their surplus grain and provisions. 
 Though Wood River is so small, it nevertheless 
 supplies three flouriug-mills with power for 
 grinding, and there are several mill sites unoc- 
 cupied. The first mill is near the iron bridge 
 already spoken of, and the others will be noticed 
 further on. 
 
 Wood River is the name of the next sta- 
 tion. It has two or three stores, several dwellings, 
 and a new depot building. It is 109.6 miles from 
 Omaha, and 1,974 feet above the sea. The old 
 station was two miles further west, and the Cath- 
 olic church still remains to mark the place where 
 it stood. The country around here was first 
 settled by some Irish families; they are indus- 
 trious and worthy citizens, and have developed 
 some fine farms. Prairie, or blue joint-grass has 
 been principally seen thus far, but now you will 
 observe patches of buffalo grass which increase 
 as you go west, and of which we shall speak 
 hereafter. This is the last station in Hall 
 County. 
 
 Shetton comes next a side track, depot, a 
 few dwellings, and another of those flouring- 
 mills spoken of. In January, 1876, the water in 
 Wood River was sufficient to keep three run of 
 burrs going in this mill for about twenty out of 
 every twenty-four hours. The flour made at 
 nearly all the mills on the Union Pacific finds a 
 ready market in the mountain towns west, to 
 which it is usually shipped. Shelton was named 
 
 after the present cashier of the Union Pacific 
 road at Omaha. It has an elevation of 2,010 
 feet, and is 177.4 miles from the eastern terminus 
 of the road. 
 
 Successful Farming. The little farms 
 which now fill up the Platte Valley as far as 
 North Platte are occupied by people who came 
 from the older States, with very little cash capi- 
 tal, and by homesteading or warrant or purchase 
 from the railroad on time, they have made many 
 a snug home. To show what has been done by 
 real industry, we quote from actual records the 
 figures of the success of a farmer in Platte County. 
 Beginning with the year 1867, and up to the year 
 1874, seven years, he cultivated in wheat and 
 corn, an average of sixty to eighty acres wheat, 
 and fifty acres corn; total 130 acres. His re- 
 ceipts from these two crops only, in seven years, 
 was $13,314.05; expenses, $4,959.92; profits, 
 $8,354.13, besides increase of value of land, which 
 is fully $2,000 more. This is what was done 
 with a capital of less than $2,000. 
 
 Tree Planting in Nebraska. The Ne- 
 braskans celebrate a special day in the spring 
 months as a holiday, in which the entire popula- 
 tion join hands in a hearty exercise at tree plant- 
 ing; this is called Arbor D<nj. Travelers will 
 notice from the car windows on their first day's 
 ride westward from Omaha, quite a number of 
 pretty groves of trees, planted both as wind- 
 breaks for their farms, and also for timber plant- 
 ations. The tree most popular is the cotton- 
 wood, which grows very easily, sure to start, and is 
 quite luxuriant in foliage ; however it is valuable 
 for shelter and stove-wood only, not for manu- 
 factures. As an instance of rapidity of growth, 
 there are trees in the Platte Valley, which planted 
 as cuttings, have in thirteen years measured 22 
 inches in diameter. Little boys are tempted by 
 large premiums from their parents to test their 
 capacity at tree planting on Arbor Day, and as- 
 tonishing rapidity has occasionally been known, 
 one farmer in one day having planted from sun- 
 rise to sundown, 14,000 trees, and in the course 
 of one spring season, over 200,000. Settlers, as 
 fast as they arrive, aim to accomplish two things. 
 First, to break the sod for a corn field ; next, to 
 plant timber shelter. The winds which blow 
 from the west are very constant, often fierce, and 
 a shelter is of immense value to stock and fruit 
 trees. Hedges of white willow, several miles in 
 length, have been laid, which at five years from 
 cuttings, have made a perfect fence 15 feet high ; 
 one farm alone has four miles of such continu- 
 ous fence, which at four years of age was a com- 
 plete protection. The rapidity of growth in the 
 rich alluvial soil of the Platte Valley reminds 
 one of tropical luxuriance. A grove of white 
 ash, in twelve years, has grown to an average of 
 26 inches in circumference, and 30 feet high 
 Walnut trees, in eight years, have measured 22 
 inches in circumference, and 25 feet high. Ma 
 
32 
 
 pie trees, of twelve years, measure 43 inches 
 around four feet from the ground. Elms of four- 
 teen years, show 36 inches in girth, and a foot in 
 diameter. Honey Locusts, eleven years of age, are 
 30 feet high, and 30 inches around. Cotton- 
 wood trees, of thirteen years, have reached 66 
 inches in circumference, and 22 inches in diame- 
 ter. White willow, same age, 45 inches in cir- 
 cumference. 
 
 Gibbon, the last station on Wood River, is 
 182.9 miles from the Missouri by rail, and has an 
 elevation of 2,046 feet. It was formerly the 
 county-seat of Buffalo County, and had a fine 
 brick court-house erected. But the county-seat 
 was voted to Kearny Junction in 1874, and the 
 building is now used for school purposes. It has 
 a hotel, several stores, and another of those flour- 
 ing-mills, in plain sight from the track. The 
 Platte River is some three miles distant, to the 
 south, and glistens in the sunlight like a streak 
 of silver; the level prairie between is studded 
 with farm-houses, and in the late summer or 
 early autumn numerous stacks of grain and hay 
 are everywhere visible around the farmers' 
 homes. The bluffs, south of the Platte, rear 
 their low heads in the distance, and your vision 
 is lost on prairie, prairie, prairie, as you look 
 to the north. Beautiful as these prairies are in 
 the spring and early summer, their blackened 
 surface in the fall, if burned, or their dull drab 
 color, if unburned, is monotonous and wearying. 
 Shelby has an elevation of 2,106 feet, is 
 191.3 miles from Omaha. The town is named 
 Kearny, and takes its name from General 
 Kearny, who was an officer in the regular 
 army during the Mexican war. Old Fort 
 Kearny was located near this station, south 
 of the Platte River, and the military reser- 
 vation of government land still remains, 
 though it will probably soon be brought 
 into market. The rights, if they have any, of 
 "squatter sovereigns" will here be tested, as 
 nearly every quarter section in the whole reserve 
 is occupied by them, some of whom have made 
 valuable improvements in the shape of buildings, 
 etc. It was formerly a great shipping point for 
 cattle, but the advancing tide of settlements has 
 driven stock-men, like the Indians, still further 
 west. Occasionally, however, Texas herds are 
 grazed near here, and the herders sometimes visit 
 Kearny Junction, a few miles west, and attempt 
 to run the town; they murdered a man there 
 in 1875, in cold blood shot him dead on the 
 threshold of his own door and this so incensed 
 the inhabitants in the vicinity that they will not, 
 probably, allow them to visit the town in future. 
 The murderer was arrested, has been convicted, 
 and time will tell whether he will be hung or not. 
 Texas herders, as a class, are rough fellows, with 
 long hair and beard, wide-rimmed hats, best 
 fitting boots they can get, large spurs jingling 
 at their heels, a small arsenal, in the shape of 
 
 Colt's revolvers, strapped to their waists with 
 a careless negligee appearance. Their chief pleas- 
 ure is in a row ; their chief drink is " whisky 
 straight," and they usually seem to feel better 
 when they have killed somebody. Houses of 
 prostitution and tippling saloons follow close in 
 their wake. They are generous to their friends, 
 dividing even the last dollar with a comrade who 
 is " broke ; " cowardly, treacherous and revenge- 
 ful to their enemies. Human life is of but little 
 account with them. Their life is one of constant 
 exposure, and very laborious. They are perfect 
 horsemen usually in the saddle sixteen out of 
 every twenty-four hours and their great ambi- 
 tion seems to be to become "a devil of a fellow," 
 generally. Nor does it require much care or effort 
 on their part, to fill the bill. Thousands of them 
 on the plains in their native State, in Kansas, 
 Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska " have died 
 with their boots on," and we suppose thousands 
 more will perish the same way. Living violent 
 lives, of course they meet with violent deaths. 
 They are a peculiar race, answering, perhaps, a 
 peculiar purpose. The community in which 
 they live, and the country generally, will be bet- 
 ter off when they have passed away, for almost 
 ninety-nine out of every hundred goes 
 
 " Down to the vile dust from whence he sprung, 
 Unwept, unhouored and unsung." 
 
 Kearny has now nothing but a side track, 
 depot and water-tank, with a section-house and 
 the remains of an old corral from which cattle 
 used to be shipped. The reservation included 
 not only land on both sides of the river, but a 
 large island which extends east and west quite a 
 number of miles. The fort was south of the 
 river, and scarcely a vestige now remains to 
 mark the spot where the buildings formerly 
 stood. This fort was built in 1858, by Colonel 
 Charles May, of Mexican war fame. Three 
 miles west of the old fort was Kearny City, 
 which was a considerable town in the old over- 
 land times, but it disappeared with the advent of 
 the railroad. The southern part of the reserva- 
 tion is covered with sand-hills, and useless, ex- 
 cept for grazing. Notice how the buffalo grass 
 appears and how its extent is increased as you go 
 further west. The new houses around the sta- 
 tion, especially those of the squatters on the reser- 
 vation, are increasing, which indicates that the 
 country is fast settling up. 
 
 Kearny Junction. A lively, enterprising 
 town, 195.3 miles from Omaha, with an elevation 
 of 2,150 feet. It is the junction of the Burling- 
 ton and Missouri Railroad only, and owes its 
 rapid development to this fact more than to any- 
 thing else. Formerly the St. Joe and Denver 
 Railroad ran trains to this place, using the track 
 of the Burlington and Missouri from Hastings, 
 a smart little town twenty-four miles south of 
 Grand Island. But this has been abandoned and 
 it is supposed the road will build an independent 
 
33 
 
 line to some point on the Union Pacific during 
 the year 1876. Grand Island and Kearny Junc- 
 tion both hope to get it. Kearny Junction was 
 laid out by the town company in September, 
 1872, about the same time the Burlington and 
 Missouri Railroad arrived; the first house was 
 built in August, 1872, and the town has grown 
 very rapidly ever since; it now has a population 
 of 1,000 souls, four church edifices, two daily 
 newspapers, the Times and the J^re.tx, two brick 
 bank buildings and other brick blocks, with 
 hotels, numerous stores, school-house, court-house, 
 etc. It has a daily stage line to Bloomington, a 
 thriving town some sixty miles south in the Re- 
 publican Valley, and quite an extensive trade 
 from it and the South Loup Valley on the north ; 
 some of the stores here do quite a wholesale 
 trade. The town is finely located on a gradual 
 slope, and from the hills or bluffs on its north 
 side the land in seven counties can be distinctly 
 seen ; it has the vim and energy which usually 
 characterizes Western towns; it is an aspirant 
 for the capital if it is ever moved from Lincoln, 
 and has ground on the hill reserved for the loca- 
 tion of the State buildings ; it also expects a 
 railroad from Sioux City, and one from the Re- 
 publican Valley; altogether its future prospects 
 are bright. Splendid crops of wheat, corn, oats, 
 barley, broom-corn, potatoes, cabbages, and 
 onions are raised in this vicinity during favorable 
 seasons, but \ve regard the stock business as the 
 bast paying and surest investment for settlers ; 
 the buffalo grass, to our mind, is a sure indica- 
 tion of it. Kearny Junction is very healthy, 
 and invalids would here find an agreeable resting- 
 place. 
 
 Stevenson has an elevation of 2,170 feet, 
 and is 201.2 miles from the Alissouri River. It 
 is simply a side track with a section-house near 
 by. The way settlers have pushed up this valley 
 during the last five years, is marvelous. 
 
 I^lni Creek is 211.5 miles from Omaha, 
 with an elevation of 2.241 feet. In the first 200 
 miles of your journey, you have attained an alti- 
 tude more than a thousand feet above Omaha, 
 where you started, and yet the ascent has been so 
 gradual that you have scarcely noticed it. Elm 
 Creek was so named after the creek which you 
 cross just after leaving the station going west. 
 It was formerly heavily timbered with elm, ash, 
 hackberry and a few walnuts and cotton-woods ; 
 but the necessities of the road when it was built 
 required it all and more too. The town has one 
 or two saloons, stores, school-house and a few 
 dwellings. The creek rises in the bluffs north- 
 west, and sluggishly worries through them and 
 the sand, till it is fina'.ly swallowed up by the 
 Platte. But little timber remains in this vicinity. 
 The next station, some nine miles west of Elm 
 Creek, called 
 
 Overton has the usual side track, school- 
 house, a store and some few dwellings. This 
 
 valley, to this point and beyond, would have been 
 thickly settled long before this but for climatic 
 reasons which we need not name. Uhe Platte 
 Valley extends on either side here nearly as far 
 as the eye can reach. The town is 220.5 miles 
 from Omaha, at an elevation of 2,305 feet. 
 
 Josselyn, A side track ; will eventually be- 
 come a station ; named alter the pay-master of 
 the Union Pacific Road. It is 225.1 miles from 
 Omaha, with an elevation of about 2,330 feet 
 above the sea. 
 
 Plum Creek. So named from a creek on 
 the south side of the river, which flows into the 
 Platte nearly opposite the town. The stage- 
 station, on the old overland road was located 
 on this creek and in those days it was considered 
 quite an important point It was the scene of a 
 number of conflicts with the savages in fact one 
 of their favorite points of attack ; eleven white 
 persons were killed and several wounded during 
 one of these attacks. Four miles west of the 
 present town-site they captured and burned a 
 train of cars in 1867; one of the train men was 
 scalped and recently was still living in or near 
 Omaha ; one was killed, and the others, we be- 
 lieve, made their escape. The nature of the 
 bluffs here is such that they had a good oppor- 
 tunity to attack and escape before the settlers 
 and emigrants could rally and give them battle. 
 The creek rises in a very bluffy region, and runs 
 north-east into the Platte. Plum Creek is 
 the county-seat of Dawson County ; has about 
 500 inhabitants ; a fine brick courthouse with 
 jail underneath, one church edifice, school-house, 
 two or three hotels, stores, warehouses, etc. It is 
 a point where considerable broom-corn is pur- 
 chased and shipped ; has a semi-weekly stage line 
 across the Republican Valley to Norton, in the 
 State of Kansas, and a weekly newspaper. There 
 is a substantial wagon bridge across the Platte 
 River, nearly three-quarters of a mile in length. 
 It is located in the midst of a very fine grazing 
 country, though in favorable seasons crops have 
 done well. With irrigation, perhaps they might 
 be made a certainty. This town also enjoys 
 quite a trade with the upper Republican Valley. 
 It was formerly a favorite range for buffaloes, 
 and large quantities of their bleaching bones 
 have been gathered and shipped by rail to St. 
 Louis and places east. It is 231.4 miles from 
 Omaha, with an elevation of 2,370 feet. 
 
 Battle with the Indians at Pliim 
 Creek. While the railroad was being built, 
 the engineers, graders and track-layers were fre- 
 quently driven from their work by the Indians. 
 Not only then, but after the track was laid and 
 trains running, it was some times torn up and 
 trains ditched, causing loss of lives and destruc- 
 tion of property. One of these attacks took 
 place near Plum Creek, as we will now relate. 
 In July, 1867, a train was ditched about four 
 miles west of the above-named station. It 
 
34 
 
 was by a band of southern Cheyennes, under a 
 chief called Turkey Leg, who now draws his 
 rations regularly from Uncle Sam, at the Red 
 Cloud agency. He is a vicious looking fellow, 
 his appearance naturally suggesting him as a fit 
 subject for a hanging bee. At a small bridge, 
 or culvert, over a dry ravine, they had lifted the 
 iron rails from their chairs on the ties raising 
 only ons end of each rail about three feet, pil- 
 ing up ties under them for support, and firmly 
 lashing the rails and ties together by wire cut 
 from the adjoining telegraph line. They were 
 pretty cunning in this arrangement of the rails, 
 and evidently placed them where they thought 
 they would penetrate the cylinder on each side 
 of the engine. But not having a mechanical 
 turn of mind exactly, and disregarding the slight 
 curve in the road at this point, they missed their 
 calculations, as the sequel shows, as one of the 
 rails did no execution whatever, and the other 
 went straight into and through the boiler. After 
 they had fixed the rails in the manner described, 
 they retired to where the bench or second bottom 
 slopes down to the first, and there concealed 
 themselves in the tall grass, waiting for the train. 
 Before it left Plum Creek, a hand-car with three 
 section men was sent ahead as a pilot. This car 
 encountered the obstacle, and ran into the ravine, 
 bruising and stunning the men and frightening 
 them so that they were unable to signal to the 
 approaching train. As soon as the car landed at 
 the bottom of the ravine, the Indians rushed up, 
 when two of the men, least hurt, ran away in the 
 darkness of the night it was little past mid- 
 night and hid in the tall grass near by. The 
 other, more stunned by the fall of the car, was 
 scalped by the savages, and as the knife of the 
 savage passed under his scalp, he seemed to 
 realize his condition partly, and in his delirium 
 wildly threw his arms out and snatched the scalp 
 from the Indian, who had just lifted it from his 
 skull. With this he, too, got away in the dark- 
 ness, and is now an employe of the company at 
 Omaha. 
 
 But the fated train came on without any 
 knowledge of what had transpired in front. As 
 the engine approached the ravine, the head-light 
 gleaming out in the darkness in the dim dis- 
 tance, fast growing less and less, the engineer, 
 Brooks Bowers by name, but familiarly called 
 " Bully Brooks " by the railroad men, saw that 
 the rails were displaced, whistled "down 
 brakes," and reversed his engine, but all too late 
 to stop the train. The door of the fire-box was 
 open, and the fireman was in the act of adding 
 fuel to the flames within, when the crash came. 
 That fireman was named Hendershot, and the 
 boys used to speak of him as "the drummer boy 
 of the Rappahannock," as he bore the same 
 name, and might have been the same person 
 whose heroic deeds, in connection with Burn- 
 side's attack on Fredericksburg, are now matters 
 
 of history. He was thrown against the fire-box 
 when the ravine was reached, and literally 
 roasted alive, nothing but a few of his bones be- 
 ing afterwards found. The engineer was thrown 
 over the lever he was holding in his hands, 
 through the window of his cab, some twenty feet 
 or more. In his flight the lever caught and rip- 
 ped open his abdomen, and when found he was 
 sitting on the ground holding his protruding 
 bowels in his hands. Next to the engine were 
 two flat cars loaded with brick. These were 
 landed, brick and all, some thirty or forty feet 
 in front of the engine, while the box cars, loaded 
 with freight, were thrown upon the engine and 
 around the wreck in great disorder After a 
 time these took fire, and added horror to the 
 scene. The savages now swarmed around the 
 train and whooped and yelled in great glee. 
 When the shock first came, however, the con- 
 ductor ran ahead on th^ north side of the track 
 to the engine, and there saw Bowers and Hender- 
 shot in the position we have described them. 
 He told them he must leave them and flag the 
 second section of the train following after, or it, 
 too, would be wrecked. He then ran back, sig- 
 naled this train, and with it returned to Plum 
 Creek. Arriving there in the middle of the 
 night, in vain did he try to get a force of men to 
 proceed at once to the scene of the disaster. No 
 one would go. In the morning, however, they 
 rallied, armed themselves and went out to the 
 wreck. By this time it was near ten o'clock. The 
 burning box cars had fallen around the brave 
 engineer, and while the fiery brands had un- 
 doubtedly added to his agony, they had also 
 ended his earthly existence. His blackened and 
 charred remains only told of his suffering. The 
 rescuing party found the train still burning the 
 Indians had obtained all the plunder they could 
 carry, and left in the early morning. In the first 
 gray dawn of the morning they manifested their 
 delight over the burning train in every possible 
 way, and their savage glee knew no bounds. 
 From the cars not then burned they rolled out 
 boxes and bales of merchandise, from which they 
 took bright-colored flannels, calicos, and other 
 fancy goods. Bolts of these goods they would 
 loosen, and with one end tied to their ponies' tails 
 or the horn of their saddles, they would mount 
 and start at full gallop up and down the prairie 
 just to see the bright colors streaming in the 
 wind behind them. But the end of this affair 
 was not yet. The avenging hand ot justice was 
 on the track of these blood-thirsty villains, who, 
 for some inscrutable reason, are permitted to 
 wear the human form. In the spring of that 
 year, by order of General Augur, then in com- 
 mand of the military department of the Platte, 
 Major Frank North, of Columbus, Neb., who 
 had had no little experience in the business, was 
 authorized to raise a battalion of two hundred 
 Pawnee Indians, who were peaceable and friendly 
 
35 
 
 towards the whites, and whose reservation is 
 near Columbus, for scouting duty. It was the 
 old experiment of fighting the devil with fire to 
 be tried over again. These scouts were to fight 
 the various hostile bands of the Sioux, Arrapa- 
 hoes, and Cheyennes, and assist in guarding the 
 railroad, and the railroad builders. At the time 
 this train was attacked, these scouts were scat- 
 tered in small detachments along the line of the 
 road between Sidney and the Laramie Plains. 
 General Augur was immediately notified of it, 
 and he telegraphed Major North to take the 
 nearest company of his scouts and repair as soon 
 as possible to the scene of the disaster. At that 
 time, Major North was about fourteen miles west 
 of Sidney, at the end of the track, and his nearest 
 company was some twelve miles further on. 
 Mounting his horse, he rode to their camp in 
 about fifty minutes, got his men together, and 
 leaving orders for the wagons to follow, returned, 
 arriving at the end of the track at about four 
 o'clock in the afternoon. By the time these men 
 and horses were loaded on the cars, the wagons 
 had arrived, and by five o'clock the train pulled 
 out. Arriving at Julesburg, they were attached 
 to a passenger train, and by midnight, or within 
 twenty-four hours after the disaster took place, 
 he arrived at the scene. Meanwhile other white 
 troops, stationed near by, had arrived. In the 
 morning he was ordered by General Augur to 
 follow the trail and ascertain whether the at- 
 tack had been made by northern or southern In- 
 dians. With ten men he started on the scout. 
 The sharp-sighted Pawnees soon struck the trail. 
 They found where the hostile band had crossed 
 the river, and where they had abandoned some 
 of their plunder. They followed the trail all 
 that day, and found that it bore south to the 
 Republican Valley. From this fact, and other 
 indications that only Indians would notice, he 
 ascertained that the attacking band were south- 
 ern Cheyennes. Returning from this scout, after 
 about thirty-five miles' travel, he reported to the 
 commanding officer at Omaha, and received 
 orders to remain in the vicinity, and thoroughly 
 scout the country, the belief being generally en- 
 tertained among the officers that, if not followed, 
 the Indians would soon return on another raid. 
 Subsequent events proved this belief to be true, 
 and they had not long to wait. In about ten 
 days, their camp being at Plum Creek, one of 
 the scouts came running into camp from the 
 bluffs south of Plum Creek, and reported that 
 the Indians were coming. He had discovered 
 them in the distance, making their way in the 
 direction of the old overland stage station, which 
 they soon after reached. Arriving here, they 
 unsaddled their horses and turned them loose in 
 an old sod corral to feed and rest. They then 
 began preparations to remain all night. The 
 scouts, however, proposed to find out who and 
 what they were before the evening approached. 
 
 Major North first determined to go with the 
 company himself, but at the urgent solicitation 
 of Capt. James Murie, finally gave him charge 
 of the expedition. There were in the command, 
 two white commissioned officers Lieut. Isaac 
 Davis, besides the Captain two white ser- 
 geants, and forty-eight Pawnees. The company 
 marched from their camp straight south to the 
 Platte River, which they crossed ; then turning 
 to the left followed down its bank under the 
 bushes to within about a mile and a half of the 
 creek. Here they were discovered by the Chey- 
 ennes. Then there was mounting in hot haste 
 the Cheyennes at once preparing for the fray. 
 There were one hundred and fifty warriors to be 
 pitted against this small band of fifty-two, all 
 told. But the Cheyennes, up to this time, sup- 
 posed they were to fight white soldiers, and were 
 very confident of victory. Forming in regular 
 line, 011 they rushed to the conflict. Captain 
 Murie's command, as soon as they found they 
 were discovered, left the bushes on the river 
 bank and went up into the road, where they 
 formed in line of battle and were ordered to 
 charge. As the order was given, the Pawnees 
 set up their war-whoop, slapped their breasts 
 with their hands and shouted " Pawnees." The 
 opposing lines met on the banks of the creek, 
 through which the scouts charged with all their 
 speed. The Cheyennes immediately broke and 
 fled in great confusion, every man for himself. 
 Then followed the chase, the killing and the 
 scalping. The Indians took their old trail for 
 the Republican Valley, and put their horses to 
 their utmost speed to escape the deadly fire of 
 the Pawnees. Night finally ended the chase, and 
 when the spoils were gathered, it was found that 
 fifteen Cheyenne warriors had been made to bite 
 the dust, and their scalps had been taken as tro- 
 phies of victory. Two prisoners were also taken, 
 one a boy of about sixteen years and the other a 
 squaw. The boy was a nephew of Turkey Leg, 
 the chief. Thirty-five horses and mules were 
 also taken, while not a man of the scouts was 
 hurt. After the chase had ceased, a rain-storm 
 set in, and tired with their day's work, with the 
 trophies of their victory, they returned to camp. 
 It was about midnight when they arrived. Ma- 
 jor North and a company of infantry, under 
 command of Capt. John A. Miller, had re- 
 mained in camp guarding government and com- 
 pany property, and knowing that a battle had 
 been fought, were intensely anxious to learn the 
 result. When the Pawnees came near, it was 
 with shouts and whoops and songs of victory. 
 They exhibited their scalps and paraded their 
 prisoners with great joy, and spent the whole 
 night in scalp-dances and wild revelry. This 
 victory put an end to attacks on railroad trains 
 by the Cheyennes. The boy and squaw were 
 kept in the camp of the Pawnees until late in 
 the season, when a big council was held with the 
 
36 
 
 FQ&&ISF. 
 
 Brule Sioux, Spotted Tail's band, at North 
 Platte, to make a new treaty. Hearing of this 
 council, Turkey Leg, chief of the Cheyennes, 
 sent in a runner and offered to deliver up six 
 white captives held in his band for the return 
 of the boy and the squaw. After th~. necessary 
 preliminaries had been effected, the runner was 
 told to bring the white captives, that the ex- 
 change might be made. The boy held by the 
 scouts was understood to be of royal lineage, and 
 was expected to succeed Turkey Leg in the chief- 
 taincy of the tribe. After the exchange had 
 taken place, the old chief would scarcely allow 
 the boy to leave his sight such was his attach- 
 ment to him, and manifested his delight in every 
 possible way over his recovery. The white cap- 
 tives were two sisters by the name of Thompson, 
 who lived south of the Platte River, nearly oppo- 
 site Grand Island, and their twin brothers ; a 
 Norwegian girl taken on the Little Blue River, 
 and a white child born to one of these women 
 while in captivity. They were restored to their 
 friends as soon as possible. 
 
 The Next Attach. The Indians were not 
 willing to have the iron rails that should bind 
 the shores of the continent together laid in 
 peace, and made strenuous and persistent efforts 
 to prevent it. On the 16th of April, 18G8, a "cut 
 off " band of Sioux, under a scalawag chief, 
 named Two Strikes, attacked and killed five 
 section-men near Elm Creek Station, taking their 
 scalps, and ran off a few head of stock. They 
 were never pursued. On the same day, and evi- 
 dently according to a pre-arranged plan, a part of 
 the sam 3 band attacked the post at Sidney. They 
 came up on the bluffs north of the town and 
 fired into it. But no one was injured from their 
 shooting at that time. Two conductors, however, 
 named Tom Gaboon and William Edmunson, 
 had gone down the Lodge Pole Creek, a little way 
 to fish. They were unobserved by the Indians 
 when the firing took place. Hearing the re- 
 ports they climbed up the bank to see what 
 was going on, and being seen by the Indians, 
 they at once made an effort to cut them 
 off, though they were only a mile or so from 
 the post. The savages charged down upon 
 them, and shot Cahoon, who fell forward on 
 the ground. The Indians immediately scalped 
 him and left him for dead. Mr. Edmunson 
 ran towards the post as fast as he could, 
 and drawing a small Derringer pistol, fired 
 at his pursuers. Thinking he had a revolver 
 and would be likely to shoot again if they came 
 too close, they did not venture up as they had 
 done, but allowed him to escape. He got away 
 with some eight or nine arrow and bullet wounds 
 together and carrying four arrows sticking in his 
 body. He was taken to the hospital, and rapidly 
 recovered from his wounds. After the Indians 
 had gone, the citizens went after the body of Mr. 
 Cahoon, whom they supposed dead, but to their 
 
 surprise he was still alive. They brought him 
 into the post, where he recovered, and is now 
 running on the road. 
 
 Attack at Ogalalla. In September of the 
 same year, the same band of Sioux attempted to 
 destroy a train between Alkali and Ogalalla. 
 They fixed the rails the same as at Plum Creek. 
 As the train came up the rails penetrated the 
 cylinders on each side of the engine, as it was a 
 straight track there ; the engine going over into 
 the ditch, with the cars piling up on top of it. 
 The engineer and one of the brakemen who was 
 on the engine at the time, were thrown through 
 the window of the cab, and were but little hurt. 
 The fireman was fastened by the tender against 
 the end of the boiler, and after the train had 
 stopped, there being no draft, the flames of the 
 fire came out of the door to the fire-box upon 
 him, and the poor fellow was literally roasted 
 alive. He was released after six hours in this 
 terrible position, during which he begged the 
 attendants to kill him, but lived only a few 
 moments after his release. All the trains at this 
 time carried arms, and the conductor, with two 
 or three passengers, among whom was Father 
 Ryan, a Catholic priest of Columbus, Nebraska, 
 seized the arms and defended the train the 
 Indians meanwhile skulking among the bluffs 
 near the track, and occasionally firing a shot. 
 Word was sent to North Platte, and an engine 
 and men came up, who cleared the wreck. Mean- 
 while word was sent to Major North, then at 
 Willow Island, to take one company of his scouts 
 and follow the Indians. He came to Alkali and 
 reported to Colonel Mizner, who was marching 
 from North Platte with two companies of cavalry, 
 all of whom started in pursuit. They went over 
 to the North Platte River, crossed that stream 
 and entered the sand-hills, where the scouts over- 
 took and killed two of the Indians; the whole 
 party going about thirty-five miles to a little 
 lake, where the main body of Indians had just 
 left and camped, finding the smouldering em- 
 bers of the Indian fires still alive. That night 
 some of the white soldiers let their camp fires 
 get away into the prairie, and an immense prairie 
 fire was the result. This, of course, alarmed the 
 Indians, and further pursuit was abandoned, 
 much to the disgust of the scouts. Colonel 
 Mizner also claimed that his rations were run- 
 ning short, but from all the facts we can learn, 
 he lacked the disposition to pursue and capture 
 those Indians. At least, this is a charitable con- 
 struction to put upon his acts. 
 
 In October of th3 same year (1868), the same 
 band of Indians attacked the section-men near 
 Potter Station, drove them in and run off about 
 twenty head of horses and mules. Major North 
 and his scouts were immediately sent in pursuit. 
 Leaving camp at Willow Island, the command 
 was soon on the ground. It was evidently a 
 small raiding party, and Major North sent a 
 
37 
 
 Lieutenant and fifteen of his men after them. 
 They struck their trail, followed them to the North 
 Platte River, which they crossed, followed and 
 overhauled them in the sand-hills, killing two, 
 recapturing a part of the stolen horses, and re- 
 turned without loss. The Indians have made 
 some efforts to ditch a few trains since that year, 
 but have effected no serious damage. Their 
 efforts of late have mostly been confined to stock 
 stealing, and they never seem so happy as when 
 they have succeeded in running off a large num- 
 ber of horses and mules. When the road was 
 first built it was their habit to cross it, going 
 south and north, several times in each year. They 
 roamed with the buffaloes over the plains of 
 Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming and Kansas. The 
 effort of the government of late has been to 
 confine them on their reservations, and the rapid 
 disappearance of the buffaloes from the regions 
 named have given them no excuse for hunting in 
 the country now crossed by railroads and filling 
 up with settlers. 
 
 Coyote is the next station, simply a side 
 track with a section-house near by. But little 
 timber is visible at this place, though the bottom 
 lands begin to widen, giving an extended view. 
 This is not a timber country, and wherever it is 
 found, the traveler will please bear in mind that 
 it is the exception and not the rule. The islands 
 in the river doubtless had some timber, but the 
 most of it has long since disappeared. Occasion- 
 ally you may see a few scattering trees which 
 have been left by the prairie fires, and which 
 stand in inaccessible places. This side track is 
 23!). 1 miles from Omaha, and 2,440 feet above 
 the sea. The next station is 
 
 Cozad so named after a gentleman from 
 Cincinnati, Ohio, who purchased about 40,000 
 acres of land here from the railroad company ; 
 laid out the town; built quite a number of 
 houses ; induced people to settle here ; has resold 
 a good deal of his land, but still has about 20,000 
 acres in the immediate vicinity. Along the rail- 
 road track, west of Plum Creek, the traveler will 
 notice that the buffalo grass has been rooted out 
 by what is called prairie or blue-joint grass. This 
 last is an annual grass and is killed by frost, 
 after which it resembles dark colored brick a 
 reddish brown appearance. It has but little nutri- 
 ment after the frost comes, but if cut and cured 
 in July or August, makes an excellent quality of 
 hay. The buffalo grass is just over the divide a 
 little way, but is giving way to that just named. 
 Some men of capital near Cozad, are interest- 
 ing themselves in sheep raising, and frequently 
 from this place west you will see large herds of 
 cattle. Cozad is 215.1 miles from Omaha, with 
 an elevation of 2,480 feet. It has two or three 
 stores, school-house, hotel, several large dwellings, 
 and with favorable seasons for growing crops in 
 the future, will become quite a town. The Platte 
 Valley at this point is about twenty miles wide. 
 
 Willow Island is the next station; so 
 named from the large number of willow bushes 
 on the island in the river near by. It is 250.1 miles 
 from the Missouri, and has an elevation of 2,511 
 feet. The prairie or blue-joint grass still con- 
 tinues along the side of the track, and the bluffs on 
 the south side of the river seem more abrupt. They 
 are full of ravines or " draws," and these some- 
 times have timber in them. At this station a large 
 quantity of cedar piles and telegraph poles are 
 delivered. They are hauled some forty miles 
 from the canons in the South Loup Valley. 
 There is a store at this station and a corral near 
 by where stock is kept; with a few old log and 
 mud buildings, rapidly foing to decay in the 
 vicinity. The glory of this place, if it ever had 
 any, has long since departed, but it may, never- 
 theless, yet become the. pride of stock-men, who 
 shall count their lowing herds by the thousand. 
 
 Grand DuJce Alexis' First Buffalo Hunt. 
 
 During the visit of the Grand Duke Alexis of 
 Russia, to the United States, the imperial party 
 were escorted to the plains, and enjoyed the excite- 
 ment of a buffalo hunt, over the western prairies. 
 Connected with the chase were some incidents of 
 rare curiosity and pleasure. As the only repre- 
 sentative of the great Russian nation, he has seen 
 the novelty of military life on the frontier ; shak- 
 en hands with partially tamed Indian warriors, 
 and smoked the pipe of peace in ancient style. 
 Among the company were Buffalo Bill, a noble 
 son of the wild West, and Generals Sheridan 
 and Custer. The red men appeared in a grand 
 pow-wow and war-dance, and indulged in arrow 
 practice for his particular benefit. 
 
 The party started from camp Alexis, Willow 
 Creek, Nebraska, in January, 1872. For the hunt 
 the Duke's dress consisted of jacket and trowsers 
 of heavy gray cloth, trimmed with green, the 
 buttons bearing the Imperial Russian coat-of- 
 arms; he wore his boots outside his trowsers, his 
 cap was an Australian turban, with cloth top; 
 he carried a Russian hunting knife, and an 
 American revolver recently presented to him, 
 and bearing the coat-of-arms of the United Slates 
 and of Russia on the handle. 
 
 General Custer appeared in his well-known 
 frontier buckskin hunting costume, and if, in- 
 stead of the comical sealskin cap he wore, he had 
 only had feathers fastened in his flowing hair, he 
 would have passed at a distance for a great In- 
 dian chief. 
 
 Buffalo Bill, the famous scout, was dressed in 
 a buckskin suit trimmed with fur, and wore a 
 black slouch hat, his long hair hanging in ring- 
 lets down his shoulders. 
 
 Game was sighted in a long canon with broken 
 sides and high hills on either side, forming a 
 magnificent arena. 
 
 The Grand Duke and Custer started off, and 
 as they went Custer pulled out his revolver, and 
 
38 
 
 said, " Are you ready, Duke ? " Alexis drew off 
 his glove, grasped his pistol, and with a wave of 
 his hand replied, " All ready now, General." Buf- 
 falo Bill had been selected to show the Grand 
 Duke how the buffaloes would stand at bay when 
 suddenly attacked. A cow was singled out to 
 show him how fleet of foot the females are, and 
 the speed and skill essential to overtake and kill 
 them. As soon as she espied them she started 
 off at full speed, the Duke and Custer after her. 
 Finding herself hard pressed, she ran up a steep 
 declivity on the right side of the canon, and gain- 
 ing a footing on the slope, kept along the narrow 
 ledge, while the Duke and Custer followed in a 
 line along the bottom of the canon. The chase 
 was most exciting, and the Grand Duke, exhib- 
 iting an enthusiasm and daring which the most 
 
 elevation of 2,637 feet, and 268.4 miles from the 
 eastern terminus of the road. The island in the 
 river, from which the station is named, is quite 
 large, and formerly had considerable timber for 
 this country. An occasional tree may yet be seen. 
 Mcfherson is 277.5 miles from Omaha, 
 and 2,695 feet above the sea. It is the station 
 named after the fort which is located south of the 
 Platte River, on a military reservation, and 
 nearly opposite the station. There is a wagon 
 bridge across the river connecting the two places. 
 The fort is about seven miles from the station, 
 and is located near some springs formerly called 
 "Cotton-wood Springs." It bears the name of 
 the gallant general who fell before Atlanta, in 
 1864, in the war for the preservation of the 
 Union. But few soldiers are now kept at this 
 
 GRAND DUKE ALEXIS KILLING HIS FIRST BUFFALO. 
 
 experienced western hunter could not have sur- 
 passed, pressed his game until she turned upon 
 him. Describing a semi-circle with his horse, 
 he dashed to the other side of her, and taking 
 deliberate aim, discharged the contents of his 
 revolver into her fore shoulder, as quick as a 
 flash of lightning. The buffalo fell dead upon 
 the instant. Thus, as he telegraphed to his fa- 
 ther, the Czar of Russia, he killed the first wild 
 horned monster that had met his eye in America. 
 The sport continued for two days, and ended 
 with a series of Indian festivities. 
 
 Warren is a side track 260.4 miles from 
 Omaha, and 2,570 feet above the sea. A section- 
 house stands near by. The valley here narrows, 
 and the bluffs on both sides come near the river. 
 
 Brady Island is the next station, with an 
 
 fort, though at the time the war was in progress, 
 and afterwards during the building of the road, 
 and in the years of Indian conflict that raged on 
 the frontier, it was a post of considerable import- 
 ance. Immense quantities of hay are annually 
 cut near this place, with which government and 
 private contracts are filled. A part of the Sev- 
 enth Iowa Cavalry, under Major O'Brien, camped 
 on the site of the fort iu 1866, and afterwards 
 troops from the regular army were stationed 
 here. 
 
 Gannett named after J. W. Gannett, Esq., 
 of Boston, and present auditor of the Union Pacific 
 Railroad is a side track with adjacent section- 
 house ; is 285.2 miles from Omaha, and 2.752 
 feet above the sea. All the stations for from fifty 
 to a hundred miles east of this, are located in an 
 
39 
 
 excellent grazing country, and cattle and sheep 
 are coming in to occupy it. 
 
 Five miles from Gannett, the railroad crosses 
 the North Platte River on a pile bridge. There 
 is a side track and two section-houses just east 
 of the river, the side track for hay cars, and one 
 of the section-houses near the bridge for the 
 watchman, who walks its entire length after the 
 passage of every train. The bridge is planked 
 by the railroad company, and rented by Lincoln 
 County, so that wagons, teams and stock have 
 free passage. After leaving Cozad, the number 
 of settlers' cabins and houses diminishes till you 
 come to the North Platte Valley. South of the 
 river between Fort McPherson and North Platte, 
 there are quite a number of homesteaders, who 
 have farmed it for a few years, with indif- 
 ferent success, having to contend with drought 
 and grasshoppers. The soil has been proven to 
 be prolific, but some plan of irrigation will have 
 to be adopted, before agriculture can be made a 
 paying investment. In choice locations, how- 
 ever, such as pieces of low bottom land near the 
 river, crops of potatoes and " garden truck " have 
 been successfully raised for several years. 
 
 We have now entered upon the great stock- 
 growing region of the continent, where cattle and 
 horses can be grown and kept the year round 
 without hay, and where the buffalo grass, except- 
 ing along the streams, affords the rich nutriment 
 that produces fat, and renders cattle ready for 
 market without grain. 
 
 The North Platte River will be crossed again 
 at Fort Steele. It has its source in northern 
 Colorado, west of the Medicine Bow Mountains. 
 The Laramie River, which you cross just beyond 
 Laramie City, and the Sweetwater, which rises 
 in the Wind River Mountains north of Point of 
 Rocks, and runs through the great South Pass, 
 are two of its principal tributaries. It drains an 
 immense region of country, and is fed by innu- 
 merable streams and springs from the Black Hills 
 of Wyoming, the Wind River Mountains, the 
 Medicine Bow Mountains, the Sweetwater Moun- 
 tains, the Big Horn Mountains, Rattlesnake Hills 
 and other elevations. The traveler must not be 
 confused by the term " Black Hills." The Black 
 Hills of Wyoming are those which you cross be- 
 tween Cheyenne and Laramie City, the summit 
 of which you reach at Sherman. These are not 
 the Black Hills of which so nui^h has been said 
 of late, in connection with the di-covery of gold 
 and the Sioux Indians. They are called the 
 Black Hills of Dakota, and the nearest point to 
 them on the railroad is Sidney. From the im- 
 mense amount of water which runs into the 
 North Platte River, it is a mystery what becomes 
 of it all, as the river is shallow and sluggish 
 where it is crossed near its mouth. Its treach- 
 erous bottom of ever varying and shifting 
 quicksands, like that of the South Platte, does 
 not make it a good fording stream for wagons, 
 
 though the water, except in certain seasons of 
 of the year, is the smallest obstacle. Up to the 
 spring of 1875, this river was the southern bound- 
 ary of what the Sioux Indians claimed as their 
 reservation, and it was only by the payment of a 
 special appropriation of $25,000, that they re- 
 linquished the right to hunt as far south as 
 this river. The principal military posts on the 
 stream, are Forts Fetterman, usually occupied by 
 but few troops, and Laramie. The latter is at 
 present the principal military depot for both 
 troops and supplies off the line of the railroad, 
 in this part of the West. It is 90 miles from 
 Cheyenne, its nearest railroad station, and the 
 point from whence nearly all the frontier expe- 
 ditions into northern Wyoming, western Dakota, 
 and the Big Horn and Powder River countries, 
 start. The Laramie River and the North Platte 
 form a junction near the fort. 
 
 The South Platte, which the railroad still fol- 
 lows for about eighty-five miles, is similar to the 
 North Platte, so far as external observations 
 go. It rises in the mountains south and west of 
 Denver, receives a large number of tributaries ; 
 the chief of which is the Cache La Poudre, which 
 forms a junction with it at Greeley, and then 
 pursues a due east course to the Missouri River. 
 The junction with the North Platte is formed a 
 few miles below the bridge just spoken of. On 
 neither of these streams, nor on any of their 
 tributaries can agricultural pursuits be carried 
 on without irrigation, and not always with success 
 with irrigation. The hand of the Almighty has 
 placed its ineffaceable mark upon all this vast 
 region of country that it is His pasture ground 
 and adapted, so far as is known, to no other pur- 
 pose. Millions of buffaloes have ranged over 
 these bleak and desolate-looking plains for ages 
 past, and from the short grass which grows in 
 abundance thereon, have derived a rich suste- 
 nance. They have gone or are fast going, and the 
 necessities of the civilization which follows, calls 
 for beef and mutton. These plains must become 
 the great beef-producing region of the continent. 
 They are the Almighty's pasture grounds, and if 
 there are not a thousand cattle upon a hill, there 
 will surely be " cattle upon a thousand hills." 
 The numerous tributaries to these two rivers 
 are from ten to fifteen miles apart, with high roll- 
 ing prairies between affording abundance of 
 water with adjacent pasture, and this pasture is 
 the home of the richest natural grasses. 
 
 Before you reach the North Platte River, you 
 will see conclusive evidence of the adaptability 
 of these plains to stock-raising, and from this 
 time on to where the river is again crossed, you 
 will see numerous herds of cattle and flocks of 
 sheep. The snows of winter in these elevated 
 regions are dry, and not frequent. Driven by 
 fierce winds, they will fill the hollows and small 
 ravines, while the hills are always left bare, so 
 that cattle and sheep can always obtain access to 
 
41 
 
 the ground, and the buffalo and bunch grasses 
 with which it is covered. While hay must be 
 cut for the sustenance of sheep during the few 
 days storms may last, and for the horses and 
 cattle that may be kept up ; the vast herds, 
 whether of cattle or horses, will go through the 
 most severe winter that has ever been known in 
 this region without hay or shelter, except that 
 afforded by the ravines. The experiment has 
 been repeatedly tried, and the vast herds that 
 are now kept in this region, attest the success of 
 that experiment. In Lincoln County, of which 
 the town of North Platte is the county-seat, 
 there are probably 60,000 head of cattle alone. 
 Eastern farmers and stock-raisers will see that 
 the attempt to provide hay for this vast number 
 would be useless, and if required would render 
 the keeping of so many in a single county un- 
 profitable. The expense of providing hay would 
 in the first place be great, and the expense of 
 confining the cattle and feeding it out would be 
 still greater. And if the buffaloes have lived in 
 this country year after year, during the flight of 
 the centuries without hay, why may not cattle and 
 horses do likewise ? The stock-grazing region 
 to which allusion is here made, comprises in fact 
 all the country west of the 100th meridian of 
 longitude, to the base of the Rocky Mountains, 
 and the elevated plateaus or great parks lying 
 between the eastern and western ranges of the 
 same mountains; while the extent north and 
 south reaches from the Gulf of Mexico to the 
 northern boundary line of the United States. 
 Three great railroad lines already penetrate this 
 vast stock range, and a decade will hardly pass 
 away before other lines will follow. A ready 
 outlet to the best stock markets in the country 
 is therefore always accessible and always open. 
 But with all the natural advantages of this 
 region, not eveiy one who may be captivated with 
 the idea of a stock ranch e and lowing herds, can 
 make it a success. The business requires capital 
 and care just the same attention that is given 
 to any other successful business. Nor can it be 
 safely entered upon under the impression that a 
 fortune can be made in a day or in a year. It is 
 a business liable to losses, to severe winters, un- 
 favorable seasons and a glutted market. It does 
 not run itself. By reason of a single hard win- 
 ter, one man in the stock business has been 
 known to lose a hundred thousand dollars, and 
 the losses that same winter were proportionally 
 severe upon those who were not as able to suffer 
 them. It is a business which, if closely attended 
 to, promises large returns upon the capital in- 
 vested, and which, at the same time, is liable to 
 heavy losses. It is more sure than mining and 
 more profitable than agricultural or dairy-farm- 
 ing. But we shall have more to say of this 
 hereafter, with specific illustrations as to what 
 can be done in both sheep husbandry and cattle 
 raising. Returning to the two rivers, one of 
 
 which we crossed near their junction the vast 
 area of bottom lands continue to widen, and for 
 a long distance each has its broad valley. Leav- 
 ing the North Platte here we shall ascend the 
 _ South Platte to Julesburg. About one mile west 
 of the bridge, we arrive at 
 
 North Platte the end of another division 
 of the Union Pacific Railroad. It is 291 miles 
 from Omaha, and 2,789 feet above the sea. It 
 is a thriving city, avid outside of Omaha has 
 the most extensive machine and repair shops 
 on the line of the road. The roundhouse has 
 twenty stalls, and it, together with the machine 
 and repair shops, are substantially built of brick. 
 In these shops engines and cars are either repaired 
 or entirely built over, a process which cannot 
 hardly be called repairing, but which neverthe- 
 less renders them as good as new. The engine- 
 room for the machine-shops, is a model of 
 neatness; everything in and around it being 
 kept in perfect order. 
 
 The town has about 2,000 inhabitants, two 
 wide-awake newspapers ; the Republican being 
 a weekly, and the Western Ncbraskian being a 
 semi-weekly, together with several wholesale and 
 retail stores and shops of various kinds. The 
 Railroad House is the largest and leading hotel. 
 About 150 men are given constant employment 
 in the shops. There are also one or two com- 
 panies of troops stationed here, not to protect 
 the railroad from the savages, for that necessity 
 has passed, but for economy in keeping and 
 convenience for frontier duty. The town also 
 has two or three church edifices, a brick court- 
 house and brick school-house, both new, and both 
 presenting a fine appearance. There are also 
 several elegant private residences. It is beauti- 
 fully located, and has excellent drainage. The 
 bluffs or hills are in near view, both north and 
 south, and give quite a picturesque appearance 
 to the country in the immediate vicinity. The 
 Black Hills excitement, in regard to the discovery 
 of gold, has had some effect upon the town, and 
 a railroad off to the north-west is talked. It 
 is the home of some of the leading stock-men of 
 this section of country. Near this city, in 1875, 
 Col. E. D. Webster and Mrs. A. W. Randall, 
 wife of the late ex-postmaster-general Randall, 
 formed a copartnership to engage in the dairying 
 business, and erected a cheese factory. During 
 the year they manufactured about 30 tons of 
 cheese, which brought them a fair return. Col- 
 onel Webster claims that the experiment has 
 demonstrated that the business can be carried 
 on with profit, and he believes it will eventually 
 become tjie leading feature of this part of the 
 country. He further says that the only draw- 
 back at present is the scarcity and unreliability 
 of help, it being difficult to obtain a sufficient 
 number of "milkers" at a reasonable price to 
 milk a large number of cows. In 1876 the firm 
 proposes to make cheese from the milk of from 
 
42 
 
 F0&SISF. 
 
 one to two hundred cows, and the balance of 
 their herd some five hundred will be devoted 
 to stock-raising. This dairy establishment is 
 one of the new enterprises of North Platte, and, 
 if successful in the future, will make it the 
 prominent cheese-market of the West. 
 
 The town has abundant attractions for invalids 
 needing rest there being antelope and deer in 
 the hills, fish in the streams, and an abundance 
 of pure air to invigorate the body. It has a 
 bright future and is destined to become one of 
 the leading towns on the line of the railroad. 
 Formerly it was an eating-station, but as now 
 run, trains pass it in the night. The road was 
 finished to this town in the fall of 1866, from 
 which time until the following June it was the 
 point where all overland freight was shipped. 
 It was a rough town then, but this state of 
 affairs did not last long, and the character of 
 the place rapidly improved with the arrival of 
 permanent set- 
 tlers. There 
 were a few In- 
 dian scares, but 
 no serious at- 
 tack was made 
 by the savages 
 upon the town. 
 Two or three 
 trains were 
 ditched and 
 wrecked, both 
 east and west, 
 but this was the 
 extent of the 
 damage done 
 by them. Of 
 this, however, 
 we shall have 
 more to say in 
 another place. 
 
 Chimney Hocfc.Near North Platte is the 
 far-famed Chimney Rock, two and a half miles 
 from the south bank of the Platte River. It is 
 composed of a friable yellowish marl, which can 
 be cut readily with the knife. It rises in the 
 form of a thin, perpendicular shaft above a coni- 
 cal mound, whose base slopes gradually out 
 toward the plains. It appears to be the re- 
 newal of the old chain of hills and rocks which 
 bounded the valley, but which, from their soft- 
 ness of material, have been disintegrated by 
 wind and weather. This possessing harder ma- 
 terial has withstood these effects, although it is 
 steadily yielding. In the days of Fremont's ex- 
 pedition, it was estimated that it was over 200 
 feet in height, but other travelers and explorers 
 who had seen it years before, stated that its 
 height had been as great as 500 feet. In those 
 days it was a landmark visible for forty or fifty 
 miles ; now it is hardly 35 feet in height. 
 Around the waist of the base runs a white band 
 
 CHIMNEY ROCK, NEAR NORTH PLATTE. 
 
 which sets off its height, and relieves the uni- 
 form yellow tint. It has often been struck by 
 lightning. 
 
 TJie Overland Pony Express. 
 
 The Pony Express (of which few now remem- 
 ber those days of excitement and interest) was 
 started in 1860, and the 3d of April, that year, is 
 the memorable date of the starting of that first 
 trip. In those days, the achievements of the 
 Pony Express were attended with an eager excite- 
 ment hardly less interesting than the building of 
 the Pacific Railroad itself. " Overland to Califor- 
 nia in thirteen days," was repeated everywhere as 
 a remarkable achievement. The first company 
 organized was formed in California in 1858 or 
 1859, under the name of the Central Overland 
 California and Pike's Peak Express. At that 
 time, with no telegraph or even stage line across 
 the continent, this attempt was considered extra- 
 ordinarily au- 
 dacious. The 
 services plan- 
 ned and exe- 
 cuted by the 
 company were 
 a pony express, 
 with stations 
 sixty miles 
 apart, the en- 
 tire distance 
 from St.Joseph, 
 Mo., to Sacra- 
 mento. The 
 time occupied 
 between ocean 
 and ocean was 
 fourteen days, 
 and from St. 
 Joseph to San 
 Francisco, ten 
 days. And the schedule of the company re- 
 quired the pony express to make trips in the 
 following time : 
 
 From St. Joseph to Marysville, 12 hours. 
 
 From St. Joseph to Fort Kearny, 34 hours. 
 
 From St. Joseph lo Laramie, 80 hours. 
 
 From St. Joseph to Fort Bridger, 108 hours. 
 
 From St. Joseph to Salt Lake, 12t hours. 
 
 From St. Joseph to Camp Floyd, 128 hours. 
 
 From St. Joseph to Carson City, 118 hours. 
 
 From St. Joseph to Flacerville, 226 hours. 
 
 From St. .Joseph to Sacramento, 232 hours. 
 
 From St. Joseph to San Francisco, 240 hours. 
 
 An express messenger left once a week from each 
 side with not more than ten pounds of matter. 
 The best of riders were chosen from among trap- 
 pers, scouts and plains men, familiar with all the 
 life of the route, fearless, and capable of great 
 physical power, endurance and bravery. The 
 ponies were very swift and strong, a cross be- 
 tween the American horse and Indian pony, and 
 after each run of sixty miles, waited till the ar- 
 rival of the messenger from the opposite direc- 
 
43 
 
 OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS PURSUED BY HIGHWAYMEN. 
 
 tion, when each returned. The riders were con- 
 stantly exposed to dangers from Indian attacks 
 and pursued by highwaymen ; and to compen- 
 sate them for this risk they received the large 
 salary of $1, 200 a month each ; and the modest 
 price charged for the conveyance of business 
 letters was $5.00, gold, per quarter ounce. At 
 the time of the departure of the first messenger 
 from St. Joseph, a special train was run over the 
 Hannibal and St Joseph Railroad to bring the 
 through messenger from New York, and a " Pom/ 
 Express Extra " was issued of two pages, by the 
 St. Joseph Daily Gazette, containing telegraphic 
 news from all 
 parts of the 
 world, with a 
 heavily leaded 
 account of the 
 new enterprise, 
 and sending 
 greetings to the 
 press of Califor- 
 nia. 
 
 The route 
 from St Joseph, 
 after reaching 
 the Platte Val- 
 ley, followed 
 just north of the 
 present track of 
 the Pacific Rail- 
 road to Lara- 
 
 mie, then up the OLD PONY EXPRESS STATION AT CHEESE CRKEK, NEBRASKA. 
 
 Sweet Water to Salt Lake, and down the Hum- 
 boldt to Sacramento. Night and day the messen- 
 
 gers spurred their ponies witli the greatest speed 
 each could endure. Often on arriving at an 
 express station the messenger, without waiting 
 to dismount, tossed his bag to another already 
 waiting, and each were off at once, back again, 
 and thus for eight days the little express bag 
 traveled, arriving at the rail terminus, rarely a 
 minute behind the prescribed time, a total dis- 
 tance of 2,000 miles. 
 
 For two years this system was kept up, until 
 the telegraph line was finished in 1862, when the 
 company dissolved with a loss of $200,000. As an 
 instance of rapid speed, once, very important dis- 
 patches e 1 e c - 
 tion news were 
 carried from St. 
 Joseph, Mo., to 
 Denver City, 
 Col., 625 miles, 
 in sixty-nine 
 hours, the last 
 ten miles being 
 made in thirty- 
 one minutes. 
 On this and next 
 page, we give 
 two illustrations 
 characteristic of 
 these times. 
 One engraving 
 is taken from a 
 painting of G. 
 G. M. Ottinger, 
 
 of Salt Lake City, which represents the express 
 rider dashing along and cheering the telegraph 
 
44 
 
 men who were erecting the poles. This is an 
 actual scene, as, in the summer of 1862, while the 
 telegraph was under construction, the flitting by 
 of the Pony Express was an almost daily occur- 
 rence. An illustration is also given of one of 
 these express stations at Cheese Creek, Neb., 
 which was soon afterwards abandoned as a thing 
 of the past. The government mails were carried 
 by special contract of the Overland Mail Com- 
 pany with the United States government, which 
 was started in 1858, who contracted with them to 
 run a monthly mail from San Francisco to the 
 Missouri River for a consideration of $650,000 
 annual compensation. Of this company, John 
 Butterfield who drove the first coach, was presi- 
 dent. The route chosen was the Ox Bow, via. 
 Santa Fe, but in 1860 the Indians became so 
 
 the driver may be heard shouting loudly, or with 
 terrific whoop a mile or so before his station is 
 reached the keepers have heard it and as his 
 stage rattles up, the new relay of horses is ready, 
 and in two or three minutes the stage is on its way 
 again. After a few days' journey, the travelers 
 become used to the swinging motion of the stage, 
 and sleep as naturally as if made for such a life. 
 
 A Word with Invalids. 
 
 Thousands of invalids, especially consumptives, 
 visit the mountains and California coast, every 
 year, in search of health, and to try the effect of a 
 change of climate in restoring them to activity and 
 vigor. There can be no question but that many 
 have been benefited by the change, and it is a fact 
 equally parent that many have left good homes, 
 
 POXY EXPRESS SALUTING THE TELEGRAPH. 
 
 troublesome that the route was changed to that 
 of the Pony Express, and soon afterwards a daily 
 mail was established at an expense of $1,000,000 
 annually. The incidents of overland stage life 
 have been repeated over and over again in books 
 of Western adventure. Here and there were 
 lonely post-offices away out on the distant prairies 
 or plains. No passengers to set down or take up, 
 the driver throws out his mail-bag, catches the 
 one thrown to him, and whirls on without stop- 
 ping, or scarcely checking the speed of his team. 
 Morning, noon or night comes the inevitable 
 "refreshment station," such as it is, where the 
 weary passengers, well shaken up, were glad to 
 regale themselves on pork and beans, corn bread, 
 and "slumgullion" the Far Western name for 
 tea. Toward the middle of the night, perhaps, 
 
 kind friends, and plenty of care to die alone 
 and among strangers. With this last class the 
 main trouble is, they wait too long in the East 
 before starting. The disease, more or less rapid 
 in its strides, gets too firm a hold upon the sys- 
 tem becomes too deeply rooted to be easily 
 thrown off ; then they start for health and rest 
 that cannot be found, and most always go too far 
 in search of it. There are a few words of ad- 
 vice to these people, which are the result of years 
 of observation and experience on the plains and 
 among the mountains. 
 
 First, the discovery of a tendency to lung and 
 throat diseases should be a sufficient incentive 
 to prompt one to an immediate change of cli- 
 mate. Do not wait until a change becomes hope- 
 less because of the advanced stages of the disease. 
 
45 
 
 Second, do not at fir*t go too far. This is 
 another mistake frequently committed by those 
 who finally get started. 
 
 Third, do not (/o too fas/. Remember the 
 railroad from Omaha, in less than two days, will 
 take you to an altitude of more than 8,000 feet, 
 and this is a severe test on a pair of healthy 
 lungs, to say nothing of its effect upon weak 
 ones. First go as far as Grand Island, and stop. 
 This place is 1,850 feet above the sea, and you 
 are in the midst of a fine prairie country, 
 with a generally clear atmosphere and balmy 
 breezes. Here are good hotel accommodations, 
 in a thickly settled region, where you can obtain 
 plenty of fresh milk, cream and eggs, and such 
 
 either along the stream or on the adjoining high- 
 lands, still camping out, until you reach North 
 Platte. Then take another rest, look around the 
 country, mount your horse and ride out to the 
 cattle ranches and live with the herders for a 
 time. Do not be in a hurry to get away, and 
 after you have been here a month or six weeks, 
 if you still improve, or even hold your own with 
 the character of the life herein prescribed, it will 
 be safe for you to go still farther, and in the same 
 manner. But if you are not benefited by the 
 trip thus far, it will be better for you to return to 
 your homes and friends, where loving hands can 
 smooth your pillow and administer comfort dur- 
 ing your declining days. 
 
 BUFFALO HUJST1.NU. 
 
 other articles of diet as are necessary and condu- 
 cive to your welfare. Ride or walk out from 
 town ; go around among the farmers, and if, 
 after a month or so, you improve and wish to go 
 farther, buy a team and wagon, and from this 
 place go along leisurely overland, camping out if 
 the weather is favorable. There are opportuni- 
 ties for hunting and fishing, along the road, 
 which will afford amusement and recreation. 
 When you get to Kearny Junction, stop a few 
 weeks. Notice the effect of your new mode of 
 life and the climate upon your health, and if 
 you simply hold your own. it is safe for you to 
 take another step up the Platte Valley in your 
 westward journey. Leisurely pursue your way, 
 
 If the journey has benefited you, pursue it 
 overland and camping out, to Sidney or Chey- 
 enne, up the Lodge Pole Valley and along side 
 of the railroad, or at Julesburg go up the South 
 Platte Valley to Greeley. You are now, if at 
 Cheyenne, over 6,000 feet above the sea, and be- 
 tween 5,000 and 6,000 feet at either Greeley or 
 Denver, in the midst of a rarified and dry atmos- 
 phere. Jf your health is regained, do not think 
 of returning, for this is almost sure to bring on a 
 relapse, which is usually sudden, and from which 
 there is no escape; your safety depends upon 
 your remaining in these high altitudes, and on 
 the high and dry plains of the West. A trip 
 down in New Mexico, and across the plains to 
 
46 
 
 Arizona, will also prove beneficial. In the old 
 overland times, thousands of consumptives re- 
 gained their health in driving teams, and by 
 slowly crossing the plains, who would have died 
 if the same journey had been taken on the cars. 
 By the latter mode, the change from a damp and 
 heavy atmosphere in the East, to the rarified and 
 dry air of the plains and mountains, is too sud- 
 den ; and after all, if the disease has become 
 thoroughly seated, it is doubtful if any change 
 will be effectual. It is an experiment which 
 should only be tried with all possible safeguards 
 thrown around it. 
 
 Buffalo Grass. After you have passed the 
 stations of North Platte and Sidney, you will ob- 
 serve the entire country carpeted with a short, 
 dried up grass growing in little bunches. This is 
 the famous buffalo grass which covers thousands of 
 miles of the plains northward and southward and 
 westward. Though it gives to the country a 
 dried look, as if the very appearance of desola- 
 tion and sterility, yet it is the richest grass ever 
 known in the world. The entire State of Ne- 
 braska is famous for its remarkable variety of 
 grasses. The Platte Valley is the home of no 
 less than 149 varieties, all native to the soil, 
 and were it not for the extraordinary beauty 
 and luxuriance of the green carpet the grasses 
 make, the Valley of the Platte would be almost 
 wholly devoid of inteiest. The buffalo grass is 
 rarely over two to three inches in height, and its 
 seed is produced on flowers almost covered by 
 leaves close to the ground. It grows in little 
 tufts, broad and dense, and is exceedingly rich 
 and sweet, having no less than 3 0-10 per cent, 
 of saccharine matter. When making its first 
 growth in the spring, it is green, then dries on 
 its stem and remains the rest of the year like 
 cured hay on the open ground, retaining all its 
 sweetness. Without a single exception, horses, 
 mules and stock of all descriptions, will forsake 
 all other kinds of grass until all the buffalo grass 
 within reach has been consumed. While the 
 buffaloes roamed over this country it was their 
 natural food, but With their disappearance and 
 the coming of the white man, it is disappearing 
 to give place to others. Leaving North Platte, 
 the next station is 
 
 Nichols, 299.4 miles from Omaha, and 2,882 
 feet above the sea. It is simply a side track with 
 section-house near, in the midst of the level 
 bottom lands between the two rivers, both of 
 which are in sight. Before reaching North Platte 
 it will be observed that the bottom narrows, and 
 that the bluffs or sand-hills in some instances 
 approach the river's bank. But after leaving 
 the town, for nearly twenty miles west, the level 
 prairie between the rivers spreads out in view, 
 with bluffs on either side beyond. Between 
 North Platte and this station there are a few set- 
 tlers, but the territory is mostly occupied as the 
 winter range of Keith & Barton's herd of cattle, 
 
 as they are easily confined between the rivers 
 with little help. 
 
 (J'Fallon'sis the next station. It is 307.9 
 miles from Omaha, with an elevation of 2,970 
 feet. ]t is a telegraph station. O'Fallon's Bluffs 
 are plainly visible south of the South Platte 
 River, which they closely approach ; at this 
 point we lose sight of the Valley of the North 
 Platte a ridge of low hills jutting down from 
 the west, while the railroad follows the south 
 river. The railroad reached this place late in the 
 fall of 1800, but North Platte was the terminal 
 station until Julesburg was reached in 1807. If 
 there was any timber on the streams in this 
 vicinity, it has long since disappeared. On an 
 island in the South Platte the Indians used to 
 camp, and from their hiding places in the sand- 
 hills and bluffs, frequently attacked emigrants 
 and trains, but as before remarked, with the buf- 
 faloes, the Indians disappear. 
 
 Dexter is simply a side track where trains 
 occasionally meet and pass. It is 31 5.2 miles from 
 Omaha, and has an elevation of 3,000 feet. The 
 bluffs here come very near the river, and they 
 are utilized in the building of a corral the rocky 
 ledge answering all the purposes of a fence. 
 The monotony of the scenery up to this point 
 now passes away, and the traveler will always 
 find something in the ever-varying views of rocks, 
 bluffs, streams and plains that will interest him 
 in the journey. 
 
 Alkali. A telegraph station, 322.4 miles from 
 the Missouri River, and 3.038 feet above the sea. 
 The alkali spots which have been witnessed in 
 the soil since we left Omaha, are now more fre- 
 quent, and the station naturally takes its name 
 from these characteristics. This station has a 
 small depot, side track and section-house ; is in 
 the midst of a fine grazing country, and opposite 
 an old stage station south of the river. 
 
 Itoscoe. Simply a side track, 332.0 miles 
 from Omaha, with an elevation of 3.105 feet. 
 Just before reaching this place, and in this vicin- 
 ity, the railroad passes through more sandy 
 bluffs that approach the river. 
 
 Of/alalla is the next station, 341.0 miles 
 from Omaha. Elevation 3,190 feet. It is the 
 county-seat of Keith County, Nebraska, arid is 
 destined to be the Texas town on the line of the 
 Union Pacific. The regular trail for driving 
 cattle from Texas may be said to terminate here. 
 It has a depot, water tank, side tracks, cattle 
 chutes, store, one or two boarding-houses, saloon, 
 etc. It is the head-quarters and outfitting place 
 of a large number of ranchmen, who have herds 
 of cattle in this vicinity. It is some twelve 
 miles from the North Platte River, where a num- 
 ber of herds find ample range. In 1875, it is 
 claimed that nearly 00,000 head of Texas cattle 
 were driven to this point, and afterwards dis- 
 tributed to various parties to whom thpy were 
 sold. A large number of them were taken to the 
 
47 
 
 Indian agencies at Red Cloud and Spotted Tail. 
 There will be numerous buildings erected soon to 
 accommodate the growing necessities of the town. 
 Leaving Ogalalla we next come to 
 
 Brute, so called from the Brule Sioux, a 
 band of which Spotted Tail is the chief. Red 
 Cloud is chief of the Ogalalla Sioux. This is 
 probably the most powerful tribe of Indians now 
 existing in the country, and when all united they 
 are said to be able to raise at least 10,000 war- 
 riors. Those of them who have been taken east 
 to Washington and other eastern cities, seem to 
 have lost their belligerent feelings toward the 
 whites, and will not probably go to war with 
 them unless misled by tricksters or influenced by 
 some other powerful motive. The young " bucks" 
 who have remained on their reservations, how- 
 ever, think they can whip the whole country in 
 a very short time if they should once get at it. 
 This station was a favorite crossing place with 
 this band of Sioux during the years when they 
 used to hunt on the rivers south, or go on their 
 scalping and horse-stealing expeditions. Brule 
 is 351.2 miles from Omaha, and has an eleva- 
 tion of 3,266 feet. North of this place, on 
 the North Platte, is Ash Hollow, a celebrated 
 camping ground for Indians and the scene of a 
 great victory over them by General Harney, in 
 18")9. The whole tribe of Sioux probably have 
 a greater admiration for General Harney, to-day, 
 than for any other living American. Physical 
 force is the only power which they can be made 
 to respect and tear. Next comes 
 
 Big Spriuy, which is 360.9 miles from the 
 eastern end of the road, with an elevation ci 
 3,325 feet. It is so named from large springs 
 which break to the surface of the ground at the 
 foot of the bluffs, on the right-hand side of the 
 road going west, and in plain sight of the cars. 
 The water tank, at this station, is supplied from 
 these springs. The water is excellent, and the 
 station is quite a camping place for those who 
 continue to journey overland. This is a tele- 
 graph station. 
 
 Barton, called after Hon. Guy C. Barton of 
 North Platte. It is 308.7 miles from Omaha, and 
 3,421 feet above the sea simply a side track 
 where trains meet and pass. Beyond this sta- 
 tion, a short distance, the old town of Julesburg 
 can be seen across the river. Late in 1875, a 
 stray herd of about six hundred buffaloes quietly 
 passed over the old town site to and from the 
 river, where they went for water. It will proba- 
 bly be their last visitation to this part of the 
 country. 
 
 Jiilesburff, 377.4 miles from Omaha, and 
 3,500 feet above the sea. It was named after 
 Jules Burg a frontier character who was killed 
 by one Jack Slade, another rough, in the old 
 overland stage times. The old town was across 
 the river, some four miles below the present sta- 
 tion, and was a pretty rough place. The station 
 
 is opposite old Fort Sedgwick, now abandoned, 
 and was the proposed junction of a branch rail- 
 road up the South Platte River by way of Gree- 
 ley to Longmont, from which a railroad is com- 
 pleted to Denver. This branch is graded nearly 
 the entire distance, and bridged part of the way. 
 By an agreement made in 1875, the Union Pa- 
 cific, or men in the company, relinquished the 
 proposed and completed roads in Colorado to 
 the Kansas Pacific, and the latter road relin- 
 quished its through business to the Pacific coast, 
 and its efforts to compel the Union Pacific to 
 pro rate with it from Cheyenne west. This ar- 
 rangement effected the entire suspension of all 
 efforts to complete this branch, and Julesburg is 
 now, as formerly, a way-station on the Union 
 Pacific. It is, however, quite a place for ship- 
 ping stock, has one or two stores, some adobe 
 houses and stables, with cattle-yards and chutes. 
 The completion of this branch road would have 
 been of great benefit to the Union Pacific, and to 
 the entire State of Nebraska, by reason of the 
 coal which is found in large quantities near 
 Boulder, and which, if obtained there, would 
 save some three or four hundred miles in haul- 
 ing over very heavy grades, as is now done. It 
 is doubtful if it is ever completed. At this 
 point the Union Pacific passes through the 
 north-eastern corner of Colorado, and here it 
 leaves the South Platte River and ascends Lodge 
 Pole Creek to within a few miles of Cheyenne. 
 
 The early pioneers who went to Utah, Califor- 
 nia and Oregon overland, usually crossed the 
 South Platte River at this place, and followed up 
 the Lodge Pole to Cheyenne Pass. In fact, there 
 were many routes. One up the North Platte, one 
 up the South Platte, one up the Lodge Pole, and 
 others. The northern route passed through what 
 is known as the Great South Pass, about 65 
 miles north of the Point of Rocks. The Lodge 
 Pole route crossed the Black Hills at Cheyenne 
 Pass, and the South Platte route followed up the 
 Cache La Poudre and Dale Creek, until it struck 
 the great Laramie Plains south-west of Sherman. 
 
 Fort Sedgwick, of which we have spoken, was 
 established in May, 1864, and was named after 
 the gallant commander of the Sixth Corps, army 
 of the Potomac, who was killed at the battle of 
 Spottsylvania Court-House while sighting a gun, 
 and whose loss was greatly lamented by the en- 
 tire army, and especially the corps he commanded. 
 Among " the boys " he was familiarly spoken of 
 as " Farmer John." 
 
 Incidents in the History of Jnleslturg. 
 
 The overland stage company had quite an im- 
 portant station at Julesburg, south side of the 
 river, and about a mile east of the location of 
 Fort Sedgwick. It was in 1865, before any rails 
 had been laid on the Union Pacific. The stage 
 company had accumulated a large quantity of 
 supplies at this station, and the Indians knowing 
 
48 
 
 this, and ever .hostile to the travel of the whites 
 through this region, had their cupidity aroused. 
 Troops were scattered all along the route, and 
 frequently had to escort the stages from one sta- 
 tion to another. At Julesburg, the road crossed 
 the South Platte, followed the Lodge Pole up to 
 Sidney, and then crossed over to the North 
 Platte, which it ascended to Fort Laramie and 
 beyond. Capt. X. J. O'Brien was in command 
 at the fort, with one company of the Seventh 
 Iowa Cavalry, and two pieces of artillery. Oil 
 the 7th of January, 1875, the Sioux and Chey- 
 ennes, one thousand strong, discovering the 
 small force to defend it, attacked the fort with 
 great bravery. They had previously run the 
 stage into the station, killing one man and one 
 horse. When their presence was discovered, 
 
 but leaving their dead comrades to fall into the 
 hands of the blood-thirsty foe. The Indians per- 
 ceiving their disposition to fall back, redoubled 
 their efforts, and endeavored to cut them off from 
 the fort. They attacked with greatei' fury and 
 boldness than ever, and came very near effecting 
 their purpose. The men, however, fell back in 
 good order, and were successful in gaining the 
 fort. The Indians now surrounded this, but the 
 artillery was brought out and served with good 
 effect, so that they were kept at bay, and event- 
 ually night put an end to the conflict. In the 
 night the Indians withdrew, and when the morn- 
 ing broke, not one was in sight. But now comes 
 the most horrible part of this incident. The 
 men went out to find, if possible, the bodies of 
 their dead comrades. They found them, but 
 
 INDIAN ATTACK ON AN OVERLAND STAGE. 
 
 Captain O'Brien made the best disposition possi- 
 ble with his small force. He left a sergeant with 
 some twelve men in the fort, to handle the artil- 
 lery, and mounting the rest, thirty-seven men 
 and one officer, besides himself, went out to meet 
 the savages. The charge was sounded, and in 
 they went. About a mile from the fort there is 
 a projecting hill in the bluffs, back of and around 
 which the main body of the Indians were con- 
 cealed. As the men neared the top of this hill, 
 they saw the large force opposed to them, but 
 never flinched. The Indians charged upon them 
 with great fuiy, and for quite a time the unequal 
 contest was continued. But his ranks having 
 become depleted by the loss of fourteen of the 
 thirty-seven enlisted men, the captain ordered 
 them to fall back, which they did in good order, 
 
 nearly all were beyond recognition ; stripped of 
 every vestige of clothing, mutilated beyond ac- 
 count, cold and stark they lay, in the places they 
 had fallen ; their fingers, toes and ears cut off, 
 their months filled with powder and ignited, and 
 every conceivable indignity committed upon their 
 persons. Sorrowfully they gathered up these re- 
 mains, and conveyed them to the fort, where 
 they were decently buried ; but the recollections 
 of that awful night, did not fade from the mem- 
 ories of the survivors of that company. In sub- 
 sequent battles with the savages, their courage 
 was quickened and their arms nerved to deeds of 
 daring, which cost many a warrior his life, and 
 gave him a sudden exit to his happy hunting 
 grounds. The loss of the savages in this battle, 
 could not, at the time, be accurately ascertained, 
 
49 
 
 but from the best information since obtained, 
 admitted by the Indians themselves, they had 
 sixty-three warriors killed in this engagement. 
 None were found on the iield, as they always carry 
 their dead away with them. 
 
 On the second day of February, less than a 
 month from the above attack, they appeared in 
 the vicinity of the fort again, and attacked and 
 burned the station house of the stage company, 
 other out-buildings and stores, and one or two 
 houses adjoining. Five miles below the station 
 was a ravine called the Devil's Dive, through 
 which the stages passed. Captain O'Brien and 
 four or five men were escorting the coach with 
 three or four passengers, one of whom was a lady. 
 As he ascended the bank of the ravine going to- 
 ward the fort, he saw a smoke, and riding up to the 
 top of a hill, he saw Indians. Returning to the 
 coach, he had every man, passengers and all, care- 
 fully examine his arms, and caused the coach to 
 proceed slowly along. Soon the road iieared the 
 bank of the river, and here he met some team- 
 sters with wagons, who, beyond a pistol or two, 
 were unarmed, and who had left the station for 
 some object, less than a half hour before. They 
 now bacams aware of the situation, and were 
 greatly alarmed. These men the captain ordered 
 to return and keep near the stage, which they did, 
 all moving slowly toward the station and fort. 
 Meanwhile the heads of Indians were popping 
 up quite frequently, over the bluffs in the dis- 
 tance. Arriving near one of these, the captain 
 boldly rode to the top, and taking his blanket 
 swung it three times over his head. The Indians 
 saw this, and supposed he had a large force in 
 the rear, which he was signaling to come up, and 
 they began to fly. The river was frozen, and 
 sand had been scattered over two roadways on 
 the ice. They took everything they could from 
 the burning station and houses, and beat a re- 
 treat across the river. At the first sign of their 
 leaving, the stage-driver and teamsters put their 
 animals to their utmost speed, and ran into the 
 fort, the captain arriving there in time to give 
 the Indians a few parting shots from his artillery 
 as the last of them ran across the river. The 
 shots ricocheted along the ice, and caused the 
 Indians to drop some of their plunder, though 
 doing no further damage, as we could learn. 
 
 These are only two of the many incidents in 
 our frontier histoiy, that will soon be beyond 
 the reach and knowledge of either the present or 
 future generations. 
 
 The Great Indian Battle at Summit 
 Springs. 
 
 On the divide south of the South Platte River, 
 and about midway between old Fort Morgan 
 and old Fort Sedgwick, opposite to which Jules- 
 burg now stands, there are some fine springs 
 the only good water in quite a region of territory. 
 They are now called Summit Springs ; and are 
 4 
 
 near the summit of a divide from which the 
 water, when there is any, runs north and south. 
 In the winter of 1869, Major Frank North, be- 
 fore alluded to, received orders to recruit his 
 scouts for the summer campaign. He organized 
 one company in February, and two the following 
 April, the total number in the three companies 
 being one hundred and fifty men, exclusive of 
 their white officers. In April of that year, Gen- 
 eral Carr, taking two of these companies and 
 eight of the Fifth Cavalry, then stationed at 
 Fort McPherson, was ordered to scout the coun- 
 try in the Republican, Solomon and Saline Val- 
 leys and their tributaries, and strike any ma- 
 rauding bands of Indians he might find. At 
 that time, the Indians were raiding the advanced 
 settlements in the lower Republican and Solomon 
 Valleys, burning houses, killing and scalping 
 men, women and children, and stealing all the 
 horses they could find. The third company of 
 the scouts had not then been organized. As 
 soon as this was done, Major North was ordered 
 to take them across the country from Fort 
 Kearny, and join General Carr's command, at 
 the mouth of Prairie Dog Creek, in the Repub- 
 lican Valley. This he did, effecting a junction 
 about the 5th of May. After scouting the coun- 
 try between the Republican and Solomon for 
 about a month, the command returned to the 
 Republican, where it met a supply train, which 
 had been sent out from Fort McPherson, and 
 then proceeded up the valley. On arriving at 
 the mouth of Medicine Creek, they struck the 
 trail of a large village. This was on the first 
 day of July, and they continued to follow it up 
 the river for about one hundred and twenty-five 
 miles. The trail then left the valley, and bore 
 off to the North, until it struck Frenchman 
 Creek, then up that creek to its source, and then 
 over a divide to Summit Springs, about thirty- 
 five miles from the headwaters of the Frenchman. 
 The Indians of this village kept pickets out as a 
 sort of a rear-guard, but did not think of an at- 
 tack from another quarter. The Pawnee scouts 
 were constantly in the advance, and kept the 
 command well informed of the condition and dis- 
 position of the Indians. They had discovered 
 the rear-guard of the Indians, without being 
 themselves seen, reporting their situation, and 
 telling just how the attack should be conducted, 
 in order to be successful. A wide detour would 
 have to be made, and the Indian village, en- 
 camped in a ravine near the springs, would have 
 to be approached and attacked from the west. 
 Every precaution was taken to conceal the move- 
 ments of the troops. The attack was made on the 
 1 1th day of July. The heavy wagon train was left 
 in the rear, and the best horses with their riders, 
 were selected for the march, which was supposed 
 to be, with the detour mentioned, at least fifty 
 miles. The command arrived within about a 
 mile and a half of the Indians undiscovered, at 
 
50 
 
 about three o'clock, p. M., but before the disposi- 
 tions and arrangements for making the final 
 charge had been fully completed, one company of 
 cavalry unnecessarily exposed itself, and this pre- 
 cipitated the attack. The Indians were Sioux, 
 forty lodges, Cheyennes, forty-five lodges eighty- 
 five in all. They had been in the raids together, 
 and were to separate the next day. They had 
 evidently concluded to take one day at these 
 splendid Springs, for the enjoyment of their fare- 
 well pow-wow, but it proved to be a " bad medi- 
 cine day " for them. When they saw the com- 
 pany of cavalry that had unfortunately been 
 exposed to their view, they ran out to gather in 
 their horses, which were quietly feeding in the 
 
 the chief. He was seen, as the troops approached, 
 mounted upon his horse, with his wife and child 
 behind him, trying to escape, but when he found 
 his retreat cut off, he ran into a "pocket "or 
 " draw," in the side of a ravine, with almost per- 
 pendicular sides, where some fifteen other war- 
 riors had taken refuge. He had a very fine horse, 
 which he led to the mouth of this " pocket " and 
 shot dead. He then took his wife and child and 
 pushed them up on the bank of the " pocket," 
 telling her, as he did this, to go and give them- 
 selves up, perhaps their lives would be spared. 
 The squaw and her child, a beautiful girl, went 
 straight to Major Xorth, and raising her hands 
 in. token of submission, drew them gently over 
 
 INDIAN COSTUMES. 
 
 vicinity of their camp, a mile or more away. 
 There was no time for delay. The troops and 
 scouts charged down upon them with all their 
 speed. The scouts, as usual, set up their infernal 
 war-whoop, and went in with a rush. The In- 
 dians were wholly unprepared for the attack, and 
 some of them were quietly lounging in their 
 tents. In fact it was nearly a complete surprise. 
 They were all under the lead of Tall Bull, a noted 
 Cheyenne chief and warrior, and numbered about 
 five hundred men, women and children nearly 
 or quite two hundred being warriors. Seventeen 
 squaws and children were taken prisoners, and 
 as near as could be estimated, one hundred and 
 sixty warriors were slain, among them Tall Bull, 
 
 his face and down his form to the ground, where 
 she sank upon her knees, her child standing be- 
 side her. While Major North can talk Pawnee 
 like a native, he could not understand what she 
 said, but as all Indians use sign language to a 
 great extent, he readily interpreted her motions 
 to mean that she surrendered, and wanted him to 
 spare their lives. He motioned her to rise, which 
 she did, and told her by signs to go a little way, 
 sit down and stay there, and she would not be 
 harmed. She then, by signs, indicated that 
 there were seven living braves still in the 
 "pocket," and asked him to go in after them, 
 doubtless thinking that her husband might be 
 saved with herself. He declined this request, 
 
51 
 
 especially as the Indians were shooting every one 
 they could see from their concealed position, it 
 being simply a question of life for life, and fur- 
 ther told her that the braves in the ravine would 
 all be killed. The troops and scouts staid 
 around this " pocket," until satisfied that there 
 were no living Indians there, and, on entering, 
 found sixteen dead warriors and one dead squaw, 
 lying close together, among whom was Tall Bull. 
 In their raids in the Solomon Valley, they had 
 captured two white women, whose lives they had 
 spared for purposes worse than death, and at the 
 time this attack was made, they were still alive. 
 One of them had been taken by the principal 
 Sioux chief, and the other was appropriated by 
 Tall Bull, whose wife, doubtless from motives of 
 ignorant jealousy, was accustomed to give her 
 severe whippings, at least six days out of every 
 seven, and her body showed the marks where she 
 had been repeatedly bruised and lacerated by 
 Tall Bull's squaw. The white woman who was 
 appropriated by the Sioux chief, when he found 
 she was likely to be rescued, was shot dead by 
 him, and only gasped for breath a few times af- 
 ter being found by some of the officers, unable to 
 
 PAWNEE CHIEF IN FULL DRESS. 
 
 utter a word. As near as could be learned, her 
 name was Susanna. It was afterwards ascer- 
 tained that she was a Norwegian woman, and 
 General Carr, in his report of the battle, calls the 
 Springs, Susanna Springs, after this woman, and 
 near which she was decently buried, and which 
 name they ought to bear now. 
 
 When the charge was first begun, Captain 
 Gushing of the scouts, passing by the lodge of 
 Tall Bull, entered it. The chief, as before 
 stated, had fled with his wife and child at the 
 first approach of danger, but in his lodge there 
 remained the other captive woman, whom he 
 had shot and evidently left for dead. She was 
 a German woman, unable to speak English, and 
 up to this time, had supposed, from the presence 
 of the scouts, that the fight was between Indians, 
 and that whatever the result, there would be no 
 change for the better so far as she was concerned. 
 As the captain entered the lodge, he saw this 
 woman in a sitting posture, nearly denuded, with 
 the blood running down her waist. When the 
 chief left the tent, he had shot her in the side, 
 aiming at her heart, but the bullet struck a rib, 
 glanced, passed part way around her body, and 
 came out near the spine. As the fight had just 
 commenced, Captain Cushing told her by motions 
 and as best he could, to stay there and she would 
 be taken care of, but not comprehending his 
 meaning, and now, for the first time, realizing 
 that white men were engaged in the battle, she 
 thought, as he started to go, that she was to be 
 left, and with the most pitiful moan ever uttered 
 by human lips, she lifted her arms, clasped him 
 around his limbs, and in every possible way, 
 begged him not to leave her with the savages. 
 Others passing by, he called them in, and the 
 woman was partially made to understand that 
 she would be cared for. lie disengaged himself 
 from her embrace, and after the fight had ended, 
 returned and took her to the surgeon, who saw 
 that her wounds were not fatal, that they were 
 properly dressed, and provided for her as best he 
 could on the return march to Fort Sedgwick, op- 
 posite where Julesburg now stands, where she 
 was placed in the hospital and soon recovered. 
 A few months later, having no home or friends 
 where she was taken captive, she was married to 
 a soldier, who was discharged by reason of expi- 
 ration of service. The troops and scouts cap- 
 tured in this fight, nearly six hundred head of 
 horses and mules, all the tents of the two tribes, 
 an immense quantity of buffalo meat and robes, 
 fifty guns of various kinds, with pistols, fancy 
 Indian head-dresses, trinkets, etc., and $ 1,900 in 
 twenty-dollar gold pieces, which the Indians had 
 taken from this German woman's father at the 
 time she was captured. About $000 of this gold 
 was restored to the woman, and if the white sol- 
 diers had been as honest and generous as the 
 brave Pawnee scouts, when the appeal for its 
 restoration was made, every lost dollar would 
 
52 
 
 have been returned. 
 gave up over 
 
 Of the $900, the scouts 
 The seventeen prisoners 
 
 taken, included Tall Bull's wife and child. 
 They were first carried to Fort Sedgwick, then 
 sent to Omaha, where they were kept under 
 guard for about six weeks, and then sent to the 
 Whetstone Agency, on the Missouri lliver above 
 Yankton. The widowed squaw married a Sioux 
 Indian at the Red Cloud Agency, where she is 
 now living. 
 
 Prairie Dogs. The little villages of prairie 
 dogs which are seen frequently by passengers 
 from the car windows, soon after leaving Sidney, 
 and line the track for many miles, are full of 
 curious features of animal life. Ladies clap 
 their hands, and children shout with glee at 
 sight of these cunning little creatures. It is a 
 pretty little animal, curious in shape, always 
 fat, grayish red color, about sixteen inches in 
 length, and always lives with a multitude of its 
 companions in villages. It has a short, yelp- 
 ing sound, which it is very fond of uttering, and 
 has some resemblance to the bark of a young 
 puppy. The curious mounds or burrows are of 
 considerable dimensions, dug in a sloping direc- 
 tion at an angle of forty-five degrees with the 
 surface of the ground. After descending two or 
 three yards they make a sudden turn upward, 
 and terminate in a spacious chamber. 
 
 In the same hole with the prairie dog is found 
 frequently the burroiving owl, and often upon the 
 summits of their little burrows may be seen the 
 solemn owl on one side of the hole in stately 
 silence ; while on the other side is the lively 
 little prairie dog, squatted on the fattest part 
 with head bobbed up, and fore paws hanging 
 down, ready at the slightest noise to dart head- 
 first into his hole. In some of these holes rattle- 
 snakes have been found. What harmony or 
 congruity there can be in the lives of these three 
 diverse species of creatures to help form a happy 
 family, no one can give the reason, but all ac- 
 counts seem to agree that the stately owl and the 
 treacherous snake make their home with the 
 little dogs, to abuse the hospitality of their four- 
 footed friends by devouring their young. 
 
 The scene presented by one of these dog vil- 
 lages is very curious. The prairie dog is no less 
 inquisitive than timid. On the approach of an 
 intruder, the little creature gives a sharp yelp of 
 alarm, and dives into its burrow, its example 
 being at once followed by all its neighbors. For 
 an instant the village appears to be deserted ; 
 but soon their curiosity gets the better of their 
 prudence, and their inquisitive little noses are 
 seen protruding from their burrows, to ascertain 
 the cause of the alarm, a ciiriosity which often 
 costs them dear. The prairie dog is remarkably 
 tenacious of life, and unless shot in the head is 
 sure to escape into its hole. The writer has 
 often seen attempts to shoot them from the train 
 as it passes. Away scampers the little dog, 
 
 stomach so full that it touches the ground, while 
 little feet pulled for dear life for its own hole, 
 and by its side or under it traveled the livelier 
 bullet, each tearing up a stream of dust quicker 
 than the eye can follow. Attempts have been 
 made to tame them as pets, but they rarely ever 
 live long, and have too apt a way of biting off 
 fingers. They live only on the roots of grasses, 
 not being flesh eaters. 
 
 Burton, an early traveler across the continent 
 in 1861, was immensely interested in his exami- 
 nation of a prairie dog village. The Indians call 
 them " Wisk-ton-wish" from some slight resem- 
 blance to this cry. 
 
 " Wish-ton-wish "' was at home, sitting posted 
 like a sentinel upon the roof, and sunning him- 
 self in the mid-day glow. It is not easy to shoot 
 him ; he is out of doors all day, but timid and 
 alert ; at the least suspicion of danger he plunges 
 with a jerking of the tail, and a somersault 
 quicker than a shy young rabbit, into the nearest 
 hole, peeping from the ground, and keeping up a 
 feeble little cry, (wish-ton-wish !) more like the 
 notes of a bird than a bark. If not killed out- 
 right, he will manage to wiggle into his home. 
 The villages are generally on the brow of a hill, 
 near a creek or pond, thus securing water with- 
 out danger of drowning. The holes, which de- 
 scend in -a spiral form, must be deep, and are 
 connected by long galleries, with sharp angles, 
 ascents and descents, to puzzle the pursuer. Lieu- 
 tenant Pike had 140 kettles of water poured 
 into one without dislodging the occupant. The 
 precincts of each village are always cleared of 
 grass, upon which the animals live, as they rarely 
 venture half a mile from home. In the winter 
 time they stop the mouth of their burrows, and 
 construct a deeper cell, where they live till spring 
 appears. 
 
 The Indians and trappers eat the flesh, declar- 
 ing it to be fatter and better than that of the 
 squirrel. If the meat is exposed for a night or 
 two to the frost, all rankness will be corrected. 
 In the same hole are found rattlesnakes, the 
 white burrowing owl, tortoises and horned frogs, 
 the owl often gratifying his appetite by break- 
 ing open the skull of a young dog, with a smart 
 stroke of his beak." 
 
 Ilifft the Cattle King of the Plains, 
 
 Has a range 150 miles long, a herd of 26,000 
 head, and is called the Great Cattle King of the 
 plains, and has the " boss ranche " of this western 
 country. This ranche is in northern Colorado. It 
 begins at Julesburg, on the Union Pacific Rail- 
 road, and extends to Greeley, 156 miles west. Its 
 southern boundary is the South Platte River; its 
 northern, the divide, rocky and bluffy, just south 
 of the Lodge Pole Creek. It has nearly the shape 
 of a right-angled triangle, the right angle being 
 at Greeley, the base line being the South Platte 
 River. The streams flowing through it are, first, 
 
54 
 
 the river just named, Crow Creek, and other 
 small creeks and streams which take their rise 
 in living springs, in and near the bluffs of the 
 divide mentioned, and flow in a southerly direc- 
 tion into the South Platte River. It includes 
 bottom and upland ranges, and has several 
 camps or ranches. The chief ranche is nearly 
 south of Sidney, and about forty miles from Jules- 
 burg. At this ranche there are houses, sheds, sta- 
 bles, and corrals, and more than two sections of 
 land fenced in. All the cattle bought by Mr. 
 Iliff are rebranded and turned over to him at this 
 place. Here are his private stock yards, with 
 corrals, chutes, pens and all necessary conveni- 
 ences for handling cattle. It is near the river, 
 and of course has fine watering facilities, while 
 from the adjoining bottom lands plenty of hay 
 may be cut for the use of the horses employed in 
 herding. He cuts 110 hay for his cattle; they 
 live the entire year on the rich native grasses on 
 his range, and with the exception of a severe 
 winter, now and then, the percentage of loss is 
 not very great. 
 
 Mr. Iliff is a thorough cattle man, and from 
 his long experience has a perfect knowledge of 
 the business. He began in 1860, and during the 
 war had government contracts to fill, in Xew 
 Mexico and other frontier territories. He sup- 
 plied most of the beef to the contractors who 
 built the Union Pacific Railroad, and brought 
 immense herds of cattle from Texas and the 
 Indian Territory which were driven along the 
 line of the road to supply the army of laborers 
 with beef. He has been engaged in the stock 
 business in Kansas, New Mexico, and now in 
 Colorado, and thinks his present location is ad- 
 mirably adapted to it, if the sheep men will only 
 keep out. Cattle and sheep will not do well on 
 the same range together. Success in either 
 requires separation. Mr. Iliff has purchased 
 and now owns more than twenty thousand acres 
 of the range he occupies, which, of course, in- 
 cludes the choice springs and watering places 
 within its limits, and will, undoubtedly, purchase 
 more land as soon as it comes into market. 
 
 He now has more than 40,000 head of cattl", 
 of all ages, sizes and conditions. The number 
 of calves branded on his ranche, last year, 
 reached nearly 5,000 head, and his sales of three 
 and four-vear-old steers and fat cows, last sea- 
 son, reached nearly the same number. He 
 realized about $32 per head, net, on these sales. 
 At this rate, 4,000 head would bring him the 
 snug little sum of .1128,000. To take care of 
 this immense herd, he employs from twelve to 
 thirty-five men very few, usually, in the winter 
 months, and the largest number during the 
 "round ups " in the spring. During the ship- 
 ping season of 1875, he had twenty-four men 
 who were employed in cutting out of his herd 
 the four-year-old steers that were ready for 
 market, some fat three-year-olds, and such fat 
 
 cows as were no longer fit for breeding purposes. 
 While engaged in this work, the same men 
 gather the cows with unbranded calves, which 
 they put into the corrals near by, and after the 
 calves are branded they are turned loose with the 
 herd again. By the introduction of thorough- 
 bred Durham bulls, his herd is rapidly being 
 graded up. In addition to the cattle raised on 
 his ranche, he deals largely in Texas and Indian 
 cattle, and last season advertised for 20,000 head 
 of Texas cattle to be delivered on his ranche 
 during the driving months of 1876. These cat- 
 tle must be yearlings, two and three-year-old 
 steers, and for them he expects to pay $7, $11 
 and $ 15 per head, respectively. This is, at least, 
 10 per cent, advance on the prices paid for the 
 same kind of cattle in 1875, and indicates their 
 growing scarcity in Texas. If he does not ob- 
 tain this number from Texas, he will supply the 
 deficiency with Oregon and Montana cattle, 
 which are now beginning to come East. 
 
 Mr. Iliff estimates the increase of cattle from 
 his home herd outside of purchases and sales 
 to be about 70 per cent, per year, and about 
 equally divided as to gender. He does not sepa- 
 rate his bulls from the herd, but allows them to 
 remain with it the entire year. In this part of 
 his management, we believe he makes a mistake, 
 as the percentage of increase would be much 
 larger if no calves were born during the severe 
 winter and spring months of each year. The 
 loss in calves at these times must be very great. 
 The shipping points for his ranche are at Pine 
 Bluffs and Julesburg, on the Union Pacific, and 
 at Deers' Trail on the Kansas Pacific. The 
 most of his cattle, however, are shipped over the 
 first-mentioned road. 
 
 Lest any one should come to the conclusion 
 that this business is all profit, and that the ex- 
 penses and losses do not amount to much, let us 
 further state that Mr. Iliff's policy is to keep his 
 expenses as low as possible, having the keeping 
 and safety of his cattle constantly in view. In 
 1875, the expenses of herding, cutting hay for 
 horses, etc., amounted to less than $15,000. But 
 the losses from thefts and death, some years, are 
 frightful. The winter of 1871-2 was very 
 severe. There were deep snows over his range 
 that remained on the ground a long time, and 
 the storms were incessant. In the midst of these 
 storms, Mr. Tliff visited the ranche, and found his 
 cattle literally dying by thousands. On the 
 islands in South Platte River, he found and 
 drove off into the sand-hills and bluffs, on the 
 south side, after great exertion, some 2,700 head, 
 and of this number less than half were recovered. 
 Their bleaching bones now whiten the plains in 
 the vicinity where they were frozen and starved 
 to death, and those finally recovered were found 
 in two different States and four different Terri- 
 tories in the Union. More than $20.000 were 
 expended in efforts to find them ; nor was this 
 
55 
 
 all. It was impossible to tell, for a number of 
 years, how great the loss had been. His books 
 showed more than 5,000 head unaccounted for. 
 No trace of tinm, beyond skeletons, could be 
 found. At last, in the spring of 1874, this num- 
 ber was charged to profit and loss account, and 
 the books balanced for a new start. Could they 
 have been sold the fall previous, they would 
 have averaged at least $18 per head, and at this 
 rate would have amounted to $90,000. 
 
 It will thus ba seen that the cattle business is 
 not all profit ; that it is liable to losses the same 
 as any other busi 
 ness. Taking 
 the years togeth- 
 er, with ordinary 
 
 care and judg- jlJ E^' ~^/^, 
 
 nrint, the busi- 
 ness will pay 
 large profits and 
 prove a desirable 
 investment. We 
 would not, how- 
 ever, advise 
 every man to 
 undertake it. It 
 is a business 
 that must be 
 learned, and to 
 succeed in it 
 men must have 
 exparience, cap- 
 ital, and a good 
 range. Mr. Iliff 
 has all of these, 
 and hence is 
 meeting with 
 corresponding 
 s u c ce s s . The 
 26,000 head he 
 now has, he 
 thinks, on an av- 
 erage, are worth 
 $18 per head. 
 This rate would 
 place th3 capital 
 hs has invested 
 in cattle at the 
 sum of $ 1:68,000. 
 In addition to 
 this he has 160 
 head of horses 
 
 and mules, worth at least $10,000, which are used, 
 principally, in herding, together with wagons, 
 horses, fences, corrals, sheds, stables, mowing- 
 machines, tools and implements, and the large 
 track of land before mentioned. Half a mil- 
 lion dollars is a low estimate to name as the sum 
 he has invested in this business, and yet from its 
 very nature he is liable to lose half of it in the 
 next year. Like other business ventures, if a 
 man goes into it, of course he takes the chances, 
 
 but with care and good management we see no 
 reason why he should not, in nine cases out of 
 ten, win every time. Let the facts speak for 
 themselves. Ordinary men can't raise a half 
 million dollars, every day, for such an invest- 
 ment, and if they could command that amount, 
 very few would desire a stock ranche and the 
 cattle business. 
 
 Hull whackers. A curious character of over- 
 land life, when the plains were covered with 
 teams, and long trains of freight-wagons, was the 
 bullwhacker. He is in size and shape usually of 
 ^=_ ^ very large pro- 
 
 portions ; very 
 strong, long, un- 
 kempt hair, and 
 face covered 
 with the stiff est 
 of beards. Eight 
 or ten yoke of 
 oxen were usu- 
 ally attached to 
 each wagon, and 
 often two wag- 
 ons were doubled 
 up; i. e., the 
 tongue of the 
 second wagon 
 passed under the 
 body of the wag- 
 on just before it, 
 and then secure- 
 ly fastened. By 
 the side of his 
 wagon hang his 
 trusty axe and 
 ready rifle, and 
 on the tops of the 
 wagons were 
 spread the red 
 blankets used 
 for their cover at 
 night. Of the 
 bullwhacker, it 
 is said that his 
 natlt and his whip 
 are both the 
 longest ever 
 known. The 
 h a n d le of the 
 ordinary whip is 
 
 THE BULLWHACKER OF THE PLAINS. not more than 
 
 three feet in length, but the lash, which is of 
 braided rawhide, is seldom less than twenty feet 
 long. From the wooden handle, the lash swells 
 gradually/ out for about six feet, where it is nearly 
 ten inches in circumference (the point called the 
 " belly "); from here it tapers to within a foot of 
 the end, which terminates in the form of a rib- 
 bon-shaped thong. This is called by some face- 
 tiously a "persuader," and under its influence it 
 will make the ox-team progress at the magic 
 
 fflBT 
 
50 
 
 rate of twenty miles per day. The effect on a 
 refractory ox is quite forcible. The lazy ox occa- 
 sionally receives a reminder in the shape of a 
 whack in the flank, that causes him to double up 
 as if seared with a red-hot iron. 
 
 The bullwhacker is universally regarded as the 
 champion swearer of America. He is more pro- 
 fane than the mate of a Mississippi River packet, 
 and his own word is good to the effect that he 
 " kin drink more whisky." The writer who heard 
 this, says that " accompanying this statement 
 were some of the most astoundimj oaths that ever fM 
 on the ear." 
 
 General Sherman humorously tells a story in 
 defence of the extremely profane mule-driver 
 who kept his trains so well closed up during the 
 long marches of the army under his command. It 
 is to this effect : " One of the members of a 
 freighting firm in St. Louis desired to discourage 
 the continual blasphemy of the bullwhackers in 
 their employ. Orders were accordingly issued 
 to their train-masters to discharge any man that 
 should curse the cattle. The wagon-masters were 
 selected more for their piety than for any exten- 
 sive knowledge of their duties in the handling of 
 trains. The outfit had not proceeded more than 
 a hundred and fifty miles, before it was stuck 
 fast. A messenger was dispatched to the firm 
 with the information that the cattle would not 
 pull a pound unless they were cursed as uxual. 
 Permission to do this was requested and granted, 
 after which the train proceeded to Salt Lake, to 
 which place good time was made." 
 
 The bullwhacker is astonishingly accurate with 
 his lash. One of his favorite pastimes is to cut a 
 coin from the top of a stick stuck loosely into the 
 earth. If the coin is knocked off without dis- 
 turbing the stake, it is his; if the stake is dis- 
 turbed, the thrower loses the value of the coin. 
 A curious incident is told of a bullwhacker, not- 
 ed for the accuracy with which he throws his 
 lash. He bet a comrade a pint of whisky that 
 he could cut the cloth on the back of his panta- 
 loons without touching the skin beneath. The 
 bet was accepted. The individual put himself 
 in position, stooping over to give fair chance. 
 The blow was delivered carefully but in earnest, 
 and thereon ensued the tallest jump ever put on 
 record. The owner being minus a portion of his 
 skin, as well as a large fragment of his breeches, 
 and the bullwhacker's sorrowful cry, " Thunder, 
 I've lost the whisky." 
 
 Chappett, 387.4 miles from Omaha. Eleva- 
 tion 3,702 feet. It is a side track with section- 
 house near by. Trains meet and pass here, but 
 passenger trains do not stop unless signaled. 
 
 Lodge Pole has an elevation of 3,800 feet, 
 and is 396.5 miles west of Omaha. The creek 
 from which this station is named, rises in the 
 Black Hills of Wyoming, west of Cheyenne, and 
 is fed by springs and numerous small streams 
 near its source. It generally has water in its 
 
 channel the entire year. In occasional places it 
 sinks into the sand, runs a distance under-ground, 
 and then reappears on the surface again. The 
 valley of the Lodge Pole is quite narrow the 
 bluffs on either side at times approaching near 
 the track. The whole region of country upon 
 which we have now entered, is covered with 
 buffalo grass, and affords both winter and sum- 
 mer grazing for immense herds of cattle and 
 flocks of sheep. Stockmen claim that both cattle 
 and sheep will do better in this region than far- 
 ther east, for the reason that the native grasses 
 are more nutritious, and that there is less snow 
 in the winter. 
 
 Cotton, 406.5 miles from Omaha, and 4,022 
 feet above the sea. It is simply a side track, 
 named in honor of Francis Colton of Galesburg, 
 111., and formerly general ticket agent of the 
 road. 
 
 Sidney is 414.2 miles from the Missouri 
 River, and 4,073 feet above the sea. It is the 
 end of a sub-division of the road, and has a 
 roundhouse and machinery adequate for making 
 minor repairs. The railroad reached and passed 
 here in August 1867. The rocky bluffs which 
 jut up close to the town, were quarried by the 
 railroad men, and stone obtained for various con- 
 struction purposes. It is now a regular eating- 
 station, where all passenger trains stop for break- 
 fast and supper. The railroad hotel is kept by 
 J. B. Rumsey, and passengers may be assured of 
 good meals, with plenty of time to eat, as the 
 train stops thirty minutes. Sidney is the county- 
 seat of Cheyenne County, Neb. The military 
 post here known as Sidney Barracks, was laid 
 out in 1867, and built in January, 1868, by 
 Colonel Porter. The town has several stores, 
 hotels, saloons and general outfitting establish- 
 ments. It is the nearest railroad point to the 
 Black Hills, it being only 185 miles by actual 
 measurement to Harney's Peak, and the adjacent 
 gold fields, over an excellent wagon road, with 
 wood and water convenient of access. It has 
 become a great outfitting depot for the Black 
 Hills. A daily stage line and freight train now 
 run regularly, reaching Custer City in thirty 
 hours, and Dead wood in forty-eight hours. It 
 is the point where large quantities of military 
 and Indian supplies are shipped to the agen- 
 cies and military posts adjoining. It also has 
 a weekly newspaper. The Sidney Telegraph, which 
 is quite an enterprising sheet. The town still 
 has the characteristics of a frontier place, and 
 not a small number of roughs have died here 
 "with their boots on." In December, 1875, a 
 man was found hanging to a telegraph pole one 
 morning, who had shot another in cold blood, 
 and without provocation. He was taken from 
 the jail and jailer by masked men and strung up 
 as aforesaid. The town was begun about the 
 time the railroad passed through. D. Carrigan, 
 now probate judge of the county, and James and 
 
57 
 
 Charles Moore being the first settlers. James 
 Moore was the post trader here for a long time. 
 He is now dead. In the time of the Pony Ex- 
 press he made the remarkable trip of 280 miles 
 in fourteen hours and three-quarters. The town 
 has had trouble with Indians, and was once 
 attacked by them, as related in another place. 
 Even after the trains were running regularly, the 
 Indians would seek for revenge in ditching them 
 and in killing all the employes they could. 
 Section-men always went armed, ready to defend 
 themselves in case of attack. In April of 1809, 
 the Indians attacked two section-men who had 
 gone to the creek for water, and one of them, 
 Daniel Davidson, was killed his body being liter- 
 ally filled with arrows. Right north of the town, 
 where the traveler can see a small column of 
 stones, was an old fort or breastwork, the re- 
 mains of which are still visible, which was 
 used as a place of defense in case of Indian 
 raids. A bridge across the North Platte River, 
 on the road to Spotted Tail's Agency, would 
 largely increase the trade and importance of 
 the town. In 1875, the assessed valuation of 
 Cheyenne County was about $1,250,000. There 
 are a large number of stockmen in the county. 
 
 Beautiful Cloud Effects. Artists and all 
 travelers, as they get nearer and nearer to the 
 summit of the Rocky Mountains, will often have 
 fine opportunities to see some magnificent cloud 
 effects. The most glorious sunset ever witnessed 
 by the writer, was one beautiful evening in pass- 
 ing down the line of the Denver Pacific Railroad 
 from Cheyenne. Long's Peak, grand in its sub- 
 limity of snow, was surrounded with a collection 
 of clouds, so poised that the rays of the setting 
 sun showed us each side of them. On the hither 
 side the fleecy clouds were lighted up with the 
 grandest of crimson and golden colors ; in their 
 midst opened little circular or oval windows, 
 which, letting light upon their upper portions, 
 seemed to be of molten silver ; while in their depth 
 of deep azure blue more beautiful than we can de- 
 scribe there seemed to glow the intense colors 
 and reflections from the bosom of a mountain lake. 
 Every few minutes the clouds, at our distance from 
 them, changed their position, and new colors, 
 forms, and rays came and went, and when at last 
 the sun itself dropped slowly behind the very point 
 of the peak, and it shone out in startling clear- 
 ness with the grand display of rainbow-colored 
 clouds above ; the sight seemed like a heavenly 
 vision. The editors of the New York and East- 
 ern Editorial Excursion Party of 1875, who wit- 
 nessed the scene, expressed but one sentiment of 
 admiration, that it was far the most superb 
 cloud and sunset scene ever witnessed. Such 
 scenes are very frequent, and exceedingly capti- 
 vating to those who have a true artist's eye and 
 appreciation of colors and effects. 
 
 An English traveler (to whom beautiful sun- 
 sets are unknown) when once traveling from 
 
 Ogalalla toward Laramie, over the plains, says, 
 " As we journeyed, the sun approached the hori- 
 zon, and the sky and numerous clouds assumed 
 columns of strange and wonderful beauty. The 
 ' azure vault ' itself was of all possible shades of 
 light green, and also of clear light blue; some of 
 the clouds were of solid masses of the deepest 
 indigo, while a few were black, some were pur- 
 ple, and others faintly tinged with crimson and 
 gold. Two days before, 1 had witnessed cloud 
 effects almost equally fine. There is no monot- 
 ony in the glorious dawns or beautiful sunsets, 
 which are the rule on these elevated plains, and 
 which go far to relieve the tameness of the land- 
 scape. 
 
 " As evening approached, on my journey to 
 Laramie, and I neared my destination on the 
 great mountain plains, I saw hovering over one 
 of the snow-capped peaks,'a richly colored cloud, 
 so curious in foim, and withal so perfect that it 
 might well have been considered a miraculous 
 omen, in the superstitious days of old. It -was a 
 most accurate representation of a long waving 
 ostrich plume, in varying tints of crimson and 
 purple and gold ; I gazed on it with pleasure and 
 wonder till it faded away." 
 
 Sunset in a Storm. The Earl of Dunraven, 
 in an account of his travels, mentions with won- 
 der these extraordinary sunset scenes : "Just be- 
 fore sundown, the gorgeous flaunting streamers 
 of bright yellow and red that were suddenly shot 
 out across a lurid sky were most wonderful to 
 behold. If the vivid colors were transferred to 
 canvas with a quarter of their real brilliancy, 
 the eye would be distressed by the representa- 
 tion, and the artist accused of gross exaggera- 
 tion and of straining after outrageous effects. 
 
 " These stormy American sunsets are startling, 
 barbaric, even savage in their brilliancy of tone, 
 in their profusion of color, in their great streaks 
 of red and broad flashes of yellow fire ; startling, 
 but never repulsive to the senses, or painful 
 to the eye. For a time the light .hone most 
 brilliantly all over the western hemisphere, 
 breaking through a confused mass of dazzling 
 purple-edged clouds, massed against a glowing, 
 burnished copper sky, darting out bright arrows 
 through the rifts and rents, and striking full 
 upon the mountain top. 
 
 " But not long did this glorious effulgence last. 
 The soul of the evening soon passed away ; as 
 the sun sank, the colors fled. The mountains 
 became of a ghastly, livid greenish color, and as 
 the faint rose light paled, faded slowly upward 
 and vanished, it really looked as though the life 
 were ebbing away, and the dull gray death-hue 
 spreading over the face of a dying man." 
 
 Snnset Scene on Mount Washburne. 
 The Earl of Dunraven ascending, in the summer 
 of 1874, the summit of Mt. Washburne was re- 
 warded at sunset with a scene of extraordinary 
 magnificence, which he relates as follows : " The 
 
sun was getting very low, and the valleys were 
 already steeped in shade. To the east all was 
 dark, but in the western heavens long flaming 
 streaks of yellow were flashing across a lowering 
 sky. The masses of black clouds were glowing 
 red with an angry flush. The clear white light 
 of a watery sun had changed into broad streaks 
 of flaunting saffron. Across all the hemisphere, 
 opposed to it, the setting orb was shaking out 
 the red and yellow folds of its banners, challeng- 
 ing the forces of the storm, which was marshal- 
 ing ou the horizon, its cloud warriors resplend- 
 ent in burnished gold. 
 
 " Tha sun sank behind a cloud, and I turned 
 away to descend ; but as we went, the sun, 
 though invisible to us, broke through some hid- 
 d3n rift in the clouds, and shone out bright and 
 strong, splashing its horizontal rays full against 
 the opposite slope, and deluging the lower por- 
 tions of th3 valley with a flool of intense cherry- 
 colored lurid light. The hills reddened as if 
 beat upon by th i full glare of a great furnace. 
 It was a sight m>>t glorious to see. The beauty 
 of it held us anl forced us to stop. The glow 
 did not gradually ripen into fullness, but sud- 
 denly, and in all its intensity, struck upon a 
 prominent ridge, lighting up the crags and cliffs, 
 and even the rocks and stones, in all their de- 
 tails, and then by degrees it extended and spread 
 on either side over the foot-hills, bringing out 
 the projecting slopes and shoulders from deep 
 gloom into clear light, and throwing back the 
 valley into blackest shade. Every rock and 
 precipice seem id close at hand, and shone and 
 glowed with such radiance that you could trace 
 the very rents and crevices in the cliff faces, and 
 mark the pine trees clinging to the sides, while 
 in comparison the deep recesses of the chasms 
 and canons seemil to extend for miles back into 
 dark shadow. As the sun sank, so rose the 
 light, rushing up.v.ird, surging over the hills in 
 a wave of crimson mist, really beautiful to be- 
 hold, anl illuminating the great bulk of the 
 range, while the peaks were still darkly rearing 
 their sullen heads above the tide, and the valleys 
 w;re all filled with gray vapors. At last the 
 glare caught the mist, and in an instant trans- 
 form ;d it from gray cloud into a gauzy, half- 
 transparent vail, light, airy, delicate exceed- 
 ingly, in color like the inner petals of the rose. 
 Then, as the sun dropped suddenly, the light 
 flashed upon the summit, the peaks leaped into 
 startling life, and the darkness fell." 
 
 Broivnitoft. Simply a side track. Elevation 
 4,200 feet above the sea. Distance from Omaha, 
 423.2 miles. The station was named after a for- 
 mer general freight agent of the Union Pacific. 
 From Sidney, and in this vicinity, the bluffs are 
 rugged, and look like fortifications, or the old 
 castles that we read about. They are simply 
 indications of the grand scenery which is to 
 follow. 
 
 Potter. 433.1 miles from Omaha. Elevation 
 4,370 feet. It is a telegraph station. West of 
 Potter you cross the bed of a diy creek, which 
 leads into the Lodge Pole. 
 
 Jtiennett. Another side track, at which pas- 
 senger trains do not stop. There is a fine stock 
 ranche near by, and the grazing in this vicinity 
 is excellent. The station is named after Colonel 
 Bennett, the efficient superintendent of the Pull- 
 man Palace Car Company at Omaha. It is 442.3 
 miles from the eastern terminus of the road, with 
 an elevation of 4,580 feet. 
 
 Attfelope. 451.3 miles from Omaha. Eleva- 
 tion, 4,712 feet. A telegraph and coal station, 
 with side tracks and section house. In Novem- 
 ber, 1875, the Indians, who have a liking for 
 good and fast horses, equal to that of Bonner, 
 the New York Ledger man, went to the ranche of 
 Mr. Jones, a Kentuckian, about twenty miles 
 south of this station, and stole some forty head 
 of blooded horses and mares which he had 
 there for breeding purposes. They are supposed 
 believed to have gone north, and if Uncle 
 Sam's Indian agents would withhold rations from 
 the tribe until they were brought back, or make 
 a thorough search for them, they could undoubted- 
 ly be found. Many of the animals were thorough- 
 breds, and very valuable. Here is another viola- 
 tion of the Sioux treaty. Mr. Jones will have to 
 pocket his loss, while Uncle Sam will, of course, 
 pocket the insult. Antelope is the home of some 
 old hunters, and if the traveler desires to hear 
 their experiences, let him stop a day and inter- 
 view Jack Evans, who lias a laiuhe here, and Mr. 
 Goff, who has been engaged in the business some 
 fourteen years. 
 
 Landscape of the Colorado Plains. 
 There is a charm in life on the great plains. To 
 one who visits it for the first time, it seems 
 lonely indeed, and yet it is never wearisome. 
 
 Now ocme great rolling uplands of enormous 
 sweep, then boundless grassy plains, and all 
 the grandeur of vast monotony and desolation. 
 Sometimes the grand distances are broken by 
 rugged buttes and bluffs. As they rise in sight, 
 the traveler is as eager in his curiosity as the 
 sea voyager just catching his first view of the dis- 
 tant shore. Over all these plains there is a 
 sparkling, enthusiasm-giving atmosphere, crisp, 
 strong, magnetic, and a never-failing breeze; 
 even in the hottest days, or portions of the day, 
 the air is bracing, and rarely ever is the sky long 
 cloudless. 
 
 That vastness of solitude, boundless plains, 
 and boundless sky. that stretch of blue, that 
 waste of brown, never a tree, river, bird, or ani- 
 mal, home or life of any nature, who can de- 
 scribe the sensations, which are so overpowering. 
 
 As you approach the mountains, the Colorado 
 plains assume more verdure, as they are better 
 watered by the little streams from the foot-hills, 
 or bedewed by the mountain showers. In sum- 
 
59 
 
 mer time the landscape is green, and the plains 
 covered with flowers, while in autumn, with the 
 yellow of the prairie grass, the flowers ever stay, 
 new ones coming as old ones disappear. The 
 sunflower is the most profuse of all the species of 
 vegetation that spring up wherever the soil is 
 opened. For thousands of miles, wherever the 
 railroad or a wagon route has made its way 
 across the country, there spring up parallel rows 
 of the ever-living sunflower. In the eastern por- 
 tions of the plains of Nebraska and Kansas, near 
 the Missouri River, may be seen square miles of 
 sunflowers, 7 to 9 feet high ; as we travel farther 
 west, they gradually dwindle until they are, in 
 Colorado, only 3 to 9 inchfs in height, the oddest 
 little plant in nature, yet perfect in shape and 
 growth. 
 
 years yet to come, to be only the grazing-field of 
 thousands of buffalo or herds of cattle. Water 
 is scarce, irrigation is impossible, rains uncer- 
 tain, and in many parts the soil is full of soda 
 and alkali. The western march of settlement 
 practically ends at the one hundredth meridian 
 of longitude North Platte. 
 
 Coyotes. Pioneers, Indians and drivers, 
 unite in the most thrilling exclamations of their 
 detestations of this, the meanest of the animal 
 tribe that infest the plains. Just after twilight, 
 if you happen to be encamped on the plains, you 
 will hear not far off the quick bark of a single 
 coyote. This is the first call, the bugle cry. Then 
 come answers, and the pack of wolves assemble 
 rapidly, and just as darkness closes down, you 
 have but one enjoyment left, to listen to the most 
 
 Into this vast area of plains, which reaches 
 from east to west 500 miles, and north to south 
 1,000 miles, there can be poured nearly all the 
 population of Europe and Asia. Swallowing up 
 by the thousands, the plains, with open mouth, 
 wait with insatiate appetite for more. Into this 
 area can be put the whole of India. It is twice 
 as large as Hindostan, and as large as the whole 
 of the United States east of Chicago. 
 
 Agriculture is certain as far west as the three 
 hundredth mile from the Missouri River; from 
 thence westward, to the immediate vicinity of 
 the mountains, no crops can at present be raised. 
 This reach of 200 miles or more is, for many 
 
 dismal of howling matches. As each new comer 
 arrives he is welcomed with a howl. Each howl 
 is short, and by the band there seems to be a 
 chosen few who execute them in proper manner, 
 with all the variations. After these few have 
 performed some of their most " striking airs," a 
 silence of a few moments' duration follows, and 
 then the whole band breaks out with the most un- 
 earthly noises, which are second to no other noises 
 of plains and mountains Kit Carson once said of 
 these howls, "that it was only a little dispute as 
 to which coyote had, as the winner of the match, 
 the right to take the stakes (steaks)." A trav- 
 eler says of them : " It is quite impossible to do 
 
60 
 
 full justice to this wolf music. There is no 
 racket known to the inhabitants of the more 
 civilized sections of our country which will com- 
 pare with it. All the felines in the neighbor- 
 hood would not make a noise which would begin 
 to equal wolf music." Strange as it may seem, 
 the rough pioneer esteems this music his sweetest 
 lullaby, for as one of the old " rough and readies" 
 says : " If any redskin should take it under his 
 scalp to look about camp, every cuss of them 
 coyotes would shut up his trap and wake the fel- 
 lows up with the quiet" So long as the coyote 
 cries there is no danger from Indians the 
 moment he ceases, danger is near so the pioneer 
 esteems their music his best lullaby, and their 
 bark his safety. Occasionally the pack, toward 
 early morning, will make a raid into the 
 traveler's camp, and grab any edibles or pieces 
 left within reach; even sometimes seizing the 
 very haversack upon which the sleeper's head 
 is pillowed, but seldom ever touching the per- 
 sons of the campers. As morning approaches, 
 they retire to a safe distance from camp, and 
 squatted on their haunches like dogs, wait till 
 the party leaves. 
 
 The plains men have an old saying, " That the 
 coyotes can smell a Stales feller, and then you 
 will not see a coyote anywhere within sight of 
 camp." The explanation for which is supposed 
 to be as follows, given also by the old plains men : 
 " States fellers shoots at any live thing as 
 jumps in their sight, whether it is any 'count to 
 them or no." 
 
 Adams. A side track 457.3 miles from 
 Omaha; elevation 4,784 feet. The country here 
 is considerably broken, and between the bluffs 
 on either side huge boulders crop out. 
 
 Bushnell, 403.2 miles from Omaha, and 
 4,860 feet above the sea. It is simply a side 
 track with water tank. In coming up this val- 
 ley the railroad crosses the Lodge Pole Creek, or 
 its little branches, several times. Near Bushnell 
 is a trestle bridge across the creek. 
 
 Hailstorms, This region of country is fre- 
 quently, in summer, visited with hailstorms and 
 cloud-bursts. In the summer of 1875, a train was 
 overtaken by one of these hailstorms, and not a 
 whole pane of glass was left in the side of the 
 cars toward the storm. The glass in skylights 
 on the top of the cars was broken, and many of 
 the hailstones, as large as a man's fist, bounded 
 through the cars on the opposite side. The 
 wooden sides of the cars were dented, and the 
 sheet-iron casing of the engine-boiler looked as 
 though it had passed through a violent case of 
 the small-pox. When these cloud-bursts occur, 
 the drops of rain seem as large as walnuts, and 
 come so fast that the entire surface of the ground 
 is covered the surplus water not having time to 
 run off. In such storms the road is liable to 
 washouts, and great care is necessary in the run- 
 ning of trains to avoid accidents. 
 
 Bushnell is the last station in Nebraska. Just 
 across the line, between it and Wyoming, comes 
 
 Pine Bluffs, 473.2 miles from Omaha ; ele- 
 vation 5,026 feet. The little station takes its 
 name from the stunted pines along the bluffs. 
 Pine timber once was plenty here, but it disap- 
 peared when the road was built. It is the great 
 trail and crossing point for Indians passing from 
 the buffalo grounds on the Republican to Horse 
 Creek and North Platte River. Was several 
 times attacked by Indians during construction of 
 road, several were killed and large amounts of 
 stock stolen. It is now the head-quarters of 
 Judge Tracy's cattle ranche, and several carloads 
 of cattle are shipped each year. Muddy Creek 
 is just west of station, has water most of the time, 
 yet Lodge Pole Creek, beyond Egbert, sinks in 
 the sand. Water can be found in the bed of the 
 stream by digging 3 to 9 feet. .This is a telegraph 
 station, with side track, cattle-yards and chutes. 
 
 Tracy, 478.8 miles from Omaha ; elevation 
 5,149 feet. It is a siae track named in honor 
 of Judge Tracy of Cheyenne. 
 
 Ef/berf, 484.4 miles from Omaha ; elevation 
 5,272 feet. It is a side track with water tank. 
 Three miles south of this side track runs the 
 Muddy, which has quite a settlement of ranche- 
 men. The Lodge Pole at this point is still dry, 
 and the company dug thirty-two feet for the 
 water which supplies their tank. The road here 
 leaves the main valley of the Lodge Pole, to the 
 right, and runs up a branch, in which the bed of 
 a creek is visible, but which never has water in 
 it except after the cloud-bursts spoken of. 
 
 Burns, 490.7 miles from the Missouri River, 
 with an elevation of 5,428 feet. The grade is 
 now quite heavy as we are going up on to the 
 divide between the Lodge Pole and Crow Creek. 
 Burns is simply a side track where trains occa- 
 sionally meet and pass. 
 
 HiUsdale, a telegraph station with side 
 track and section-house. The place takes its name 
 from a Mr. Hill, who was killed here by the In- 
 dians at the time the road was located. He 
 belonged to the engineer corps of the road. The 
 company's well here, which supplies the water 
 tank, is 72 feet deep. North and south of this sta- 
 tion numerous sheep ranches have been opened. 
 By looking straight west, up the track, you can 
 here obtain the first glimpse of the Black Hills 
 of Wyoming and they will come into plain view 
 as you ascend the heavy grade toward the divide. 
 Hillsdale is 5,591 feet above the sf a, and 496.4 
 miles from Omaha. Notice the grade indicated 
 by the elevations as you pass these stations. 
 
 Atkins, 5Q2.Q miles from Omaha, and 5,800 
 feet above the sea. It is a side track, simply, 
 with water tank and section-house near by. The 
 well which supplies this station with water is 
 over 200 feet deep. Here the traveler obtains a 
 good view of the Black Hills stretching off to the 
 right. Still up the grade you go, reaching the 
 
61 
 
 summit of the divide in the first snow shed on 
 the line of the road just beyond 
 
 Archer, which is 508 miles from the starting 
 place, with an elevation of 6,000 feet above tide- 
 water. This station is a side track with section- 
 house near by. A short distance farther, you 
 
 makes its way through the bluffs off to the left. 
 Soon we come to a deep cut through the spur of 
 a bluff, passing which, we cross a bridge over a 
 dry ravine, and then continue up the hill to the 
 " Magic City " of the plains, called Cheyenne. 
 Lony's Jfeak. Travelers will notice, a few 
 
 LONG'S PEAK FROM ESTES PARK. 
 
 enter the shed; it seems like passing through a 
 tunnel. In the distance there are mountains 
 "to the right of you," and mountains "to the 
 left of you," but we shall see more of them here- 
 after. Leaving the snow shed we are now on a 
 down grade into Crow Creek Valley, which 
 
 hours before reaching Cheyenne, the snow-clad 
 summit of this bold peak, rising above the dis- 
 tant horizon. It is about sixty miles south-west 
 of the Union Pacific Railroad, and the highest 
 mountain in northern Colorado. The view we 
 here give is taken from Estes Park ; a beautiful 
 
62 
 
 little park on its north-western slope, and about 
 twelve miles distant from the summit. This 
 park is about four miles wide, and six miles long, 
 is well sheltered, easy of access, and beautifully 
 covered with pine and spruce trees, scattered 
 easily about over the grassy surface, which gives 
 to it a true park-like loveliness. It is partially 
 occupied by a few families who have taken up 
 permanent homesteads, and has been for a long 
 time an excellent pasture for large herds of cattle 
 which live here the entire year. It is also becom- 
 ing quite a pleasure resort, and has many at- 
 tractive features to interest the health seeker and 
 tourist. Excellent fishing, in lovely little trout 
 streams, can be found all over the vicinity. From 
 this valley is the only practicable route for 
 ascending the peak. Long's Peak is 14,271 feet 
 in elevation, arid about 6,300 feet above the park. 
 Its construction is of the boldest and most de- 
 cided character, with great walls, deep canons; 
 and on its sides there are gorges and caverns 
 among the grandest on the continent. Its sum- 
 mit is divided into two sharp crests, the western 
 one being the highest and most difficult of ascent. 
 It is a famous landmark for a stretch of country 
 of more than a hundred miles from north to 
 south. 
 
 Ktiffaloes. Buffalo hunting is a pastime 
 tourists can now have little hope to indulge in. 
 Few or no buffaloes ever appear within sight of 
 the car windows of the overland trains, and the 
 vast herds which once roamed for thousands of 
 mil;s and continually up and down the great 
 plain, are passing away, or disappearing f emu their 
 old haunts to find some nook or corner more 
 quiet and secure. Thousands of them have been 
 killed during the past two or three winters for 
 commercial purposes. The hides are stripped 
 off and sold for as low prices as $1.50, while the 
 bones are gathered in heaps near the railroad 
 station and freighted eastward to be used for 
 commercial fertilizers. In one winter it is esti- 
 mated that on the lines of the Union and Kansas 
 Pacific Kailroad there were killed over 100,000 
 head. 
 
 A Smart, Indian Trade. The Indians 
 which in olden times used to visit the military 
 posts, were noticeable for their great anxieties to 
 trade, and for their great shrewdness, which had 
 often the spice of humor. 
 
 At one of the posts a Kiowa chief endeavored 
 to consummate a bargain for an officer's wife, by 
 offering as an equivalent a large number of fat 
 dogs ; the number was so large that the Indians 
 present thinking it was impossible for the officer 
 to withstand so tempting an offer, made haste to 
 express their willingness to help eat the dugs, if 
 there were more than the white man could man- 
 age for himself. 
 
 But it is among the Indians themselves that 
 the sharpest species of trading is seen. In the 
 great passion of tb.3 Indian for " fire-water" 
 
 whisky there comes out, in their trade for it, 
 all the possible shrewdness and cunning of the 
 races. 
 
 At one time, as a military officer relates the 
 story, there was a Kiowa village, beautifully 
 located for the winter near a grove of old cotton- 
 wood trees. The fact that the village was rich 
 in buffalo robes and other skins became known 
 to a band of the Cheyenne tribe. Stealing would 
 not answer, as there were too many Kiowas and 
 too few Cheyennes. But the shrewdness of the 
 Cheyennes appeared soon in the shape of a bottle 
 of whisky ; how they obtained it was a mystery 
 not explained. 
 
 With their whisky, the Cheyennes proceeded 
 to the Kiowa village, exhibited their bottles, and 
 distributed around a few judicious smells of the 
 refreshing corn juice ; every now and then giving 
 the bottle a shake, so that the aroma should be 
 thoroughly appreciated by their Jrienda the Kiowas. 
 The smells were freely accepted, and there 
 was an uncommon desire manife?ted to know more 
 (i. e., get better acquainted) of the Cheyennes. 
 Pipes were produced and duly smoked; after 
 which the visitors announced their willingness to 
 trade, as they said 
 
 " They had not brought much whisky, as they 
 did not know that their brothers, the Kiowas 
 would like to see it. The little that they had 
 with them was good ai:d very strong," (with 
 water) " when the Kiowas had tasted of it (hey 
 would see." The Cheyenne was liberal, '-he 
 would give so much," (holding up the bottle and 
 marking \\ith the thumb something like half an 
 inch of the whisky). " But seeing that the 
 Kiowas were not in haste to trade, the Cheyennes 
 would smoke with them." Meanwhile a kindly 
 disposed bottle-holder was dispensing smells of 
 the whisky to a few Kiowas, who were loud in 
 their announcements of the number of fine robes 
 which they possessed. This second smoke was 
 quickly finished, and the Cheyenne again ex- 
 hibited iheflre.irater, marking it as before by the 
 location of the thumb on the bottle. 
 
 A general exclamation followed, for to the 
 Kiowa's eye the position of the thumb on the 
 bottle was so very much higher (i. e., so much 
 less whisky than before). To this Cheyenne had 
 no consideration ; the trouble he said, was with 
 the eyes of the Kiowas, which could not be ex- 
 pected to see big like those of a Cheyenne. Another 
 smelling time ensued, which was followed by an 
 instantaneous exhibition by the Kiowas of tin 
 cups and robes, and the Cheyennes began to pour 
 out the whisky. 
 
 ^ While pouring out the promised grog, the posi- 
 tion of the thumb on the bottle was regarded by 
 each Kiowa with the most exact scrutiny, which 
 effectually prevented all attempts to shove up the 
 gauge. And it was noticeable by the care of 
 the bottle-holders, that when the bottle was held 
 up after each pass, no Indian could detect the 
 

slightest variation between the whisky mark and 
 the position of the finger on the bottle. 
 
 The Kiowas did not get drunk, and the Chey- 
 ennes left the village with all their ponies loaded 
 with robes, having as they freely remarked, made 
 a " heap smart trade" 
 
 Astonishment of Indians at tlie Loco- 
 motive and Telegraphs. When the first 
 locomotive was seen passing over the plains, an 
 Indian guide in the employ of the United States, 
 exclaimed with inexpressible surprise, "Good 
 Medicine, yimd medicine. Look look," at the tu-te 
 (toot). As he passed under the telegraph wires 
 which then were stretching along the Platte, 
 through which the wind as it swept, made the 
 whirr and singing sound of a prairie harp, this 
 guide heard the sound, and directly declared that 
 they were talking " medicines." This was sup- 
 posed to be the creations of the great spirit, and 
 everything of supernatural nature was "medi- 
 cine." 
 
 The Indians have rarely ever molested the tele- 
 graph wires which spanned the continent. Per- 
 haps the following incident may have much to do 
 with their respectful and distant attitude : 
 Shortly after the wires were erected, the attaches 
 of the Telegraph Company invited a number of 
 Indian chiefs to meet them at a given point, and 
 from thence to travel, one party East and the 
 other AVest. 
 
 When they had reached a distance of 100 miles 
 apart, each party was invited to dictate a message 
 to the other, which was sent over the wires. 
 Th3ii turning backward, they rode rapidly toward 
 each other, and two days later met and compared 
 notes. They were greatly astonished, and ex- 
 pressed themselves convinced that the " Great 
 Spirit " had talked to them with the. wires. They 
 decided from that time it would be well to avoid 
 meddling with the wires. 
 
 Soon after a little incident happened, which, 
 in the minds of the Indians, seemed to settle 
 forever the opinion that the telegraph belonged 
 to the Great Spirit. A young Sioux Indian was 
 determined to show that he had no faith in the* 
 Great Spirit's connection with the wires, so he 
 set to work with his hatchet to cut down one of 
 the telegraph poles. A severe thunder-storm was 
 going on at a distance ; a charge of electricity 
 being taken up by the wires, was passed to the 
 pole which the Indian was cutting, and resulted 
 in his instant death. After that the tribe never 
 molested the telegraph again. 
 
 An Indian Prayer. The following actual 
 translation of an Indian prayer will give an idea 
 of their feelings and longings, and the extent of 
 their moral sentiments. It is a prayer to the 
 Great Spirit by a Crow Indian : 
 
 " I am poor ; that is bad." 
 
 " Make me a Chief ; give me plenty of horses ; 
 give me fine clothing. I ask for good spotted 
 horses." 
 
 " Give me a large tent ; give me a great many 
 horses ; let me steal fine horses ; grant it to me." 
 
 " Give me guns by cheating ; give me a beauti- 
 ful woman ; bring the buffalo close by." 
 
 " No deep snow ; a little snow is good." 
 
 " Give me Black Feet to kill or to die ; close 
 by, all together." 
 
 " Stop the people from dying, it is good." 
 
 " Give instruments for amusements, blankets 
 too, and fine meats to eat." 
 
 " Give the people altogether plenty of fine buf- 
 falo, and plenty to eat." 
 
 CHEYENNE. 
 
 "Magic City of the Plains," 516 miles 
 from Omaha ; elevation, 6,041 feet. Thus truly 
 is it named, for it is at present the most active 
 and stirring city on the entire line. Travelers 
 will here take a dinner in comfortable style 
 at one of the best kept hotels between the 
 two oceans. It is a good place to rest after a 
 tiresome journey, and it will pay to stop a few 
 days and enjoy the pure air and genial sun in 
 this high altitude. The hotel is owned by the 
 railroad company, and is 150 feet long by 36 
 wide, with a wing 25 feet square. It has an 
 elegant dining-hall, around which hang the heads 
 of antelope, deer, elk, mountain-sheep, black-tailed 
 deer, buffalo, etc., all nice! -j preserved and looking 
 very natural. It is two stories high, the upper 
 floor being well furnished with sleeping-rooms for 
 guests. Cheyenne is the capital of Wyoming and 
 the county-seat of Laramie County. Cheyenne 
 has had its ups and downs. Once very lively 
 when the road was building, then it fell dead and 
 motionless. Now it has arisen again, and is the 
 largest town on the railroad between Omaha and 
 Salt Lake City, having a population of fully 
 4,000, and rapidly growing. There are twb causes 
 for this growth. First, the stock interests which 
 center here, and second, the recent gold dis- 
 coveries in the Black Hills. Up to the year 1875, 
 it was the terminus of the Denver Pacific Rail- 
 road, and had the advantages of a competing 
 line of railroad ; but since the virtual consolida- 
 tion of the Kansas Pacific and Union Pacific 
 interests, it no longer enjoys these advantages. 
 During the last two years there has been a large 
 increase in the permanent buildings of the city. 
 In 1875, the Inter-Ocean hotel was completed a 
 fine brick structure three stories high, and other 
 large and elegant brick blocks with iron and glass 
 fronts. In proportion to its population, Cheyenne 
 has more elegant and substantial business houses 
 than most any other western city. Its inflation 
 period has long since passed away, and its future 
 growth, like its present, will be siibstantial and 
 permanent. The town has a fine court-house 
 and jail, which cost f 40,000, a large public school 
 building, a good city hall, and a brick opera-house. 
 This is a wonderful change for a place known the 
 
65 
 
 world over by its fearful sobriquet of " Hell on 
 Wheels." Churches have come where gamblers 
 once reigned ; and in five years as many edifices 
 for religious purposes have been erected. The 
 Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, Congre- 
 gationalists and Catholics have all comfortable 
 church buildings. The school accommodations, 
 owing to the rapid growth of the city, will soon 
 have to be enlarged. At first sight the traveler 
 would naturally inquire, what there was to build 
 and sustain a town here ? The soil is not prolific, 
 nor is the country around it. Crow Creek bottom 
 is quite narrow, and in the most favorable seasons, 
 by irrigation, " garden truck " may be raised, but 
 beyond this everything looks barren and desolate. 
 The soil has a reddish appearance, and appears 
 to consist of decomposed granite underlaid in the 
 valleys with sand and on the uplands with rock. 
 In fact, a man who attempts to farm it for a 
 living in this region of country is simply fooling 
 away his time. 
 
 Stock Interests. The rich nutritious gras- 
 ses with which the great plains are covered are 
 here found in all their excellence, and the large 
 territory east of the base of the Black Hills, north 
 as far as the North Platte River and south to the 
 Gulf of Mexico, is now sustaining millions of 
 sheep and cattle. Cheyenne is located in the 
 midst of one of the best sections of this territory, 
 and all around it are the ranches of stockmen 
 men engaged in growing cattle, sheep, horses and 
 mules for market. With the exception of sheep, 
 no hay is cut for these animals except for those 
 kept up for use. Winter and summer they thrive 
 and fatten upon nothing but the native grasses. 
 Cheyenne is the central and natural trading- 
 point for these ranchmen and stock growers. 
 Another large and valuable element of its pros- 
 perity is the railroad trade the company having 
 here quite extensive machine and repair shops, 
 with a commodious roundhouse. Hunting and 
 exploring parties also supply themselves with out- 
 fits at this place, and immense quantities of mili- 
 tary and Indian supplies also pass through here 
 for the posts and Indian agencies north. 
 
 To give an idea of the stock business which 
 centers here, and its rapid increase, let us state that 
 375 cars of cattle were shipped in 1874. which 
 represent 7,500 head. In 1875, the shipments in- 
 creased to 525 cars, or 10,500 head, with prospects 
 for a large increase in 1876 and future years. It 
 may be well to state here, the shipments from other 
 points in this grazing belt of the country : 
 
 North Platte in 1875 shipped 96 cars, or 1,920 head. 
 Ogalalla, " " 207 " 4,140 " 
 Julesburg, " " 216 " 4,320 " 
 Sidney, " " 93 " 1,860 " 
 Pine Bluffs, " " 208 " 4,160 " 
 
 This statement does not include the cattle mar- 
 keted at home or supplied to the Indian agencies 
 in the north. Sixty thousand head of cattle, 
 seventy thousand sheep and four thousand horses 
 and mules are the estimated number owned and 
 
 held in Laramie County alone. The development 
 of the cattle and stock interests of this vast up- 
 land region is something never thought of nor 
 entered the heads of the projectors of the railroad. 
 In 1867, when the railroad first arrived, there was 
 not probably a hundred head of all kinds owned in 
 the whole territory, outside of those belonging to 
 contractors and stage lines. Now it is a leading 
 interest, and represents millions of dollars. Like 
 all other frontier towns, Cheyenne has a history, 
 and it is similar to that of others. It was once a 
 very fast town, and it is not very slow now. On 
 the 1st day of July, 1867, it had one house built and 
 owned by Judge J. R. Whitehead, on Eddy street, 
 between Sixteenth and Seventeenth. That house 
 stands to-day, and is known as the Whitehead 
 block. It was built of logs and smoothly plastered, 
 outside and in. 
 
 lioiif/h Times. When it was known that this 
 was to be the winter terminus of the road, there 
 was a grand hegira of roughs, gamblers and pros- 
 titutes from Julesburg and other places down the 
 road to this point, and in the fall of that year and 
 winter of '68, Cheyenne contained 6,000 inhab- 
 itants. Habitations sprang up like mushrooms. 
 They were of every conceivable character, and 
 some were simply holes in the ground, otherwise 
 termed " dug-outs." Town-lots were sold at fabu- 
 lous prices. Every nation on the globe, nearly, was 
 represented here. The principal pastimes were 
 gambling, drinking villainous rot-gut whisky, 
 and shooting. Shooting scrapes were an every- 
 day occurrence. Stealing anything from any- 
 body was the natural habit of the thieving roughs. 
 Knock downs and robberies were daily and 
 nightly amusements. But these things had to 
 come to an end, and their perpetrators, some 
 of them, to a rope's end. The more respectable 
 portion of the citizens became weary of the dep- 
 redations on property and life. Vigilance com- 
 mittees were organized, and "Judge Lynch" 
 held court, from which there were neither appeals 
 nor stay of executions. Juries never disagreed, 
 nor were there vexatious delays and motions for 
 a new trial. Witnesses were unnecessary and de- 
 murrers of no account. Nor would " the insanity 
 dodge " avail. The victims were known and 
 " spotted " beforehand, the judgments of the 
 courts were unerring and generally righteous. No 
 gallows were erected, because telegraph poles and 
 the railroad bridge across Crow Creek were con- 
 venient of access. When Cheyenne was only six 
 months old, so frequent were the murders and 
 robberies, and the city authorities so powerless, 
 that a vigilance committee was organized. The 
 first knowledge of its existence happened thus : 
 Three men were arrested on the 10th day of 
 January, 1868, charged with having stolen $900. 
 They were put under bonds to appear before 
 the court on the 14th of the same month. On 
 the morning of the day after they were arrested, 
 they were found on Eddy street, tied together, 
 
66 
 
 walking abreast with a large piece of canvas 
 attached to them, on which the following words 
 were conspicuous: " $900 stole ; $500 returned; 
 thieves F. St. Clair, W. Grier, E. D. Brownville. 
 City authorities please not interfere until 10 o'clock 
 a. TO. Next case goes up a tree. Beware of Vigi- 
 lance Committee." Within one year after its organ- 
 ization, the " vigilantes " had hung and shot 
 twelve desperadoes and sent five to the peniten- 
 tiary. Since that time Cheyenne has been ruled 
 by the law-and-order party, though even these may 
 seem rather lax to eastern people not accustomed 
 to the manners and customs of the frontier. Yet 
 the people enjoy " peace." 
 
 On the 13th day of November, 1867, the track 
 layers reached the city limits, and on the 14th 
 the first passenger train arrived. The arrival of 
 the track layers was greeted with music, a dis- 
 play of bunting, while the inhabitants turned out 
 en masse to meet them. On the 14th an en- 
 thusiastic meeting of citizens was held to extend 
 a public greeting to the railroad officials who had 
 arrived on the first train, among whom were 
 Sidney Dillon, Esq., now president of the com- 
 pany, and General Casement of Ohio, the cham- 
 pion track layer of the continent. 
 
 The first city government was organized, by the 
 election of officers, on the 10th of August, 1867. 
 The first newspaper was issued on the 19th of 
 September, called the Cheyenne Leader, and has 
 maintained its existence ever since publishing 
 daily and weekly editions. Other papers have 
 since been started, but they were short-lived, until 
 the publication of the Cheyenne Daily News, 
 which is a spicy little daily. As the town is now 
 able to support two papers, the Neivs (just merged 
 into the Daily Sun,) will continue to flourish. 
 
 Cheyenne is well laid out, with broad streets 
 at right angles to the railroad, and has an abund- 
 ant supply of pure water. Irrigating ditches 
 run through the streets. A ditch was dug from 
 Crow Creek to some natural " hollows " or reser- 
 voirs north of the town, which form beautiful little 
 lakes. From these the water for the streets is 
 taken by ditches. As a result, trees and shrubbery 
 will soon ornament the streets and yards of the 
 city, which will greatly add to its attractiveness 
 and beauty. There are a few local manufactories 
 already in existence and more will follow, and 
 on a larger scale. With the wool which is soon to 
 be annually shipped from this place, we should 
 think a woolen factory would be a great desid- 
 eratum. 
 
 Precious Stones. In the adjacent mount- 
 ains, on the hills and bluffs near by, and in the 
 valleys of the streams in this vicinity, a large num- 
 ber of curious and precious stones, gems rich and 
 rare, have been found. They are very plenty in 
 their natural state, their chief value being in the 
 cost of cutting by a lapidary and mounting by a 
 jeweler. In the immediate neighborhood of Chey- 
 enne the following are found: Moss-agates, in 
 
 great profusion ; topaz, in colors ; garnet or mount- 
 ain ruby; they are usually found in the little 
 heaps of sand thrown up by ants ; opals variegated, 
 rare as yet, and valuable ; petrifactions of wood 
 and shells, which when cut, polished and mounted, 
 are splendid ; amethysts, onyx, black and white, 
 for cameos and jasper. All of these have been 
 found in this vicinity, though some are rare. The 
 most beautiful moss-agates are found about half- 
 way to Fort Laramie, on Chugwater Creek. 
 Messrs. Joslyn & Park, an old and reliable firm of 
 manufacturing jewelers, in both Cheyenne and 
 Salt Lake City, have made this business a special- 
 ty, and possess the largest and finest collection of 
 stones in the country. Some of them are exceed- 
 ingly beautiful. Fine specimens of petrified 
 palm-wood may be seen at their store. They are 
 both beautiful and rare. The fact that petrified 
 palm-wood and petrified bones of the rhinoceros 
 have been found in this territory, shows that 
 some six million years ago comparatively recent 
 there was a tropical climate in this region of 
 country, when the palm flourished in luxuriance, 
 and the rhinoceros sported in the warm streams 
 or cavorted around on their sunny banks. Trav- 
 elers who are willing to omit their dinner can 
 improve the half hour allowed by the railroad, by 
 a hurried run over to this store, which is but a 
 block away. 
 
 Prospects. At present, the greatest cause of 
 the growth and prosperity of Cheyenne is the dis- 
 covery of gold in the Black Hills of Dakota. This 
 cause will last until, if that country will warrant 
 it, a railroad is built there. The discoveries 
 of gold seem to be extensive and inexhaustive, 
 and the building of a railroad from some point 
 here or on the Union Pacific or Missouri River, 
 will rapidly follow. The new branch of Union 
 Pacific Railroad to Dewe, will soon be opened ; at 
 present its prospects are flattering, and its busi- 
 ness men are reaping a rich harvest from their 
 investments. The opening of northern Wyoming 
 to settlement, the development of the vast mineral 
 resources of the territory, and the continued pros- 
 perity of her stock interests, will give to the 
 " Magic City of the Plains " the trade, growth 
 and influence which her location demands. 
 
 Health. Asa resort for health-seekers, Chey- 
 enne has superior advantages. It is about a thou- 
 sand feet higher than Denver, with an atmosphere 
 not only rarefied but dry. It has good hotels and 
 livery accommodations. Ponies are cheap, and in- 
 valids can purchase them and ride over the hills 
 and dales at pleasure. There is also an abundance 
 of game in the vicinity antelope, rabbits, deer, 
 etc. A bear weighing over 1,500 pounds, was 
 killed near here in 1875. It is the largest one 
 we ever saw. Its skin has been preserved, and 
 the bear has been mounted in good shape. Fre- 
 quent excursions can also be taken in the warm 
 summer weather to Fort Laramie, Cheyenne Pass, 
 and other places which will expand the lungs 
 
SCENES IN THE BLACK HILLS. 
 1. Golden Park. 2. Qenevieve Park. 3. Custer Park. 4. Limestone Peak. 6. Harney's Park. 
 
68 
 
 and invigorate the body. The results of several 
 years' observations at the United States Signal 
 Station here, show that the temperature is more 
 even, taking the years together, than in many 
 places East or on the Pacific coast. The hottest 
 days do not equal those which frequently occur 
 in the East, and in the summer months the 
 nights are deliciously cool, assuring the invalid 
 good sleep under plenty of blankets. We predict 
 a great rush of invalids and health-seekers to 
 this place and vicinity, in the near future. Al- 
 though Cheyenne is a good place to sleep, yet 
 the people are wide-awake and " owly " nights. 
 
 Rapidity of Business at Cheyenne. 
 On the 22d of July, 1867, the first lots were 
 offered for sale by the Union Pacific Railroad 
 Company at Cheyenne 66 by 132 feet for $150. 
 Thirty days after, these lots sold for $1,000 each, 
 and in two to three months thereafter, the same 
 lots were again resold at $2,000 to $2,500. On 
 the 15th of July, 1837, there was but one house 
 at Cheyenne. Six months thereafter, there were 
 no less than three thousand. The government 
 freight which was transported over the plains to 
 Cheyenne, from November, 1867, to February, 
 1868, four months, amounted to 6,000 tons, 
 and filled twelve large warehouses, and for a 
 long time subsequently averaged 15,000,000 to 
 20,000,000 pounds annually. 
 
 During the fall and winter, there were three 
 forwarding companies whose business in trans- 
 porting goods, exclusive of government supplies, 
 averaged 5,000,000 pounds per month. Stores 
 were erected with marvelous rapidity. One firm 
 constructed an entire store, 25 by 55 feet, quite 
 substantial, in just forty-eight hours ; three hun- 
 dred firms were in operation that winter, doing 
 mostly a wholesale business ; of this number, 
 over seventy made sales of over $10,000 per 
 month each, and with some firms sales reached 
 over $30,000 par month. 
 
 The first post-office was established October 
 30, 1867 ; salary $1.00 per month. In two months 
 the United States mails had increased so enor- 
 mously as to average 2,600 letters per day, and 
 in two months more this was doubled, and salary 
 increased to $2,000 per year. Though business 
 declined as soon as, the terminus of the road was 
 moved, yet it now has a solid business. The 
 population in 1875 was about 4,000, and there 
 was invested in new buildings, in the single year 
 of 1875, no less than $430,000. 
 
 The Black Hills Gold Discoveries. 
 
 For several years the impression has obtained 
 that there was gold in the Black Hills of Dakota, 
 and every exploration under the auspices of 
 the government has tended to encourage and 
 strengthen this impression. In 1860, Colonel 
 Bullock, now a resident of Cheyenne, was an 
 Indian agent and trader where Fort Laramie now 
 stands. He saw a squaw in his store, one day, 
 
 with something in her mouth. He said, " Let me 
 see that." She gave it to him, and it proved to 
 be a nugget of gold, worth about three dollars. 
 He said, " Give that to me." She told him she 
 would, for some raisins and candy. These he gave 
 her, and afterwards gave her coffee and sugar to 
 its full value. He snowed the gold to his inter- 
 preter, and requested him, if possible, to find 
 out where it came from. The interpreter did 
 his best, but the squaw would only say that it 
 was picked up in the bed of a creek, and that 
 the Indians would kill her if she told where it 
 was. During his long experience as a trader 
 with the Indians, Colonel Bullock frequently saw 
 small nuggets of gold, but could never find out 
 where the Indians obtained them, and the infer- 
 ences he drew from all the information he could 
 obtain were to the effect that the Bear Lodge 
 country, nearly north of the Inyan Kara mount- 
 ain, was the region where this gold came from. 
 According to the most recent information on the 
 subject, the eastern boundary line of Wyoming 
 strikes the Black Hills nearly in the center, that 
 about one-half are in Dakota and the other half 
 in Wyoming. Harney's Peak and Dodge's Peak 
 are in the former, while the Inyan Kara and 
 Bear Lodge Mountains are in the latter territory. 
 The question of the existence of gold there and 
 other precious metals, can no longer be doubted. 
 The official report of Professor Jenny sufficiently 
 establishes this fact. It also establishes the fact 
 that in a small portion of the country which he 
 examined, it is found in paying quantities. It 
 remains, therefore, for the hardy miners and 
 sturdy pioneers to demonstrate still further 
 whether it is there in large quantities. Thus far 
 every thing has been against them, and they even 
 now are upon forbidden ground, liable at any 
 moment to be driven out of the Hills by United 
 States troops. But there is an implied under- 
 standing and belief now becoming quite preva- 
 lent that they will be allowed to remain, that 
 the government will not molest them again. Jf 
 only this result can be obtained, it will be satis- 
 factory to the miners. They do not fear the 
 Indians ; they only ask, if the government will 
 not protect them, that it will not interfere with 
 their mining operations nor destroy their prop- 
 erty. Nor will they attack the Indians, they 
 are safe if they keep away and do not disturb 
 them. If, however, they are attacked, self-de- 
 fence will require vigorous measures for protec- 
 tion. The law of the case, as we understand it, 
 is simply this : that the reservations agreed upon 
 by the treaty of 1868 are in Dakota territory ; 
 that a part of the Black Hills only are in that 
 territory, nor is there any evidence or indications 
 that they ever occupied this part beyond the cut- 
 ting of a few lodge-poles. The facts are that the 
 Indians are in Nebraska instead of Dakota, and 
 that they are really afraid of the Black Hills 
 because of the terrific storms that visit them, when, 
 
69 
 
 " from peak to peak, the rattling crags among, 
 leaps the live thunder," and the pranks of livid 
 lightning are fearful to behold. They have a 
 superstitious reverence for these Hills, and be- 
 lieve them to be the home of the Great Spirit. 
 The treaty only gives them the right to hunt in 
 Wyoming, as far west as the crests of the Big 
 Horn Mountains, whenever there is sufficient 
 game to warrant the chase. With the exception 
 of this proviso, therefore, the whole territory of 
 Wyoming is open to exploration, settlement and 
 development. The next question is, Will the 
 government protect the pioneers in their explora- 
 tions ? or must 
 they protect 
 themselves in go- 
 ing where they 
 have an undoubt- 
 ed right to go? 
 
 The Black 
 Hills are mainly 
 confined to a re- 
 gion of territory 
 lying between 
 the forks of the 
 Cheyenne river. 
 In addition to 
 the gulch and 
 placer diggings, 
 already discov- 
 ered, there have 
 been a few dis- 
 coveries of what 
 appears to be 
 rich quartz lodes 
 of gold and veins 
 of silver. This 
 region is about 
 one hundred 
 miles long and 
 eighty miles 
 wide. French 
 Creek, Spring 
 Creek, Rapid 
 Creek, Box-elder 
 Creek, Elk Creek 
 and others head 
 in these Hills, 
 and flow mainly 
 in an eastern direction, emptying into the south 
 fork of the Cheyenne. The north fork seems to 
 hug the hills pretty closely with small creeks 
 and streams, yet unexplored, heading in the 
 mountains and flowing into it. The north fork 
 heads in Pumpkin Butte, a mountain a little 
 north-west of Fort Fetterman, on the North 
 Platte river. West of the northern portion of 
 the Black Hills, there are several ranges of moun- 
 tains and several streams which flow north into 
 the Yellowstone River. All accounts of this re- 
 gion of country, as far west as the Big Horn 
 Mountains, unite in the report of its rich min- 
 
 AGNES PARK. BLACK HILLS. 
 
 eral character, and we believe the richest min- 
 eral discoveries ever known on this continent 
 will be made here in the next few years. 
 
 How to get to the Black Hills. Within 
 
 the past year of 1876 and 1877, there have been 
 opened three distinct routes to the Black Hills, and 
 it is now easy of access. The principal routes 
 are via the Union Pacific Railroad, and stage 
 line from either Sidney or Cheyenne. A longer 
 route is occasionally used by steamers up the 
 Missouri River to Sioux City, Yankton and Port 
 Pierre, and thence by wagon across the plains and 
 " bad lands " of Dakota. This route is long and 
 
 circuitous, with 
 not as good 
 wood, water or 
 grazing, as the 
 Southern route. 
 From Cheyenne 
 there is a good 
 natural road, 
 which runs t o 
 Fort Laramie, a 
 distance of 90 
 miles,over which 
 the U. S. mails 
 have been car- 
 ried for many 
 years. It passes 
 through a coun- 
 try with good 
 ranches, at con- 
 venient dis- 
 tances apart. 
 From Fort Lar- 
 amie to Custer 
 and Deadwoocl 
 City, there is a 
 good wagon 
 road, which has 
 recently been 
 shortened 60 
 miles, so that the 
 entire distances 
 are as follows : 
 Cheyenne to 
 Fort Laramie 93 
 miles ; to Custer 
 City, 260 miles ; 
 Golden City, 295 miles; 
 Elizabeth City, 347 miles ; 
 
 Hill City, 275 miles 
 Rapid City, 315 miles 
 Deadwood, 348 miles ; Crook City, 360 miles. 
 
 The Cheyenne and Black Hills Stage line now 
 runs regularly, daily trips over the road with a 
 superior outfit for transportation of all classes of 
 passengers. Hitherto the Cheyenne route has 
 been the principal one since it has been the de- 
 pot of supplies. It is the only route used by the 
 Government Supply trains, is in the proximity 
 of four government military forts and stations, 
 and along the entire route there is an ample 
 supply of wood, water and grain. It is also the 
 
70 
 
 line of the telegraph to the Black Hills, which 
 connects Deadwood and Cheyenne. The time 
 occupied in stage travel to the principal places 
 of the Black Hills is from 48 to 60 hours. 
 
 Sidney has also become a large outfitting 
 point, and there is now invested nearly $ 100,000 
 capital in transportation, equipments for passen- 
 gers and freight to the Black Hills mines. 
 
 Stages leave Sidney every morning at 8 o'clock, 
 and make the distance in following time : 
 
 Red Cloud Agency in 20 hours ; Buffalo Gap 
 (the point of intersection with stage for Custer, 
 30 miles West) in 30 hours, and reaches the en- 
 tire distance to Deadwood in 48 to 60 hours. 
 
 By the Sidney route distances are as follows : 
 
 To Red Cloud Agency, 109 miles ; Buffalo 
 Gap, 171 miles ; French Creek, 184 miles ; Bat- 
 tle Creek, 196 miles ; Rapid River, 214 miles ; 
 Spring Valley, 228 miles ; Crook City, 246 miles ; 
 Deadwood, 285 miles. The advantage of dis- 
 tance in favor of the Sidney route is nearly one- 
 fourth less than by any other route. 
 
 Result of the Opening of the BlacJc 
 Hills. During the past season of 1876, the 
 yield of the gold mines was nearly $2,000,000. 
 Cheyenne bankers are said to have bought above 
 1900,000 worth of gold dust, and various amounts 
 have been forwarded in other ways, besides what 
 has been kept in the Hills. This result has been 
 entirely from placer mining. One mining party 
 known as the Wheeler party, has realized nearly 
 $500,000 in one season. Extraordinary success 
 attended their work ; $2,600 were cleared in only 
 42 hours' work, and in general, on Deadwood 
 Creek, the average to the miners on each claim 
 was $300 to $700 per day. Nearly all the yield 
 of the Black Hills in 1876 was gleaned in the 
 vicinity of Deadwood and Whitewood gulches. 
 
 Quartz mining has been attempted. First 
 assays were but $38 per ton, and the average of 
 the ores thus far experimented upon, vary from 
 $30 to $50 per ton. There is enough ore availa- 
 able to fill fifty 100 stamp mills for 20 years. 
 
 Miners with mortar and pestle have taken ore 
 from some of these quartz lodes, and realized as 
 high as $15 per day. Since the settlement of 
 Deadwood, prices of living have gradually de- 
 clined, until good day board now averages only 
 from $7 to $10. Freight from Cheyenne and 
 Sidney now costs but $3 to $4 per 100 Ibs. The 
 width of the mineral belt is now definitely ascer- 
 tained to be but 10 to 15 miles, but it stretches 
 100 miles long. The agricultural value of the 
 Hills is beyond all words of expression. The 
 valleys have been found to be surpassingly fer- 
 tile, the rain-fall regular and constant, and were 
 any one dissatisfied with mining, still there is 
 room for thousands of farms and peaceful homes. 
 
 A statement is made, apparently of unques- 
 tioned accuracy, of an explorer on Spring Creek, 
 who, with three others, and one day's sluicing, 
 took out $38 coarse gold, the pieces varying from 
 
 three cents to three dollars in value. One man 
 prospecting on Iron Creek, sixty miles farther 
 off, took out $23.67 from one pan of dirt. Mr. 
 Allen, the recorder of mining claims, took from 
 his claim four pounds of coarse gold in one 
 month, and all reports agree in an average of 
 seven to twenty-five cents per pan, which will 
 turn out per day $7 to $50 to each man. 
 
 As a proof of the existence of gold, it is but 
 necessary to quote from the authority of Profes- 
 sor Jenny's report of a visit in July, 1875, 
 whereof writing to the Department of the Inte- 
 rior at Washington, he announces the discovery 
 of gold in paying quantities near Harney's Peak ; 
 deposits very rich, with plenty of water in the 
 streams : " The gold is found in quartz ledges of 
 enormous dimensions. Whether the mines be 
 valuable or not, there is a vastness of future 
 wealth in the grass lands, farms and timber. 
 The soil is deep and fertile; the rain-fall more 
 abundant than any other point west of the Alle- 
 ghanies." In the summer of 1875, an expedition 
 headed by General Custer visited this region, 
 wherein he describes finding an abundance of 
 wild fruits, strawberries, raspberries, gooseber- 
 ries in wonderful profusion ; and frequently the 
 wild berry was larger and more delicious flavor 
 than the domestic species in the Eastern states. 
 
 A miner writing from personal view thus 
 speaks of the richness of the section thus far dis- 
 covered : " I found several miners working their 
 claims, as yet in a crude and primitive manner. 
 Some of them working with a Chinese rocker 
 cleaned up from five to seven pennyweights of 
 gold, the result of but three hours' work. Twen- 
 ty-five miles north-west of Spring Creek, I found 
 the largest vein of gold quartz I have ever seen, 
 being from 300 to 600 feet in width, and tracea- 
 ble for over 40 miles in length. I also found a 
 vein of white crystallized quartz about four feet 
 in width, in which gold was plainly visible. I 
 obtained some specimens, fabulously rich ; one 
 piece was sent to the Omaha smelting works 
 which averaged $42,000 to the ton. At Rapid 
 Creek the prospects are still better than in Spring 
 Gulch. Castle Creek is the richest found in the 
 Black Hills. One claim has been worked to the 
 bed-rock, in the channel, which paid $6.00 of 
 gold to one cubic foot of gravel." 
 
 The best mines have proved by the latest dis- 
 coveries to be on the west side of the Hills, and 
 aside from the value of the precious metal, the 
 superb salubrity of the climate, arid the natural 
 richness of the soil, make it extraordinarily at- 
 tractive. An explorer describes the country as 
 " the richest ever seen or heard of between the 
 Missouri River and Central Oregon. Excellent 
 timber in the greatest abundance ; as fine pas- 
 turage as I ever saw; rich black loam soil; 
 splendid water ; showers every few days ; no 
 disagreeable winds ; a delicious, bracing atmos- 
 phere to either work or rest in ; a splendid diver- 
 
71 
 
 sity of hill and valley ; prairie and timber forest ; 
 a landscape of which the eye never tires." 
 
 During one week, 800 miners passed through 
 Hill City, en route for the mines of Whitewood 
 and Deadwood. In most of the creeks the bed- 
 rock lies 15 to 20 and 40 feet below the surface. 
 On the 1st of March there were estimated to be 
 over 10,000 people in the Black Hills, and rap- 
 idly accumulating at the rate of 1,000 per week, 
 which would be still greatly augmented when 
 the summer weather opens. 
 
 A Terrible Thunder- Storm. The Black 
 Hills of Dakota are the fear of Indians, because 
 of the frequent thunder-storms. Col. R. I. 
 Dodge, United States Commander of Black Hills 
 Expedition, 1874, states that in this region 
 " thunder-storms are quite frequent, terrific in 
 force and power, and fearful in the vividness, 
 the nearness of the lightning. Scarcely a day in 
 summer that there is not a thunder-storm in 
 some part of the hills. 
 
 " One afternoon, from the top of one of the 
 
 high mountains, near Harney's Peak, I saw five 
 
 separate and distinct storms, occurring at the 
 
 a same instant in different parts of the hills. One 
 
 3 of these struck our party with fatal results. 
 
 j< "A heavy rain-storm coming on, two soldiers 
 
 * and the boy took refuge under a tall pine. All 
 
 H three were seated on a rock about six feet from 
 
 H the trunk of the tree, and each held in his hand 
 
 o the' reins of his horse's bridle. At the flash, 
 
 H the three persons and horses were thrown to the 
 
 a ground, one of the soldiers being pitched quite a 
 
 ^distance, alighting on his head. The surgeon 
 
 | was promptly on hand. Each person had been 
 
 Z struck on the cheek bone, just under the eye. 
 
 The fluid passed down the person of each, going 
 
 out at the ball of the foot, boring a hole in the 
 
 shoe sole as clean and round as if made by a 
 
 bullet, and raising a large blood blister on the 
 
 bottom of the foot. Neither had any other mark 
 
 whatever. Skipping from the men to the horses, 
 
 the flash prostrated all, striking each just over the 
 
 eye. Two soon recovered their feet, and the 
 
 third was killed. 
 
 " During this storm, which lasted scarce half an 
 hour, more than twenty trees were struck by 
 lightning within a radius of a few hundred yards. 
 " At another time, I witnessed another curious 
 and unaccountable phenomenon. I was on a 
 high mountain of the Harney Group. Within 
 four miles of me, in different directions, were 
 three thunder-storms, their clouds being probably 
 500 or 1,000 feet below me. Though I could see 
 the vivid and incessant flashes of lightning, not 
 a sound of the thunder could be heard. Through- 
 out the Hills the number of the trees which bear 
 the mark of the thunder-bolt is very remark- 
 able, and the strongest proof of the violence and 
 frequent recurrence of these storms. The elec- 
 tric current acts in the most eccentric way. In 
 some cases it will have struck the very top of a 
 
72 
 
 lofty pine, and passed down, cutting a straight 
 and narrow groove in the bark, without any ap- 
 parent ill effect on the tree, which remains green 
 and nourishing ; at other times the tree will be 
 riven into a thousand pieces, as if with the blows 
 of a giant axe, and the fragments scattered a 
 hundred feet around." 
 
 Rainbows. "The rainbow of the Black 
 Hills is a marvel of perfection and beauty. Two 
 or three times wider than the rainbow of the 
 States, it forms a complete and perfect arch, both 
 ends being, sometimes, visible to the beholder, 
 and one so near and distinct that there would be 
 little difficulty in locating the traditional ' pot of 
 gold.' Very frequently the rainbow is doubled, 
 and several times I saw three distinct arches, the 
 third and higher being, however, a comparatively 
 faint reflex of the brilliant colors of the lower." 
 
 867 feet at base, 297 feet at top. It rises 1,127 
 feet above its base, and 5,100 feet above tide- 
 water. Its summit is inaccessible to anything 
 without wings. The sides are fluted and scored 
 by the action of the elements, and immense 
 blocks of granite, split off from the column by 
 frost, are piled in huge, irregular mounds about 
 its base. The Indians call this shaft " The Bad 
 God's Tower." 
 
 Game. The Hills are full of deer, elk, bears, 
 wolves, cougars, grouse, and ducks. The streams 
 have an abundance of fish, although of but few 
 sorts. 
 
 After careful investigation General Dodge 
 closes with this expression of careful judgment : 
 
 Opinion of General Dodge. " 1 but ex- 
 press my fair and candid opinion when I pro- 
 nounce the Black Hills, in many respects, the 
 
 DEVIL'S TOWER BLACK HILLS. 
 
 M mint ains. Harney's Peak is 7,440 feet 
 above tide-water, the other peaks are 
 
 Crook's Monument, 
 Dodge's Peak, 
 Terry's Peak, 
 Warren's Peak, 
 Ouster's Peak, 
 Crow Peak, 
 Bare Peak, 
 Devil's Tower, 
 
 7,600 feet elevation. 
 7,300 feet elevation. 
 7,200 feet elevation. 
 6,900 feet elevation. 
 6,750 feet elevation. 
 6,200 feet elevation. 
 5,200 feet elevation. 
 5,100 feet elevation. 
 
 The Devil's Tower is one of the most remark- 
 able peaks of the world. General Dodge de- 
 scribes it thus : " An immense obelisk of granite, 
 
 finest country I have ever seen. The beauty and 
 variety of the scenery, the excellence of the soil, 
 the magnificence of the climate, the abundance 
 of timber and building stone make it a most de- 
 sirable residence for men who want good homes. 
 
 " As a grazing country it can not be surpassed, 
 and small stock farms of fine cattle and sheep 
 can not fail of success. 
 
 " Gold there is every-where in the granite gold 
 enough to make many fortunes, and tempt to 
 the loss of many more. 
 
73 
 
 " Here is a country destined, in a few years, to 
 be an important and wealthy portion of the 
 great American Republic." 
 
 There is little doubt that in a few years this 
 section, from the Black Hills of Dakota to and 
 across the Big Horn region, and all northern 
 Wyoming, will be a rich field of industry, as 
 have been Colorado and Utah. The illustrations 
 we give are from photographs taken by General 
 Ouster in his famous Black Hills Exploring 
 Expedition of 1875, and represent this country 
 to be of great scenic beauty. 
 
 COLORADO. 
 
 Pleasure Resorts. Colorado is an empire 
 of itself in enterprise, scenic beauty and abund- 
 ance of pleasure resorts. In 1870, few or none 
 of these were known, and towns were small in 
 number and population. Since that time, it has 
 become a center of great railroad activity, has 
 grown in wonderful favor as an attractive region 
 for summer travel ; and as a country for health- 
 giving and life-giving strength, it has drawn 
 thither thousands who have made it their perma- 
 nent home. 
 
 THE COLORADO CENTRAL RAIL- 
 ROAD. 
 
 Tourists to Colorado will find a journey over 
 this new Railroad Line just opened, of special 
 interest and attractiveness. Through Sleeping 
 Cars from Omaha run direct over this line to 
 Denver, simply changing trains at Cheyenne, 
 and all trains make connections from Denver 
 for Union Pacific Trains East. The route for 
 the first 50 or more miles South passes at the 
 base of the Rocky Mountains, in grand view of 
 their sublime snow-capped summits. The equal 
 of this ride is not found in any Railroad in the 
 Far West. At Fort Collins the railroad crosses 
 the famous Cache la Poudre Valley, one of the 
 finest and most lovely regions of agricultural 
 wealth in the State. Wheat and all kinds of 
 grain are here cultivated in large farms, and 
 yield luxuriant crops. 
 
 Est.es ParJc is a place of superb scenic at- 
 traction, which will afford a most pleasurable 
 resort for the overland Tourist to visit. It is 
 reached by stage from Longmont, distance 36 
 miles, contains a very superior mountain hotel, 
 and a wide expanse of park scenery, with mag- 
 nificent views of Long's Peak, and the snowy 
 caps of the neighboring peaks ; also there is 
 abundance of trout fishing. For a health resort 
 to any one seeking rest and recuperation, a 
 sojourn here will be found particularly enjoyable. 
 
 Lonymont is in the midst of a thriving agri- 
 cultural country, with large and rich farms the 
 country is nearly level yet the supply of water 
 is abundant for irrigating purposes, and the 
 farming advantages of the country are good. 
 
 Some of the little farms are gems in their neat- 
 ness. The railroad here is at its greatest dis- 
 tance from the range ; hence they seem smaller, 
 and lower in elevation, with less snow, though 
 here and there is an opening in the range which 
 reveals the glorious form of some tall snow cov- 
 ered Monarch. 
 
 The population is about 400. 
 
 Boulder is most prettily located at the en- 
 trance to the famous Boulder Canon, and im- 
 mediately in a little cove at the base of the 
 mountains. The valley is the most fertile in the 
 State, the water supply is unsurpassed, the cli- 
 mate is the warmest of any country, and the 
 crops are much earlier than any place for 100 
 miles from Denver. Tourists will find numer- 
 ous mines near here worth visiting, also most 
 interesting rides up Boulder Canon, Bear Creek 
 Canon, and a trip to Caribon Silver mines. The 
 railroad, as it passes Southward and rises out of 
 the valley to the upland, reveals, as you cast a 
 glance back, a wondrously beautiful view of 
 landscape charms. The mountain view is sub- 
 lime ; the near peaks beinj? dark, while the dis- 
 tant ones, well covered with snow, afford start- 
 ling contrast and are beautiful in the extreme. 
 
 From Boulder to Golden tlunction, and thence 
 to Denver, the railroad crosses alternately high 
 upland, then descends into and crosses the valley 
 of many streams flowing from the mountain, 
 which irrigate a region of wonderful agricultural 
 fertility. Upon these uplands, there is a mag- 
 nificent and exhilarating breeze, constantly blow- 
 ing from the mountains. Dark Canons appear 
 and disappear as the Tourist travels on. The 
 afternoon sun often reveals glorious displays of 
 sunset colors on the clouds, thunder storms with 
 lightning often give wild and thrilling effects. 
 And at each descent from the upland into each 
 little valley, the view is one of beauty and pleas- 
 ure. 
 
 The railroad as it turns East from Colorado 
 Junction, reveals at the right, the busy town of 
 Golden ; a mile distant, over it, towers a peak of 
 1,000 feet high and down the little valley of 
 Clear Creek, the route passes till your terminus 
 at Denver. 
 
 This route of reaching Denver from the East 
 must be specially advantageous to Tourists. 
 
 The Denver Pacific Railroad also runs 
 direct from Cheyenne, southward, to Denver, 
 and trains connect with the mid-day trains of 
 the Union Pacific Railroad. The distance, 106 
 miles, is mainly over a vast level plain, covered 
 only with the short gray buffalo grass, but 
 parallel with the main range of the Rocky 
 Mountains, and 20 to 30 miles from their east- 
 ern base. 
 
 Greeley, Named in honor of Horace Greeley, 
 and settled in May, 1870. The colony passess 
 about 100,000 acres of fine alluvial soil in the 
 Valley of the Cache La Poudre River. Irrigat- 
 
74 
 
 WILLIAMS' CANON, COLORADO SPRINGS. 
 
 BY THOMAS MORAN. 
 
75 
 
 ing ditches have been constructed, and there is 
 an abundance of water for all agricultural pur- 
 poses. The town for several years has increased 
 with steady rapidity, and the population is slight- 
 ly over 2,000. At this place are located some 
 of the finest grist-mills of the entire West. The 
 place has achieved considerable reputation as a 
 temperance town. 
 
 Denver is the capital of the State. This 
 has become a large railroad point. From it di- 
 verge the Kansas Pacific, 636 miles eastward to 
 Kansas City, the Denver and Rio Grande Rail- 
 road, Narrow Gauge, southward, to Canon City, 
 Pueblo and Trinidad, and Port Garland; also 
 the various branches of the Colorado Central to 
 Georgetown, Idaho Springs, Central City, and 
 the mines of the mountains. 
 
 Its population exceeds 20,000, and its location 
 is most advantageous for easy trade and com- 
 munication with all the principal points of the 
 Territory. Located on an open plain, about 
 thirteen miles from the Rocky Mountains ; there 
 is a grand view of the entire range from Long's 
 Peak on the north to Pike's Peak on the south. 
 While eastward, northward and southward 
 stretches the vast upland plains which is so im- 
 pressive with its boundless extent. The city is full 
 of thrift, of life ; and trade is always splendid. 
 The buildings which grace the principal streets 
 are made principally of brick, and in general ap- 
 pearance, are superior to those of any city west of 
 the Missouri River. Daily, weekly and monthly 
 newspapers thrive. Here is a branch of the 
 United States Mint, gas-works, water-works, 
 horse-railroads, and a multitude of hotels. The 
 best of which are the Grand Central, Inter-Ocean, 
 American, Sargent, Broadwell and Villa Park. 
 From this point the traveler can radiate in all 
 directions in search of pleasure resorts. 
 
 Notes to Tourists. The uniform railroad 
 fare in the Territory averages ten cents per mile. 
 Stage routes run all through the mountains, fare 
 from ten to twenty cents per mile. The uniform 
 rate of board is four dollars per day, and almost 
 every-where can be found excellent living; the 
 nicest of beef steak, bread and biscuit. In many 
 of the mountain resorts plenty of good fishing can 
 be found, and delicate trout are common viands 
 of the hotel tables. The best season of the year 
 for a visit to Colorado is in July and August. 
 As then the snow has nearly disappeared from 
 the mountains, and all the beautiful parks and 
 valleys are easily approachable. Those who wish 
 to include both Colorado and California in a 
 pleasure trip will do well to visit California first, 
 during April May and June, and then on return 
 spend July and August leisurely in the cozy little 
 home resorts of Colorado. Although it must be 
 confessed that the scenery of the Colorado mouu,t- 
 ains is far the most impressive and most beauti- 
 ful when first seen, before reaching the greater 
 magnificence of the Yosemite and Sierras. 
 
 Living in Colorado is more nearly like New Eng- 
 land customs than in California, and to those 
 who seek Western travel, for health, the climate 
 of Colorado is much more favorable than that of 
 California. 
 
 The Denver and Rio Grande Rail- 
 road will carry the traveler southward from 
 Denver, along the base of the Rocky Mountains, 
 to some of the most noted pleasure resorts of the 
 territory. This little narrow gauge is a wonder 
 of itself, representing nearly $1,000,000 of capi- 
 tal, and operating over 200 miles of road, it has 
 developed a traffic exceeding $500,000 per year, 
 where six years ago the stage route did not real- 
 ize $1,000 per month, and the prospects for the 
 future for its trade with the miners of the San 
 Juan Country, Trinidad, Sante Fe, are most en- 
 couraging, as the new gold discoveries become 
 better developed. Seventy-six miles south of 
 Denver, on this line, are clustered three little 
 places of resort, practically one in interest, Colo- 
 rado Springs, Colorado City, and 
 
 Manitou Springs. The former is the rail- 
 road station, a lively town, which in five years 
 has risen from the prairie to a population of 
 3,000. Six miles distant from the Springs at 
 Manitou, are collected several elegant hotels, and 
 in the vicinity are numerous soda springs iron 
 springs and medicinal baths of great virtue. 
 The location of this resort, with its wonderful col- 
 lection of objects of natural interest and scenery, 
 have earned for it the title of " Saratoga of the 
 Far West." Travelers find here beautiful scenery 
 in the Ute Pass Garden of the Gods Glen 
 Eyrie, numerous beautiful canons, Queen Canon 
 Cheyenne Canon, grand and impressive, and 
 towering over all is the lofty summit of Pike's 
 Peak, 14,300 feet high, up which ascends a trail 
 to the government signal station, the highest in 
 the United States. Travelers, who frequently 
 ascend this peak are rewarded, when on a clear 
 day, with a glimpse of grand and glorious views 
 of the peaks and mountains, southward and 
 westward. 
 
 In this vicinity is located a pretty little canon 
 about 15 miles in length, with walls of rock ris- 
 ing to uniform height of 600 and 800 feet above 
 a very narrow foot pass below. This canon was 
 discovered and named, in 1870, by a party of 
 editors, Williams' Canon, in honor of H. T. Wil- 
 liams, their commander. This was the first visit 
 of an Eastern pai'ty, of any notoriety, at the 
 Springs. No railroad was then built, and not a 
 house was to be seen, nor even a rancheman's 
 cabin. The scenery of this canon, (see illustration), 
 is at various points wild in the extreme, and the 
 colossal walls of rocks are of such shape and for- 
 mation that they give to the observer an excellent 
 general idea of the characteristic canon scenery of 
 the mountains. The canon has never been fully 
 explored, and at present is the scene of fifty or 
 more claims of gold discoveries. 
 
77 
 
 Pleasure travelers are uniformly glad that 
 they have made a visit to these points, as they 
 excel in interest any other points in the Western 
 trip. Southward from Colorado Springs, the 
 next most noted resort is Canon City and the 
 
 Grand Canon of the Arkansas. This is 
 a scene of remarkable beauty and magnificence ; 
 at one point can be seen the river winding its 
 way for ten miles, at the base of huge perpendic- 
 ular rocks which rise fully 1000 and 2000 feet 
 above the current. This is the grandest canon 
 view in Colorado. Westward from Colorado 
 Springs is the South Park, a noted route for 
 travelers who enjoy camping out, and a fine drive 
 through the mountains. 
 
 Garden of the Gods. Tlie Beautiful 
 Gate. This is also a famous pleasure resort at 
 Manitou, near Colorado Springs. Midway be- 
 tween the Station and Springs is located one of 
 the most beautiful and curious little parks, and 
 upheaval of rocks that Western scenery can dis- 
 play. Descending from parallel ridges into a 
 little park, the traveler sees iu front of him a 
 beautiful gate of two enormous rocks, rising in 
 massive proportion to the height of 350 feet, with 
 a natural gateway between of 200 feet in width, 
 with a small rock in the center. Standing a little 
 eastward, the observer gets the view illustrated in 
 our engraving. At the right is another parallel 
 ridge of rocks, pure white, which contrasts finely 
 with the dark red of the rocks of the gate. 
 Through the gate, in the long distance is seen 
 the summit of Pike's Peak, eighteen miles away. 
 Around these rocks is a little grassy park of fifty 
 or more acres, in which according to the mytholog- 
 ical stories of the people, the " gods " found such 
 lovely times in play that they christened it a gar- 
 den. These two parallel ridges of white and red 
 rocks extend for many miles at the foot of the 
 mountains, and form other curious formations at 
 Glen Eyrie, Monument Park and Pleasant Park, 
 although much less in size and impressiveness. 
 The locality is the most famous in all Trans- 
 continental travel. 
 
 The Dome of the Continent Gray's 
 Peak. Westward from Denver, 65 miles, and 
 14 from Georgetown, Colorado, rises the grandest 
 and most beautiful of the mountains of Colorado. 
 The way thither is one of easy approach, through 
 valley and mountain roads of gradual ascent, 
 past Idaho Springs, one of the most charming of 
 summer resorts, and past all the mines of Golden, 
 Empire, Georgetown, and the silver mines of the 
 Palisades. Near to the summit are two very suc- 
 cessful mines, Baker and Stevens, which are dug 
 out of the perpendicular face of a rock fully 200 
 feet in height. Rising above all the ranges of the 
 Colorado Mountains of north Colorado, Gray's 
 Peaks are the grand Lookout Points, from which 
 to view to advantage all the vast mountain range. 
 In a clear day the observer can embrace in his 
 range of vision a distance of 100 miles, in each 
 
 direction, northward, southward and westward, 
 and even eastward to over the plains east of 
 Denver. From this point are plainly discernible 
 Pike's Peak, 80 miles away, Mount Lincoln, 50 
 miles ; Mount of the Holy Cross, 60 miles ; Long's 
 Peak, 50 miles ; the City of Denver, 65 miles, and 
 even the summit of the Spanish Peaks, 150 miles 
 southward, and the higher ranges of the Uintah 
 Mountains, 150 miles westward. The total range 
 of the vision being not less than 200 to 250 miles. 
 Beneath them at the foot, lie the beautiful rivers 
 and lakes of Middle Park ; southward the vast 
 extended plains of South Park, and everywhere 
 near at hand multitudes of little grassy parks, 
 like valleys dotted with the groves of spruce and 
 pine, as if planted for a grand pleasure ground. 
 The height of the Peak is 14,351 feet, and is 
 the easiest of access of all the mountains of Colo- 
 rado. Travelers and pleasure tourists who desire 
 one grand sight, never to be regretted, must not 
 fail to include this in their Western visit for the 
 sublimity and grand exaltation as from so lofty a 
 height one views a sea of huge mountains, is a 
 thing always to live in one's memory. There is a 
 fine road to within three miles of the summit, 
 through charming verdure-clad canons and val- 
 leys and the rest of the way can be made over a 
 fine trail by horseback, even to the summit. 
 
 Westward from Denver are Idaho Springs, 
 Georgetown, Gray's Peak, Middle Park, Clear 
 Creek, and Boulder Canons, with the mining at- 
 tractions of Central City, Georgetown, Empire, 
 Caribou, and Black Hawk, where the observer 
 can witness sights of extraordinary beauty. We 
 can not possibly describe the attractions of these 
 resorts. They are at once terrible, overpower- 
 ing, lonely, and full of indescribable majesty. 
 Amid them all the tourist travels daily, imbib- 
 ing the life-giving, beautiful, fresh air full of its 
 oxygen to quicken and stimulate the system ; 
 the eye drinks in the wealth of scenery, and 
 loves to note the beauties of the wonderful glow- 
 ing sunlight, and the occasional cloud-storms, 
 and wild display of power and glory. 
 
 We know of no country better worth the title 
 of the " Switzerland of America " than Colorado, 
 with its beautiful mountain parks, valleys, and 
 springs. Go and see them all. The tour will be 
 worthy of remembrance for a life-time. 
 
 The editor of this Guide expects soon to issue 
 The Colorado Tourist, devoted more especially to 
 the attractions of Colorado, as the limits of this 
 Guide can not begin to possibly describe a hun- 
 dredth part of the objects of interest within that 
 little region a world of pleasure travel by itself. 
 
 Of Life in Colorado, a prominent writer 
 has said : " At Denver I found, as I thought, the 
 grade of civilization actually higher than in most 
 Western cities. In elegance of building, in fin- 
 ish, in furniture, in dress and equipages, that 
 city is not behind any this side of the Atlantic 
 border. The total absence of squalidity and vis- 
 
78 
 
 MOUNTAIN OF THE HOLY CROSS, COLORADO. 
 
79 
 
 ible poverty, and I may also say of coarseness 
 and rowdyism, impressed me on my visit very 
 strongly, as did the earnestness, activity and in- 
 tensity of life which is everywhere so apparent." 
 
 P. T. Barnum once said of Colorado, in a lec- 
 ture : " Why, Coloradoans are the most disap- 
 pointed people I ever saw. Two-thirds of them 
 came here to die, and they can't do it. This 
 wonderful air brings them back from the verge 
 of the tomb, and they are naturally exceedingly 
 disappointed." 
 
 The average temperature is about 60 the year 
 round the air is bracing, winter mild, and days 
 almost always full of clear skies and bright warm 
 sunshine. The purity and dryness of the atmos- 
 phere are proverbial. 
 
 Mountain of the Holy Cross. The name 
 of this remarkable mountain is renowned to the 
 ends of the earth, and is the only one with this 
 name in the world. It is the principal mountain 
 of the Sawatch Range, just west of the Middle 
 Park of Colorado, and exceedingly difficult of 
 access. The Hayden party were several days in 
 merely finding an accessible way of travel to 
 reach its base. The characteristic features which 
 give it its name is the vertical face, nearly 3,000 
 feet in depth, with a cross at the upper portion, 
 the entire fissures being filled with snow. The 
 cross is of such remarkable size and distinct con- 
 trast with the dark granite rock, that it can be 
 seen nearly eighty miles away, and easily dis- 
 tinguished from all other mountain peaks. The 
 snow seems to have been caught in the fissure, 
 which is formed of a succession of steps, and here, 
 becoming well lodged, it remains all the year. 
 Late in the summer the cross is very much dimin- 
 ished in size by the melting of the snow. A beau- 
 tiful green lake lies at the base of the peak, almost 
 up to the timber line, which forms a reservoir for 
 the waters from the melting snows of the high 
 peaks. From this flows a stream with many 
 charming cascades. The height of the mountain 
 is 14,176 feet above tide-water. The perpendicu- 
 lar arm of the cross is 1,500 feet in length, and 
 fully 50 feet in breadth, the snow lying in the 
 crevice from 50 to 100 feet in depth. The hori- 
 zontal arm varies in length with the seasons, but 
 averages 700 feet. The mountain was ascended 
 by the Hayden party only with the greatest diffi- 
 culty, after 5,000 feet of climbing fifty pounds 
 of instruments on each back, and obliged to pass 
 thirty hours on the summit, with no snelter, pro- 
 tection, fuel or provisions, except one pocket 
 lunch. 
 
 Military Posts. 
 
 At Cheyenne is Camp Carlin, which is prin- 
 cipally a depot for quartermasters' supplies. 
 Three miles north on Crow Creek is Fort D. 
 A. Russell, named in honor of the gallant com- 
 mander of the first division of the sixth army 
 corps, who fell at the battle of Winchester while 
 
 leading his men to victory. It is a fifteen-com- 
 pany post ; its grounds are well laid out, with fair 
 buildings for officers and men. The creek runs 
 on two sides of the enclosure and " a spur " 
 from the railroad leads to it. This fort was 
 established by General Augur, about the first 
 of August, 1867. The reservation on which it 
 is located contains 4,512 acres. It is a distribu- 
 ting point for both troops and supplies. In the 
 winter quite a large number of troops, principally 
 cavalry, are kept here ; but in summer they are 
 at out-stations on the frontier. 
 
 Fort Laratnie. This fort is on the North 
 Platte River, ninety-two miles from Cheyenne. 
 It was established in August, 1869, by Major 
 W. F. Sanderson. It was formerly a trading-post 
 and a great resort for the northern Indians. The 
 trappers and hunters among them and among 
 the whites used to visit this place to trade their 
 furs for supplies. The fort derives its name 
 from Laramie River, which unites with the North 
 Platte near this point. The government has a 
 reservation here of fifty-four square miles. The 
 old overland road to Oregon passes this place, and 
 it is also on the direct road to Montana, the Big 
 Horn and Powder River regions. It is probably 
 the most important post on our frontier at 
 present. A semi-weekly stage line connects it 
 with Cheyenne, which will soon be made daily. 
 In 1875, thieving bands of Sioux found their 
 way in west and also south of this fort and 
 killed one or two herders and stole a few horses. 
 If trouble with the Sioux should come in conse- 
 quence of the occupation of the Black Hills by 
 miners, the location of this fort is very conven- 
 ient for the distribution of forces for either offen- 
 sive or defensive operations. 
 
 Fort Fettennan Is located on the south 
 side of the North Platte River, about eighty miles 
 from Fort Laramie. It is named in honor of 
 Lieutenant-Colonel W. J. Fettennan, who was 
 killed by the Indians at the Fort Phil Kearny 
 massacre, in December, 1866. It was established 
 in July, 1867, by Major Dey, of the United 
 States Army, and has a reservation of sixty 
 sections of land adjoining. It is at present a 
 base of supplies for troops in that vicinity, and is 
 an important link in the chain of forts that 
 should be re-established in the Powder and 
 Tongue River countries. Two or three military 
 posts between this fort and Atlantic City, in the 
 great south pass at the base of the Wind River 
 Mountains, would prevent the annual horse- 
 stealing raids of the Indians on the Laramie 
 plains. 
 
 Old Fort Casper Is one of the forts that 
 should be re-established. It is about sixty miles 
 west of Fort Fetterman, on the North Platte River, 
 at the old overland stage crossing, and was aban- 
 doned in 1867. At that time there was a bridge 
 across the river there, which cost $65,000, and 
 which was soon after burned by the Indians. 
 
Fort Reno. Established by General P. 
 Edward Connor, on Powder River, about ninety 
 miles north-west of Fort Fetternian, during the 
 war, and Fort Phil Kearney; established by Col- 
 onel Carrington, at the forks of the Big and 
 Little Piney Creeks, in 1866, have both been 
 abandoned, and should both be re-established. 
 Fort C. F. Smith was on the old Montana road, 
 near the base of the Big Horn Mountains in 
 Montana, some ninety miles from Fort Phil 
 Kearney; established in 1866 and abandoned at 
 the same time the other posts were given up. 
 The region of country in which these forts were 
 established is very fine for grazing, buffaloes 
 living there the entire year, with an abundance 
 of other gams. It is a famous hunting region 
 for the Indians ; but since the government has 
 inaugurated the policy of feeding them, they have 
 become too lazy to hunt. Nothing but a horse- 
 stealing raid can rouse the ambition of an ordi- 
 nary Indian. 
 
 foivder River Country. The Powder 
 River, so named from the dark powder-colored 
 sand in its bed, rises in the Big Horn Mountains, 
 north and north-west of Old Fort Casper, and 
 runs in a general north-easterly direction till it 
 empties into the Yellowstone River. It drains an 
 immense area of country, flows through a large 
 region of fine grazing lands, and has in the mount- 
 ains and hills on either side, untold treasures of 
 rich metals and precious gems. It has hitherto 
 been forbidden ground to white men, but those 
 who have passed through it give glowing descrip- 
 tions of its luxuriant fertility, its grand scenery 
 and its mineral wealth. The demand for gold 
 must soon cause it to be opened, and if it should 
 not prove as rich in minerals as has been predicted, 
 it will nevertheless be one of the finest grazing- 
 regions in the country, producing vast herds of 
 cattle, sheep and horses, which will add to the 
 material wealth of the country. There are also 
 heavy bodies of timber on the hills and mount- 
 ains which border this river, and which will soon 
 be needed to build the homes of the people who 
 are to inhabit this mountain region of the Conti- 
 nent. Its wonders are just beginning to be told. 
 They have yet to become known. When fully 
 realized, the overcrowded population of the East 
 .<rill be drawn to it as the magnet draws the 
 iron ; the wilderness will bud and blossom as the 
 rose, and a State will rise from the ground now 
 roamed over by wild beasts and tenanted by 
 savages. 
 
 The Tony ue River Country. This is sim- 
 ilar in some of its general features to that border- 
 ing the Powder River, with this exception, the 
 soil is said to be more fertile and better adapted to 
 agricultural pursuits. The Tongue River rises in 
 the Big Horn Mountains, in the central portion 
 of northern Wyoming, and runs north into the 
 Yellowstone River. It abounds in the usual 
 varieties of fish, and game is abundant along its 
 
 6 
 
 banks. It is a very crooked stream, its ways 
 being more devious than those of a modern whis- 
 ky-maker. It only awaits the advent of white 
 men and women to become an empire of itself. 
 A ready outlet to the best stock-markets in the 
 country is needed to render it accessible and 
 always open. 
 
 Hazard is 522.4 miles from Omaha, with 
 an elevation of 6,325 feet. It is a side track and 
 telegraph station, and there is a sheep ranche near 
 by. As you leave Cheyenne, looking off to the 
 right, you will see the Black Hills of Wyoming 
 stretching to the north, and you will wonder how 
 you are to get by them. To the left, Long's 
 Peak rears its snow-capped summit high into the 
 air. It is one of the famous mountains of Colo- 
 rado, and you have a better view of it on the 
 Denver Pacific Road than from the Union Pacific. 
 It is always crowned with snow and frequently 
 obscured by clouds. Plow grand it looks, and 
 how huge it appears in the distance. After 
 leaving Hazard, the road enters a " draw," or 
 ravine, and the monotony of the scenery over the 
 plains is past. From this place on, the mount- 
 ains will be constantly in sight. The next sta- 
 tion is 
 
 Otto, 530.6 miles from Omaha, and 6,724 
 feet above the sea. Here, looking to the right, 
 you will see an old road-bed, partly graded. It 
 was abandoned and the track was laid on the 
 present grade. Every opportunity for obtaining 
 the rugged views, both to the right and left, 
 should be observed and taken advantage of. 
 The station itself is simply a side track with tel- 
 egraph office. 
 
 Granite Canon is the next station, 535.6 
 miles from Omaha, and 7,298 feet in altitude. 
 You approach this station high upon the side of 
 a ravine, and through deep cuts in granite spurs. 
 Stunted pines, like lone sentinels, are seen on the 
 bleak hills, where they have for ages withstood 
 the frosts of time. The station has a few houses, 
 a lime kiln, telegraph office, and the accompany- 
 ing side track where trains meet and pass. The 
 cuts, through a reddish granite, are short but 
 very heavy. Snow sheds are now quite frequent. 
 
 Jtiuford, 542.5 miles from Omaha; eleva- 
 tion, 7,780 feet. It is a telegraph station. As 
 you leave it on your left, the " Twin Mountains,' 
 two peaks in the Black Hills, lift their rocky 
 heads above the barren waste around them. 
 Near these mountains the noted desperado, Jack 
 Slade, once had his retreat. The country here is 
 covered with short buffalo grass, cut with ravines 
 and drajvs, abounding in fine springs, and in 
 places, covered with pine trees. The dark hues 
 of the pine give the hills their name, "black," 
 and in places the timber is quite heavy. A short 
 distance to your right, Crow Creek rises and 
 winds its way among the hills to the plains be- 
 low. Four and a half miles north from Buford, 
 near the valley of Crow Creek, mines of copper 
 
82 
 
 and silver have been discovered. The ore assays 
 over $ 50 per ton, but is very refractory. It M LI 
 eventually become a silver mine, as the copper in 
 nearly all such cases runs out. 
 
 Sherman is 549.2 miles from Omaha, at an 
 elevation of 8,242 feet. At the time the road 
 was completed here, it was the highest railroad 
 point in the world, but there are higher places 
 now reached by rail in South America. It has 
 been reached by an ascent so gradual that you 
 have hardly noticed it. In the past few years 
 there have been many changes in grade of the 
 Union Pacific, and wherever possible, the track 
 has been raised above the cuts, so the snow, 
 unless in immense quantities, now causes but 
 little impediment to travel. At Sherman, the 
 snow never falls very deep, but there is a con- 
 
 mile, and the maximum grade of any one mile 
 is 90 feet. From Sherman to Laramie, the dis- 
 tance is 23.4 miles ; the average grade is 50 feet 
 to the mile, while the maximum grade of any 
 one mile is the same as on the eastern slope 90 
 feet to the mile. These grades indicate why 
 this route across the Black Hills was selected in 
 preference to others where the altitude was not 
 as great the approach on either side being more 
 gradual, though the elevation is greater. Nearly 
 all trains between Cheyenne and Laramie have 
 two engines attached so that they may be easily 
 controlled. It is a steady pull to the summit, 
 from each side, and the heavy down grades from 
 it require a great deal of power to properly con- 
 trol trains. About mile west of Sherman on 
 the left side of the road, is "Reed's Rock," so 
 
 SKULL ROCKS, 
 
 stant breeze, that most Eastern people would 
 pronounce a gale, and the snow is constantly 
 drifting and packs so hard wherever it finds 
 lodgment, that it is exceedingly difficult to dis- 
 place, requiring an immense power of snow- 
 plows, engines and shovelers. As you approach 
 Sherman, you will see the balanced rocks, and to 
 the right of the station, about one-quarter of a 
 mile, is a rugged peak, near which are graves of 
 some who are quietly sleeping so near heaven, 
 and a solitary pine tree, like a sentinel keeping 
 guard over them. Sherman is a telegraph sta- 
 tion, has a hotel, one or two saloons, several 
 houses, and a roundhouse where an engine is 
 kept for use in eases of emergency. The differ- 
 ence in elevation between this place and Chey- 
 enne is 2,201 feet, and distance nearly 33 miles. 
 The average grade from Cheyenne is 67 feet per 
 
 NEAR SHERMAN. 
 
 called from one of the civil engineers who laid 
 out the road. Something like two hundred 
 feet to the eastward of the station, and on 
 the north side of the track, there may be 
 seen a post, bearing the important announce- 
 ment that this is the " Summit of the Rocky 
 Mountains.'" 
 
 Dale Creek Bridge is about two miles 
 west of Sherman. This bridge is built of iron, 
 arid seems to be a light airy structure, but is 
 really very substantial. The creek, like a thread 
 of silver, winds its devious way in the depths be- 
 low, and is soon lost to sight as you pass rapidly 
 down the grade and through the granite cuts and 
 snow sheds beyond. This bridge is 650 feet long, 
 and nearly 130 feet high, and is one of the won- 
 ders on the great trans-continental route. A 
 water tank, just beyond it, is supplied with water 
 
83 
 
 DALE CREEK BRIDGE. 
 
 from the creek by means of a steam pump. The 
 buildings in the valley below seem small in the 
 distance, though they are not a great way off. 
 The old wagon road crossed the creek down a 
 ravine, on the right side of the track, and the 
 remains of the bridge may still be seen. This 
 stream rises about six miles north of the bridge, 
 and is fed by numerous springs and tributaries, 
 running in a general southerly direction, until it 
 empties into the Cache La Poudre River. The 
 old overland road from Denver to California 
 ascended this river and creek until it struck 
 the head- waters of the Laramie. Leaving Dale 
 Creek bridge, the road soon turns to the right, 
 and before you, on the left, is spread out, like a 
 magnificent panorama, 
 
 The Great Laramie Plains. These 
 plains have an average width of 40 miles, and 
 are 100 miles in length. They begin at the 
 western base of the Black Hills and extend to 
 the slope of the Medicine Bow Mountains, and 
 north beyond where the Laramie River cuts 
 its way through these hills to join its waters 
 with the North Platte. They comprise an area 
 of over two and a half millions of acres, and 
 are regarded as one of the richest grazing por- 
 tions of country. Across these plains, and a. 
 little to the left, as you begin to glide over them, 
 rises ,in full view the Diamond Peaks of the 
 Medicine Bow Range. They are trim and clear- 
 cut cones, with sharp pointed summits a fact 
 which has given them their name, while their 
 sides, and the rugged hills around them, are cov- 
 ered with timber. Still farther in the shadowy 
 distance, in a south-westerly direction, if the 
 atmosphere is clear, you will see the white sum- 
 mits of the Snowy Range white with their 
 robes of perpetual snow. Even in the hottest 
 weather experienced on these plains, it makes 
 
 one feel chilly to look at them, they are so cold, 
 cheerless and forbidding. 
 
 In the hills we have just passed, there is an 
 abundance of game, such as mountain sheep, 
 bear, antelope, and an occasional mountain lion, 
 while Dale Creek and all the little brooks which 
 flow into the South Platte River are filled with 
 trout. The speckled beauties are not found 
 however, in the streams which flow into the 
 North Platte. This is a well-established fact, 
 and we have yet failed to discover any satisfac- 
 tory reason for it, though some of these brooks, 
 flowing in opposite directions, head not more 
 than fifty yards apart. 
 
 Skull Itocks. These rocks, found near Dale 
 Creek, are excellent samples of the granite rocks 
 which are so abundant in this section, and show 
 how they bear the effects of the severe weather. 
 All the massive rocks, which, like the ruins of 
 old castles, are scattered all over the Black Hills, 
 were once angular in form, and square masses, 
 which in time have been worn to their present 
 forms by the disintegrating effects of the atmos- 
 phere. 
 
 Tie-Sff7!iif/, 555.2 miles from Omaha; ele- 
 vation, 7,985 feet. This is a telegraph station, 
 A well-worn and much traveled road leads 
 hence across the prairies southward to the 
 mountains of Diamond Peaks, in the neigh- 
 borhood of which are obtained ties,, fence- 
 poles and wood. There are a few houses, 
 and the inevitable saloon houses occupied most- 
 ly by w'oodchoppers and teamsters while -the 
 saloons generally take the most of their money. 
 A short distance from this station two soldiers 
 of an Iowa cavalry regiment were killed by In- 
 dians at the overland stage station, in 1865. The 
 pine board and mound which marks their resting- 
 place will soon disappear, and there will be noth- 
 
84 
 
 ing left to mark the spot where they fell. Near 
 Tie-Siding are extensive ranches occupied by 
 sheep during the summer. The general direction 
 of the traveler is now north. In fact, after leav- 
 ing Dale Creek bridge, you turn towards the 
 north, and continue in that direction, sometimes 
 even making a little east, until you pass Rock 
 Creek Station, a distance of about seventy miles 
 by rail. We have now fairly entered upon the 
 great Laramie Plains. The next station is 
 
 Hartley, simply a side track, 559.3 miles 
 from the eastern terminus, with an elevation of 
 7,857 feet. We are going down grade now pretty 
 fast. The old stage road can be seen to the left, 
 and the higher mountains of the Medicine Bow 
 Range shut in the western view. 
 
 Red Buttes, near the base of the western 
 slope of the Black Hills is 563.8 miles from 
 Omaha; elevation, 7,336 feet. So-called from 
 the reddish color of the Buttes between Harney 
 and this place, on the right side of the track. 
 This red appearance of the soil on both hill and 
 plain, indicates the presence of iron. It would 
 seem that at some remote period the whole valley 
 was on a level with the top of these Buttes, and 
 they, composed of harder and more cohesive sub- 
 stance than the soil around, have withstood the 
 drain and wash of ages, while it has settled 
 away. They are of all sorts of shapes. The 
 nearest about half a mile from the track, and ex- 
 cite no little interest from their peculiar forms, 
 in the mind of the traveler who is at all curious 
 on such subjects ; some of them are isolated, 
 and then again you will see them in groups. 
 There are quite a number in sight from the car 
 windows, and their close inspection would war- 
 rant the tourist in stopping at Laramie and 
 making them and other objects in the vicinity a 
 visit. Red Buttes is a telegraph station, with a 
 few settlers in the neighborhood. These plains 
 have been called the paradise for sheep ; but of 
 this subject we will speak in another place. 
 
 Fort Sanders, 570.3 miles from Omaha; 
 elevation 7,163 feet. This is a station for the 
 military post which was established here in June, 
 1866, by Col. H. M. Mizner of the 18th United 
 States Infantry. Its buildings for both officers 
 and men are mainly of logs, and many of them 
 are both substantial and comfortable. The post 
 can be seen from a long distance in every 
 direction ; is close to the track and on the old 
 military road leading across the Black Hills by 
 way of Cheyenne Pass to Fort Walbach at the 
 eastern base of the hills, now abandoned, and to 
 the military posts near Cheyenne. It will prob- 
 ably be abandoned in a short time. 
 
 Laramie is 572.8 miles from Omaha, and 
 7,123 feet above the sea. It is the end of a divi- 
 sion of the Union Pacific Railroad, one of the 
 largest towns on the road, has large machine and 
 repair shops, and is destined to become from its 
 mining and manufacturing capacities yet unde- 
 
 veloped, the largest city on the road in Wyoming. 
 It is located on the Laramie River, in the midst 
 of the Laramie Plains, has fully 3,000 people, is 
 the county-seat of Albany County, has numerous 
 churches and schools, several public buildings, 
 brick and stone blocks, with streets regularly laid 
 out at right angles to the railroad ; is well wa- 
 tered from one of the mountain streams in the 
 vicinity, and altogether is one of the most promis- 
 ing towns on the line of the road. It is called 
 the "Gem city of the Mountains," and its alti- 
 tude and close proximity to the hills behind it 
 give it a fair show for the name. The rolling 
 mills of the company, giving employment to from 
 150 to 300 men, are located and in operation 
 here, in the northern limits of the city. It is ex- 
 pected and understood that a foundry and smelt- 
 ing works for reducing iron ore will soon be 
 established in connection with the rolling mills. 
 At present these mills have all they can do in re- 
 rolling the worn out rails of the track, which are 
 brought here for that purpose. The water-power 
 in the Laramie River will also soon be utilized in 
 the erection of woolen mills and factories for re- 
 fining soda and other minerals with which this 
 country abounds. The mineral resources of Wy- 
 oming have not been developed. The slight ex- 
 plorations which have thus far been made only 
 demonstrate the fact of their existence in untold 
 quantities. Laramie, for instance, has within a 
 radius of thirty miles the following named mine- 
 rals : Antimony, cinnabar, gold, silver, copper, 
 lead, plumbago, iron, red hematite iron, brown 
 hematite, specular iron, sulphate of soda, gypsum, 
 kaolin or porcelain clay, fire clay, brick clay, 
 coal, sand, limestone, fine quality, sandstone for 
 building purposes within two miles of the city, 
 and good wagon roads to all the places where 
 these materials are found. Laramie, from its 
 location and surroundings, must become a manu- 
 facturing city, and upon this fact we base the 
 prophecy of its future greatness and prosperity. 
 There are lakes of soda within the distance named 
 that must soon be utilized. A simple chemical 
 process only is required to render this article into 
 the soda of commerce immense quantities of 
 which are used in this country annually, and most 
 of it comes from foreign countries. It is expect- 
 ed that a soda factory will be started at Laramie 
 within the next year. 
 
 Slteep-Kaisitig. We have before remarked 
 that the Laramie Plains were a paradise for 
 sheep. The success which has attended sheep 
 husbandry on these plains sufficiently attests this 
 fact. It is true, first efforts were not as success- 
 ful as they should have been, but this is reason- 
 ably accounted for in the lack of experience of 
 those who engaged in it, and a want of knowledge 
 of the peculiarities of the climate. It has gene- 
 rally been claimed that sheep will live and do . 
 well where antelope thrive. While this theory 
 holds good in the main, it has nevertheless been 
 
85 
 
 ascertained that sheep on these plains require 
 hay and shelter in order to be successfully carried 
 through the storms of winter. It is also true 
 that this hay may not be needed, or but a little of 
 it used, but every preparation for safety requires 
 that it should be on hand to be used if necessary. 
 The winter is rare indeed, in this locality, that 
 makes twenty successive days' feeding a necessity. 
 Usually the storms last two or three days, per- 
 haps not as long, when hay and shelter are re- 
 quired. Another fact about this business is that 
 the climate is healthy, and seems especially adapt- 
 ed to sheep. If brought here in a sound and 
 healthy condition, they will remain so with ordi- 
 nary care, and the climate alone has been effec- 
 tual in curing some of the diseases to which they 
 are subject. Within the last few years a great 
 number of men have invested capital in sheep 
 husbandry in the vicinity of Laramie, and with- 
 out an exception they have done well where their 
 flocks have received the requisite attention and 
 care. Among the shepherd kings of the plains 
 may be mentioned the firms of Willard & Ken- 
 nedy, King & Lane, Rumsey & Co., T. J. Fisher 
 & Co., and others. The firm first named have 
 about 6,000 in their flock, and have accommoda- 
 tions at their different ranches for 10,000 sheep. 
 They place this number as the limit of their 
 flock. Their home ranche is on the Laramie 
 River, about twenty miles due west from the 
 city, and is worthy of a visit from any traveler 
 who desires information on the subject. They 
 are Boston men, and are meeting with success be- 
 cause they give their personal care and attention 
 to the business. Their sheep are divided into 
 flocks of about 2,500 each ; this number is all 
 that can be well cared for in a flock. One man, 
 a pony and one or two good shepherd dogs are all 
 that are necessary to care for a flock, though 
 some flocks are cared for without the pony or 
 dogs. Mexican herders or shepherds are con- 
 sidered the best, and usually cost about f 25 per 
 month and board. They have long been accus- 
 tomed to the business in New Mexico, and the 
 most of them don't know enough to do anything 
 else. The wool of graded sheep will usually more 
 than pay all the expenses of the flock, leaving 
 the increase as clear profit, and the increase de- 
 pends to a large extent on how well the flock is 
 managed ; it is ordinarily 80 per cent. Some 
 have had au increase of their flocks as large as 
 90 per cent., others as low as 60 per cent. Some 
 of the successful sheep men have begun their 
 flocks with Spanish Merinos, others with French 
 Merinos, others with Cotswolds, and others still 
 with Mexican sheep. These last are very hardy ; 
 have small bodies and coarse wool. The ewes 
 are usually good mothers, and all of them will 
 hunt and dig through the snow for grass, while 
 other breeds would not. Mexican sheep will live 
 and thrive where tenderly raised eastern sheep 
 will die. They are cheap and easily graded up. 
 
 On the other hand, when once acclimated, graded 
 sheep cost no more care than others, and their 
 wool will bring double the price in the market. 
 Each class of sheep has its advocates on these 
 plains, and each class has been successful. As an 
 illustration of what care and attention will do 
 in the sheep business, we call attention to the 
 facts and figures in the case of T. J. Fisher & 
 Co., quoting from memory. In August, 1873, 
 Mr. Fisher bought some 690 ewes. At the end of 
 the first year he had a few over 1,300 sheep and 
 lambs, together with the wool clip from the origi- 
 nal number purchased, in the spring of 1874. At 
 the end of the second year, in August, 1875, he 
 had over 1,900 sheep and lambs, together with 
 the wool clip in the spring of that year. His 
 sheep being graded, the wool more than paid all 
 expenses of herding, cutting hay, corrals, etc. 
 His ranche is on the Little Laramie River, some 
 fourteen miles from the city. While nearly all 
 who have entered upon this business have been re- 
 markably successful, so far as we are able to learn, 
 Mr. Fisher has been the most successful, in pro- 
 portion to the capital invested. Tourists desir- 
 ing further information on this subject will do 
 well to visit his ranche and inspect his method 
 of conducting the business. Messrs. King & 
 Lane, and Rumsey & Co., have some very fine 
 Cotswold and Merino sheep, and a visit to their 
 flocks will abundantly reward any one who de- 
 sires further information on the subject. 
 
 Stock Statistics. The total number of 
 stock grazing on the plains of Laramie County, 
 January 1, 1876, was as follows : 
 
 Sheep, 78,322 head, worth $3, value, $234,966 
 
 Horned cattle. 87.001) " " 20, " 1,740,000 
 Horses and mules, 2,600 " " 50, " 130,000 
 
 Total, $2,104,906 
 
 The average weight of fleece of sheep sheared 
 last spring, was 9 Ibs. per sheep. The average 
 increase in flocks is 60 to 90 per cent, per annum, 
 and the average increase of capital, is 50 to 60 
 per cent, per year. 
 
 Sheep husbandry is destined to become the 
 feature of the Laramie Plains, and the wool 
 which will soon be raised in this vicinity will keep 
 thousands of spindles in motion near the very 
 place where it is produced, thus saving to both 
 producer and consumer vast sums which are now 
 lost in transportation. 
 
 Early Times. In April, 1868, the first town 
 lots in Laramie were sold by the railroad com- 
 pany. There was a great rush for town lots 
 excitement ran very high, and the history of 
 Cheyenp.e in this respect, where men made for- 
 tunes in a day, was repeated here. In fact, a 
 month or two prior to the beginning of the sale, 
 the town site was covered with tents, wagons, 
 dugouts, etc., of parties waiting for the day of 
 sale. W T ith that sale, the settlement of the town 
 began. The first week, over 400 lots sold and 
 building began rapidly. In less than two weeks 
 
86 
 
 something over 500 buildings and structures of 
 some kind had been erected. This was an ex- 
 ample of western growth that would astonish the 
 slow-going denizens of the Atlantic States. It is 
 true these structures were of a peculiar character, 
 and such as were usually found in the towns for 
 the time being made the business terminus of the 
 road. Some were of logs, some of cross-ties, others 
 were simply four posts set in the ground with can- 
 vas sides and roofs. Others still were made of 
 boards, in sections, and easy to be moved when 
 the next terminus should be made known. 
 
 The iron rails that were soon to bear the iron 
 horse were laid past the town on the 9th day of 
 May, 1868, and on the day following, the first 
 train arrived and discharged its freight. Lara- 
 mie maintained the character of all these west- 
 
 who were respectable, and who desired to do a 
 legitimate business could not endure for a long 
 time, the presence and rascalities of these border 
 characters. There being no law in force, the 
 next best thing was a resort to "lynch law." 
 This was the experience of Laramie. 
 
 Laramie is now an orderly, well-governed city, 
 where the rights of person and property are re- 
 spected, and forcibly reminds one of the quiet 
 towns in the East. All saloons and other places 
 of like character, are closed on the Sabbath, the 
 churches are well attended, and the schools are lib- 
 erally patronized. It is one of the most attrac- 
 tive towns on the line of the Union Pacific 
 road, and offers many advantages to those who 
 desire, for any reason, a change of location. 
 
 In addition to other public institutions else- 
 
 EARLY MORNING SCENE ON THE LARAMIE PLAINS. 
 
 ern towns in the early days of their settlement. 
 The same class of human beings that had popu- 
 lated and depopulated North Platte, Julesburg, 
 Cheyenne, and other places, lived and flourished 
 hare until the next move was made. They were 
 gamblers, thieves, prostitutes, murderers bad 
 man and woman of every calling and description 
 undar the heavens, and from almost every nation- 
 ality on the globe and when they could prey 
 upon no one else, would, as a matter of course, 
 prey upon each other. The worst that has ever 
 been written of these characters does not depict 
 the whole truth ; thay were, in many cases, out- 
 laws from the East fled to escape the conse- 
 quences of crimes committed there, and each 
 man was a law unto himself. Armed to the very 
 teath, it was simply a word and a shot, and 
 many times the shot came first. Of course those 
 
 where mentioned, Laramie has the location of 
 the territorial penitentiary, a small wing of 
 which is already constructed, and which is 
 plainly visible only a short distance west of the 
 railroad track. A good hotel is kept at the 
 old depot. For years it was a regubir dining 
 station, and is still one of the most important 
 and interesting places on the Omaha route, 
 but the dining station has recently been trans- 
 ferred to Rock Creek, fifty-two miles farther 
 west, the better to accommodate the hour of din- 
 ing to the wants of travelers. A manufactory 
 for soda is talked of, and if the mines of this ar- 
 ticle are properly developed, Laramie will soon 
 supply the world with soda enough to raise, not 
 only biscuits and bread, but no small sum of. 
 money as a return for the investment. The 
 rolling mills and machine and repair shops of 
 
87 
 
 the company are sources of perpetual trade and 
 income, and must of necessity increase with the 
 annually increasing business of the company. A 
 visit to the soda lakes, gold mines, Iron Mount- 
 ain, Red Buttes and other places of interest in 
 the vicinity, together with good hotel accommo- 
 dations, will sure- 
 ly lure the trav- 
 eler to spend a 
 few days in this 
 " Gem city of the 
 Mountains." 
 
 Li a r a in i e 
 Peak. This is 
 the highest peak 
 of the Black Hills 
 Range in Wyom- 
 ing and Colorado, 
 north of Long's 
 Peak, and is about 
 10,000 feet high. 
 The Hayden ex- 
 ploring party, 
 who were en- 
 camped at its 
 base, describe wit- 
 nessing a sunset 
 scene of rare 
 beauty. The sun 
 passed down di- 
 rectly behind the 
 summit of Lara- 
 mie Peak. The 
 whole range of 
 mountains was 
 gilded with a 
 golden light, and 
 the haziness of the 
 atmosphere gave 
 to the whole scene 
 a deeper beauty. 
 The valleys at the 
 base of the Cotton- 
 wood and Laramie 
 Rivers are full of 
 pleasant little 
 streams and 
 grassy plains. 
 Sometimes these 
 valleys expand 
 out into beautiful 
 oval park-like 
 areas, which are 
 favorite resorts of 
 wild game, and 
 would be exceedingly desirable for settlements. 
 Emigrants would find here beautiful scenery, 
 pure air and water, and a mild and extremely 
 healthy climate. Cereals and roots could be easily 
 raised, and stock-raising could be made a source 
 of wealth to them and the whole community. 
 
 The Windmills of the Union Pacific 
 
 HUNTING IN THE KOOKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Railroad. The traveler notices with interest 
 the ever frequent windmills which appear at 
 every station, and are such prominent objects 
 over the broad prairies. They are used for sup- 
 plying the locomotives and station houses with 
 water. Probably no finer specimens exist in the 
 
 United States than 
 are found on the 
 lines of this road. 
 In these tanks 
 is a large hollow 
 globe floating in 
 the water. These 
 globes are so con- 
 nected with lev- 
 el's that when the 
 water has reached 
 a certain height, 
 the slats or fans 
 are thrown in line 
 with the wind, and 
 the machine stops. 
 As the water is 
 drawn off for sup- 
 plying the locomo- 
 tives, the ball falls, 
 and the machine 
 is again put in mo- 
 tion. They are 
 thus self-regula- 
 ting and self-act- 
 ing. The water is 
 thrown up by a 
 forcing pump. A 
 curious fact may 
 be here mention- 
 ed. These tanks, 
 when closely cov- 
 ered, have thus far 
 proved that there 
 is enough caloric 
 in the water to 
 prevent it from 
 freezing. 
 
 Wind River 
 Mountains. 
 These mountains, 
 seen on the map 
 and just north of 
 the railroad, are 
 destined soon to 
 celebrity, for their 
 mining value, al- 
 though as yet but 
 partially explored. 
 Two well-known peaks rise among them, Fre- 
 mont's Peak and Snow's Peak, the latter being the 
 highest; its elevation is given by Fremont as 13.570 
 feet. The mountains are filled with a dense 
 growth of a species of the nut pine, which fur- 
 nishes food for innumerable birds and squirrels, 
 and supplies the Indians with their favorite food. 
 
88 
 
 Indian Burial Tree. Among the Indian 
 tribes there are quite a number whose custom is 
 to honor their dead with burial places in. the tops 
 of favored trees. The Comanches, Apaches, 
 Cheyennes, Arrapahoes and Kiowas all do this. 
 After an Indian is dead, his corpse is securely 
 wrapped like a mummy ; with it are put food, 
 arms, tobacco, etc., which its spirit is supposed to 
 want in his trip to the happy hunting-ground, 
 and the whole covered with an outer covering 
 made of willows. All the Indians of the tribe 
 celebrate mourning both before and after this is 
 done ; then the body is placed upon a platform, 
 constructed in some old tree, usually a large cot- 
 ton-wood. The feet of the departed Indian are 
 turned with care to the southward, for thither 
 resides the Great Spirit, so the Indians say 
 and thither he is going. In some of their favor- 
 
 Wyoming. They are really the first range of 
 the Rockies. They begin at the valley of the 
 North Platte River, directly south of Fort Fet- 
 terman, and unite with the Medicine Bow Range 
 in northern Colorado, south-west from Sherman. 
 Laramie Peak and Reed's Peak, north of the 
 Laramie Canon, are the highest peaks in this 
 range. The waters which flow from them east of 
 the Black Hills, and those which flow west from 
 the Medicine Bow Range, all unite in the North 
 Piatte River, which describes a half circle around 
 their northern extremity, and then flows east- 
 ward to the Missouri River. This range of 
 mountains, as before stated, is crossed at Sher- 
 man. They have not been prospected to any 
 great extent for the precious metals, but gold, 
 silver, copper, iron and other minerals are known 
 to exist. Iron is found in large quantities. 
 
 INDIAN BURIAL TREE, NEAR FORT LARAMIE. 
 
 ifce groves, as many as eight or ten bodies have 
 been found in a single tree. Another mode of 
 burial is to erect a scaffold on some prominent 
 knoll or bluff. These customs are prevalent 
 among those Indian tribes which are most rov- 
 ing, and live in the saddle. " Foot Indians," 
 those which inhabit the plains, and are peaceable, 
 most invariably bury their dead in the ground 
 always, however, accompanied with such good 
 things as he will need in his trips thereafter in 
 the new hunting-grounds. 
 
 The Black Hills of Wyoming, and the 
 Medicine Bow Mange. In going west, the 
 first range of real mountains the traveler meets 
 with are what are called the Black Hills of 
 
 About 18 miles north-east from Laramie is Iron 
 Mountain, on the head of Chugwater Creek. It 
 is said to be nearly pure, and will some day be 
 developed. There has been talk of a railroad 
 from Cheyenne with a branch to this mountain, 
 but nothing has been done yet. In searching 
 for a route for the Union Pacific Railroad, a 
 survey of the Laramie Canon was made, but 
 it was found to be impracticable for a railroad. 
 It, however, has grand scenery, and will become 
 a place of resort, by tourists, as soon as the In- 
 dian question is settled. The Black Hills virtu- 
 ally connect with the Medicine Bow Range at 
 both extremities, bearing to the left around the 
 circle of the North Platte, and to the right south 
 
89 
 
 MEDICINE BOW MOUNTAINS, FROM MEDICINE BOW RIVER. 
 
 of Sherman. The canons of both the Laramie 
 and Platte Rivers are rugged and grand. Lara- 
 mie Peak has an elevation of 10,000 feet, and 
 lies in plain view off to the right from Lookout 
 to Medicine Bow Stations. 
 
 Crossing the Black Hills, the road strikes the 
 Laramie Plains, and then the Medicine Bow 
 Range rises grandly before you. At Laramie 
 City the road running north you look west 
 and behold Sheep Mountain in front, whose sum- 
 mit is 10,000 feet above the sea; to the left of 
 this is Mt. Agassiz, so named in honor of the 
 distinguished scientist who gave his life to the 
 cause he loved so well. To the right of Sheep 
 
 Mountain, which is in the Medicine Bow Range, 
 you discover what seems to be a large depression 
 in the mountains. This is where the Little Lara- 
 mie River heads, and across it, to the right, still 
 other peaks of this range lift their snowy heads. 
 The range is now on your left until you pass 
 around its northern bend and into the North 
 Platte galley again at Fort Steele. On the 
 northern extremity, Elk Mountain looms up, the 
 best view of which can be obtained as you pass 
 from Medicine Bow Station to Fort Steele, pro- 
 vided, of course, you look when the foot hills do 
 not obscure your vision. The Medicine Bow 
 Range is also full of the precious metals, mostly 
 
90 
 
 gold, but lias not been developed. The Centen- 
 nial Mine, located by a party of gentlemen from 
 Laramie, on the first day of January, 1875, is on 
 the mountain just north of one of the branches 
 of the Little Laramie River, and in a clear day, 
 with a good glass, can plainly be seen from Lara- 
 mie City. Nearly all the streams which head in 
 the Medicine Bow Mountains will show " color " 
 to the prospector, but the lodes are mostly 
 " blind,'"' and can only be found by persistent 
 search. This range is also heavily timbered, and 
 abounds in game, and except the highest peaks, 
 is free from snow in the summer. The timber is 
 mostly pine, and immense quantities are annu- 
 ally cut for railroad ties, telegraph and fence 
 poles and wood. Nearly every ranche on the 
 Laramie Plains is cupplied with poles tor corrals, 
 sheds and fences irom the Black Hills or Medi- 
 cine Bow Range. The Laramie Plains is the 
 great basin between these two ranges, and the 
 road has to pass northward a long distance in 
 order to find its way out. Leaving ^he grand 
 views of these mountains, the traveler enters 
 upon a vast, dreary and unproductive waste 
 fitly called a desert. Still its rough and broken 
 'appearance with rocks, hills, and mountains on 
 either side afford a strange and pleasant relief 
 from the dull monotony of the eastern piains. 
 
 Leaving Laramie City, the track passes close 
 to the company's rolling mills, from the tall 
 chimneys of which there are huge volumes of 
 black smoke and occasional flames, constantly 
 belching forth. We soon cross the Laramie 
 River on a wooden truss bridge, and run along 
 near its banks to 
 
 Ifowell, which is a side track, eight miles 
 from Laramie, and 580.8 miles from Omaha; 
 elevation, 7,090 feet. Passing over the plains, 
 walled in by mountains on either side, we reach 
 the next station, 
 
 Wyoming, over fifteen miles from Laramie, 
 and 588.4 miles from Omaha ; elevation, 7,068 
 feet. Having reached the highest altitude on 
 the line of the road between the two oceans, at 
 Sherman, you see we are now going down hill 
 a little, and from this time until we cross the 
 Sierras, there will be a constant succession of 
 " ups and downs " in our journey. Wyoming is 
 on the Little Laramie River, which empties into 
 the Laramie River near the station. It is a tele- 
 graph station with a few houses in the vicinity 
 in the midst of a fine grazing country, with 
 sheep and cattle ranches in sight. Leaving 
 Wyoming, the aspect of the country soon 
 changes. A bluff on the right lies near the 
 track, the country becomes more undulating as 
 we pass on, and the grass seems to grow thinner 
 except on the bottom near the stream. Sage 
 brush and greasewood, well known to all frontier 
 men, begin to appear. We have seen a little of 
 sage brush before in the vicinity of Julesburg, 
 and Sidney, and now strike it again. 
 
 Cooper's Lake, 598.{> miles from Omaha, 
 with an elevation of 7,044 feet It is a telegraph 
 station with the usual side track and section- 
 houses. The station is named from the little 
 lake near by, which can best be seen from the 
 cars at the water tank, beyond the station. It 
 isn't much of a *ake, nor can much of it be seen 
 from the car windows. The water is said to 
 look very green in the summer, and to differ but 
 little in appearance from the green grass which 
 surrounds it. The lake itself is about half a 
 mile wide, and a mile and a half long, and about 
 two miles from the track, though it does not 
 seem half that distance. It is fed by Cooper and 
 Dutton Creeks, but has no visible outlet. 
 
 Lookout, 607.6 miles from Omaha, and 
 about thirty-five nines Irom Laramie ; elevation, 
 7,16fc) feet. The road left what may be called the 
 Laramie bottom at the last station, and now 
 winds through a rolling country, which soon be- 
 comes rough and broken, with the sage brush 
 constantly increasing. Notice the chariges in 
 the elevation as you pass alonor. 
 
 Miser, 615.9 miles from Omaha ; elevation, 
 6,810 feet. Near here coal has been found. 
 It is in the vicinity of Rock Creek, which is 
 said to be the eastern rim of the coal fields 
 discovered on this elevated plateau, in the mid- 
 dle of the Continent. From the last station 
 to this, and beyond, you have fine and con- 
 stantly changing views from the moving train, 
 of Laramie Peak, away off to the right, and 
 of Elk Mountain to the left. Sage brush is 
 the only natural production of the soil in this 
 region, and is said to be eaten by antelope and 
 elk in the absence of grass or anything better. 
 It is also said that sheep will feed upon it, 
 and that wherever antelope live and flourish, 
 sheep will do likewise. 
 
 Hock Creek, so-called from a creek of the 
 same name, which the road here crosses ; 624.6 
 miles from Omaha; elevation, 6.690 feet. This 
 is a regular eating station, instead of Laramie. 
 The dining-room is beautifully decorated with 
 flowers, vines and horns of game, a pretty 
 Bay window with blooming flowers and walls 
 covered with vines, and the display of hanging 
 baskets, making the meal one of the most agree- 
 able on the road. Hotel is kept by Thayer and 
 Hughes. 
 
 The government is surveying a new road to 
 Fort Fetterman, to start from Rock Creek, in- 
 stead of Medicine Bow. 
 
 Rock Creek rises in the north-eastern peaks of 
 the Medicine Bow Range, and runs in that 
 direction to this station, near which it turns to- 
 ward the west and unites with Medicine Bow 
 River, near Medicine Bow Station. 
 
 Wilcox. A side track for the passing of 
 trains, 632.3 miles from Omaha, and 7,033 feet 
 above the sea. The next station is 
 
 Como, named after Lake Como, which the 
 
91 
 
 road here passes. One peculiarity of this lake 
 is that it is near Ilock Creek separated from it 
 by a ridge of hills estimated at 200 feet high, 
 with no visible outlet. The station is 640.2 
 miles from Omaha, and 6,680 feet above the 
 sea. The lake has been estimated to be 200 
 feet above the surface of Rock Creek, from 
 which it is separated as above stated. It is 
 fed by warm springs, which also supply the 
 water tank of the company at the station. In a 
 cold day the steam from these springs can be 
 seen at some distance. It is also a great resort 
 for ducks, and sportsmen can obtain fine shooting 
 here in the proper season. If lizards are fish 
 with legs, then we have fish with legs abounding 
 in this lake and vicinity. These animals are from 
 6 to 18 inches in length, with a head a good deal 
 like that of a frog, and tufts or tassels where the 
 gills would be on a fish. They have four legs and 
 crawl around to a certain extent on the land. 
 There are two kinds of these lizards, one differ- 
 ing from the other in size and color more than 
 in shape, and either kind are devoured by the 
 ducks when they can be caught. The lake is 
 about one mile wide in the widest place, and two 
 and a half miles long. 
 
 Valley of the Chngivater. The Chug- 
 water Valley is about 100 miles long. It has 
 been for many years a favorite locality for winter- 
 ing stock, not only on account of the excellence of 
 the grass and water, but also from the fact that 
 the climate is mild throughout the winter. Cat- 
 tle and horses thrive well all winter without hay 
 or shelter. The broad valley is protected from 
 strong cold winds by high walls or bluffs. The 
 soil everywhere is fertile, and wherever the sur- 
 face can be irrigated, good crops of all kinds of 
 cereals and hardy vegetables can be raised with- 
 out difficulty. 
 
 In this valley and near the source of the 
 Chugwater, are thousands of tons of iron ore, 
 indicating deposits of vast extent and rich- 
 ness, which can be made easily accessible when- 
 ever desirable to construct a railroad to Mon- 
 tana. 
 
 Medicine Bow is 647.3 miles from Omaha ; 
 elevation, 6,550 feet. The river, from which the 
 station is named, was crossed a short distance 
 before we reached the station. It rises directly 
 south, in the Medicine Bow Mountains, and runs 
 nearly north to the place where it is crossed by 
 the railroad, after which it turns toward the 
 west and unites with the North Platte, below 
 Fort Steele. 
 
 There is a roundhouse of five stalls, in which 
 one or moi-e engines are kept, to assist trains 
 up and down the steep grades between here 
 and Carbon. It is also a point from which 
 a large quantity of military supplies for Fort 
 Fetterman and other posts are distributed. 
 The government has a freight depot here. 
 There are one or two stores, with the inevitable 
 
 saloon and several dwellings, in the vicinity. 
 There is a good wagon road from this place to 
 Fort Fetterman, distance ninety miles, and it is 
 by far the nearest route to the gold fields in the 
 Black Hills of Dakota, for passengers and miners 
 from the West. The Indians were disinclined to 
 leave this region and even now hardly know how 
 to give it up. In the summer of 1875, they came 
 here and stole a herd of between three and four 
 hundred horses that were grazing on Rock Creek. 
 Some of these horses have been seen and recog- 
 nized at the agencies of Red Cloud and Spotted 
 Tail ; and when demand was made for them, the 
 owners were quietly told by the Indian agents to 
 make out their claims and present them to the 
 proper authorities to be paid. But the cases of 
 their payment are like angels' visits, few and far 
 between. Some of the horses stolen belonged to 
 Judge Kelly, member of Congress, from Pennsyl- 
 vania. Medicine Bow is in the midst of a rough, 
 broken country, over which millions of antelope 
 and jack rabbits roam at pleasure. When the 
 road was built here immense quantities of ties 
 and wood were cut in the mountains south, and 
 delivered at this place. 
 
 Curiosities of Indian JAfe find Char- 
 acter. The entire country, from North Platte 
 over as far as the western border of Laramie 
 Plains, has been for years the roving ground of 
 the Indians, of whom we could tell many inter- 
 esting facts respecting their life and the curious 
 interviews the overland scouts, trappers, etc., 
 have had with them. To a man, every scout will 
 unite in denunciation of their treachery. Jim 
 Baker, an old Rocky Mountain trapper, once 
 told, in his characteristic manner the following, 
 to General Marcy : 
 
 " They are the most onsartainest varmints in 
 all creation, and I reckon thar not mor'n half 
 human ; for you never seed a human, arter you'd 
 fed and treated him to the best fixins in your 
 lodge, just turn round and steal all your horses, 
 or anything he could lay his hand on. 
 
 " No, not adzackly ! he would feel kinder grate- 
 ful, and ask you to spread a blanket in his lodge 
 if ever you passed that way. But the Indian, 
 he don't care shucks for you, and is ready to do 
 you a heap of mischief as soon as he quits your 
 feed. No, Cap'," he continued, " it's not the 
 right way to give 'um presents to buy peace ; but 
 ef I was governor of these yeer United States, 
 I'll tell you what I'd do. I'd invite 'um all to a 
 big feast, and make believe I wanted to have a 
 big talk, and as soon as I got 'um all together, I'd 
 
 Eitch in and scalp half of 'um, and then t'other 
 alf would be mighty glad to make a peace that 
 would stick. That's the way I'd make a treaty 
 with the dog-ond, red-bellied varmints ; and, as 
 sure as you're born, Cap., that's the only way. 
 
 "It ain' no use to talk about honor with them, 
 Cap. ; they hain't got no such thing in 'um ; and 
 they won't show fair fight, any way you can fix 
 
92 
 
 it. Don't they kill and scalp a white man, 
 when'ar they get the better on him ? The mean 
 varmints, they'll never behave themselves until 
 you give 'um a clean out and out licking. They 
 can't oriderstand white folks' ways, and they 
 won't learn, 'um, and ef you treat 'um decently, 
 they think you're at'eard. You may depend on't, 
 Cap., the only way to treat Indians, is to thrash 
 them well at first, then the balance will sorter 
 take to you and behave themselves." 
 
 Indian observations on the character of the 
 American and English people, are often pretty 
 good. An Indian once describing to an English- 
 man the characteristics of the different people 
 he knew, said as follows, most naively : 
 
 " King George man, ( English ) very good ; 
 Boston man, (American) good ; John Chinaman, 
 not good ; but the black man, he no better than a 
 dor/." 
 
 They are particularly curious about negroes, 
 as they do not feel certain whether the black 
 goes all through. Some years ago, a party of 
 negroes escaping from Texas, were captured by 
 some of the Comanches, who scraped their skin to 
 settle this question. 
 
 At the time of the presidency of Lincoln, an 
 Indian, while conversing with an English mis- 
 sionary, asked him. who was the chief of the 
 English. He was told. " Ah ! Queen Victoly," 
 for they can't pronounce it. " Is she a woman ? " 
 " Yes." " Who is the chief of the Boston men, 
 (American) ? " " Mr. Lincoln." " Ah ! I thought 
 so ; but another Indian once told me that it was 
 Mr. Washington. Are Mr. Lincoln and the 
 English woman-chief good friends ? " " Yes, 
 excellent friends." He thought for a moment, 
 and, finally, said eagerly : " Then if they are so 
 good friends, why does not Mr. Lincoln take Queen 
 Victoly for his squaw ? " 
 
 The Indians are very fond of card-playing, 
 and, perhaps in no other way can their natural 
 treachery be so well illustrated, and desire to 
 take advantage of others by cheating. 
 
 An Indian once, while at a wayside village, 
 near the mines, and withal a natural born swin- 
 dler, explained to his white hearers how he 
 could manage to cheat while dealing the cards. 
 
 While playing in the open air, in some valley, 
 near some rocks, with a young Indian, while 
 dealing the cards, he would shout out as if he 
 saw some lovely forest maid passing near or 
 ascending the rock or sides of the hill : " Aah, 
 nanich skok tenans klatchmann (Hallo ! look at 
 that young woman !) " While the Indian looked 
 around, " old Buffalo " immediately took the 
 opportunity of dealing double to himself, or of 
 selecting an ace or two before his opponent 
 turned around. 
 
 A semi-civilized Indian, named Black Beaver, 
 once visited General Marcy at St. Louis, and on 
 his return back to his native camp, he prided 
 himself not a little on his knowledge of cities and 
 
 men, white and civilized. Camping one night 
 with a Comanche guide, the General overheard 
 the two in an apparently earnest and amicable 
 talk. The General inquired of him afterward 
 what he had been saying. 
 
 " I've been telling the Comanche what I've 
 seen among the white folks. I tell him 'bout the 
 steamboats, and the railroads, and the heep o' 
 
 houses I see in St. Louis, but he say Ize 
 
 fool. I tell him the world is round, but he keep 
 all o' time say, ' Hush, you fool, do you spose I'ze 
 child ? Haven't I got eyes ? Can't I see the 
 prairie ? You call him round ? Maybe so ; I tell 
 you something you not know before. One time 
 my grandfather he made long journey that way 
 (West), when he got on big mountain, he see 
 heep water on t'other side, just so flat as he can 
 be, and he see the sun go straight down on 
 t'other side. S'pose the world flat he stand 
 still?'" 
 
 General Marcy attempted to explain to him 
 the telegraph, but there he was nonplussed. 
 "What you call the magnetic telegraph?" He 
 was told, " You have heard of New York and 
 New Orleans ? " " Oh, yes." " Very well ; we 
 have a wire connecting these two cities, which 
 are 1,000 miles apart, and it would take a man 
 thirty days, on a good horse, to ride it. Now, a 
 man stands at one end of this wire in New York, 
 and by touching it a tew times, he inquires of 
 his friend in New Orleans, what he had for 
 breakfast. His friend in New Orleans touches 
 the other end of the wire, and in ten minjites the 
 answer comes back, ham and eyys." 
 
 Beaver was requested to tell this to the Co- 
 manche, but he remained silent, his countenance 
 all the time covered with a most comical, puz- 
 zled expression. Again he was asked to tell him, 
 when he observed, " No, Captain, I not tell him 
 that, for I don't b'lieve that myself." 
 
 He was assured that it was a fact, but no 
 amount of assurances could induce him to pin 
 his faith on such a seemingly incredible state- 
 ment. All he would reply was simply, 
 
 " Injun not very smart ; sometimes he's big 
 fool, but he holler pretty loud; you hear him, 
 maybe, half a mile ; you say ' Merican man he 
 talk thousand miles ;' I 'spect you try to fool me 
 now, Cap'n. Mai/ be you lie." 
 
 Polygamy is quite frequent among many of 
 the Indians of the plains, and some amusing 
 stories are told of the way they get their wives. 
 One such is told of an Indian boy of only eight- 
 een, whose father, considering that he had ar- 
 rived at the years of discretion, presented him 
 with a lodge, several horses, and goods enough 
 to establish him in life. The first thing the pre- 
 cocious youth did was to go and secretly bargain 
 with a chief for his daughter, enjoining secrecy, 
 and then to a second, third and fourth, the re- 
 sult of which was, that on a fixed day, he claimed 
 all four ladies, to the astonishment "of the tribe 
 
93 
 
 and the indignation of the fathers. But he ob- 
 tained his wives and marched them off to his 
 wigwam. Not only this, but the chiefs deter- 
 mined that a youth who could do so bold an act, 
 must be a person of discretion, and deserved and 
 gave him a seat in the council among the war- 
 riors and the medicine men. 
 
 Of the want of books and writing among the 
 Indians, they give the following explanations : 
 
 " It is impossible. The Great Spirit at first 
 made a red and a- white boy ; to the red boy he 
 gave a book, and to the white boy a bow and 
 arrow, but the white boy came round the red 
 boy, stole his book, and went off, leaving him 
 the bow and arrow, and, therefore, an Indian 
 could not make a book." 
 
 Carbon,, 656.5 miles from Omaha, with an 
 elevation of 6,750 feet. A telegraph station with 
 usual side tracks for passing trains, and for the 
 coal business which is done here. This is the 
 first station on the line of the road, where the 
 company obtains a supply of coal. A shaft 
 about 120 feet deep has been sunk, and veins of 
 coal opened about six feet thick. The coal is 
 hoisted to the surface by means of a stationary 
 engine, and dumped into cars by means of 
 chutes, or into large bins from which it is taken 
 to supply passing engines. From 50 to 150 men 
 are employed in these mines, and a good many 
 of them live in board shanties, adobe houses, and 
 dug-outs along the side of the tuack. The coal 
 is mostly used by the company but little being 
 sold as it is not as good for domestic purposes as 
 the coal found at Rock Springs. Leaving Car- 
 bon we pass through a rugged country, with 
 scenery sufficiently attractive to keep the traveler 
 on the constant lookout, to 
 
 Simpson, a side track, with section-house, 
 663.5 miles from Omaha, and an elevation of 6,898 
 feet. Passenger trains do not stop and on we 
 go to 
 
 Percy, 668.1 miles from Omaha, and 6,950 
 feet above the sea. From Simpson to this sta- 
 tion, you can obtain the finest view of Elk 
 Mountain on the left. We have not been able 
 to ascertain its elevation, but its comparative 
 short distance from the road causes it to look 
 high and grand. It can be seen from a long dis- 
 tance, either east or west, and is the noted peak 
 of the Medicine Bow Range. It seems to 
 jut out from the main ridge, and looking 
 from the west, stands in bold relief against 
 the sky. The station is named in honor 
 of Colonel Percy, who was killed here by the 
 Sioux Indians, when the road was being sur- 
 veyed. At this station passengers who desire 
 to visit Elk Mountain, and the region in its im- 
 mediate vicinity will leave the cars. During 
 the construction of the road large quantities of 
 wood and ties with timber for bridges, were cut 
 in the mountains and foot hills, and hauled to 
 this station. At the foot of Elk Mountain stood 
 
 Fort Halleck now abandoned, and a station of 
 the Overland Stage Company. There were many 
 skirmishes with the Indians in this vicinity in 
 those days, and now and then you will be able to 
 find an old settler who will entertain you for 
 hours, in the recital of wild adventures and hair- 
 breadth escapes. A visit to the site of the old 
 fort and the region of country around, together 
 with a close view of the grand scenery of the 
 mountains, will amply repay the traveler for his 
 time and money. About four miles south of 
 Percy, fine veins of coal were discovered in 1875, 
 but they have not been opened or tested. One 
 is nine and the other over twenty feet in thick- 
 ness. Notice a suggestive sign as you pass the 
 station. It is " Bowles's Hotel," and of course, 
 indicates that everything is perfectly " straight " 
 within. 
 
 South of this station there is some very fine 
 grazing land, mostly in the valleys of the little 
 streams that head in the Medicine Bow Range, 
 and flow westward into the North Platte River, 
 and a considerable quantity of hay is cut during 
 favorable seasons. 
 
 A Curious and Exciting Race. En- 
 gineers have told of a curious scene on the Pacific 
 Railroad not far from the Laramie Plains, of a 
 race between the locomotive and a herd of deer. 
 At daybreak, the locomotive, with its long train 
 of carriages and freight cars, entered a narrow 
 valley or gorge, where runs quite a rivulet of 
 clear and cold mountain water. On the banks 
 of this stream a large herd of red deer were 
 standing, occasionally lapping the refresh- 
 ing element. The timid creatures, startled by 
 the presence in their midst of the " iron horse," 
 knew not what course to pursue in order to get 
 away from it. The engineer, to add to their 
 evident perplexity, caused the whistle to send 
 forth its loudest and most discordant shriek. 
 This was enough for the deer. To get beyond 
 reach of this new enemy, they started up the 
 road, taking the course the locomotive was 
 pursuing. The race became exciting. It was a 
 superb trial of steam and iron against muscle 
 and lung. The engineer " put on steam," and 
 sent his locomotive with its burdensome train, 
 whirling along the track ; but for many miles 
 six or seven it was estimated the frightened 
 animals kept ahead, fairly beating their antago- 
 nist. At last the pursued and pursuer got into a 
 more open country. This the deer perceiving, 
 they sprang on one side, and, with unabated 
 speed, ran to a safe distance, where beyond reach 
 of locomotive or rifle, they stood and gazed with 
 dilated eyes their limbs trembling from un- 
 usual exertion, and gasping for breath at their 
 fast receding enemy. 
 
 Dana is the next station simply a side 
 track. It is 674.2 miles from Omaha; elevation, 
 6,875 feet. The rugged, broken character of the 
 country with cuts for the track, and fills in the 
 
94 
 
 DEER RACE WITH TRAIN ON THE U. P. R. B. 
 
 valleys, will interest the observing tourist if he 
 passes by in daylight. 
 
 St. Marys, 681.7 miles from Omaha, with 
 an elevation of 6,751 feet. It is a telegraph sta- 
 tion with accompanying side tack, section-house, 
 etc. From this station to the next, the bluffs 
 are rugged and wild, the road passing through a 
 short tunnel and several deep cuts. There is 
 nothing but the changing scenery as you move 
 along with the train, to relieve this country from 
 its desolate appearance. Sage brush and grease- 
 wood continue to be the only products of the soil. 
 
 Walcott, a side track 689.5 miles from the 
 Missouri River, and 6,800 feet above the sea. 
 After leaving this station, the road winds around 
 the bluffs, passing through some very deep cuts, 
 near one of which there is a stone quarry from 
 which stone is taken by the company for road 
 purposes at Green River. A side track to the 
 quarry has been laid and stone easily loaded on 
 the flat cars used for their transportation. Sud- 
 denly bursting through one of these cuts we 
 enter the valley of the Platte, through what is 
 called Rattle Snake Pass, by the railroad men, 
 and arrive at 
 
 Fort Sfeele, which is 695.3 miles from 
 Omaha, 122.5 miles from Laramie, and has an 
 elevation of 6,810 feet. It is a telegraph station, 
 and the site of the government post of the same 
 name. We cross North Platte River just before 
 arriving at the station, and are 4,051 feet higher 
 than when we crossed the same stream at North 
 Platte City, near the junction of the two Plattes 
 in the State of Nebraska. Fort Steele was 
 established on the last day of June, 1868, by 
 
 Col. R. I. Dodge, then of the Thirtieth United 
 States Infantry. It is considered a good strate- 
 gic point, as well as a convenient, base of supplies, 
 in case of a campaign against the Indians. The 
 buildings are mostly of logs, and none of them 
 very comfortable. In 1875, the government fin- 
 ished a fine stone hospital building here. The 
 station also does considerable government busi- 
 ness, and there is a government depot for receiv- 
 ing and storing supplies near the track. The 
 valley of the North Platte at this upper cross- 
 ing is quite narrow, without the broad and 
 fertile bottom-lands we were accustomed to see 
 below as we whirled along its banks. From the 
 head of this river in the North Park of Colorado, 
 to a point as far down as Fort Laramie, its route 
 describes the form of a horseshoe. Its tributa- 
 ries from the east mostly rise in the Medicine 
 Bow Range, and flow westward. They are 
 principally Douglas Creek, .Fresh Creek,. Brush 
 Creek, Cedar Creek, Spring Creek, and Pass 
 Creek. They are beautiful streams with fine 
 grass valleys and partially wooded banks. Its 
 tributaries from the west are Beaver Creek, 
 Grand Encampment Creek, Cow Creek, Hot 
 Spring Creek, Jack Creek, and Sage Creek. 
 Hot Spring Creek is so named from the hot sul- 
 phur springs which are found near its mouth. 
 All the streams which rise in the Medicine Bow 
 Range, and flow into the North Platte, show the 
 " color '' of gold where they have been prospected, 
 and some rich diggings are said to have been 
 discovered at the head of Douglas Creek. We 
 believe it will not be long before the Medicine 
 Bow Mountains will develop into a rich mining 
 
95 
 
 country. The waters of the Hot Springs re- 
 ferred to are claimed to possess remarkable me- 
 dicinal virtues, and are from 40 to 45 miles from 
 Fort Steele, up the right bank of the river. 
 The wondeis of even these desolate plains do 
 not begin to be known, and when they are fully 
 realized, the world will be astonished at the 
 results. About three miles west of Fort Steele 
 is the site of Benton the town that was now 
 wholly abandoned. For a short time it was the 
 business terminus of the road, while its construc- 
 tion was going on, and possessed all the charac- 
 teristics of the railroad towns in those days. At 
 one time it had a population estimated as high 
 as five thousand souls. Old iron barrel hoops, 
 rusty tin 'cans, a few holes in the ground, a few 
 posts and stumps, and nearly or quite a hundred 
 nameless graves in close proximity, are all that 
 
 perior satisfaction it would give. The railroad 
 reached and passed Benton in July, 1868. The 
 valley of the N. Platte River begins to be occu- 
 pied by cattle men, as stock can be carried 
 through the severest winters, thus far experienced, 
 without hay. It has superior advantages, not 
 only for grazing, but its numerous " draws " 
 or ravines afford friendly shelter in case of storms. 
 
 View on the North Platte, near Fort 
 Fred Steele. The Platte River here is over 
 700 miles from its mouth near Omaha, and has an 
 elevation of 6,845 feet. Upon the plains it was 
 a wide, shallow stream, with sand-bars and shift- 
 ing currents. Here it is a deep, clear, cold stream, 
 and but little distant from its source among the 
 perpetual snow banks of the Rocky Mountains. 
 
 Grennville is the next station, 703.7 miles 
 from Omaha with an elevation of 6,560 feet 
 
 &-.-; 
 
 VIEW OX THE PLATTE 
 
 now remain to mark the place where Benton 
 was. It grew in a day, and faded out of sight as 
 quickly. But it was a red-hot town while it 
 lasted. A death, sometimes two or three of 
 them, with corresponding burials, was the morn- 
 ing custom. Whisky was preferred to water be- 
 cause it was much easier to obtain, and unre- 
 strained by civilized society or wholesome laws, 
 the devil in men and women had full sway, and 
 made free exhibitions of his nature. The town 
 was three miles from the North Platte River, 
 where all the water was obtained and hauled 
 in, price ten cents per bucket, or one dollar 
 per barrel. In that town, a drink of regular old 
 " tangle-foot " whisky, at " two bits " ( twenty- 
 five cents) would last a good deal longer than 
 a bucket of water, to say nothing of the su- 
 
 XEAR FORT FRED STEELE. 
 
 above the sea. It is simply a side track for the 
 meeting and passing of trains. Passenger trains 
 seldom stop. The next station and the end of 
 a subdivision of the road is 
 
 Rawlins, named in honor of Gen. John A. 
 Rawlins, General Grant's chief of staff and his 
 first secretary of war. The springs near here 
 bear the same name, but it has been incorrectly 
 spelled, heretofore. This station is 137.9 miles 
 from Laramie, and 710.7 miles from Omaha. It 
 has an elevation of 6,732 feet. We are going up 
 hill again. The town has a population of about 
 600 souls, a large majority of whom are railroad 
 employes. The company has erected a hotel for 
 the use of its employes and the traveling public, 
 and has a roundhouse and machine-shops which 
 are kept pretty busy in the repair of engines. 
 
96 
 
 The water used by engines on this division is 
 strongly impregnated with alkali and other sub- 
 stances, which form scales on the inside of the 
 boiler and adhere to the flues. The engines are, 
 therefore, carefully watched and every precaution 
 taken to guard against accidents. North of the 
 town, is what might be called in some countries, 
 a mountain. Near the east end of this mount- 
 ain valuable beds of red hematite iron ore 
 have been found. This ore is very pure, and, 
 when ground, makes a very hard and durable 
 paint. It is said to be water and fire-proof when 
 used in sufficient quantities. The dark red 
 freight and flat cars which you see on the line of 
 the road belonging to the company, have been 
 painted with this material, and it is rapidly 
 growing into public favor as its merits become 
 known. There are two mills here for the manu- 
 facture of this paint, and a large quantity is 
 always on hand. Forty miles due north from 
 Rawlins are the Ferris and Seminole mining dis- 
 tricts. These mines were, visited, in 1875, by 
 Professor Hayden and Professor Thompson. 
 The lodes operated by the Vulcan Mining Com- 
 pany, indicated gold, silver and copper, mixed 
 with iron. This company is composed mostly of 
 mechanics and employes of the Union Pacific. 
 They first sunk a shaft on the vein and 
 obtained ore at about 60 feet from the surface 
 that assayed well and gave indications of a rich 
 mine. They then commenced a tunnel, and from 
 their monthly wages, during nearly two years or 
 more, contributed and expended about $24,000. 
 At a distance of about 365 feet, they struck the 
 vein, and have a large body of rich ore in sight 
 and on the dump. A mill will soon be put in, 
 when the company will begin to realize some- 
 thing for their outlay. The Elgin Mining Com- 
 pany have also put in a tunnel, and are reported 
 to have struck a rich vein. The developments, 
 thus far mads, indicate that the copper and silver 
 will soon run out, and that the mines will be 
 essentially gold-bearing. South of Rawlins about 
 60 miles, in the Snake River Region, are fine 
 grazing fields, already occupied, to a certain ex- 
 tent, by cattle men, and mining country yet 
 undeveloped. Placer diggings have been found 
 and worked to some extent, and indications of 
 rich quartz lodes are prevalent, some having 
 already been discovered. A colony of farmers 
 and miners from the vicinity of Denver, Col., 
 have settled in that region, and more are con- 
 stantly going in. About a mile and a half from 
 Rawlins, east, is a large sulphur spring. It is 
 untaken. as yet. We could not ascertain 
 whether the waters had been analyzed or not, 
 though they are claimed to possess the usual 
 medicinal qualities of water from similar springs. 
 The springs frequently alluded to as Rawlins 
 Springs, are on the left of the track, and a little 
 west of the town. The small creek which passes 
 through the place, is known as Separation Creek, 
 
 and empties into the North Platte River north 
 of Fort Steele. There are, also, immense beds 
 or lakes of soda, tributary to this station, some 
 of which is nearly pure. When they are utilized, 
 as they doubtless soon will be, and the industry 
 is developed, employment will be given to many 
 laborers now idle, together with fortunes to those 
 who have the nerve and capacity to successfully 
 carry it on. We are informed that from twelve 
 to fourteen millions of dollars are annually paid 
 in customs duties on the article of imported soda, 
 alone. Rawlins is in the midst of a broken, des- 
 olate country, and depends upon railroad impor- 
 tations for nearly everything upon which its 
 people live, though there is a fine country re- 
 ported both north and south. In addition to the 
 other buildings named, it has the usual quantity 
 of saloons, together with several stores, at which 
 a thriving trade is done. The future of the 
 town will depend largely upon the developments 
 in the mining districts spoken of. 
 
 Summit. A side track, nearly seven miles 
 from Rawlins, and 717.4 miles from Omaha; 
 elevation, 6,821 feet. Heavy grades now for 
 quite a distance. 
 
 Separation. One would naturally suppose 
 from the name, that the waters flowing east and 
 west, divided or separated here, but such is not 
 the fact. It is reported that a party of engineers 
 who were surveying and locating the road, 
 separated here to run different lines hence the 
 name. It is a telegraph station, 724.1 miles from 
 Omaha, and 6,900 feet above the level of the 
 sea. The artesian well at this station, which 
 supplies the water tank is 860 feet deep. The 
 water from these wells is not always pure fre- 
 quently having a brackish or alkali ta.ste. 
 
 Fillmore, named in honor of a former di- 
 vision superintendent of the road, now in the 
 stock business, with ranche at Wyoming. It is 
 731.6 miles from Omaha; elevation, 6,885 feet. 
 Simply a side track in the midst of a barren, 
 broken country. 
 
 Creston, 738.6 miles from the eastern ter- 
 minus of the road, and 7,030 feet above the sea. 
 It is a telegraph station, with the usual side 
 tracks and section-house. Three miles farther 
 west, and we reach the summit of the divide 
 which separates the waters of the two oceans. 
 This is the crowning ridge in the backbone of the 
 Continent, and a desolate place it is. It is the 
 summit of the Rocky Mountains. " What was 
 this country made for?" We asked a fellow- 
 traveler. " To hold the rest of it together " 
 was the ready reply. That is good; the best 
 reason for its existence we've had. It is of some 
 use after all. Allowing 60 feet grade for the 
 three miles west of Creston, to the actual summit 
 of the divide, and we are then 1,122 feet lower 
 than at Sherman. It is true there are no lofty 
 peaks here, with snowy crests the year round, 
 but an immense roll, over which we glide and 
 
97 
 
 never think that we are crossing the summit of 
 the rock-ribbed Rockies. At this divide a short 
 distance north of the track, a pole was once 
 erected with a flag to mark the spot, but it has 
 fallen before the fierce gales which sweep over 
 this elevated ridge, and which seem to have with- 
 ered everything they touched. Standing on the 
 rear platform of the train, looking east you notice 
 the undulations of the road as it passes beneath 
 you ; Elk Mountain of the Medicine Bow Range, 
 and the far distant Black Hills rise grandly in 
 view as you approach the crest, but suddenly you 
 have passed to the other side, and a stretch of 
 country two hundred miles long drops from your 
 view in an instant. On this part of the road the 
 most difficulty with snow is usually experienced 
 in the winter. There is a constant breeze here, 
 and frequent storms, though a few miles farther 
 it may be clear and pleasant. In the great snow 
 blockade of the winter of 1871-2, the telegraph 
 poles were frequently buried in the drifts. The 
 Western Union Company had their wires ele- 
 vated on poles planted in the snow in several 
 places, to keep them above the drifts. In that 
 blockade, the worst ever known since the road 
 was built, there were seventeen days without 
 trains. Since then the track has been raised, 
 snow fences planted, sheds erected and every pos- 
 sible appliance used to insure the safe and 
 speedy passage of trains. Looking again to the 
 north you can see the snowy heads of the Wind 
 River Mountains, with the peak named after 
 Fremont, the gallant Path-finder of the West, 
 towering against the sky. Notice the dark 
 shades of the timber lines as they press against 
 the eternal snows with which they are covered. 
 Looking forward to the west, if you have a 
 chance, Pilot Butte, north of Rock Springs, one 
 of the great landmarks of- the plains, is clearly 
 visible. To the south you behold the mountains 
 where the tributaries of the Snake River rise, 
 and whence they flow into the Pacific Ocean. 
 Passing rapidly down the grade we arrive at 
 
 Lathatn, 746.1 miles from Omaha, and 
 6,900 feet above the sea. Passenger trains do 
 not stop as it is only a side track. On we go to 
 Wushakle, so called after a Shoshone chief, 
 reputed to be friendly to the whites, whose tribe 
 fights the Sioux when there is opportunity. It is 
 753.7 miles from Omaha ; elevation, 6,697 feet ; 
 and nearly 200 feet lower than at the last station. 
 
 Red JJesert. The country near is reddish 
 in appearance, but the place is named alter the 
 Red Desert, near which is an immense basin of 
 its own, similar to the Salt Lake basin. It lies 
 500 feet below the level of the country, lias no 
 outlet, and extends from the South Pass on the 
 north, to Bridger's Pass on the south, and east 
 from summit of the divide to Tipton on the west, 
 a very singular depression right on the divide of 
 the Continent. The little stream just seen before 
 reaching this place, flows south and is lost in this 
 
 7 
 
 basin. The country near is alkali, and subject 
 to high water and heavy rains, giving great diffi- 
 culty to preserve the security of road-bed and 
 track. Station is 763 miles from Omaha; ele- 
 vation 6,710 feet. 
 
 Tipton, a side track for meeting and pass- 
 ing trains. It is 769.6 miles from the " Big 
 Muddy," with an elevation of 6,800 feet. We 
 have been going up hill again leaving the val- 
 ley of the Snake River. The snows of winter 
 leave heavy drifts along here, but the railroad 
 men have learned by experience how to manage 
 them quite successfully. When the drifts have 
 reached the top of the fences in height, they go 
 along and raise the fences to the top of the drifts, 
 fastening them as best they can in the snow. 
 This they repeat as often as necessary, and thus, 
 the snow, in many instances, is kept away from 
 the track, but the drifts become pretty high. 
 
 Table Rock, named from a rock resembling 
 a table south of, and about six miles from the 
 station. It is 776.3 miles from Omaha, and 
 6,890. feet above the sea is a telegraph station. 
 There is a long, evenly cut bluff south of the 
 track, estimated to be 600 feet in height. On 
 what appears to be the north-west corner of this 
 bluff a square, table-like, projection rises the 
 table and presents a very odd appearance. It 
 can be seen for quite a distance, as you look to 
 the left from the cars. The table projects about 
 60 feet above the bluffs adjoining, though it does 
 not seem half that distance. Next we come to 
 
 Ayate, 781.3 miles from Omaha, and 6,785 
 feet above the sea. South of this station and to 
 a certain extent, in its immediate vicinity, moss 
 agates are found. The stones, however, are not 
 clear and well-defined. They are smoky and 
 dark, rendering them nearly valueless. Agate is 
 only a side track where trains seldom stop. 
 Down the grade we pass to 
 
 Bitter Creek, a telegraph station, 786.3 
 miles from Omaha, with an elevation of 6,685 
 feet. At this station, we first strike the well- 
 known Bitter Creek Valley, through which we 
 shall pass to Green River. About four miles 
 below this station, on the south side of the track, 
 the old overland stage and emigrant road struck 
 the valley, as it came in from Bridger's Pass, and 
 across the Snake River Valley. The railroad 
 reaches Bitter Creek through a " draw " or dry 
 ravine which unites with the valley proper, at the 
 station. The old stage-road struck the creek 
 farther south, and before it reaches the railroad. 
 This was formerly quite a station, and the end 
 of a passenger division. It has a small round- 
 house, with five stalls and turn-table, upon which 
 the engines and snow-plows are turned. Between 
 this station and Rawlins, as has been observed, 
 are very heavy grades, requiring two engines to 
 pull a train. These extra engines come with 
 trains as far as this station, and then assist east- 
 ward bound trains back again. A large quan- 
 
SCENES ON GREEN RIVER. 
 1.- Flaming Gorge. 2. Brown's Hole. 3. Looking up the Valley of Green River. 
 
99 
 
 tity of bridge timber is also kept here, ready 
 for any emergency. In the great washout at 
 the foot of this valley, in the spring of 1875, 
 large quantities were used. Bitter Creek is 
 rightly named. Its waters are so strongly 
 impregnated with alkali that they are almost 
 useless. Nevertheless, at the head of this 
 creek, where it is fed by cold, clear springs, 
 for more than ten miles from the station, 
 trout have been caught, though they are 
 small. The rugged scenery along this valley 
 will interest the traveler, as the views are 
 constantly changing. There are no machine- 
 shops for repairs here, only the five-stall 
 roundhouse. The ci-eek has been dammed 
 for the purpose of supplying the water tank, 
 though the water is not the best for boil- 
 ers. The whole region of country, from a 
 point east, as far as Rock Creek to Green 
 River, is underlaid with coal. It frequently 
 crops out in this valley. The coal is lignite 
 and will not " coke " like the bituminous 
 coal. There are also indications of iron 
 and other minerals, in the immediate vicin- 
 ity of the valley. Occasionally, you will 
 see little shrub pines on the bluffs but no 
 timber. These pines have tried to grow, 
 but the sterility of the soil is against them. 
 They find it almost impossible to " take 
 root." Sometimes it seems, as you pass 
 down the valley and look ahead, as though 
 the train was going square against the 
 rocks, and would be dashed in pieces; but 
 a sudden curve, and you have rounded the 
 projecting bluffs, and are safely pursuing 
 your journey. Again, it seems as though 
 the bluffs were trying to shake hands across 
 the chasm, or making an effort to become 
 dovetailed together. They assume all sorts 
 of shapes, washed out in places by the 
 storms of ages smoothly carved as if by 
 the hand of the sculptor and again, ragged 
 and grotesque. The geology of the Bitter 
 Creek and Green River Valleys, will afford 
 a chapter of curious interest, and will amply 
 reward him who searches thoroughly after 
 the knowledge. Professor Hayden and Major 
 Powell have the best reports on the forma- 
 tion and geology of this region. 
 
 Black Buttes is the next station, 795.4 
 miles from Omaha, and 6,600 feet above 
 the sea. It is a telegraph station with 
 accompanying side tracks. Formerly there 
 was a coal mine worked here, said to be- 
 long to Jack Morrow, now of Omaha, and 
 quite a noted frontier character in his 
 day. It furnishes excellent coal, easily ac- 
 cessible, the vein being from six to eight 
 feet thick. As you approach the station, 
 notice the balanced rock north of the 
 road and within 50 feet of the side 
 track. The buttes from which the station 
 
 is named are south of the creek, and plainlv 
 
 . ., , J: J 
 
 visible. 
 
 Hallville, named after a noted contractor 
 who graded the road through this . part of 
 the valley. A few posts and adobe walls are 
 all that remain of the camp. It is simply 
 a side track, 800.9 miles from Omaha, with 
 an elevation of 6,590 feet. 
 
 Point of Itocks is a station with a his- 
 tory. It was formerly quite a town, but its 
 glory has departed with the causes which 
 brought it into existence. It was formerly 
 the point of departure and the outfitting 
 place for the Sweetwater Gold District, South 
 Pass City, Atlantic City, Camp Stambaugh, 
 and other places in the region of the Great 
 South Pass at the foot of Wind River 
 Mountains, and is the nearest railroad point 
 to those places, to-day, with a good wagon 
 road not much traveled. Distance to South 
 Pass City, 65 miles. The rocks from which 
 this place is named are on a high point 
 south of the track, and a little east of the 
 station. They seem in the distance like faint 
 outlines of huge perpendicular columns, not 
 very high, but really 365 feet perpendicular 
 above their base surroundings. Their summit 
 is about 1,100 feet above the track. At the 
 base of the rocks proper, and about 735 feet 
 above the track, seven sulphur springs break 
 out, three of which are large ones, the balance 
 being small. 
 
 North of the track, and three-fourths of a 
 mile west of the station, is an iron spring, 
 reputed to possess remarkable medicinal qual- 
 ities, several invalids, especially females, hav- 
 ing been highly benefited by drinking and 
 bathing in its waters. Four miles north of 
 the station is a huge sulphur spring, with 
 water pouring forth from the ground. The 
 artesian well, which supplies the water 
 tank here, is 700 feet deep. Water is pumped 
 out by steam power. ~\\ ells & Fargo's Over- 
 land Express Company had a station here, 
 and their old adobe buildings, rapidly going 
 into decay, may still be seen across the 
 creek, at the base of the bluffs. In the 
 " piping " times of the town several build- 
 ings were commenced, but the collapse was 
 so sudden that they were never completed. 
 This station is 806.7 miles from Omaha, and 
 6,490 feet above the sea. If the springs in 
 the vicinity are improved, it will become a 
 great resort for invalids, and those who de- 
 sire to realize the beneficial effects of their 
 healing waters. 
 
 Thayer, simply a side track, 812 miles 
 from Omaha, with an elevation of 6,425 
 feet. The moving trains will give the tourist 
 an ever-varying view of the grand and beau- 
 tiful scenery of this valley. 
 
 Salt Wells, 818.2 miles from the eastern 
 
100 
 
 terminus of the road, and 6,360 feet above 
 the sea. It is a telegraph station, and in 
 the construction period of the road, was a 
 place where considerable timber, wood, etc., 
 was delivered. The water from the well here 
 has a saltish, alkaline taste, hence the name. 
 Three and one-half miles north, there is a salt 
 or alkali basin, which has no visible outlet in 
 which the brackish waters stand the most of 
 the year. 
 Haxter, 826.2 miles from Omaha; eleva- 
 
 its entire line. Rock Springs coal for domestic 
 purposes is only surpassed by anthracite. It 
 has but little of the sulphurous smell of other 
 soft coal, burns into ashes without clinkers, and 
 without the black soot which characterizes other 
 coal. These mines, with others, were formerly 
 operated by the Wyoming Coal Company. 
 Their product is annually increasing ; wherever 
 the superior merits of the coal have become 
 known it speedily supplants other kinds in use. 
 In 1875 the company mined 104,427 tons, or 
 
 CASTLE EOCK. 
 
 tion, 6,300 feet A side track where passenger 
 trains do not stop. The valley narrows in this 
 vicinity, and the rugged rocks with their ragged 
 edges, if possible become more interesting to the 
 observer. 
 
 Rock Springs, 831.6 miles from Omaha, 
 and 6,280 feet above the sea. This is the great 
 coal station on the line of the Union Pacific 
 Road. The company not only furnishes the 
 finest lignite coal to be found, for its own use, 
 but supplies the market at every point along 
 
 10,442 cars allowing the usual ten tons per car. 
 They did not, however, ship this number of cars 
 as considerable coal is furnished to all the en- 
 gines that pass, and consumed by the people 
 living in the town. They are now working two 
 veins, one six and the other about nine feet in 
 thickness. 
 
 Lawrence, 840.6 miles from Omaha, with 
 an elevation of 6,200 feet. A side track for 
 passing trains between Rock Springs and 
 
 Green liiver, which is the end of the Lara- 
 
101 
 
 mie division of the road, 273.8 miles from that 
 place, and 8i6.6 miles from Omaha, with an ele- 
 vation of 6,140 feet. This is a regular eating- 
 station, breakfast and supper, and is now one of 
 the best kept hostelries on the road. This place 
 will eventually be a popular resort for those who 
 are seeking for fossiliferous remains, and those 
 who delight in fishing. Here is the outfitting 
 point for hunting and fishing parties who 
 desire to go either north or south, and here 
 is the head center for Rocky Mountain spec- 
 imens, fossils, petrifactions, etc., and travelers 
 would like to know beforehand just what accom- 
 modations they can obtain. Mr. Kitchen is able 
 to provide for all, in elegant style, at reasonable 
 prices. Here, also, he has on exhibition and for 
 sale the spacim-sns alluded to such as beautiful 
 moss agates, fossil fish, petrified shells and wood, 
 with othsrs which we are not able to name. Par- 
 
 others to reclaim the soil, but thus far 
 with indifferent success, though Mr. Fields 
 was quite successful, in 1875, with a crop of 
 potatoes, cabbages, turnips, radishes, and other 
 "garden truck." 
 
 Stages leave here for the Big Horn Waters 
 and other towns tri- weekly. The old mud 
 huts are beginning to find occupants again. 
 The Desert House is the only hotel, a 
 pleasant place with its flowers, ferns, and 
 pictures. 
 
 The high projecting tower north of the 
 track, crowning a bluff, is 625 feet higher than 
 the river level below, and about 615 feet higjier 
 than the track. Other rocks, as " The Sisters " 
 and " The Twin Sisters " will be readily recog- 
 nized by the passing traveler. 
 
 " Wake up, wake up," said an old lady to her 
 husband, as the train approached the station one 
 
 THE TWIN SISTERS, GREEN RIVER. 
 
 ties of men are employed to search the hills, 
 mountains and valleys in this vicinity, for these 
 specimens, and when found, to bring them in. 
 The stock is, therefore, continually replenished 
 with rich and rare gems and fossils, and they 
 mav here be obtained at any tirm. 
 
 Being the end of a division, Green River has a 
 large roundhouse with fifteen stalls, and the 
 usual machine and repair shops. The railroad 
 bursts into the valley through a narrow gorge 
 between two hills, then turns to the rirrht and 
 enters the town, crossing the river beyond on a 
 wooden truss bridge. The old adobe' town, re- 
 mains of which are still visible, was on the bot- 
 tom-land directly in front of the gorge. 
 
 Green River is now the county-seat of 
 Sweetwater County, Wyoming, and has a 
 population of nearly 1,000 persons. Efforts 
 have been made by Air. Fields and a few 
 
 morning last year; "here is Solomon's temple 
 petrified," said she, as she gave him another 
 shake. The old gentleman rubbed his eyes, gave 
 another yawn, and finally looked out, to see what 
 excites the curiosity of every traveler, as he 
 arrives at this place. Sure enough : it seems as 
 though some great temple once stood here, or 
 several of them, and in the wrecks of time, left 
 their gigantic pillars standing, as a reminder of 
 their former greatness. 
 
 The Green River, The peculiar color of 
 this river is not owing to the fact of any discolora- 
 tion of the water ; that, when the banks of the 
 stream are not filled by freshets of itself or some 
 of its tributaries, is very pure and sweet, and of 
 the usual color of clear water, but is owing to 
 the green shale through which it runs, amd which 
 can readily be seen in the bluffs in the vicinity 
 and for quite a distance up Black's Fork, and 
 
102 
 
 HSF. 
 
 PETRIFIED FISH CUT, GREEN RIVER. 
 
 which is supposed to contain arsenic or chloride 
 of .copper, which b 3Com as detached by drainage 
 and fastens itself to the pebble stones and bot- 
 tom of the stream, causing the water, as you 
 look into it, to bear the same color. This river 
 rises in the Wyoming and Wind River Mount- 
 ains, is fed by numerous tributaries, and flows 
 in a general southerly direction, until it unites 
 with the Colorado River. The scenery along its 
 banks, most always rugged, in some places is 
 sublime. Where it is crossed by the railroad, its 
 valley is narrow, enclosed on either side by high 
 bluffs, which have been washed into numerous 
 fanciful shapes by the storms of time, and 
 which are crowned, in many instances, by col- 
 urns, or towers, forcibly reminding one of the 
 towers, battlements and castles, spoken of in 
 the old feudal times. Its tributaries, nearly 
 all have narrow fertile valleys, which are be- 
 ing occupied by stockmen, and which afford 
 both hay and shelter for stock. South of 
 the railroad, it winds through the famous Col- 
 orado Canon, so well and grandly described 
 by Major Powell, the explorer. The river and 
 its surroundings must from their very nature, 
 always be a source of interest to the scien- 
 tist, and will soon become a popular resort 
 for fossil hunters, gem searchers and sports- 
 men. 
 
 Brown's Hole. This is a beautiful scene 
 just below Red Canon, the water is calm, quiet, 
 and peaceful, like a mirror, with wonderfully dis- 
 tinct reflections. Here is the last quiet stretch 
 of the river ere it enters into the turbulent pas- 
 sage of the deeper, gloomier, and larger canon 
 
 WEST BANK GREEN RIVER, LOOKING EASTWARD. 
 
 below. The sandy beach, at the left, shows the 
 foot-prints of numerous deer, bears, and elk that 
 frequent the bank. 
 
 Brown's Hole is an expansion of the val- 
 ley of Green River, and is about five miles 
 wide and thirty miles long. This is a name given 
 by the old trappers, 40 years ago, or more and 
 has been a favorite wintering place for stock. 
 Little or no snow falls in the valleys, and they are 
 so well surrounded by high mountains, that the 
 bleak winds of winter cannot reach them. The 
 valley is covered with wild sage and bunch 
 grass and at the time of the visit of the Hayden 
 Exploring Party, there were 2,200 head of Texas 
 cattle, just driven in, to fatten for the California 
 market. In the north sides of the valley, the beds 
 of rock have, by the action of the weather, become 
 shaped into innumerably beautiful, architectural 
 forms, like the ruins of pyramids. 
 
 Giant's Club. This is fairly a giant in di- 
 mensions, as its proportions are really colos- 
 sal. It rises with almost perpendicular sides, 
 and is impossible to scale by ascent. The rock 
 is valuable for its curious composition, as it bears 
 evidences of having once existed at the bottom 
 of a lake. The rock lies in regular strata, all 
 horizontal, and most of these contain fossils of 
 plants and fishes. The plants are all extinct 
 species, and closely allied to our fruit and forest 
 trees ; among them, however, are some palms, 
 which indicated this to be, in original times, 
 vhen the deposit was formed, a very warm 
 climate. Professor Hayden, in examining this 
 rock, and others near, found the plants in the 
 upper part of the rock, and about a hundred feet 
 
103 
 
 lower down, discovered the remains of fishes, all 
 of them belonging to fresh water, and all extinct 
 species. They were imbedded in oily shales, and 
 insects were found with them, in a remarkable 
 state of preservation. With the fishes were also 
 found feathers of birds, and a few reeds. 
 
 Peculiarities of the Green River Rocks. 
 To the curious formation of rocks which give 
 all this region its characteristic features, is given 
 the name of the Green River Shales ; the sedi- 
 ments are arranged in regular layers, mostly 
 quite thin, but varying from the thickness of a 
 knife-blade to several feet. These peculiar 
 layers, or bands, are quite varied in shades of 
 color. In some of the thin slabs of shale, are 
 thousands of beautiful impressions of fish, some- 
 times a dozen or so within ths compass of a 
 
 ters of the river are of the purest emerald, with 
 banks and sand-bars of glistening white. The 
 perpendicular bluff to the left is nearly 1,500 feet 
 above the level of the river, and of a bright red 
 and yellow. When illuminated by full sunlight, 
 it is grand, and deserves its full title " The Flam- 
 ing Gorge." It is the entrance to a gateway to 
 the still greater wonders and grandeurs of the 
 famous Red Canon that cuts its way to a depth 
 of 3,000 feet, between this point and its entrance 
 into Brown's Hole. 
 
 Leaving Green River the railroad crosses the 
 bridge, turns to the right, and runs along under 
 the bluffs the highest being about 350 feet 
 high, and almost over the river in one place for 
 about three miles, when it again turns to the 
 left, passing the divide where there is an \m- 
 
 GIAUT'S CLUB, GBEEN RIVEK. 
 
 square foot. Impressions of insects and water 
 plants are also sometimes found. At Burning 
 Rock Cut, the road is cut through thin layers of 
 a sort of cream-colored, chalky limestone, inter- 
 spersed with strata of a dark brown color, 
 saturated with petroleum as to burn freely. 
 The Cut derives its name Burning Rocks, from 
 the fact that during the building of the road 
 the rocks became ignited and burned for some 
 days, illuminating the labor of the workmen by 
 night and filling the valley with dense clouds 
 of smoke by day. 
 
 Curious Scenes along the Green River. 
 At the mouth of Henry's Fork there is a view 
 on Green River of great beauty, which derives its 
 principal charm from its vivid colors. The wa- 
 
 GIANT'S TEA-POT, GREEN EIVER. 
 
 named side track, and along a hilly, broken 
 country. 
 
 The Sweetwater. This stream rises in the 
 Wind River Mountains, directly north of Point 
 of Rocks and Salt Wells, in the great South 
 Pass, discovered by General Fremont, and runs in 
 a general easterly direction uniting with the 
 North Platte River about 80 miles north of Fort 
 Steele. South of it is the Sweetwater Mountain 
 Range* North of it lay the Rattlesnake Hills, 
 which are said to be one continuous chain of 
 broken ragged rocks heaped upon each other in 
 confused masses. They are utterly barren and 
 desolate, and beyond the snakes which give them 
 their name, are avoided by almost every living 
 thing. Near the mouth of this river, Independence 
 
104 
 
 Rock, a noted landmark of the plains, rises. It 
 is 011 the line of the Indian trail, to the upper 
 North Platte Region, and near it has been found 
 immense deposits of soda in lakes which are 
 said to be nearly pure, and which are soon to be 
 worked. The valley of this stream is rarely 
 covered with snow in winter, and affords ex- 
 cellent grazing for stock the entire year. Were 
 it not so exposed to Indian raids in summer, it 
 would soon be occupied. The care of stock re- 
 quires horses and beyond the killing of a few 
 head for beef occasionally, the Indians do not 
 trouble it ; the horses are what they want, and 
 what they come after and scalps will be taken, 
 if necessary to obtain them. Placer, gulch and 
 quartz gold has been discovered in the Wind 
 River Mountains, near the Great South Pass, 
 and fortunes have been made and lost in that 
 mining district in a very short time. They have 
 been made by the mining sharks, who sold their 
 mines to the inexperienced and uninitiated from 
 the East, and lost by the parties who were 
 " taken in." There are however valuable mines 
 in this vicinity (nearly all gold), which will 
 some day be developed. To the east of the 
 Wind River Mountains the Shoshone or Snake 
 River Indian reservation has been laid off. The 
 principal towns are Atlantic City, South Pass 
 City and Miner's Delight, a mining town. Near 
 Atlantic City is Camp Stambough and still 
 farther north on the east side of the same mount- 
 ain, is Camp Brown, the latter being near the 
 boundary line of the Indian reservation referred 
 to. Very fine hot mineral springs have been 
 found on or near this reservation, which will 
 eventually be extensively patronized. The main 
 road by which these places are reached, leads out 
 from Bryan and Green River. From the latter 
 place four-horse coaches are run tri-weekly, 
 while from the former a great quantity of gov- 
 ernment freight is annually shipped. The road 
 crosses the river near the mouth of Big Sandy 
 Creek, and follows up this stream, and its south 
 branch to Pacific Spring, after which it crosses 
 a low divide to a tributary of the Sweetwater. 
 While the road from Point of Rocks is much 
 shorter yet this route is said to be the best as it 
 follows the valley of a stream all the way, and 
 avoids sand-hills which are very trying to stock. 
 From Green River the road at present traveled, 
 passes up the valley until it strikes the Big 
 Sandy, where it intersects the road from Bryan. 
 The nearest peaks seen on the north side of the 
 track, as you pass the divide just west of Creston, 
 are those of the real Rocky Mountain Range, and 
 extend in a north-westerly direction to the head 
 of the Wind River Mountains, from which they 
 are only divided by the Sweetwater Valley. Be- 
 fore the Lodge Pole Valley Route was discovered 
 via the Cheyenne Pass, the North Platte and 
 Sweetwater Route via the South Pass and Big 
 Sandy was the main, in fact the great overland 
 
 route, traveled by the Mormons and Cali- 
 fornia emigrants. At the time the railroad was 
 built, however, the Lodge Pole Route was the 
 one mainly traveled. The vast region north of 
 the railroad between the Black Hills and Green 
 River Valley, contains within itself the germs of 
 a mighty empire, only waiting for the united 
 efforts of capital and labor for development. 
 
 Bryan, over 13 miles from Green River, 
 and 860 miles from Omaha, with an elevation of 
 6,340 feet or just 200 feet higher than at Green 
 River. This station was formerly a division ter- 
 minus at which time it was a place of consider- 
 able importance. The government has a depot 
 here, where its freight for Camp Stambaugh, 
 Camp Brown and other places is received. The 
 majority of the freight for the Sweetwater Min- 
 ing District and the settlements at the base of 
 the Wind River Mountains, South Pass City, 
 Atlantic City, etc., is also shipped from this 
 place, the distance to the latter city being 90 
 miles. Bryan is the first station where the rail- 
 road strikes Black's Fork of the Green River. 
 This fork rises in the Uintah Mountains, directly 
 south of Piedmont, and runs in a north-easterly 
 direction till it reaches Bryan, then turns toward 
 the south-west and unites with Green River some 
 twenty miles below the town of Green River. 
 The valley at Bryan is quite broad in places, and 
 thickly covered with sage brush and greasewood. 
 The soil is said to be fertile and capable of pro- 
 ducing large crops with irrigation. 
 
 Fort Bridger, eleven miles south of Carter 
 Station, is on this stream, and at that place over 
 300 bushels of potatoes have been raised from a 
 single half acre of ground. This shows what 
 this virgin soil can do if irrigated. The table- 
 land on the elevated benches that the traveler 
 will observe on either side of the road, is said to 
 be equally rich, and would be equally as prolific 
 if it could be irrigated. As you approach Bryan, 
 look away to the south and south-east, and you 
 will behold the towering peaks of the Uintah 
 Mountains, 70 or 80 miles off. They do not 
 look so distant, but then distance is very decep- 
 tive in this country. Bryan is a telegraph sta- 
 tion with a store, saloon, and a few houses all 
 that's left to tell the story of its better and de- 
 parted days. Its early history is the same as all 
 the railroad towns we have mentioned, with 
 roughs, cut-throats, gamblers, villains, etc., and 
 their cleaning out by vigilance committees, under 
 law administered by "Judge Lynch." 
 
 We now pursue our way up the valley of 
 Black's Fork. Four miles west of Bryan, the 
 road first crosses this stream which it follows to 
 Church Buttes. 
 
 Marston is the next station a side track 
 21 miles from Green River, and 867.6 miles from 
 Omaha ; elevation, 6,245 feet. From the appar- 
 ently level plains which the road crosses, abrupt 
 buttes or bluffs rise as if built by human hands 
 
105 
 
 as mounds to conceal some treasure, or to perpet- 
 uate some remarkable incident in history. They 
 form a curious study, and awaken no little in- 
 terest in the mind of an observing traveler. To 
 the left of the track there are a number of low 
 buttes as you approach 
 
 Granger, the next station, 877.2 miles from 
 Omaha, and 6,270 feet above the sea. It is a 
 telegraph station, named in honor of an old set- 
 tler here, and is the principal shipping point on 
 the line of the Union Pacific, for Montana and 
 Idaho cattle. These cattle are driven to this 
 point from the territories named, and the ship- 
 ments are increasing every year. Yards and 
 chutes have been erected for their ac commodation 
 and use. Near the station are one or two stone 
 houses. The road here crosses Him's Fork, a 
 tributary of Black's Fork, which rises some 70 
 
 to Evanston, in great profusion. The most of 
 them, however, are valueless, but occasionally 
 specimens of rare beauty are picked up. On 
 what are called " the bad lands," about 7 miles 
 south of the road, however, the finest agates, 
 with other beautiful gem;-, are obtained with lit- 
 tle difficulty. In Ham's Fork water agates, 
 creamy white, and amber colored, may be occa- 
 sionally picked up. They are quite rare, and 
 when cut by the lapidary, are held to be of con- 
 siderable value. 
 
 View of Uintah Mountains. The view 
 we give an illustration of, on page 80, is one of 
 the finest in the Far West. The scene is taken 
 from Photograph Ridge, at an elevation of 
 10,829 feet. In the foreground is a picturesque 
 group of the mountain pines. In the middle 
 distance flows Black's Fork. The peaks or cones 
 
 CHITRCH BUTTES 
 
 miles north-west, and which, the old settlers say, 
 is really the main stream of the two. The banks 
 of this stream, as far as you can see, are lined 
 with bushes, and farther up, its valley produces 
 luxuriant grass, from which hay is cut, and upon 
 which numerous herds of cattle feed. An oval 
 peak rises on the north side of the track, beyond 
 which, in the distance, may be seen a range of 
 bluffs, or mountains,which rise up between Ham's 
 Fork and Green River. From Granger to the 
 next station, are buttes on both sides of the 
 track, while, to the left, the high - peaks of the 
 Uintah Range tower up in the distance, affording 
 one of the grandest views on the line of the road. 
 This is the region of moss agates, gems of vari- 
 ous kinds, and precious stones. Agates are found 
 all along the line of the road from Green River 
 
 ON BLACK'S FORK. 
 
 in the distance have their summits far above the 
 limits of perpetual snow, and from 1.500 to 2,000 
 feet above the springs that are the sources of the 
 streams below. These cones are distinctly strati- 
 fied, mostly horizontal, and there are frequently 
 vast piles of purplish, compact quartzite, which 
 resemble Egyptian pyramids on a gigantic scale, 
 without a trace of grit, vegetation, or water. One 
 of these remarkable structures stands otit isolated 
 from the rest, in the middle of the Valley of 
 Smith's, Fork, and is so much like a Gothic 
 church, that the United States Surveying Party 
 gave it the name of Hayden's Cathedral, after 
 the leader of the exploration. 
 
 Church Itnttes, 887.7 miles from Omaha ; 
 elevation, 6,317 feet. The particular buttes, 
 from which the station derives its name, are 
 
106 
 
 about 10 miles south of the station, on the old 
 overland stage road, but buttes rise up from the 
 level plains in this vicinity in every direction. 
 They are, however, fast washing away. The 
 annual increase iii rain-fall on this desert, since 
 the completion of the railroad and the stretch- 
 ing of live telegraph wires, is remarkable, and 
 is especially noticed by the old settlers. These 
 rains, with the frosts of winter, are having a 
 noticeable effect on the buttes. Isolated peaks 
 have disappeared entirely and prominent pro- 
 jections have been materially lessened. There 
 are still a large number, however, chiseled by 
 the action of frosts and rains into fantastic 
 shapes which will excite the attention and rivet 
 the gaze of the traveler, as he passes by ; but, if 
 their annual diminution continues, in less than 
 half a century, they will have lost their interest. 
 Near this station is the last crossing of Black's 
 Fork, which now bears away to the left, while 
 the road ascends another of its branches, called 
 ths Big Muddy. What has been said in refer- 
 ence to agates, etc., of the other stations, will 
 apply to Church Buttas with equal force. 
 
 Curious Scientific Explorations. 
 Church Buttes is a curious formation, located on 
 the line of the old overland stage route, about 
 one hundred and fifty miles east from Salt Lake, 
 and at this point having an elevation of 6,731 
 feet. The formation is part of the Mauvaiaes 
 Turres, or Bad Lands, and consists of a vast de- 
 posit of sedimentary sandstones, and marly clay, 
 in perfectly horizontal strata, and contain within 
 thsir beds, some very remarkable paleontological 
 remains. The peculiar effects of stormy weather 
 and flood, in the past, has carved the bluff-lines 
 into the most curious and fantastic forms lofty 
 domes and pinnacles, and fluted columns, these 
 rocks resembling some cathedral of the olden 
 tim?, standing in the midst of desolation. 
 
 Professor Hayden, in speaking of them says, 
 " Distance lends a most delicious enchantment to 
 tha scene, and the imagination can build many 
 castles from out of this mass of most singular 
 formation. A nearer approach dispels some of 
 the illusions, but the mind is no less impressed 
 with the infinite variety of detail and the scat- 
 tered remains of the extinct life of some far dis- 
 tant age." 
 
 In this section are found " moss agates," in the 
 greatest abundance, being scattered all over the 
 surface of the country. Standing upon one of 
 the summits of the highest point of the "Bad 
 Lands," Hayden says, " as far as the eye can 
 reach, upon every side, is a vast extent of most 
 infinite detail. It looks like some ruined city of 
 the gods, blasted, bare, desolate, but grave, beyond 
 a mortal's telling." In 1870, a geological expedi- 
 tion, headed by Prof. O. C. Marsh, of Yale College, 
 and known as the " Yale College Expedition of 
 1870 " visited the " Bad Lands " and made a 
 geological examination. They were accompanied 
 
 by Buffalo Bill, a military troupe, and ten Pawnee 
 Indians, as guides. On the way, Professor Marsh 
 endeavored to explain the mighty changes of 
 geology and the grand discoveries they would 
 make and as Buffalo Bill intimated, some of 
 them were " pretty touyh yarn.*." The desolation 
 of the country can only be imagined, not de- 
 scribed hour after hour the party marched over 
 burning sand-hills, without rocks or trees, or 
 signs of water, while the thermometer stood at 
 110 in the shade of the wagons. After fourteen 
 hours in the saddle, one of the soldiers, exhaust- 
 ed with heat and thirst, finally exclaimed : 
 " What did God Almif/hty make auch as this for .*" 
 " Why," replied another more devout trooper, 
 " God Almighty made the country good enough, 
 but it's this deuced geology the professor lalks about, 
 that spoiled it all. ' ' 
 
 For fresh water the party had to thank the 
 favor of a thunder-shower, during which they 
 drank from the rims of each other's hats. Their 
 researches resulted in the discovery of the re- 
 mains of various species of the camel, horse, 
 mammals, and others new to science. A branch 
 of this expedition exploring the canons and 
 plains of Northern Colorado, discovered a large 
 deposit which contained great quantities of 
 fossil turtles, and rhinoceros, birds, and the re- 
 mains of the areodon, a remarkable animal 
 combining the characteristics of the modern 
 sheep, pig and deer. The remains of another mon- 
 ster, the Titano/herium, were found of such vast 
 proportions, that a lower jaw measured over four 
 feet in length. At Antelope Station, in one of 
 these areodon beds, remains were found of 
 several species of horse ; one a three-toed ani- 
 mal, and another which, although full grown, had 
 attained the height of but two feet. In an ex- 
 ploration near Green River the expedition 
 found petrified fishes in abundance, and a small 
 bed, containing fossil insects, a rare discov- 
 ert/. Here were beetles and dragons, flies and 
 grasshoppers ; a gigantic fossil mosquito, and 
 an extinct flea of greut dimensions were also 
 discovered. At Fort Wallace, Ks., the party 
 found a trophy in the form of a skeleton of a 
 sea serpent nearly complete, which alone re- 
 quired four days to dig out and bring to the 
 camp. This monster when alive could not have 
 been less than 60 feet. It had a slender eel- 
 like body and tail, with mouth like a boa-con- 
 strictor. 
 
 Among the curious incidents which happened, 
 was the discovery of a genuine Sioux Indian bur- 
 ial ground. The dead were reposing on platforms 
 of boughs elevated above the ground, and sup- 
 ported at the four corners by poles about eight 
 feet in height. On one of these tombs lay two 
 bodies, a woman, decked in beads and bracelets, 
 and a scalpless brave, with war paint still on the 
 cheeks, and holding in his crumbling hand, 
 a rusty shot-gun, and a pack of cards. Several 
 
107 
 
 incident* occurred from the abundance of rattle- 
 snakes. Several animals were bitten by them, 
 and the country at some places fairly swarmed 
 with them. Numbers were killed every day by 
 the horses' feet, and while members of the party 
 would occasionally bathe in the river, these 
 reptiles would bask upon the bank of the stream 
 near their clothes, as one of them says, " Their 
 humming soon became an old tune, and the 
 charm of shooting the wretches wore away for 
 all but one, who was collecting their rattles as a 
 necklace for his lady love." 
 
 Hampton, a little over 50 miles from Green 
 River, 897.1 miles from Omaha, and 6,500 feet 
 above the sea. It is simply a side track where, 
 occasionally, trains meet and pass. Approaching 
 this station, two large buttes lift themselves 
 above their fellows on the left side of the track, 
 while beyond, a low, dark ridge may be seen cov- 
 ered with cedars. In this ridge is an abundance 
 of game and good hunting at almost any season 
 of the year. The game consists of elk, coyotes, 
 wolves, deer, bears, etc. About three miles be- 
 fore you reach the next station, you will notice 
 off to the right of the track, a long, low, dark ridge. 
 It is also covered with cedars, and it strikes the 
 road near Bridger Station. There are also plenty 
 of cedars in the bluffs to the left before you 
 reach 
 
 Carter, the next station, which is 904.6 
 miles from Omaha, and 6,550 feet above the sea. 
 The station is named in honor of Col. Dick 
 Carter, whose home is here, and who has lived 
 here since the completion of the railroad. It is 
 the nearest railroad station to Fort Bridger, 
 which is located on Black's Fork, 11 miles due 
 south, and reached by daily stages from this 
 point. Colonel Carter is about to try the experi- 
 ment of raising crops at this station. He has 
 built a dam across the creek and dug a ditch 
 nearly 2,000 feet long, which will irrigate the 
 ground he proposes to till. Near Carter, also, 
 one can hardly go amiss of moss agates and 
 other curious specimens. About 20 miles a 
 little north-west of this station, is a mountain 
 of coal on a tributary of Little Muddy. In 
 this mountain are found three splendid veins of 
 coal, of total thickness of 87 feet, which can be 
 traced over ten miles, also layers of slate 25 to 
 30 feet in depth. The coal resembles cannel coal, 
 and makes excellent coke for smelting purposes. 
 Seven miles north of Carter, a white sul- 
 phur spring was discovered in the summer 
 of 1875, whose waters will equal, if not 
 surpass those of the celebrated springs of 
 Virginia. Within about a hundred yards of 
 these sulphur springs, and at the same time, a 
 chalybeate spring was also discovered, but its 
 waters have not yet been analyzed, though their 
 medicinal qualities are said to be excellent. 
 There is also, a fine fresh water spring near by. 
 A branch railroad from Carter would pass these 
 
 springs, and reach the mountain of coal in a dis- 
 tance of 24 miles. 
 
 Smith's Fork, a branch of Black's, is about five 
 miles south of Fort Bridger, and Henry's Fork, 
 of Green River, is some 25 miles still farther 
 south, and is noted for its rich grazing. It is 
 mostly occupied by stockmen as a winter range, 
 and large numbers of cattle are annually win- 
 tered without hay in its valley. Smith's and 
 Henry's Forks are filled with trout, and afford 
 fine fishing, while there is an abundance of game, 
 such as elk, deer, antelope and bear to attract 
 the hunter and sportsman. A plenty of sage 
 hens give fine shooting in the summer months. 
 Carter is a telegraph station, and has a store 
 from which ranchemen, hunters, and others ob- 
 tain supplies. It was formerly an eating-station 
 on the road and was renowned for the splendid 
 trout which were served up by Colonel Carter, 
 who was its proprietor. A government road to 
 Fort Ellis, Montana, and the Yellowstone Park, 
 has been surveyed from this station by way of 
 Bear River Valley and the Soda Springs in Idaho. 
 It is some 80 miles nearer than by Ogden or 
 Corinne, over a fine route, and will probably 
 be opened in a year or two. 
 
 Uridger, 914.1 miles from Omaha, with an 
 elevation of 6,780 feet. It is a telegraph station 
 named in honor of Jim Bridger, who was a noted 
 hunter and guide, for government and other ex- 
 peditions. Since leaving Bryan, we have been 
 going up hill all the time, and our ascent will 
 now be rapid until we pass the divide between 
 Piedmont and Aspen. The country is exceed- 
 ingly broken and rough on each side of the track, 
 while the valley of the Big Muddy narrows up, 
 as we approach the summit. 
 
 Leroy, is the next station. It is 919.1 miles 
 from Omaha, and 7,123 feet above the level of 
 the sea. In passing over only five miles of road, 
 we have ascended nearly 350 feet. Leaving this 
 place, you will observe old telegraph poles still 
 standing on the left of the track. They mark 
 the line of the old overland road. About two 
 miles west of Leroy, at the base of a hill or 
 bluff, south of the track, are some excellent Soda 
 Springs. They are near the road, and trains 
 sometimes stop to enable passengers to drink the 
 water. In 1875, an emigrant train stopped at 
 these springs a few minutes, when one of the 
 passengers, on the way to the springs, picked up 
 a most beautiful moss agate, in which there were 
 six clearly defined, conical shaped trees, each one 
 perfect in shape and form. The hills and val- 
 leys in this vicinity continue to abound in agates 
 and other curious specimens, while soda, iron 
 and fresh water springs, are numerous, some- 
 times in close proximity to each other. 
 
 Piedmont. Here the road, after crossing it, 
 leaves the Muddy, which comes in from the 
 south. This station is ten miles from Leroy, 
 929.1 miles from Omaha, and has an elevation of 
 
108 
 
 7,540 feet. In summer, the scenery along this 
 part of the road is delightful, while in winter the 
 storms are severe, the wind blowing almost a 
 constant gale, while the snow drifts mountains 
 high. There are several snow sheds along this 
 part of the road, the longest being on the sum- 
 mit, 2,700 feet in length. The road having to 
 wind around the spurs and into the depressions 
 of the hills, is very crooked, in one place doub- 
 ling back on itself. We are now crossing a high 
 ridge in the 
 Uintah Mount- 
 ains, and the 
 second highest 
 elevation on the 
 Union Pacific. 
 Off to the left 
 these mountains 
 in higher, grand- 
 er forms, lift 
 their summits 
 toward the 
 clouds, and are 
 most always 
 covered with 
 snow, while 
 their sides are 
 lined with dark 
 green the col- 
 or of the pine 
 forests, which 
 partially envel- 
 op them. While 
 the road was be- 
 ing built, large 
 quantities o f 
 ties, telegraph 
 poles and bridge 
 timber,were cut 
 on the Foot 
 Hills, near these 
 mountains, and 
 delivered to the 
 company. About 
 two miles north- 
 west of Pied- 
 mont, is a won- 
 derful Soda 
 Spring. The 
 sediment or de- 
 posits Of this INTERIOR OF SNOW 
 
 spring have built up a conical-shaped body with a 
 basin on the top. In this basin the water appears, 
 to a small extent, and has evidently sometime 
 had a greater flow than at present ; but, as similar 
 springs have broken out around the base of this 
 cone, the pressure on the main spring has, doubt- 
 less, been relieved, and its flow, consequently, 
 lessened. The cone is about 15 feet high and is 
 well worthy of a visit from the tourist. At 
 Piedmont, the traveler will first observe the per- 
 manent coal pits, built of stone and brick, which 
 
 are used in this country for the manufacture of 
 charcoal foi the smelting works of Utah. There 
 are more of them at Hilliard and Evauston, and 
 they will be more fully described then. 
 
 Leaving Piedmont, the road makes a long 
 curve, like a horse-shoe doubling on itself, and, 
 finally, reaches the summit of the divide in a 
 long snow shed, one of the longest on the road. 
 Aspen, the next station, it is 938.5 miles 
 from Omaha, and has a reported elevation of 
 
 7,835 feet. It 
 is not a great 
 distance only 
 about two miles 
 from the sum- 
 mit. Evidences 
 of change in the 
 formation of the 
 country are 
 everywhere visi- 
 ble, and the 
 change affords a 
 marked n lief to 
 the weary mo- 
 notony of the 
 desolate plains 
 over which we 
 have passed. 
 Down the grade 
 we now pass 
 rapidly, with 
 high hills on 
 either side of 
 the track 
 through a lovely 
 valley, with an 
 occasional fill, 
 and through a 
 deep cut, to the 
 next station. 
 
 Hilliard, 
 a new station, 
 opened for busi- 
 ness in 1873. is 
 943.5 miles from 
 Omaha, with an 
 elevation of 
 7,310 feet. The 
 town owes its 
 importance to 
 the Hilliard 
 Flume & Lumber Company, which has extensive 
 property interests here, and in the vicinity. In 
 approaching the town from Aspen, the road 
 passes down a " draw " or ravine, through 
 a cut on a curve, and near this place 
 enters the Bear River Valley, one of the 
 most beautiful, and so far as has been demon- 
 strated, fertile valleys of the Rocky Mountains. 
 Two things excite the curiosity of the traveler 
 if he has never seen them before ; one is the coal 
 pits, and the other is the elevated flume under 
 
 SHEDS, U. P. R. R. 
 
109 
 
 which trains of cars pass. This flume, built of 
 timber and boards, is 24 miles long, and is 2,000 
 feet higher where it first takes the water from 
 Bear River, than where it empties the same at 
 Milliard. The greatest fall in any one mile is 
 320 feet. The timber which is brought to the 
 station by this flume, is obtained in large 
 amounts in the foot hills of the Uintah Mount- 
 ains, or on the mountains themselves and is 
 mostly pine. The saw-mill of the company, 
 erected at tha head of this flume, has a capacity 
 of 40,000 feet in 2i hours, with an engine of 40 
 h o r s e-p o w e r. 
 Over 2,000,000 
 feet of lumber 
 were consumed 
 in the construc- 
 tion of this 
 flume, and its 
 branches in the 
 mountains. 
 Through it 
 cord- wood, lum- 
 ber, ties and 
 saw-logs are 
 floated down to 
 the railroad. 
 The cord-wood 
 is used for char- 
 coal. You will 
 observe the con- 
 ical shaped pits 
 in which it is 
 made, near the 
 railway track, 
 on the right, as 
 you pass west- 
 ward. There 
 are 29 pits or 
 kilns at Hilli- 
 a r d , nineteen 
 small ones, and 
 ten large ones. 
 The small kilns 
 require twenty- 
 six cords of 
 wood at a fill- 
 ing, and the 
 large ones forty cords. The small ones cost 
 about .1750, each ; the large ones $900. These 
 kilns consume 2,000 cords of wood per month, 
 and produce 100,000 bushels of charcoal as a re- 
 sult, in the same time. There are other kilns 
 about nine miles south of the town, in active oper- 
 ation. There are fine iron and sulphur springs 
 within three-fourths of a mile of the station. 
 The reddish appearance of the mountain we 
 have just passed indicates the presence of iron 
 in this vicinity in large quantities, and coal also 
 begins to crop out in different places as we go 
 down the valley. Bear River is renowned for 
 its trout. They are caught south of the road in 
 
 ROCK CUT, NEAR ASPEN. 
 
 the mountain tributaries, and north of Evans- 
 ton, in Bear Rmr Lake. Though the country 
 has somewhat changed in appearance, and a dif- 
 ferent formation has been entered upon, we have 
 not passed the region of agates and gems, 
 precious and otherwise. They are found in the 
 vicinity of Hilliard, in large quantities, together 
 with numerous petrifactions of bones, etc., with 
 fossilized fish, shells, ferns and other materials. 
 
 Twenty-five miles a little south-west of Hil- 
 liard are found two sulphur mountains. The 
 sulphur is nearly 90 per cent, pure, in inex- 
 haustible quan- 
 tities. 
 
 The scenery of 
 the Upper Bear 
 River is rugged 
 and grand. 
 About 20 miles 
 south of Hil- 
 liard is a nat- 
 u al fort which 
 was taken pos- 
 session of by a 
 gang of horse 
 thieves and cut- 
 throats, under 
 the lead of one 
 Jack Watkins, 
 a genuine front- 
 ier ruffian, who, 
 with his com- 
 panions, for a 
 long time re- 
 sisted all at- 
 tempts at cap- 
 ture. 
 
 The hills and 
 mountains in 
 this vicinity 
 abound in 
 game, and offer 
 rare induce- 
 ments to sports- 
 m e n . The 
 country around 
 both Hilliard 
 and Evanston is 
 the natural home for bears, elk, deer, catamounts, 
 lynx, wolves, coyotes, wolverines, beaver, mink, 
 foxes, badgers, mountain lions, wild cats, jack 
 rabbits, etc., grouse sage hens, quails and ducks 
 in the spring and fall. Not far north of Evans- 
 ton, on Bear River, is Bear Lake, ten miles in 
 length, and from five to eight in breadth. The 
 boundary line between Idaho and Utah passes 
 directly across the lake from east to west. 
 
 Sofia Sprinf/s. Farther north,at the Big Bend 
 of Bear River, the most interesting group of soda 
 springs known on the- Continent, occupy some 
 six square miles. To those graced with steam 
 vents, Fremont gave the name of Steamboat 
 
110 
 
 Springs, from the noise they make like a low- 
 pressure engine. Near by is a spring with an 
 orifice brightly stained with a brilliant yellow 
 coating of oxide of iron, from which the water is 
 thrown up two feet. 
 
 Independence Rock. This has long been 
 a noted landmark, for travelers on the old over- 
 land wagon route. Its base which borders the 
 road is literally covered with names and dates, 
 some of them even before Fremont's expedition 
 crossed the Continent many more well knowrr. 
 
 The Sweetwater River flows immediately 
 along the southern end of it, and on the opposite 
 side of the stream is another ridge similar to it, 
 continuing from the south-west, which was once 
 connected with it. It is a huge example of dis- 
 integration ; its rounded form resembles an 
 oblong hay-stack, with layers of rocks lapping 
 over the top and sides of the mass. Thin layers 
 
 another conspicuous landmark, the Twin Peaks, 
 which really are but one high peak in the ridge, 
 cleft down the centre, dividing it in two, nearly to 
 the base. 
 
 View in the Uintah Mountains. The 
 view we give on page 80, is taken from Photo- 
 graph Ridge, elevation, 10,829 feet, by the 
 Hayden Exploring Expedition, and is one of the 
 grandest and most perfect mountain views in the 
 West. The traveler, as he passes rapidly 
 through Echo and Weber Canons, and casually 
 notices the chain of mountains at the south, can 
 form no idea of their beauty and grandeur. 
 Professor Hayden says of this view " In the fore- 
 ground of our view is a picturesque group 
 of the mountain pines. In the middle dis- 
 tance, glimmering in the sunlight like a silver 
 thread, is Black's Fork, meandering through 
 grassy, lawn-like parks, the eye following it up 
 
 INDEPENDENCE ROCK. 
 
 have been broken off in part, and huge masses 
 are scattered all around it. On some portions of 
 the sides they lap down to the ground, with so 
 gentle a descent that one can walk up to the top 
 without difficulty. The rock has a circum- 
 ference of 1,550 yards. The north end is 193 
 fet in height, and the opposite end, 167 feet, 
 with a depression in the center of 75 feet. 
 
 Devil's Gate on the Sweetwater. Follow- 
 ing up the valley from Independence Rock, and 
 five miles north, is another celebrated natural 
 curiosity. The Devil's Gate, a canon which the 
 Sweetwater River has worn through the Granite 
 Ridge cutting it at right-angles. The walls are 
 vertical, being about 350 feet high, and the dis- 
 tance through is about 300 yards. The current 
 of the stream through the gate is slow, finding 
 its way among the fallen masses of rock, with 
 gentle, easy motion, and pleasant murmur. 
 
 Fifteen miles farther above tha Devil's Gate, is 
 
 to its sources, among the everlasting snows of 
 the summit ridge. The peaks or cones in the 
 distance, are most distinctly stratified and ap- 
 parently horizontal or nearly so, with their sum- 
 mits far above the limits of perpetual snow, and 
 from 1,500 to 2,000 feet above the springs that 
 rise from the streams below." 
 
 Gilbert's Peak, is one of the highest peaks 
 of the Uintah Mountain Range, named after 
 General Gilbert of the U. S. A. It has near its 
 summit a beautiful lake of 11,000 feet, and 
 above this rises the peak abruptly 2,250 more. 
 Total, 13,250 feet. 
 
 Throughout these mountains are very many 
 lakes, which gather among the rocks bordered 
 with dense growth of spruce trees, and form a 
 characteristic feature of the scenery. 
 
 Bear River City. After leaving Hilliard, 
 th<? road, as it continues down the valley of Sul- 
 phur Creek, passes the site of Bear River City, a 
 
Ill 
 
 once famous town, but which now has not a sin- 
 gle building to mark where it once stood ; a mile 
 and a half west of Milliard will be seen the head- 
 boards of the graves of early-day rioters. The 
 city was laid out in 1868, and tor a time there 
 was high speculation in lots, and once the popula- 
 tion reached as high as 2,001) persons. Fre- 
 quent garrotings, deaths and robberies, led to the 
 organization of a vigilance committee, who hung 
 three of the desperadoes. An active fight after- 
 wards ensued 
 between the 
 citizens and 
 the mob, who 
 had organized 
 to revenge the 
 death of one 
 of their num- 
 ber. The citi- 
 zens were well 
 protected b y 
 the wall of a 
 store, and by 
 active firing 
 killed 16 of the 
 rioters, with 
 other losses, 
 never known. 
 From that day 
 the place was 
 dropped by ths 
 railroad, and 
 it faded en- 
 tirely away. 
 
 Millis is 
 the next sta- 
 tion, 947.5 
 miles from 
 Omaha, with 
 an elevation of 
 6,790 feet. It 
 is an unim- 
 portant sids 
 track, where 
 trains occa- 
 sionally pass. 
 Its location is 
 about a mile 
 and a half ba- 
 low or west of 
 the site of B3ar 
 River City. 
 
 Leaving Mi His th.3 road soon crosses Bear River 
 over a low trestle-work an opening being left 
 in the embankment for the passage of surplus 
 water in time of freshets. The entire valley 
 here has been known to be covered with water 
 in the spring. 
 
 Evanston, 957 miles from Omaha; eleva- 
 tion, 6,770 feet. It is the county-seat of 
 Uintah County, Wyoming Territory, and the 
 last town going west, in Wyoming. It con- 
 
 tains about 1,500 people, and is a thriving 
 business place, owing to proximity of the coal 
 mines, its lumber interests and the location of 
 the division roundhouse of twenty stalls, with 
 car and machine-shops giving constant employ- 
 ment to a large number of men. The town is 
 located on the western bank of Bear River, and 
 has abundant water power that might be utilized 
 in various manufactories. A large saw -mill, inn 
 by a lumber company, gets its logs from the 
 
 mountains to- 
 ward the h( ad 
 of the stream. 
 They are rolled 
 into the river, 
 and floated 
 down to the 
 mill. This 
 place, also, has 
 a few charcoal 
 kilns lumber, 
 coal and char- 
 coal, being the 
 principal piod- 
 u c t s of the 
 town. Evans- 
 ton is a regu- 
 lar dinner sta- 
 tion train s 
 from the east 
 and west stop- 
 ping thirty 
 minutes for 
 dinner. You 
 will dine at the 
 "Mountain 
 Trout Hotel," 
 a well-kept 
 house, where 
 everything is 
 scrupulously 
 neat the food 
 being plainly, 
 but well cock- 
 ed. At this 
 house, the trav- 
 eler will find 
 regular Chi- 
 n e s e waitei s, 
 dressed in Chi- 
 nese costume, 
 
 THE DEVIL'S GATE ON THE SWEETWATEE. ' quick, pO 1 i t 6 
 
 and attentive, and you can here piatify your cu- 
 riosity by seeing and talking \\ith thfm. Game 
 and trout will usually be found on the tables, in 
 their season. The proximity of this eating-sta- 
 tion, and the one kept at Green River, to the great 
 trout-fishing regions of the Rocky Mountains, 
 creates an expectation, on the part of the traveler, 
 that he will usually find the speckled beauties 
 served up at these stations, nor is he often dis- 
 appointed, in the proper season of the year. 
 
112 
 
 The town has good schools, three or four 
 churches and au excellent court-house. A daily 
 and weekly newspaper ' The Evansion Age," is 
 published here. Bear River, which runs through 
 this place, rises in the Uintah Mountains, on the 
 south, and runs in a general northerly direction 
 to the great soda springs in Idaho, about 120 
 miles directly north of Echo City. It then turns 
 to the south-west and empties into Great Salt 
 Lake, near Corinne. Its valley is pretty well 
 settled by Mormons, and others, all the way 
 round its great bend. Near the location of these 
 soda springs, and at the northern extremity of 
 Bear River 
 
 Mountains, evi- 
 dences of vol- 
 canic action are 
 everywhere visi- 
 ble, and extinct 
 craters are no 
 uncommon 
 thing. 
 
 Evanston i s 
 built r mostly on 
 the left side of 
 the track, as you 
 enter the town, 
 the valley ris- 
 ing into the hill 
 behind it. This 
 hill, were it not 
 for the hard 
 winds and deep 
 snows of winter, 
 would afford 
 some very fine 
 building spots, 
 and for summer 
 residences must 
 b e delightful. 
 In winter, how- 
 ever, some of 
 the little houses 
 that skirt the 
 hill on the west- 
 ern borders of 
 the place, are 
 literally covere I 
 
 with snow which drifts over the hills from 
 the south. The agricultural prospects of the 
 valley, lower down, are said to be flattering 
 the Mormon farmers producing fine ; crops. 
 Near Evauston there are a number of cattle 
 ranches where hay is cut. and cattle have to be 
 fed and sheltered during the winter. There have 
 also been some successful experiments in raising 
 potatoes, cabbages, turnips, parsnips, radishes, let- 
 tuce, onions and other " garden truck," while oats, 
 barley and wheat can undoubtedly be raised in 
 favorable seasons. Notice the altitude of this 
 place, and then the traveler can form the best 
 opinion as to whether agriculture, as a steady busi- 
 
 ness, can be made successful. Candor compels 
 us further to say that frosts may happen during 
 every one of the summer months. 
 
 Sporting. Evanston, however, possesses all 
 the attractions which delight the sportsman. 
 The mountains to the north and south, and the 
 high hills in the immediate vicinity, are full of 
 ganiti, while Bear River is renowned for its trout. 
 The streams flowing into Bear River, on 
 either side, both north and south of the 
 town, are full of . trout, and afford excellent 
 sport in .those seasons of the year when their 
 catching is not prohibited by law, while 
 
 Bear Lake, some 
 sixty miles 
 north, from all 
 that we could 
 learn about it, 
 is the chosen 
 home of trout 
 and the very 
 paradise of fish- 
 ermen. Sport- 
 ing parties can 
 obtain guides, 
 outfits, and 
 accommodations 
 at Evanston, 
 from which 
 place they can 
 hunt, fish, visit 
 the Sulphur 
 Mountains, and 
 search for fos- 
 sils, etc., to their 
 heart's content. 
 It is one of the 
 most favorable 
 points on the 
 line of the road 
 for recreation 
 and amusement, 
 and will, event- 
 ually, become a 
 noted resort for 
 tourists. 
 
 Chinamen be- 
 
 LAKK LAL. OR MOORE'S LAKE. HEAT) OF BKAR RIVER. gin tO tllickeil 
 
 as you proceed west. At Evanston they have 
 quite a settlement, the shanties and buildings 
 on the right of the track and opposite the depot 
 being "China Town." Here they have their 
 " Joss " house, saloons and residences. A h Say, 
 their head man, speaks very good Enerli^h, has 
 his Chinese wife with him, and with the exc ] - 
 tion of the inevitable "cue," dresses and appears 
 like the Americans, with whom he has now lived 
 for about fifteen years. 
 
 About three miles from Evanston, on the east 
 side of Bear River, is Alma, the coal miners' 
 town. Here coal mines belonging to the Cen- 
 tral Pacific, the Union Pacific, and to S. II. 
 
113 
 
 Winsor are worked. Mr. Winsor is just open- 
 ing his mine which is nearest to Evanston 
 while the other mines have been worked for 
 some time. " The Rocky Mountain Coal Com- 
 pany," is the name of the corporation which 
 supplies the Central Pacific with coal. In 1875, 
 this company mined 98,897 tons, or 9,890 cars 
 of coal. They have three mines open. In one 
 year, not long since, they mined about 150,000 
 tons, or 15,000 cars. The Union Pacific having 
 other mines along their road do not, of course, 
 mine as much here as does the Rocky Mountain 
 Company. 
 
 A Mountain on fire. 
 
 Do not be startled at this announcement, yet 
 this is a genuine fact ; the companies operating 
 these mines, have been put to immense labor and 
 expense to keep under control an immense fire in 
 their coal veins. These mines took fire from 
 spontaneous combustion in this way. They 
 perhaps took out too much coal in the first 
 place, that is, did not leave pillars enough 
 to support the overhanging walls; what is 
 called " slack " coal that has crumbled by 
 action of air was also allowed to accumulate 
 iu the mine. The vein of fire clay next 
 above the vein of coal fell down on this slack, 
 and caused spontaneous combustion of the 
 coal underneath it. A fire with a perpetual 
 supply of fuel is rather a hard thing to master. 
 and in a coal mine generally awakens no small 
 amount of anxiety. In tact, it is very danger- 
 ous. As soon as it was discovered, and its loca- 
 tion fixed, the company immediately began to 
 wall around it ; they ceased all operations in its 
 immediate vicinity, and with rock, lime and 
 sand, made their air-tight walls along " the 
 slopes," between " the rooms " and across " the 
 air passages," until the outside air was com- 
 pletely shut out, and the fire entirely shut in, 
 and awaited further developments. Occasionally 
 it breaks out over a piece of this wall, and then 
 they begin farther back and wall again. But 
 the fire is not extinguished and probably never 
 will be. Water will not quench it, its action on 
 the fire clay only increases the difficulty. Inside 
 of these fire walls, pillar after pillar of the coal 
 left standing to support the roof has been con- 
 sumed, and the earth and rocks above have 
 fallen into the cavity, leaving great craters on the 
 side of the mountain, and the rock-ribbed pile 
 itself has seamed and cracked open in places above 
 the burning fires. Air has thus got in and the 
 rains and melting snows of spring run into these 
 fissures and craters, dissolving the fire clay, and 
 thus add to the extent of the burning mass. 
 But everything goes on around the mine with- 
 out excitement, and as though nothing had hap- 
 pened. Watchmen are kept on duty all the time, 
 and the first appearance of the fire near the 
 walls is detected and a new wall built. And 
 
 thus while the smouldering fires are burning up 
 the coal in one part of the mine, men are taking 
 it out unconcernedly in another part, to supply 
 the locomotives with the power to generate 
 steam 
 
 How long the fire will burn no one can tell. 
 It will only stop when the fuel upon which 
 it feeds is exhausted, and this can only be 
 cut off by mining all around it, taking out 
 the full thickness of the vein 26 feet and 
 thus exhausting the supply. It will then cave 
 in and the rest of the mine can be saved. 
 Coal mining has its dangers, not the least 
 of which are " slack and waste " which result 
 in fires. In Mine No. 1, of the Rocky Mount- 
 ain Coal Company, the fire is confined in a space 
 250 by 600 feet* In Mine No. 2, owned by 
 same company, it is confined by a space 175 by 
 1,100 feet. 
 
 A Valuable Coal Mine. Leaving Evans- 
 ton, in about two miles the branch to Alma 
 turns off to the right, and the town with 
 hoisting works of the coal companies can 
 be plainly seen, together with a beautiful view 
 down the Bear River Valley. On what is called 
 Twin Creek, down this valley, the Wyoming Coal 
 & Coke Company, have discovered and located a 
 coal mine 41 miles due north from Evanston. 
 The mine is on the east side of Bear River. 
 This company has what it claims to be a mount- 
 ain of coal. The veins on the ground level are 
 four and one-half feet thick, above it there are 
 about six feet of slate ; then a ten foot vein of 
 coal ; then sandstone about five feet thick 
 what miners call " Winn rock ; " then three 
 feet of fire clay ; then two feet of coal ; then al- 
 ternate layers of fire clay and coal 26 feet ; then 
 125 feet of solid fire clay ; then sandstone, lime- 
 stone, etc., to the summit, it being about 400 
 feet above the level surface around it. A shaft 
 has been sunk from the ground level, and an- 
 other vein of coal struck ten feet below the sur- 
 face. We are minute in giving this description 
 of this coal mine, because it is claimed that the 
 coal it furnishes will coke, that it will give 50 
 per cent, coke, and coke is the great demand of 
 the smelting furnaces in the mining regions of 
 this part of the Continent. It is claimed that 
 the tests which have been applied to this coal, 
 establish conclusively its coking qualities and 
 ovens for coking purposes have been put in. 
 The work of the present year will, satisfactorily 
 determine the question whether coking coal can 
 be found in the Rocky Mountains. The history 
 of rich mineral-producing regions is that the 
 metals are usually (because cheaper) brought to 
 the fuel instead of carrying the fuel to the metal. 
 Hence if these coal mines are proved to produce 
 good coke, a town of smelters must spring up 
 near by. 
 
 Wahsatch, a telegraph station, on the divide 
 between Bear River Valley and Echo Canon. It 
 

 ROCKS NEAR ECHO CITY. 
 1. Bromley's Cathedral. 2. Castle Rock. 3. The Great Eastern. 4. Hanging Rock. 
 
115 
 
 is 968 miles irom Omaha, and reported to be 
 6,879 feet above the level of the sea. The road 
 here crosses a low pass in the Wahsatch Range 
 of Mountains. As you ascend the beautiful val- 
 ley leading to this station, the grim peaks of the 
 Uintahs tower up in the distance on your left, 
 while the adjoining hills shut out the higher ele- 
 vations of the Wahsatch Range, on the north. 
 Leaving Evanston, the road turns abruptly to 
 the left, and the town and valley are soon lost to 
 sight. Four miles out, on the left side of the 
 track, the traveler will notice a sign put up on a 
 post the east side of which reads, " Wyoming." 
 the west side, " Utah." Wahsatch was formerly 
 a terminus of a sub-division of the road, and 
 contained the regular dining-hall of the company, 
 with roundhouse, machine and repair shops, etc. 
 The water in the tank is supplied from a mount- 
 ain spring near by, and a " Y " for turning 
 engines, and a small house to shelter one, is 
 about all that is left of a once famous town. 
 
 Artesian Wells. It has been our candid 
 opinion that the great plains, basins and alkali 
 deserts which lie between the Rocky Mountains 
 and Sierras can all be reclaimed and soil made 
 fertile by the sinking of artesian wells. The en- 
 tire Humboldt Valley can be made productive 
 by this means alone. As a proof of the success 
 of sinking artesian wells, we can mention 
 several along the Union Pacific Railroad. Com- 
 mencing at Separation and terminating at Rock 
 Springs, a distance of 108 miles, the Union 
 Pacific Railroad has sunk successfully six arte- 
 sian wells : 
 
 One at Separation, 6,900 feet above sea level, 
 is 1,180 feet deep, the water rising to within 10 
 feet of the surface. 
 
 At Creston, 7,030 feet elevation, the well is 
 only 300 feet deep, furnishing abundant supply 
 of water at that point. 
 
 At Washakie, 6,697 feet elevation, the well is 638 
 feet deep. The water rises 15 feet above the, sur- 
 face, and flows at the rate of 800 gallons per hour. 
 
 At Bitter Creek, 6,685 feet elevation, the well 
 is 696 feet deep, discharging at the surface 1,000 
 gallons per hour, and with pumping, yields 2,100 
 gallons per hour. 
 
 At Point of Rocks, elevation 6,490 feet, the 
 well is 1,000 feet deep, and the supply of water 
 abundant, although it does not rise to the sur- 
 face nearer than 17 feet. 
 
 At Rock Springs, at an elevation of 6,280 feet, 
 the well is 1,156 feet deep, and discharges at the 
 surface 960 gallons per hour, or at 26 feet above 
 the surface, 571 gallons per hour. 
 
 As the elevation of all these places is 2,000 feet 
 or more above the Salt Lake Valley, and also the 
 Humboldt Valley, there is every probability that 
 the sinking of artesian wells in these valleys 
 would result in an immense flow of water. 
 
 Chinese Workmen. The Chinese are em- 
 phatically a peculiar people, renowned for their 
 
 industry and economy. They will live comfort- 
 ably on what the same number of Americans 
 would throw away. Their peculiarities have 
 been so often described that a repetition of them 
 to any great extent is not needed here. Never- 
 theless a sight of them always awakens a curios- 
 ity to know all there is to be known concerning 
 their customs, habits, social and moral relations, 
 etc. A great deal that they do is mysterious to us, 
 but perfectly plain and simple to them. In their 
 habits of eating, for instance, why do they use 
 " chopsticks " instead of forks ? " Same as 
 'Melican man's fork " said one as we watched its 
 dextrous use. Their principal articles of diet 
 seem to be rice and pork. They reject the great 
 American fashion of frying nearly everything 
 they cook, and substitute boiling instead. In 
 the center of a table, or on a bench near by, they 
 place a pan filled with boiled rice. To this each 
 one of the " mess " will go and fill his bowl with 
 a spoon or ladle, return to the table and take his 
 " chopsticks " two slender sticks, about the 
 length of an ordinary table knife, and operate 
 them with his fingers as if they were fastened 
 together with a pivot, like shears, lifting the 
 bowl to his mouth every time he takes up the 
 food with the " chopsticks." The pork for a 
 " mess " will be cut into small pieces and placed , 
 in one dish on the table from which each one 
 helps himself with these " chopsticks. " In 
 other words "they all dive into one dish" for 
 their pork. They are called " almond-eyed 
 celestials " but did you ever notice how much 
 their eyes resemble those of swine? 
 
 The first gang of Chinamen you meet with on 
 the road are employed near Table Rock ; for- 
 merly they extended to Rawlins, but they are in- 
 efficient laborers, although industrious, especi- 
 ally in the winter. We shall see more of them 
 by the time we reach the Pacific Coast. Rock 
 Springs as a town is mostly composed of dug- 
 outs, shanties, holes in the ground, etc., occupied 
 by miners, including Chinamen, together with a 
 few substantial buildings, such as the company's 
 store, a good school-house, two or three ordinary 
 hotels and the customary saloons. The impor- 
 tance of the town is wholly due to the coal trade, 
 otherwise it would be nothing. 
 
 ECHO AND WEBER CANONS. 
 
 And now, with full breath and anxious 
 heart, repressed excitement and keen zest, 
 we anxiously scan the scenes from car win- 
 dows or platforms, and prepare for one grand, 
 rushing descent into the glories of Echo Canon. 
 The writer will never forget the feelings of over- 
 whelming wonder and awe, as with the seal of ad- 
 miration in both eye and lips, the ride through this 
 famous canon was enjoyed. Rocks beside which 
 all eastern scenes were pigmies, rose up in astound- 
 ing abruptness and massiveness colossal old Ti- 
 tans of majestic dimensions, and sublimely soar- 
 
116 
 
 ing summits, and perpendicular sides, succeeded 
 each other for miles, and the little company of 
 spectators, seemed but an insignificant portion of 
 the handiwork of the Almighty. The train of 
 cars, which, on the plain, seemed so full of life, 
 and grand in power, here was dwarfed into 
 baby carriages ; and the shriek of the whistle, as 
 it echoed and resounded along the cliffs and from 
 rock to rock, or was hemmed in by the confines 
 of the amphitheatre, appeared like entering 
 the portals to the palace of some Terrible 
 Being. Into the short distance of sixty miles 
 is crowded a constant succession of those 
 scenes and objects of natural curiosity, which 
 form the most interesting part of the road, 
 and have made it world-wide in fame. Jt 
 seems hard, after nearly a week of expectation 
 and keen anxiety for a glimpse of such 
 scenes of grandeur, and after more than two 
 days of steady riding over the smooth surface of 
 the rolling upland plain, to find all the most 
 magnificent objects of interest crowded into so 
 short a space, and passed in less than three 
 hours. 
 
 Travelers must remember, however, that the 
 scenes witnessed from the railroad are but a very 
 little portion of the whole. To gather true re- 
 freshing glimpses of western scenery, the tourist 
 must get away from the railroad, into the little 
 valleys, ascend the bluffs and mountains, and 
 views yet more glorious will greet the eye. Echo 
 Canon is the most impressive scene that is beheld 
 for over 1,500 miles, on the overland railroad. 
 The constant succession of rocks each growing 
 more and more huge, and more and more perpen- 
 dicular and colossal in form make the attrac- 
 tions of the valley grow upon the eye instead of 
 decrease. 
 
 The observer enters the canon about on a level 
 with the top of the rocks, and even can overlook 
 them, then gradually descends until at the very 
 bottom of the valley the track is so close to the 
 foot of the rocks, the observer has to elevate his 
 head with an upward look of nearly 90, to scale 
 their summits. Let us now prepare to descend, 
 and brace ourselves eagerly for the exhilaration 
 of the ride, the scenery of which will live with 
 you in memory for years. 
 
 Entering Echo Canon. Leaving Wah- 
 satch we pass rapidly down grade, into the 
 canon, and we will point out, in detail, all 
 objects of interest as they are passed, so that 
 travelers may recognize them. From Wahsatch, 
 especially, you want to look with all the eyes you 
 have, and look quick, too, as one object passes 
 quickly out of sight and another comes into view. 
 About a mile from Wahsatch, you will notice 
 what is called the " Z " canon where the road 
 formerly zigzagged down a small canon, on 
 the left, and passed through the valley of the 
 creek to near Castle Rock Station, where it united 
 with the present line. Two miles farther on, 
 
 over heavy grades and short curves, you enter 
 tunnel No. 2, which is 1,100 feet long. Pass- 
 ing through the tunnel, the high reddish rocks, 
 moulded into every conceivable shape, and 
 frequent side canons cut through the walls on 
 either side of the road. You reach at last 
 
 Castle Hock Station, about eight and one- 
 half miles from Wahsatch, 976.4 miles from 
 Omaha with an elevation of 6,290 feet. It is so 
 called from the rock a little east of the station 
 which bears the same name. Notice the arched 
 doorway on one corner of the old castle just 
 after it is passed, with red colored side pieces, 
 and capped with gray. In close proximity are 
 some needle rocks sharp-pointed one small one 
 especially prominent. Still nearer the station is 
 a shelving rock on a projecting peak. Opposite 
 the water tank are rocks worn in curious shape. 
 Further on, about half a mile, is a cave with 
 rocks and scattering cedars above it. Next 
 comes what is termed " Swallows' Nest," be- 
 cause of the numerous holes near the top, 
 chiseled out by the action of both water and 
 wind, and in summer sheltering a large number 
 of swallows. Toward it in summer months, 
 
 "The Swallows Homeward fly." 
 
 Then comes a honey-combed peak with a 
 shelving gray rock under it, after which we pass 
 through, what the railroad boys call " gravel " or 
 "wet cut " the sides being gravel, and springs 
 breaking out in the bottom by the track. Then 
 Phillip's Canon juts in from the right with 
 yards for cattle at its mouth. See the curious 
 formations along the side of this canon as you 
 pass it. About four miles from the last station, 
 are other castle rocks similar in appearance to 
 those already passed, arid rocks with caps and 
 slender little spires like needles. Then comes a 
 singular perpendicular column jutting out in front 
 of the ledge, with outstretched wings as if it 
 would lift itself up and fly, but for its weight. 
 
 This is called the " Winged Rock." If there 
 was a projection in front to resemble a 
 neck and head, the rock would appear very 
 much like an eagle or some other large bird, 
 with pinions extended just ready to fly. A little 
 below this, are the " Kettle Rocks " huge gray- 
 looking boulders, nearly to the top of the ledge, 
 looking like immense caldron kettles. Behind 
 them are some sharp-pointed projections like 
 spires. These rocks are capped with red, but 
 gray underneath. Then comes " Hood Rock " 
 a single angular rock about half way to the top 
 of the ledge, worn out in the center, and resem- 
 bling the three-cornered hoods on modern ulster 
 overcoats. About a mile before reaching the 
 next station, the rocks are yellow in appearance 
 and rounding a point you will notice sandstone 
 layers with a dip of more than 45 degrees, show- 
 ing a mighty upheaval at some period in the re- 
 mote past. 
 
117 
 
 Hanging Rock, a little over seven miles 
 from Castle Rock, and 983.7 miles from Omaha; 
 elevation, 5,974 feet. The descent has been 
 very rapid since we struck this canon. This 
 station is wrongly named. All books and guides 
 which represent the rocks of Echo Canon over- 
 hanging the railroad, are erroneous. Nothing in 
 the shape of a hanging rock can be seen, 
 but as you pass the station, you will notice how 
 the elements have worn out a hollow or cavity 
 iii one place, which is bridged by a slim gray 
 rock, nearly horizontal in position, forming a 
 natural or hanging bridge across the cavity, 
 about 50 feet in depth. It can be seen as you 
 pass around a curve just after leaving the sta- 
 tion. Going a little farther, you notice what is 
 called " Jack-in-the-Pulpit-Rock," at the corner 
 of a projecting ledge, and near the top there- 
 of. A round gray column, flat on the surface, 
 stands in front ; this is the pulpit, while 
 in close proximity rises the veritable "Jack" 
 himself, as if expounding the law and gospel to 
 his scattering auditors. Then comes the 
 
 North Fork of Echo Canon, down 
 which more water annually flows, than in the 
 main canon. Now bending around a curve, if 
 you look forward, it seems as though the train 
 was about to throw us directly against a high 
 precipice in front, and that there was no way of 
 escape ; but we keep onward and finally pass 
 safely on another side. We now approach what 
 are called " the narrows." The rocky sides 
 of the canon seem to draw together. Notice 
 the frame of an old rickety saw-mill on the 
 left, and a short distance below, still on the 
 left, see a huge, conical-shaped rock rising 
 close to the track. We are particular in men- 
 tioning these, because they are landmarks, 
 and will enable the traveler to know when 
 he is near the ledge on the right of the 
 track, upon which the Mormons piled up 
 stones to roll down on Gen. Albert Sidney John- 
 son's army, when it should pass here, in 1857. 
 The canon virtually becomes a gorge here, and 
 the wagon road runs close to the base of the high 
 bluffs, (it could not be made in any other place) 
 which the Mormons fortified after a fashion. 
 Now you pass these forts ; high up on the top, 
 on the outer edge or rim you will still see small 
 piles of stones which they gathered there for of- 
 fensive operations, when the trains and soldiers 
 of the army went by. They look small they 
 are so far off, and you pass them so quickly 
 not larger than your fist but nevertheless they 
 are there. They are best seen as they recede 
 from view. 
 
 At the time we speak of, (1857) there was 
 trouble between the Mormons and the United 
 States authorities, which led to the sending of 
 an army to Salt Lake City. Jt approached as 
 far as Fort Bridger, where the season being 
 late it went into winter quarters. It was ex- 
 
 pected to pass through this canon, however, that 
 same fall, and hence the preparations which the 
 Mormons made to receive it. Their army the 
 Nauvoo Legion, reditnvus, under the command of 
 Gen. Daniel II. Wells, had its camp near these 
 rocks, in a little widening of the valley below, 
 just beyond \\here you pass a "pocket" of 
 boulders, or detached parts of the ledges above, 
 which have sometime, in the dim past, rolled 
 into the valley. The rocky fort being passed, 
 with the pocket of boulders and the site of the 
 old camp, the traveler next approaches " Steam- 
 boat Rock," a huge red projection like the prow 
 of a big propeller. A little cedar, like a flag of 
 perpetual green, shows its head on the bow, 
 while farther back, the beginning of the hurri- 
 cane deck is visible. It slopes off to the rear, 
 and becomes enveloped in the rocky mass 
 around it. By some, this is called " The Great 
 Eastern," and the one just below it, if anything, 
 a more perfect representation of a steamer, is 
 
 SENTINEL ROCK, ECHO CANON. 
 
 called " The Great Republic." They are really 
 curious formations, and wonderful to those who 
 look upon them for the first time. " Monument 
 Rock" comes next. It is within a cove and 
 seems withdrawn from the front, as though shun- 
 ning the gaze of the passing world, yet in a posi- 
 tion to observe every thing that goes by. If the 
 train would only stop and give you more time 
 but this cannot be done, and your only recourse 
 
ROCK SCENES NEAR ECHO CITY. 
 1. Witches Rocks. 2. Battlement Rocks. 3. Egyptian Tombs. 4. Witches Bottles. 5. Needle Rocks, near Wahsatch. 
 
119 
 
 is to pause at Eclio and let it pass, while you 
 wait for the one following. This will give you 
 ample opportunity to see the natural wonders 
 congregated in this vicinity. We* have almost 
 reached the mouth of Echo Creek, and the 
 Weber River comes in from the left, opposite 
 " Bromley's Cathedral," in front of which stands 
 "Pulpit Rock" on the most extended point as 
 you turn the elbow in the road. This " Cathe- 
 dral " is namad in honor of J. E. Bromley, Esq., 
 who has lived at 
 Echo since 1858, 
 and who came 
 here as a divi- 
 sion s u p e r i n- 
 tendent of BJH 
 Holiaday's 
 Overland Stage 
 and Express 
 Line. It extends 
 some distance 
 a mile or more 
 around the 
 bend in the 
 mountain, and 
 has numerous 
 towers and 
 spires, turrets 
 and domes, on 
 either sids. 
 "Pulpit Rock" 
 is so called from 
 its resemblance 
 to an old-fash- 
 ioned pulpit, 
 and rises in 
 plain view as 
 you go round 
 thi curve into 
 Weber Vally. 
 It is a tradition 
 among a good 
 many people, 
 that the "Proph- 
 et of the Lord," 
 who now pre- 
 sides over the 
 church of " The 
 Latter Day 
 Saints," in Salt 
 Lake City, once 
 
 preached to the PULPIT ROCK ' ECHO CANON-LOOKING WESTWARD 
 
 assembled multitude from this exalted emi- 
 nence ; but, while we dislike to spoil a story 
 that lends such a charm to the place, and 
 clothes it with historic interest, nevertheless, 
 such is not the fact. The oldest and most 
 faithful Mormons we could find in Echo, 
 know nothing of any such transaction. Our 
 cut is a faithful representation of this re- 
 markable rock. It is estimated to be about sixty 
 feet high above the track. You will desire to 
 
 know how high the ledges are, which have been 
 so rapidly passed. We are informed that Mr. 
 S. B. Reed, one of the civil engineers who 
 constructed this part of the railroad, stated that 
 the average height of all the rocks of Echo canon, 
 is from 6UO to 800 feet above the railroad. 
 
 As you approach the elbow referred to, there 
 is an opening through the mountains on the left, 
 and in close proximity to " Pulpit Rock," the 
 waters of Echo Creek unite with those of Weber 
 
 River, which 
 here come in 
 through this 
 opening. If not 
 the southern- 
 most point on 
 the line of the 
 road, it is next 
 to it. You have 
 been traveling 
 in a south-west- 
 erly direction 
 since leaving 
 Evanston ; you 
 now round the 
 elbow, t u i- n 
 toward the 
 north-west, and 
 arrive at 
 
 Echo, a 
 beautiful spot 
 a valley nestled 
 between the 
 hills, with evi- 
 dences of thrift 
 on every hand. 
 This station is 
 nearly nine and 
 a half miles 
 from Hanging 
 Rock, 993 miles 
 from Omaha, 
 and 5,315 feet 
 above the level 
 of the sea. The 
 town and the 
 canon are light- 
 ly named, for 
 the report of a 
 gun or pistol 
 discharged i n 
 this canon will 
 
 bound from side to side, in continuous echoes, 
 until it finally dies away. " Bromley's Cathe- 
 dral " rears its red-stained columns in rear of 
 and overshadowing the town, while opposite 
 is a lofty peak of the Wahsatch Range. To 
 the right the valley opens out for a short dis- 
 tance like an amphitheatre, near the lower ex- 
 tremity of which, "The Witches," a group of 
 rocks, lift their weird and grotesque forms. 
 They are about half way to the summit of the 
 
120 
 
 ledge behind them. Weber Valley, from its 
 source to the Great Salt Lake, is pretty thickly 
 settled with Mormons, though quite a number of 
 Gentiles have obtained a foothold in the mines 
 and along the line of the railroad. 
 
 Upper Weber Valley. From this station 
 there is a narrow gauge railroad up the AVeber 
 Valley jo Coalville, seven miles in length. 
 The town has two or three stores, hotels, 
 saloons, etc., and a school-house is to be 
 built this year. Accommodations for fish- 
 ing parties, with guides, can here be obtained. 
 
 The Echo and 
 
 Weber Rivers, 
 with their tribu- 
 taries, abound 
 in trout, while 
 there is plenty 
 of game, elk, 
 deer, bear, etc., 
 in the mount- 
 ains. Richard 
 F. Burton, the 
 African explor- 
 er, visited this 
 canon and Salt 
 Lake City in 
 I860, and wrote 
 a book called 
 "City of the 
 Saints," which 
 was published 
 by the Harpers, 
 in 1862. He 
 speaks o f the 
 wonders of this 
 valley as fol- 
 lows : "Echo 
 K any on has but 
 one fault; its 
 sublimity will 
 make all simi- 
 lar features 
 look tame." 
 
 Weber River 
 rises in the 
 W a h s a t c h 
 Mountains, 
 about 50 miles in 
 a south-eastern direction from Echo, flows nearly 
 due west to Kammas City, when it turns to the 
 north-west and passes in that general direction 
 into the Great Salt Lake, not far from Ogden. Go- 
 ing up this river from Echo, Grass Creek flows in 
 about two and a half miles from the starting 
 point. This creek and canon runs very nearly 
 parallel to Echo Creek. Very important and ex- 
 tensive coal mines have been discovered fiom two 
 to four miles up this canon. It is not as wild or 
 rugged in its formation as Echo Canon. The 
 mines are soon to be developed. Two and a half 
 miles above the mouth of Grass Creek is 
 
 PULPIT ROCK AND VALLEY. LOOKING SOUTHWARD. 
 
 Coalville, a town of about 600 people, with 
 a few elegant buildings, among which are the 
 Mormon bishop's residence and a line two-story 
 brick court-house, which stands on an elevation 
 near the town, and can be seen for a long dis- 
 tance. The town is situated on the south side of 
 Chalk Creek where it empties into Weber River. 
 This creek also runs nearly parallel with Echo 
 Canon, and rises in the mountains near the head 
 of the Hilliard Lumber Company's flume. It is 
 called Chalk Creek from the white chalky ap- 
 pearance of the bluffs along its banks. Coalville 
 
 is a Mormon 
 village, and its 
 inhabitants are 
 nearly all em- 
 ployed in min- 
 ing coal from 
 two to three 
 miles above the 
 town where the 
 railroad ends. 
 This road is 
 called the Sum- 
 mit County 
 Railroad, and is 
 owned by some 
 of the wealthy 
 M o r m o n s in 
 Salt Lake City. 
 Four miles far- 
 ther up the 
 Weber, and you 
 come to Hoyts- 
 ville, another 
 Mormon village. 
 It is a farming 
 settlement. The 
 town h a s a 
 grist-mill. Four 
 miles still far- 
 ther is located 
 the town of 
 Wanship, nam- 
 ed after an old 
 Ute chief. It 
 has about 400 
 in habitants, 
 with a hotel, 
 stores, grist-mill, saw-mill, etc. It is located at 
 the junction of Silver Creek with the Weber. 
 Still going up the Weber, in about three miles 
 there is another Mormon settlement called Three 
 Mile. It has a "co-op" store, bishop's resi- 
 dence, and a tithing office. 
 
 Peoa. Leaving Three Mile, and pursuing 
 the course still up one of the most beautiful val- 
 leys in the country, the tourist will reach Peoa, 
 a nice little farming town, in five miles travel. 
 Evidences of thrift and of the successful cultiva- 
 tion of the soil, are visible all along the val- 
 ley, but it is a wonderful matter to eastern 
 
121 
 
 SCENE AT MOUTH OF ECHO CANON. 
 
 men who know nothing of the characteris- 
 tics of the soil, and see nothing but sage 
 brush and greasewood growing thereon, how 
 crops can be raised amidst such sterility. 
 Irrigation has done it all. The labor to accom- 
 plish it has been immense, but thirty-five to 
 forty bushels of spring wheat to the acre attest 
 the result. The soil has been proved to be very 
 prolific. 
 
 Kammafi Cifi/. Next on this mountain 
 journey comes Kammas City, eight miles 
 beyond Peoa, on Kammas Prairie. This is 
 an elevated plateau about four miles by ten, 
 and affords some very fine grazing lands 
 and meadows. It is nearly all occupied by 
 stockmen. Here the Weber makes a grand de- 
 tour; coming from the mountains in the east, it 
 here turns almost a square corner toward the 
 
122 
 
 north, and then pursues its way through valleys 
 and gorges, through hills and mountains to a 
 quiet rest in tiie waters of the Great bait Lake. 
 Above this prairie the river cuts its way through 
 a wild rocky canon, lashing its sides with foam 
 as though angry at its confinement, out into the 
 prairie where it seems to gather strength for its 
 next fearful plunge in the rocky gorges below. 
 In the lofty peaks of the mountains, east of 
 Kammas Prairie, in the frigid realms of perpet- 
 ual snow, the traveler will find the head of Weber 
 River, and the route to it will give him some of 
 the grandest views to be found on the American 
 Continent. 
 
 Parley's Park. The old stage road to 
 the " City of the Saints," after leaving Echo 
 passed up the Weber to Wanship, at the 
 mouth of Silver Creek ; thence nine miles 
 to Parley's Park, a lovely place in summer, 
 where a week or two could be whiled away 
 in the beauty of the valley and amidst the 
 grandeur of the mountains. There are three 
 things in nature which make a man feel small 
 as though he stood in the presence of Divinity. 
 These are the ocean, with its ceaseless roar ; the 
 mighty plains in their solitude, and with their 
 sense of loneliness ; and the mountains in their 
 towering greatness, with heads almost beyond 
 the ken of mortal vision, and crowned with 
 eternal snows. Parley's Park is nearly round in 
 shape, about four miles in diameter, and almost 
 surrounded by the rocky domes of the Wahsatch 
 Range. The old stage road leaves Park City to 
 the left, and reaches the summit on the west side 
 of the divide; thence, it follows down Parley's 
 Canon to Salt Lake City, forty-eight miles, by 
 this route, from Echo. The mountain streams 
 along this road abound in trout, while elk. deer 
 and bear, will reward the hunter's toil. There 
 are ranches an I small farms by the way, which 
 will afford abundant stopping places for rest and 
 food ; there are mines of marvelous richness, to 
 reward one's curiosity, if nothing else will do it ; 
 and, in fact, there is probably nothing which can 
 be gained along the line of the Union Pacific, 
 which will afford so much gratification, at so lit- 
 tle expense, of either money or time, as a lei- 
 surely jaunt of a week or two up the river and 
 its tributaries from Echo. 
 
 Characteristics of Echo and Welter 
 Canons. The massive rocks which form Echo 
 Canon, are of red sandstone, which by the steady 
 process of original erosion and subsequent weather, 
 have worn into their present shape. Their 
 shapes are exceedingly curious, and their aver- 
 age height, 500 to 800 feet. At the amphithe- 
 atre, and the Steamboat Rock, the height is 
 fully 800 feet to the summit. There is a bold 
 projection in the wall of rock near the Pulpit, 
 called Hanging Rock ; but it is composed of a 
 mass of coarse conglomerate, which is easily 
 washed away, and is not very easily noticed. 
 
 Pulpit Rock overlooks Echo City and the val- 
 ley of the Weber, through which flows a pure 
 beautiful mountain stream. In one of our 
 illustrations is shown a railroad train passing 
 through this valley and descending to the en- 
 trance of Weber Canon just below. This is the 
 sketch of the special excursion train of the New 
 York and Eastern Editorial Excursion Party 
 of 1875, who, at this part, the center of the val- 
 ley, midway between, the two canons, were, pro- 
 fuse in Iheir exclamations of delight at the 
 scene of beauty. 
 
 A curious feature of Echo Canon is that its 
 scenery is entirely on the right or north side, 
 and that the Weber Canon has, also, upon the 
 
 MONUMENT KOCK. ECHO CANON. 
 
 same side, its wildest and rnost characteristic 
 scenery. The entrance and departure from 
 each canon is distinguished with great abrupt- 
 ness and distinctness. Travelers who can enjoy 
 the fortunate position of the lowest step on the 
 platform of each car, can witness all the scenes 
 of Echo and Weber Canons, to the best advan- 
 tage. The view is particularly fine, as when 
 the train describes the sharp turn, under and 
 around Pulpit Rock, the view from the last plat- 
 form includes the whole length of the train on 
 the curve, and overhead the jutting point of 
 the rock, and, farther above, the massive Rock 
 Mountain, the overlook to the entire valley. Just 
 as the train rounds at Pulpit Rock, passengers 
 
123 
 
 THE CLIFFS OF ECHO CANON, UTAH. 
 
 BY THOMAS MOKAN. 
 
124 
 
 on the south side of the train, will have a pretty 
 little glimpse of the upper portion of Weber 
 River, with its green banks and tree verdure a 
 charming relief to the bare, dry plains, so con- 
 stant and even tiresome. A curious feature of 
 this little Weber Valley, are the terraces. Near 
 Echo City is a low, narrow bottom, near the 
 river ; then an abrupt ascent of 30 feet ; then a 
 level plain or bottom of 200 to 400 yards ; then 
 a gentle ascent to the rock bluffs. 
 
 The Weber River is exceedingly crooked in 
 its course, originally occupying the entire width 
 of the little space in the canon and in construct- 
 ing the railroad at various points, the road-bed 
 here has been built directly into the river, to 
 make room for the track. The average angle of 
 elevation of the heights of Weber Canon is 70 
 to 80 degrees, and the height of the summits 
 above the river is 1,500 to 2,000 feet. In this 
 canon is found a thick bed of hard, red. 
 sandstone, of great value for building stone, 
 which can be wrought into fine forms for culverts, 
 fronts of buildings, caps, sills, etc. Emerging 
 from the mouth of Weber Canon and turning 
 to the right, every vestige of rugged canon 
 scenery vanishes, and the scene is changed 
 into one of peace and quietness of valley life. 
 Here the Weber River has a strong, powerful 
 current with heavy and constant fall over beds 
 of water-worn stones, and fallen rocks of im- 
 mense size. In the spring and summer months, 
 it is swollen by the melting of snow from the 
 mountains, and is of great depth, though usually 
 it averages but four to six feet in depth and its 
 width, at the mouth of the canon, is usually 
 120 feet. 
 
 The remainder of its course to the Great Salt 
 Lake, is through a large open bottom of increas- 
 ing breadth, along which gather little villages, 
 grain fields, meadows, brilliant with flowers of 
 which the Indian Pink, with its deep scarlet 
 clusters, is most luxuriant. The hills are smooth 
 in outline, and as we approach Ogden, the grand 
 summit of the Wahsatch Mountains, with snowy 
 peaks, arise behind, in front, and northward, 
 around us bold and impressive. This is the range 
 of mountains which border the east side of the 
 Salt Lake Valley, and will accompany us, as we 
 go southward to Salt Lake City. 
 
 Kocktt of Weber Canon. Returning to 
 the road ; after leaving Echo you will soon 
 notice, on the north side of the track, two 
 curious formations. The first is a group of 
 reddish-colored cones of different sizes and 
 varying some, in shape, but on the whole 
 remarkably uniform in their appearance. 
 These are known as Battlement Rocks. They 
 are about one mile, perhaps not that, be- 
 low Echo. Xext come the wierd forms of " The 
 Witches " looking as though they were talking 
 with each other. These are gray, and about 
 this place it seems that the formation changes 
 
 the red-colored rocks disappearing dark gray 
 taking their place. How these columns were 
 formed will ever be a question of interest to 
 those who are permitted to see them. One of 
 the Witches especially looks as though she was 
 afflicted with the " Grecian bend ' of modern 
 fashion, a fact which does not at all comport 
 with the dignity or character of a witch. Worn 
 in fantastic shapes by the storms of ages, and 
 capped with gray, they stand as if " mocking the 
 changes and the chance of time." Four 
 miles below Ecbo, we lound a rocky point, 
 nearly opposite to which lies the little Mormon 
 Village of Henniferville, on the left side of 
 Weber River, with its bishop's palace the largest 
 brick building in sight and school-house, also of 
 brick, nestled under the mountains which lift 
 up rugged peaks in the background. The valley 
 now narrows to a gorge, and we approach AVeber 
 Canon proper. It has high bluffs on the left, 
 with a rocky castle towering up on the right. If 
 Echo Canon was a wonderful place in the mind 
 of the traveler, wonders, if possible more rugged 
 and grand, will be revealed to his gaze here. 
 High up on the face of a bluff to the left, as you 
 pass through the gorge, see the little holes or 
 caves worn by the winds, in which the eagles build 
 their nests. This bluff is called "Eagle nest 
 Rock." Every year the proud monarch of the 
 air finds here a safe habitation in which to raise 
 his young. It is beyond the reach of men, and 
 accessible only to the birds which fly in the air. 
 Passing this home of ' Freedom's Bird," before 
 we have time to read these lines hardly, we are 
 at the 
 
 Thousand Mile Tree, Devil's Slide, <f c., 
 on the left side of the track. There it stands, 
 spreading its arms of green, from one of which 
 | hangs the sign which marks the distance traveled 
 since leaving Omaha. It is passed in a moment, 
 and other objects of interest claim your attention. 
 High upon rocks to the right, as you peer ahead, 
 see how the winds have made holes in project- 
 ing points through which the light and sky be- 
 yond can be observed ; now looking back see 
 another similar formation on the opposite side 
 one to be seen looking ahead, the other looking 
 back. Now we come to Slate Cut where photo- 
 graph rocks without number are found. The 
 rocks are so called from the pictures of ferns, 
 branches of trees, shrubs, etc., which are seen 
 traced in them. They remind one of moss- 
 agates, only they are a great deal larger mag- 
 nified a thousand times, and are not in clear 
 groundwork like the agates. Lost Creek Canon 
 now puts in from the right, and around the 
 curve yon can see the houses of the little Mormon 
 Town, Croyden. It is only seven miles from 
 Echo. This canon runs parallel with Echo 
 Canon for quite a distance, and is said to be 
 rich in the scenery characteristic of this region, 
 with a narrow valley of great fertility when cul- 
 
125 
 
 tivated. But right here on the left side of the 
 road, pushing out from the side of the 
 mountain, is the " Devil's Slide " one of the 
 most singular formations to be seen on the en- 
 tire route from ocean to ocean. It is composed 
 of two parallel ledges of granite, turned upon 
 their, edges, serrated and jutting out in places 
 fifty feet from the mountain side, and about 14 
 feet apart. It is a rough place for any one; 
 height about 800 feet. 
 
 Weber Quarry, 1,001.5 miles from Omaha, 
 and 5,250 feet above the sea. It is a side track 
 where fine reddish sandstone is obtained for 
 building purposes, and for the use of the road. 
 The sandstone is variegated, and is both beauti- 
 ful and durable when cut, or polished. The 
 gorge still continues, and devils' slides on a 
 smaller scale 
 than the one 
 noticed, are 
 visible on 
 both sides of 
 the road. A 
 little below 
 this station, 
 Dry Creek 
 Canon comes 
 in on the 
 right. The 
 road now 
 passes round 
 short curves 
 amidst the 
 wildest scen- 
 ery, when it is 
 suddenly 
 blocked to ail 
 human ap- 
 pearance; yet 
 tunnel No. 3 
 gives us liber- 
 ty. Crossing 
 a bridge ob- 
 serve the ter- 
 raced mountain on the right, and by the time 
 it is well in view, we enter and pass through 
 tunnel No. 4, after which comes Round Valln/, 
 where a huge basin in the mountains is formed, 
 and where man again obtains a foothold. On 
 the right of the mountain, as you enter this val- 
 ley, there is a group of balanced rocks, that seem 
 ready to topple over into the valley below. Still 
 rounding another point farther down, and we 
 arrive at 
 
 Weber, 1,008.5 miles from Omaha, an ele- 
 vation of 5,130 feet. It is a telegraph station in 
 a thrifty looking Mormon village. The valley 
 here widens out the narrows are passed and 
 scenes of surpassing beauty, especially in the 
 summer, enchant the eye. To the "left the 
 mountains gradually recede, and East Canon 
 Creek, which takes its rise in Parley's Park, be- 
 
 THOUSAND MILE TREE. WEBER CANON. 
 
 fore mentioned, cutting its way through the 
 rocky hills, comes into the valley of the Weber. 
 This station is the nearest point on the Union 
 Pacific Road to Salt Lake City. The town and 
 cultivated farms in the valley seem like an oasis 
 in the midst of a desert. Here, for the first time 
 on the road, the traveler will see the magic sign, 
 " Z. C. M. I.," which, literally translated, means 
 " Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution," 
 where all the faithful are expected to purchase 
 their dry goods, groceries, notions, etc. The 
 Mormon name for this station is Morgan City. 
 As you leave this station, the same query 
 broached before, rises in the mind of the trav- 
 eler how are we to get out ? We seem entirely 
 surrounded by hills and mountains, and, while 
 there is a depression visible off to the right, it 
 
 does not seem 
 1 o w enough 
 for a railroad 
 to pass over. 
 But we follow 
 the river 
 <1 own, and 
 notice the re- 
 sult. Bend- 
 ing first to 
 the right, then 
 to the left, 
 and again to 
 the right 
 round a curve 
 like an el- 
 bow, and near- 
 ly as short, 
 we reach 
 
 Peterson, 
 -1,016.4 miles 
 from Omaha; 
 elevation, 
 4,963 feet 
 another tele- 
 graph station, 
 near which 
 a wagon bridge crosses the river on the left. 
 It is convenient to a Mormon village called 
 Enterprise, near by, and within a few miles 
 of another, called Mountain Green. Just be- 
 low Peterson, Cottonwood Creek puts in from 
 the right, while immediately in front. Devil's 
 Gate Mountain rears its snowy crest. You now 
 begin to see where we are to get out of the 
 basin. A huge gap in the mountains opens be- 
 fore you. It is the Devil's Gap with the Devil's 
 Gate and several other odd characteristics about 
 it. It is/ one of the most remarkable places on 
 the line of the road. The waters of Weber 
 River, as if enraged at their attempted restraint, 
 rush wildly along, now on one side of the road, 
 and now on the other, and now headed off com- 
 pletely by a projecting ledge before them, turn 
 madly to the right, determined with irresistible 
 
126 
 
 strength to force their way through the mount- 
 ain ; foiled in this, they turn abruptly to the 
 left, still rushing madly on, and at last find 
 their way out to the plain beyond. If Echo 
 was grand, and the narrows grander this Dev- 
 il's Gate pass is surely grandest of all. Just 
 before you enter the deep cut, you will notice 
 the old wagon road winding along the bed of 
 the stream, cut out of the mountain's side 
 in some places, and, in others, walled up 
 from the river. In the midst of all this majes- 
 tic grandeur, the train passes, but seldom stops 
 at a station appropriately named 
 Devil's Gate, 
 1,020.4 miles 
 from Omaha, 
 and 4,870 feet 
 above the sea, 
 and so we 
 pass rapidly on. 
 The gap begins 
 to open in the 
 west, and we 
 soon emerge 
 from one of the 
 grandest scenes 
 in nature, into 
 the lovely val- 
 ley below, re- 
 claini3d by the 
 hands of men 
 from the barren 
 waste of a des- 
 ert, and made 
 to bud and 
 blossom as the 
 rose. We have 
 now passed the 
 Wa hs atch 
 Range of mount- 
 ains, though 
 their toweri ng 
 peaks are on th/ j , 
 right, and re- 
 cede from view 
 on the left, as 
 we leave their 
 base, and get DEVIL'S SLIDE. 
 
 out into the plain. We are now in the Great Salt 
 Lake Basin, or Valley ; and, though the lake itself 
 is not in sight, the mountains on its islands are. 
 These mountains, back of Ogden, are almost 
 always crowned with snow, and frequently have 
 their summits enveloped in clouds. They are 
 storm-breeders every one, and the old Storm 
 King sometimes holds high carnival among them, 
 when 
 
 " From peak to peak, the rattling crags among, 
 Leaps the live thunder." 
 
 The winds and storms of winter occasionally 
 fill the craggy gap through which we have passed 
 with snow, to such an extent that it slides like 
 
 an avalanche down over the track, and in the 
 river below, where the rushing waters give it a 
 cordial greeting, and where it soon melts in their 
 embrace. 
 
 Uintah, 1,025.3 miles from Omaha ; eleva- 
 tion, 4,560 feet. This was formerly the stage 
 station for Salt Lake City, but the completion of 
 the Utah Central Railroad from Ogden, took 
 away its glory. While it was the stage terminus 
 it was a lively place, though it never possessed 
 indications of being a town of any great size. 
 Approaching the town, the valley opens out like 
 a panorama, and neat little houses with farms 
 
 and gardens at- 
 j^^\ A tached, greet the 
 =gA eyes of the trav- 
 =\ eler in a won- 
 derful change 
 from the scenes 
 through which 
 he has just 
 passed. Look- 
 ing off to the 
 left you will no- 
 tice the first 
 bench of land 
 across the river, 
 with a higher 
 bench or terrace 
 in the rear. 
 Upon this first 
 bench, the Mor- 
 risite massacre 
 took place in 
 1862, an account 
 of which we 
 shall give in an- 
 other place. 
 Leaving Uintah, 
 the road pursues 
 its way in a 
 general norther- 
 1 y direction 
 along the base of 
 the mountains, 
 till it arrives at 
 Off (I en, the 
 western termi- 
 nus of the Union Pacific Railroad, 1,033.8 miles 
 from Omaha, and 4,340 feet above the level of 
 the sea. By agreement between the two roads, 
 it is also the eastern terminus of the Central 
 Pacific Railroad. The place is one of con- 
 siderable importance, being the second city in 
 size and population in the Territory of Utah. 
 It is regularly laid out, is the county-seat of 
 Weber County, has a court-house of brick, 
 which, with grounds, cost about $20,000, two 
 or three churches and a Mormon tabernacle. 
 The town may properly be divided into two 
 parts upper and lower Ogden. The upper- 
 part is pleasantly situated on an elevated 
 
 WEBER CANON. 
 
SCENES IN WEBEK CANON. 
 
 1. Ogden, Utah. Wahsntch Mountains in the distance. 2. Devil's Gate and High Peaks of Wahsatch Mountains. 
 3. Heights of Weber Canon. 4. Tunnel No. 3, Weber Canon. 
 
128 
 
 bench adjoining the mountains. This bench 
 breaks rather abruptly, and almost forms a bluff, 
 and then begins lower Ogden. The upper part 
 is mostly occupied for residences, and has some 
 beautiful yards with trees now well grown. The 
 lower portion that which is principally seen 
 from the railroad, is mostly occupied by business 
 houses. One peculiarity of the towns in these 
 western or central Territories, is the running 
 streams of water on each side of nearly every 
 street, which are fed by some mountain stream, 
 and from which water is taken to irrigate the 
 yards, gardens and orchards adjoining the dwell- 
 ings. Ogden now has fully 6,000 people, and has 
 a bright future before it. It is not only the ter- 
 minus of the two great trans-continental lines 
 before mentioned, but is also the starting-point 
 of the Utah Central and Utah Northern Rail- 
 roads. These four companies have united in the 
 purchase of grounds, on which a large Union de- 
 pot will soon be built, nearly east of the present 
 building, and nearer the business portion of the 
 city. It is the regular supper and breakfast sta- 
 tion of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific 
 Railroads passengers having one hour in which 
 to take their meals and transfer their baggage. 
 The Central Pacific Road has numerous machine 
 and repair shops here which are wooden build- 
 ings of a temporary character, and which will 
 soon be replaced by more permanent structures. 
 In addition to their freight depots the Union 
 Pacific has only a roundhouse for the shelter of 
 engines their buildings for the sub-division of 
 the road being located at Evanston. 
 
 Ogden is the last town on the Weber River 
 before it empties into the Great Salt Lake. This 
 river takes its name from an old mountaineer 
 and trapper, who was well known in these parts 
 during the early days of the Mormon settlement. 
 The town is named for Mr. Ogden, another old 
 mountaineer who lived and died near or in the city. 
 Ogden is destined to become a manufacturing 
 town of no small importance. Vast quantities 
 of iron ore can be obtained within five miles of 
 the city, and iron works on a large scale have 
 bean commenced, but owing to want of proper 
 foresight, the company ran short of means before 
 their works were completed. An effort is now 
 beiug made to resuscitate them, and with addi- 
 tional capital carry them on to completion. The 
 freight on all iron brought into the Territory is 
 so large in amount, that an iron manufactory 
 here, with coal and iron ore bearing 60 per cent, 
 of pure iron of an excellent quality, near by, will 
 prove a paying investment and materially facil- 
 itate the development of the Territory. Discov- 
 eries of silver have also been made on the mount- 
 ains back of the city, but the mines have not, 
 as yet, been developed. These discoveries have 
 been made up in Ogden Canon, about five miles 
 from the city. 
 
 On the mountain directly east of the town, ex- 
 
 cellent slate quarries have been discovered and 
 worked to some extent. It is said to be equal to 
 the best found in the Eastern States. 
 
 Ogden River rises in the Wahsatch Range 
 of Mountains, some 40 miles east of the city. It 
 has three forks north, middle and south all of 
 which unite just above the canon and fairly cut 
 their way through one of the wildest and most 
 romantic gorges on the Continent. 
 
 Ogden Canon. This lovely little canon con- 
 tains views quite as pretty as either Weber or 
 Echo Canons. Visitors should stay over at Og- 
 den and spend a day in a drive hither. 
 
 A fine creek, about 30 feet wide, and three to 
 five feet deep, has cut through the mountain and 
 its ridges. As it comes out of the mountain on 
 the west side, it opens into a broad, grassy valley, 
 thickly settled with farmers, and joins the 
 Weber River about five miles distant. The 
 scenes, as the traveler passes through the narrows 
 of the canon, are wild in the extreme. The rocks 
 rise from 500 to 2,000 feet almost perpendicularly, 
 and the width averages less than 100 feet for a 
 long distance. In this canon, geologists have 
 found evidence sufficiently satisfactory to indi- 
 cate that the entire Salt Lake Valley was once 
 a huge fresh water lake, whose surface rose high 
 up on the sides of the mountains, even covering 
 the highest terrace. 
 
 Five miles up the canon, which runs eastward, 
 there is a beautiful little valley, with table-like 
 terraces, 30 to 50 feet above the bed of the creek, 
 wherein a little Mormon village is located. The 
 situation is a lovely one the sides of the hills 
 which enclose the valley, are 800 to 1,000 feet 
 high, smoothly rounded and sloping, covered 
 with coarse bunch grass and small bushes. 
 
 In addition to the railroad hotel before spoken 
 of which, by the way, is a first-class house and 
 popular with the traveling public Ogden has 
 several hotels, prominent among which are the 
 Utah Hotel, an up-town establishment, conven- 
 ient for commercial men, and the Beardsley 
 House which caters for railroad travel. It is 
 also supplied with two newspapers, the Daily 
 Junction, a small seven by nine sheet the organ 
 of the church, and published by one of the 
 bishops, a Mormon poet, etc. The other is a 
 weekly, styled the Oyden Fret-man, the organ of 
 the opposition. The city water-works are sup- 
 plied with water taken from Ogden River, at the 
 mouth of Ogden Canon. The road through the 
 canon is a dugway along the stream, and some- 
 times built up from it, while the wall rocks on 
 either side tower up thousands of feet. The 
 water in the river goes rushing madly on over 
 huge rocks and boulders lying in the bed of the 
 stream, as though it would push them out of the 
 way. In some places the rocks almost hang over 
 the road, and as you round some point they seem 
 as though they would push you into the stream. 
 In some places the formation and dip of the rocks 
 
129 
 
 is very peculiar. They seem to be set up on end, 
 in thin layers, and with a slight dip, while the 
 wash of ages has worn out a channel for the 
 river. About two miles up the canon, Warm 
 Spring Canon comes in on the right. It is not 
 much of a canon, but high up on the mountain 
 side, near its source, are warm springs from 
 which it takes its name. About half a mile far- 
 ther are some hot sulphur springs, on the left 
 side of the river, in the midst of a little grove of 
 trees. This is a 
 charming resort 
 for the tourist, 
 and he will never 
 cease admiring the 
 wild and rugged in 
 nature,as exhibited 
 in this canon. The 
 canon is about six 
 miles long, and 
 the stream which 
 runs through it is 
 filled with " the 
 speckled beau- 
 ties " which are so 
 tempting to the 
 fisherman and so 
 satisfactory to the 
 epicure. As you 
 look to the top ol 
 the mountain you 
 will see pine trees 
 that appear like 
 little shrubs . 
 These trees are 
 from 50 to 80 feet 
 in height, and are 
 cut and brought 
 down to the val- 
 leys for their 
 timber. Accommo- 
 dations for pleas- 
 ure parties for 
 visiting this won- 
 derful canon, and 
 for fishing and 
 hunting, can be 
 obtained in Ogden, 
 and no excursion 
 party from ocean 
 to ocean should 
 fail to visit it. 
 Beyond the mountains, before the river gorges 
 through, there is a fertile valley pretty well 
 settled, and the road through the canon gives 
 the people living there an outlet to the town. 
 This road was built several years ago, and re- 
 quired a great deal of time and labor, and fitly 
 illustrates the persevering industry of the Mor- 
 mon people. 
 
 Fruit-growing is very common in the vicin- 
 ity of Ogden, and a large quantity of the 
 
 NARROWS OF OGDEN CANON. 
 
 best varieties grown in the Territory are pro- 
 duced in this region of country. Utah apples, 
 peaches and pears are finer in size, color and 
 flavor than any grown in the Eastern or Middle 
 States. 
 
 Hot Springs. Northward from Ogden, 
 about a day's ride, is a very interesting lo- 
 cality, known as the Hot Springs. Here is 
 a group of warm springs, forming, in the 
 aggregate, a stream three feet wide, and six 
 
 to twelve inches 
 deep; the sur- 
 face, for a space 
 of 300 to 400 yards 
 in extent, is cov- 
 ered with a de- 
 posit of oxide of 
 iron, so that it 
 resembles a t a n - 
 yard in color. 
 The temperature is 
 136 P . They flow 
 from beneath a 
 mountain called 
 Hot Spring Mount- 
 ain, which is about 
 five miles long and 
 three wide. The 
 elevation of the 
 lake is 4,191 feet. 
 The water of the 
 spring is clear as 
 crystal, containing 
 great quantities of 
 iron, and the sup- 
 ply is abundant. 
 As there are plenty 
 of cold springs 
 in the vicinity, 
 there is nothing 
 to prevent this 
 from being a noted 
 place of resort 
 for invalids. The 
 medicinal qual- 
 ities of this water 
 are excellent for 
 rheumatism, skin 
 diseases, dys- 
 pepsia, and the 
 climate is unsur- 
 passed. 
 
 The Territory of Utah. 
 
 When the Mormons first located in Utah, in 
 
 1847, it was territory belonging to Mexico, but 
 by the treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo, in March, 
 
 1848, it was passed over to the United States 
 with New Mexico and the whole of upper Cali- 
 fornia. The government of the United States 
 was not very prompt in extending its jurisdic- 
 tion over the newly-acquired Territory, and in 
 
130 
 
131 
 
 the absence of any other government the Mor- 
 mons set up one for themselves, which was called 
 the State of Deseret. This was done in the 
 spring of 1849. On the 9th of September, 1850, 
 Congress passed a bill which ignored the State 
 government of the Mormons, and organized the 
 Territory of Utah, and on the 28th of that same 
 month, Millard Fillmore, President, appointed 
 Brigham Young,Governor of the Territory with a 
 full complement of executive and judicial officers. 
 Since that time the area of the Territory has been 
 diminished, but it is still large enough for all 
 practical purposes. It now extends from the 
 37th to the 42d parallels of north latitude, and 
 from the 109th to the 114th degree of longitude, 
 embracing over 84,000 square miles or over 
 54,000,000 of acres. The national census of 
 1870 showed a population of about 90,000, and 
 a fair estimate would give the Territory about 
 125,000 people at the present time. The climate, 
 as a general thing, is salubrious and healthy, and 
 violent extremes of either heat or cold are seldom 
 experienced. The area of land susceptible of 
 cultivation is small as compared to that included 
 in the whole Territory, and a large quantity of 
 even desert land is now unproductive because of 
 the presence of alkali and mineral substances. 
 While all kinds of grain can be grown with more 
 or less success depending upon local causes 
 wheat is the great staple, and in favorable sea- 
 sons and localities monstrous crops of the great 
 cereal have been produced. 
 
 It may astonish eastern readers, but it is nev- 
 ertheless a fact, that whole fields, producing 
 from fifty to sixty bushels per acre of as fine 
 wheat as was ever grown, are no uncommon 
 thing in Utah. The land, of course, is irrigated, 
 and there is no great danger of loss by rains dur- 
 ing the harvest season. The average yield, it is 
 true, is a great deal less than this, amounting to 
 about twenty-five bushels per acre. On account 
 of the high altitude and cool nights, corn will 
 not do as well, though fair crops are raised. 
 Vegetables of all kinds grow to an astonishing 
 size, and are superior in quality. Corn will, as a 
 general thing, do better in the valleys in the 
 southern part of the Territory, where cotton is 
 also grown to a limited extent, and some kinds 
 of tropical fruits. The climate and soil are 
 especially adapted to the production of apples, 
 pears, peaches, plums, currants, strawberries, 
 raspberries, blackberries, etc. It must constantly 
 be borne in mind, that successful agricultural 
 pursuits can only be carried on here with irriga- 
 tion, and that, as a general thing, it costs no 
 more to irrigate land here, nor as much, as it 
 costs to drain and clear it in many of the Eastern 
 States. The market for most of the products 
 raised in this Territory, is at the mining camps 
 and settlements, and in Nevada, Idaho and Mon- 
 tana. The explorations in the southern half of 
 the. Territory, have resulted in the discovery of 
 
 vast deposits of iron, coal, copper, silver, gold 
 and lead. In the Strawberry Valley, coal veins 
 over twenty feet thick, of excellent quality, have 
 been discovered. In San Pete Valley, other 
 magnificent coal deposits have been found, from 
 which coke for smelting purposes has been made. 
 East of the Wahsatch Range, in San Pete 
 County, are the remains of the Moquis Village, 
 of which much has been written. Iron County, 
 still south, is so named from the vast deposits of 
 this material found within its limits ; and, in 
 the spring of 1876, the most wonderful discov- 
 eries of silver were made near St. George, in 
 what has been called the Bonanza District. 
 There is horn silver around a piece of petrified 
 wood in a sandstone formation. A part of this 
 petrifaction was coal. The discovery of silver 
 in such a formation, has upset many of the geo- 
 logical theories heretofore prevalent in the 
 country. Ore from surface mines to the value 
 of over fifty thousand dollars, has already been 
 taken out. This discovery is one of the won- 
 ders of the country. A correspondent of the 
 Salt Lake Tribune, recently spoke of these mines 
 as follows : " The mines are in the rear of Bo- 
 nanza City, and are certainly a new thing in the 
 theory of geology and the mining world. Those 
 in Silver Flat are found under and in sandstone, 
 lying flat and about six to eight inches in width, 
 showing rich chlorides, horn silver and sulphur- 
 ets, carrying some mica. The manner of work- 
 ing the same has the appearance of quarrying 
 rock." Judge Barbee, the discoverer of these 
 mines, found several pieces of petrified wood 
 ore, containing chlorides and horn silver. The 
 specimen that we saw, said to have been brought 
 from these mines, was carbonized to a cer- 
 tain extent one side distinctly showing a thin 
 vein of coal. There are two main ranges of 
 mountains in Utah, running nearly parallel to 
 each other. The easternmost range is the Wah- 
 satch, and that farther west, the Oquirrh. Still 
 farther to the west are broken ranges, parallel 
 with those above named. Nearly all of these, so 
 far as they have been prospected, are mineral 
 bearing ; and, in our judgment, the time is not 
 far distant, when mines greater even than the 
 Comstock, will be developed in Utah. They 
 only await capital and the extension of railroads 
 for their development. The Emma mine, which 
 has filled the public prints, is thought to be one 
 of the richest mines on the Continent, to-day, by 
 the leading business men of Utah, who are fa- 
 miliar with the characteristics of the district in 
 which it is located. In fact, Utah alone, has all 
 the resources of an empire ; and if it were only 
 under a safe, stable and peaceful political local 
 government, she would become the richest and 
 brightest star in the coronet of the nation. It 
 were well if certain pages in her eventful history 
 could be forever obliterated. 
 
 Utah Central Railroad. Ogden is the 
 
132 
 
 northern terminus of this road. It is the pioneer 
 line of Utah proper, though the Union Pacific 
 and Central Pacific Roads were completed first 
 through the magnificent generosity of the people 
 of the United States. Early in May, 1869, the 
 iron rails which bound the Continent together 
 were joined near Promontory, some 50 miles 
 west of Ogden. One week after this was done, 
 work on the Utah Central began. The company 
 was organized on the 8th of March previous, 
 Brigham Young being president. A large 
 quantity of material for building railroads was 
 left on hand, when the Union Pacific was 
 finished to Promontory, and this was purchased 
 by the Utah Central Company. Brigham 
 Young had entered into a contract for grading 
 the former road, from the head of Echo Canon 
 to Ogden, and successfully accomplished the 
 work. If this had not been done, that road 
 would have failed in its race across the Conti- 
 nent, and the Central Pacific would have built 
 the greatest part of the trans-continental line. 
 His contract was sublet to John Sharp and 
 Joseph A. Young, the eldest son of the Mormon 
 prophet. They crowded it with all possible 
 speed, and obtained that experience in railroad 
 building then, which has been of great advan- 
 tage to the people of Utah since. In less than 
 eight months from the time ground was broken 
 for this new line of road, the last rail was laid, 
 and on the 10th day of January, 1870, the first 
 through train from Ogden, arrived in Salt Lake 
 City. As elsewhere stated, this company is to 
 unite with others in the erection of a Union 
 depot at Ogden, work upon which will probably 
 begin the present year. Their road now crosses 
 the Central Pacific in Ogden, at nearly right 
 angles, and their depot and freight houses are 
 north of the Pacific Roads, Arriving at Ogden 
 from the east, the traveler, looking ahead to the 
 right, will see the engine and train of cars ready 
 to take him to the City of the Saints. Entering 
 elegantly furnished cars at about 6 o'clock p. M., 
 and turning your back upon Ogden and the 
 lofty mountain peaks behind it, you will soon be 
 off. In less than a quarter of a mile, the road 
 passes over the Weber River on a new and 
 elegant iron bridge, just put up by the American 
 Bridge Company of Chicago. It is a suspension 
 bridge, 150 feet span, each end resting on a 
 solid abutment of masonry. This bridge is so 
 constructed that it will contract by cold or ex- 
 pand by heat as one body, one end being placed 
 on rollers to allow self adjustment by the action 
 of heat or cold. The bridge crossed, the road 
 passes through a cut, and rises upon a bench or 
 terrace of land from which, off to the right, the 
 traveler obtains the first view of the Dead Sea 
 of America the Great Salt Lake. The general 
 direction of the road is due south, and you pur- 
 sue your way along the base of the foot hills 
 and mountains, which form the first line looking 
 
 east, of the Wahsatch Range. As far as 
 Kaysville, the road passes over a comparatively 
 unsettled country, though in the dim distance on 
 the right, the farming settlements of Hooper may 
 be seen near the mouth of Weber River. We 
 soon arrive at 
 
 Kaysville, 16 miles from Ogden. It is a 
 telegraph station surrounded by a farming set- 
 tlement, with its " co-op " store, blacksmith-shop 
 and the usual buildings of a small country town. 
 In entering and leaving, the road crosses several 
 little creeks that flow down from the mountains, 
 the waters of which are nearly all drank up by 
 the dry earth in the processes of irrigation. 
 Passing on, the traveler will notice a few houses 
 and settlements, toward the lake and mountains, 
 sometimes nearer the mountains ; arriving at 
 
 Farmington, the next station, 21 1-4 miles 
 from Ogden. It is the county-seat of Davis 
 County, and has, besides a court-house, the usual 
 store and shops. This town is also located in 
 the midst of a farming region, and nearly over- 
 shadowed by the mountains on the east. Davis 
 County slopes to the west toward the lake, has a 
 warm rich soil, and when irrigated, produces 
 luxuriant crops of vegetables, melons, grain, etc., 
 for the Salt Lake market. Leaving this station 
 the road draws near to the side of this great 
 inland sea, to 
 
 Centerville, 25 1-2 miles from Ogden, a 
 little farming town with its store, etc. Between 
 the lake on one side and the mountains on the 
 other, and the thrifty farms with orchards and 
 gardens now on either side and all around him, 
 the traveler will be kept pretty busy. 
 
 Wood's Cross is the next station, 27 34 
 miles from Ogden. It is about midway between 
 the mountains and the lake, and is located in 
 what is called the best portion of Davis County. 
 It is a telegraph station with usual side tracks, 
 etc. The country gradually slopes into the 
 lake toward the west with an occasional drift of 
 sand near the shore, covered with the inevitable 
 sage brush which we have had since leaving Lara- 
 mie River. The cosy farm houses and the evi- 
 dences of thrift everywhere visible, the growing 
 crops and ripening fruits, if in the summer all 
 conspire to make a pleasant landscape, upon which 
 the traveler can feast his greedy gaze, while the 
 shadow of the mountains grows longer, and the 
 twilight deepens into night as we arrive at 
 
 Salt Lake City, the southern terminus of 
 the road, 36 1-2 miles from Ogden. But of this 
 city, more in another place. 
 
 The Utah Central has been a paying road 
 from the start, and its business, as the years pass 
 by, is destined to make it better still. We have 
 not all the data at hand to show what it has done, 
 but will give one or two illustrations. In 1873, 
 its tonnage was as follows. Freights received, 
 233,533,450 Ibs. Freights shipped, 55,387,754 
 Ibs. In 1874, there was a slight falling off, 
 
134 
 
 though it was not as large as expected from the 
 business done in 1873, because of general depres- 
 sion of the mining interest of the Territory. In 
 1875, its business was as follows : Freights re- 
 ceived, 184,158,526 Ibs. Freights shipped 
 54,189, 929 Ibs. Its gross earnings for 1875 were 
 $407,000. Its operating expenses were $162,000. 
 This last sum does not of course include divi- 
 dends on its stock of $1,500,000, nor the interest 
 on its bonds amounting to $1,000,000. The pas- 
 senger fare, first class, from Ogden to Salt Lake 
 is $2. The controlling interest in this road is at 
 present owned by stockholders in the Union 
 Pacific, and it is one of the best paying roads in 
 the country. The above figures prove it. 
 
 SALT LAKE CITY. 
 
 Its Discovery. When Brigham Young, 
 with his weary band of pioneers arrived here, in 
 1847, it was a dreary waste, nevertheless a 
 beautiful site so far as location is concerned, for 
 a city. It lies on a bench or gradual slope from 
 the Wahsatch Mountains, which tower up be- 
 hind it on the east, to the River Jordan, which 
 bounds it on the west. It is recorded that when 
 the pioneers came within a few days' march of 
 the place, Orson Pratt .and a few others went 
 ahead of the party " to spy out the land " and 
 select a place for camping, etc., convenient 
 to wood and water. On the 22d day of July, 
 1847, he rode over this valley with his compan- 
 ions, and returning to the main body, reported 
 the results of their observations. On the morn- 
 ing of July 24, 1847, this body arrived at the 
 top of the hill, overlooking the site of the city, 
 and the valley beyond, and were enchanted with 
 the scene. They gave vent to their joy in ex- 
 clamations of thanksgiving and praise to 
 Almighty God. firmly believing they had found 
 the land of promise, though it did not flow with 
 " milk and honey," and the " Zion of the Mount- 
 ains " predicted by ancient prophets. The Mor- 
 mons are great on literal interpretation. Figu- 
 rative language and expressions as viewed by 
 them are realities. The Bible means exactly 
 what it says with them. They had reasons, 
 however, for being enchanted. From the canon 
 through which they entered the valley, the view 
 is simply magnificent. The Great Salt Lake 
 glittered like a sheet of silver in the rays of the 
 morning sun ; the towering peaks of the mount- 
 ain ranges, crowned with clouds and snow, 
 lifted themselves high up toward the sky, and 
 the valley, though a desert, was to them as lovely 
 as a June rose. The party camped on a small 
 stream south-west of the Tabernacle, and pro- 
 ceeded to consecrate the entire valley to the 
 " Kingdom of God." On the 28th of the same 
 month, the ground for the temple was selected 
 a tract of 40 acres, and a city two miles square 
 was laid off. Streets eight rods wide were 
 
 staked out, and the blocks contained ten acres 
 each. Orson Pratt took observations, and deter- 
 mined the latitude and longitude of the city. A 
 large number of this pioneer party, after planting 
 their crops returned for their families, and the 
 last expedition for that year arrived on the last 
 day of October, when they were received by those 
 that remained with demonstrations of great joy. 
 Brigham Young went back with the returning 
 party, and did not find his way again to " Zion " 
 until the next year. After the city had been 
 founded, emigration from foreign countries, 
 which had been suspended, was re-organized 
 and came pouring into the Territory in masses. 
 The city grew and the people spread out over 
 the Territory, settling every available spot of 
 land, thus contributing to its prosperity. 
 
 Beauty of Position. The main portion of 
 the city lies off to the left, as it is approached by 
 the traveler, and presents a pleasing appearance. 
 Its streets are wide, with streams of water cours- 
 ing their way along the sides, while rows of 
 beautiful shade trees line the walks ; and gar- 
 dens, and yards filled with fruit trees of various 
 kinds, everywhere greet the eye. Visitors 
 who are interested in beautiful gardens, will 
 find the most interesting on Main Street, just 
 west of the Walker House, at the residences 
 of the Walker Brothers ; also at Mr. Jen- 
 nings, on Temple Street, near the depots. 
 The city is now nearly thirty years old, and 
 in that time the tourist can see for him- 
 self what wonderful changes have been 
 made. The desert truly buds and blossoms 
 as the rose. The city is admirably located 
 for beauty, and at once charms its visitors. 
 The tourist should engage a carriage and drive 
 up and down the shaded streets, and see the wil- 
 derness of fruit groves and gardens. The first 
 practical thing, however, with the traveler is to 
 select his stopping place, during his visit. Of 
 hotels there are two first-class houses that are 
 popular resorts with the traveling public. The 
 Walker House is a four story brick structure with 
 132 rooms. It is located on the west side of 
 Main Street, has a frontage of 82 feet and a 
 depth of 120 feet. It has lately been entirely 
 renovated and handsomely furnished; also has 
 had the addition of a passenger elevator. It is 
 especially noted for its excellent table, which is 
 abundant in game, fruits, fish, etc. The Town- 
 send House is on the corner of West Temple 
 and South Second streets, and has a fine shady 
 piazza along the front. Both of these hotels face 
 eastward, both are lighted with gas, and both are 
 supplied with all modern conveniences and lux- 
 uries. There are, also, other good hotels in the 
 city, which are considered second-class, and are 
 largely patronized. 
 
 Sifflits for Tourists. Having selected a 
 stopping place, the next thing is a visit to the 
 warm sulphur springs, for a bath. The street 
 
135 
 
 OFFICES AND FAMILY RESIDENCE OF BRIG HAM YOUNG. 
 
 cars, running by nearly all the hotels, will take 
 you there. 
 
 Warm Springs. These are, to invalids, 
 the most grateful and delightful places of resort 
 in the city. Exceedingly valuable either for 
 rheumatic or dyspeptic complaints, they are ex- 
 cellent in general invigorating properties, and 
 specially efficacious in skin diseases. They are 
 but about one mile from the hotel, reached either 
 by horse-cars or carriage. Even a pleasant walk 
 is preferable. Best times to enjoy them are early 
 in the morning before breakfast, or immediately 
 before dinner. Should never be taken within 
 three hours after a meal. The springs issue 
 from the limestone rock near the foot of the 
 mountains, and the curious character of the rock 
 is seen in the stones used for either fences or the 
 foundation of the buildings. The following an- 
 alvsis has been made of the water by Dr. Charles 
 S." Jackson of Boston, and is generally posted on 
 the walls of the bathing-house. 
 
 "Three fluid ounces of the water, on evapo- 
 rating to entire dryness in a platine capsule, gave 
 8.25 grains of solid dry saline matter. 
 
 Carbonate of lime and magnesia, 0.240 1.280 
 
 Peroxide o iron, 0.040 . 0.208 
 
 Lime. 0.545 2.907 
 
 Chlorine, 3.454 18.421 
 
 Soda, 2.87T 15.344 
 
 Magnesia, 0.370 2.073 
 
 Sulphuric Acid, 0.703 3.748 
 
 8.229 43.981 
 
 It is slightly charged with hydro-sulphuric acid 
 gas, and with carbonic acid gas, and is a pleas- 
 ant, saline mineral water, having the valuable 
 properties belonging to a saline sulphur spring. 
 
 The temperature is lukewarm, and, being of 
 a sulphurous nature, the effects are very pene- 
 trating ; at first the sensation is delicious, pro- 
 ducing a delightful feeling of ease and re- 
 
 pose ; but if the bather remains long, over 
 fifteen minutes, the.re is danger of weakness and 
 too great relaxation. These baths are now un- 
 der control of an experienced gentleman, and 
 fitted up with every modern convenience. Here 
 are Turkish baths, Hot Air baths and Russian 
 baths, in addition to the natural bath. The 
 warm sulphur-water can be enjoyed in private 
 
 
 NEW MORMON TEMPLE. 
 
 rooms, or in the large plunge or swimming bath. 
 Separate rooms for ladies and gentlemen, and a 
 smaller building near by is fixed up for the boys, 
 where they can frolic to their heart's content. 
 Hot Springs. The tourist should take a 
 
136 
 
 carriage, and, after visiting the Warm Springs 
 and enjoying the bath, drive a mile farther north 
 to where the mountain spur juts out to the very 
 railroad and, right at its base are situated the 
 " Hot Springs." which are the greatest natural 
 curiosity of the city. The water boils up, with 
 great force, from a little alcove in the limestone 
 rocks, just even with the surface of the ground. 
 If you dare to thrust your hand in it, you will 
 find it boiling hot, apparently with a temperature 
 of over 200. The finger can not be retained in 
 the water for the best part of a minute ; yet the 
 sensation, as it is withdrawn, is so soft and cool- 
 ing, you will like to try it again and again and, 
 strange to say, rarely with any danger of scald- 
 ing. If meat is dropped into this boiling water, 
 
 agriculture and vegetation for hundreds of yards 
 within the vicinity. This lake is also supposed 
 to be supplied, to some extent, by other hot 
 springs beneath the surface. Strange as it may 
 seem, the hot water does not prevent the ex- 
 istence of some kinds of excellent fish, among 
 which have been seen some very fine large trout. 
 Analysis of Hot Sulphur Spring : 
 
 Chloride of Sodium, 
 
 " Magnesium, 
 " " Calcium, 
 Sulphate of Lime. 
 Carbonate of Lime, 
 Silica, 
 
 1 0602 
 Specific gravity, 1.1454. 
 
 The Museum is located on the south side 
 
 0.8052 
 0.0288 
 0.1096 
 0.0806 
 0.0180 
 0.0180 
 
 INTERIOR OF OFFICE OF BRIGHAM YODNG. 
 
 it is soon cooked, (though we cannot guarantee 
 a pleasant taste) and eggs will be boiled, ready 
 for the table, in three minutes. Often a dense 
 volume of steam rises from the spring, though 
 not always. A very large volume of water issues 
 forth from the little hole in the rock scarcely 
 larger than the top of a barrel about four feet 
 wide and six to twenty inches deep. Immedi- 
 ately near the rock is a little pool, in which the 
 water, still hot, deposits a peculiar greenish color 
 on the sides, and coats the long, wavy grass with 
 its sulphurous sediment. Flowing beneath the 
 railroad track and beyond in the meadows, it 
 forms a beautiful little lake, called Hot Spring 
 Lake, which, constantly filling up, is steadily in- 
 creasing its area, and, practically, destroying all 
 
 of South Temple street, and directly opposite 
 the Tabernacle. Professor Barfoot is in charge, 
 and he. will show you specimen ores from the 
 mines, precious stones from the desert, pottery- 
 ware and other articles from the ruins of ancient 
 Indian villages, the first boat ever launched on the 
 Great Salt Lake by white men, home-made 
 cloths and silks, the products of the industry of 
 this people, specimen birds of Utah, a scalp 
 from the head of a dead Indian, implements of 
 Indian warfare and industry, such as blankets 
 white people cannot make, shells from the ocean, 
 and various articles from the Sandwich Islands, 
 and other things too numerous to mention. 
 
 Formerly there were quite a number of living 
 wild animals kept here, but some fiend poisoned 
 
137 
 
 VIEW OF SALT LAKE CITY, LOOKING WESTWARD ACROSS THE JORDAN VALLEY. 
 
 the most of them. There are now living, how- 
 ever, a large horned owl, a prairie dog, and the 
 owls that burrow with him, together with the 
 rattlesnake ; also other birds and reptiles which 
 need not be named. This institution is the re- 
 sult of the individual enterprise of John W. 
 
 CO-OPERATIVE 
 
 fftU 
 
 SIGN OF MORMON STORES. SALT LAKE CITY. 
 
 Young, Esq., and for which he is entitled to 
 great credit. A nominal sum, simply, is charged 
 for admission, which goes for the support of Pro- 
 fessor Barfoot, who has the care and direction of 
 the Museum. Across the street, behind a high 
 wall, is the Tabernacle, and near by it, on the 
 east, enclosed within the same high wall, are the 
 foundation walls of the new Temple. We shall 
 not attempt a description of either, as a personal 
 inspection will be far more satisfactory to the 
 visitor. We advise every tourist to get to the 
 top of the Tabernacle, if possible, and get a view 
 of the city from the roof. Within the same 
 walls may be found the Endowment house, of 
 which so much has been written. In this build- 
 ing both' monogamous and polygamous marriages 
 take place, and the quasi-masonic rites of the 
 church are performed. On South Temple street, 
 east of Temple block, is the private residence of 
 Brigham Young, also enclosed in a high wall 
 which shuts out the rude gaze of passers-by, and 
 gently reminds the outsider that he has no busi- 
 ness to obtrude there. Nearly opposite to this 
 residence is a large and beautiful house which 
 is supposed to belong to the Prophet's favorite 
 wife, Amelia familiarly called Amelia Palace, 
 probably the finest residence for 500 miles around. 
 Returning to East Temple or Main street, we 
 behold a large brick building with iron and 
 glass front, three stories high, with a skylight its 
 
138 
 
 entire length. This is the new " co-op " store, 
 40 feet wide and 300 feet long, with all the mod- 
 ern improvements, steam elevator, etc. Nearly 
 opposite this store is Savage's picture gallery, 
 whose photographs of scenery and views 
 along the road, are the finest of any ever 
 issued in the Great West. Continuing on 
 the same street south, and the elegant build- 
 ing of the Deseret National Bank greets 
 our gaze, on the north-east corner of East 
 Temple and First 
 South streets. Di- 
 agonally across the 
 street from this is 
 the emporium of 
 William Jennings, 
 Esq. But it is 
 needless to enu- 
 merate all the 
 buildings in the 
 city, be they pub- 
 lic or private. 
 We must not omit, 
 however, the ele- 
 gant private resi- 
 dence and beau- 
 tiful grounds of 
 Mr. Jennings, on 
 the corner east of 
 the depot. They 
 are worthy of a 
 visit, and so, also, 
 is the elegant pri- 
 vate residence of 
 Feramor Little, 
 directly east of the 
 Deseret National 
 Bank. The theater 
 is open occasion- 
 ally in the even- 
 ing, where may be 
 seen many of the 
 leading Mormons 
 and their families. 
 
 The city is sup- 
 plied with gas, 
 water, and street 
 railroads. The 
 water is brought 
 from City Creek 
 Canon, through the principal streets, in iron 
 pipes, though in some seasons the supply is 
 rather short. 
 
 Scenery Near the City. North of the city, 
 Ensign Peak lifts its head, the Mountain of 
 Prophecy, etc. Its crown is oval in shape, and 
 the mountain, etc., is said to have been seen in a 
 vision by some of the Mormon dignitaries long 
 before it was beheld by the naked eyes of the 
 present settlers. The sight from this peak, or 
 others near at hand, is grand and impressive. 
 Under your feet lies the City of the Saints, to 
 
 INTERIOR OF MORMON TABERNACLE. THE GREAT ORGAN. 
 
 the west the Great Salt Lake, to the south the 
 valley of the river Jordan, the settlements along 
 the line of the railroad, and the mountains on 
 either side. Though the way to the summit re- 
 quires a little toil, and will expand one's lungs to 
 the fullest extent, yet the reward, when once the 
 summit is reached, will amply pay for all the 
 toil it has cost. 
 
 In the summer months only, the Tabernacle is 
 open, and the services of the Mormon church are 
 
 then held there 
 nearly every Sab- 
 bath. Behind the 
 rostrum or pulpit 
 is the great organ, 
 made in the city, 
 and said to be the 
 second in size on 
 the Continent. 
 
 East of the city 
 there seems to be 
 a withdrawal of 
 the mountains and 
 a part of a circle, 
 formed like an 
 amphitheatre. 
 About two miles 
 east is Camp 
 Douglas, estab- 
 lished by General 
 Connor during the 
 late war. It is beau- 
 tifully located on 
 an elevated bench 
 commanding the 
 city,and at the base 
 of the mountains. 
 New buildings 
 have been erected, 
 and it is now 
 considered one 
 of the finest and 
 most convenient 
 posts the govern- 
 ment has. It is 
 supplied with 
 water from Red 
 Butte Canon, and 
 has a great many 
 conveniences. 
 Below Camp Douglas, Emigration Canon next 
 cuts the mountains in twain. It is the canon 
 through which Orson Pratt and his companions 
 came when they first discovered the valley, the 
 lake, and the site for a city through which 
 Brigham Young and the pioneers came, and was 
 the route by which nearly all the overland emi- 
 grants arrived, on coming from the East. Below 
 this, as you look south, is Parley's Canon, 
 through which a road leads to Parley's Park and 
 the mining districts in that region. Then comes 
 South Mill Creek with its canon, through the 
 
139 
 
 towering peaks, and then the Big Cottonwood 
 Creek and Canon. Between it and Little Cot- 
 tonwood Canon, next on the south, is the mount- 
 ain of silver or the hill upon which is located 
 some of the richest paying mines in the Terri- 
 tory. Here is the Flagstaff, the North Star, the 
 Emma, the Reed & Benson, and others worth 
 their millions. The Emma mine has become 
 notorious in the history of mines, but there is 
 not a practical miner in Utah who doubts the 
 existence of large bodies of rich ore there, and, 
 if it had been practically worked, would, in the 
 opinion of 
 many, have 
 equaled, if not 
 exceeded, the 
 celebrated Corn- 
 stock lode be- 
 fore this. 
 
 No visitor to 
 Salt Lake 
 s h o u Id leave 
 the city with- 
 out a trip to the 
 lake and a ride 
 on its placid 
 bosom a trip, 
 also, to the 
 southern ter- 
 minus of the 
 Utah Southern 
 Railroad, the 
 mountains and 
 canons along 
 its line, and to 
 the mountains 
 and mines of 
 Stockton, 
 Ophir, Bing- 
 ham, and above 
 all, the Cotton- 
 wood districts. 
 If you are fur- 
 ther inclined to 
 improve the op- 
 portunity, ride 
 up to Parley's 
 Park, go to 
 Provo and spend a week, or a month even, in 
 visiting the wonderful canons near there, and 
 in hunting and fishing in the mountain streams 
 and in Lake Utah. A trip to the summit of 
 old Mount Nebo would afford you good ex- 
 ercise, and very fine views. With Salt Lake 
 for headquarters, all these places can be taken 
 in, and your only regret will be that you did 
 not stay longer, travel farther, and see more of 
 this wonderful land. 
 
 Gardening Irrigation. The city was 
 originally laid out in large ten acre blocks, which 
 were, in time, subdivided into house lots, most 
 of which, having been liberally planted with 
 
 yTEW RESIDENCE OF BRIGHAM YOUNG. AMELIA PALACE. 
 
 fruit trees, have since grown with great luxuri- 
 ance, and the city seems a vast fruit orchard and 
 garden. Through all the streets run the little 
 irrigating streams, and every part of the city 
 has its chance, once or twice a week, to get a sup- 
 ply of pure water to wet the soil and freshen the 
 vegetation. 
 
 The city is divided into wards. Every ward 
 has its master, and he compels all the inhab- 
 itants to turn out and work on public improve- 
 ments. There is no shirking. Every one has a 
 responsibility to guard and watch his own 
 
 property, take 
 care of his own 
 irrigating 
 ditches, and 
 keep his ward 
 in perfect order. 
 The city is one 
 of perfect order 
 and quietness. 
 
 Through all 
 the streets of 
 the city there 
 is a universal 
 and luxuriant 
 growth of 
 shade trees. 
 These have 
 been planted 
 profusely, and 
 grow with 
 amazing rapid- 
 ity. The lo- 
 iust, maple and 
 aox-elder, are 
 the greatest fa- 
 vorites, the for- 
 mer, however, 
 being most 
 planted. In 
 many cases 
 the roots have 
 struck the al- 
 kali soils, which 
 contain an ex- 
 cess o f soda 
 and potash, and 
 their leaves have turned from a bright or dark 
 green to a sickly yellow and often trees may be 
 noticed, half green and half yellow. 
 
 This alkali has to be washed out of the soil by 
 irrigation, and gradually grows less positive year 
 by year. In nearly all the gardens are splendid 
 apples, pears, plums and apricots, growing with 
 exceeding thrift, and covered with the most 
 beautiful blushing colors. Apricots which in 
 the East are almost unknown, here have been so 
 abundant as often to sell as low as $1.00 per 
 bushel, and we have seen them as large as east- 
 ern peaches, from four to six and eight inches 
 round. 
 
140 
 
 Flowers are very abundant, and vegetables are 
 wonderfully prolific. In the gardens of William 
 Jennings, may be seen growing out doors on 
 trellises, grapes, the Black Hamburgh, Golden 
 Chasselas and Mission grape, varieties which are 
 only grown in a hot-house in the East. Through 
 all the gardens can be seen an abundance of 
 raspberries, gooseberries and currants. In Mr. 
 Jennings's garden, in summer, may be seen a 
 pretty flower garden, 150 feet in diameter, 
 within the center of which is a piece of velvety 
 lawn the finest and most perfect ever seen 
 while from it, southward, can be caught a spe- 
 cially glorious view of the Twin Peaks of the 
 Wahsatch Mountains, capped with unvarying 
 snow. 
 
 Future of Salt Lake City. The futui-e of 
 Salt Lake depends upon two things the mines 
 and the railroads. If the mines are developed 
 and capital is thus increased, it will have a ten- 
 dency to cause an immense amount of building 
 in the city, and a corresponding advance in real 
 estate. It is claimed that the citv now has a 
 population of 30,000 souls, but we "think 22,000 
 a closer estimate. Many parties owning and 
 operating mines make the city their place of 
 residence, and some have already invested in 
 real estate there. We heard the opinion of a 
 wealthy capitalist a gentleman operating in 
 mines to the effect that in ten years Salt Lake 
 would number 250,000 people, but he was a little 
 enthusiastic. If the Utah Southern is extended 
 to the Pacific Coast, it will add largely to the 
 wealth, population and influence of the " City of 
 the Saints." The silent influence of the Gen- 
 tiles and the moral power of the Nation has 
 already had an effect upon the Mormons of the 
 city, which will soon be felt throughout the Ter- 
 ritory. The discovery and development of the 
 mines will largely increase the Gentile popula- 
 tion throughout the Territory, and their influ- 
 ence will then be each year more powerfully felt, 
 and we question if Mormonism will be strong 
 enough to withstand them. 
 
 Newspapers. The press of Salt Lake is 
 exceedingly peculiar. The Daily News is the 
 recognized church organ ; the Daily Herald is 
 more lively. It is the oi'gan of the so-called pro- 
 gressive Mormons. The Daily Tribune is a 
 stinging, lively journal the leading organ of 
 the opposition to the priesthood and the the- 
 ocracy. The Mail is an evening paper under 
 Gentile influences, but not as bold or belligerent 
 as the Tribune. The Utah Weekly Miner is a 
 paper devoted to the development of the mineral 
 resources of the Territory. There is another lit- 
 tle evening paper called the Times, under church 
 influences. Fortunes have been expended upon 
 newspaper enterprises in Salt Lake, but with the 
 exception of the three papers first mentioned, 
 none have succeeded. The ground is now, how- 
 ever, fully occupied, and further efforts should 
 
 be directed toward improving those already 
 established, rather than in new and costly ex- 
 periments. 
 
 The Utah Southern Railroad. This 
 road is really a continuation of the Utah Cen- 
 tral. It was begun on the 1st day of May, 1871, 
 and completed to Sandy that same year. In 
 1872 it was extended to Lehi, about thirty miles 
 from Salt Lake City. In 1873 it was extended 
 to Provo, and its present terminus is at York, a 
 little place just across the divide between Lake 
 Utah and Juab Valley. It will probably be ex- 
 tended from a hundred to a hundred and fifty 
 miles the present year. York is 75 miles 
 from Salt Lake City, and 16 miles from Nephi, 
 the next town on its proposed line of any im- 
 portance. The stockholders of the Union Pacific 
 Road, own a controlling interest in this, as also 
 in the Utah Central. It will probably be ex- 
 tended to the Pacific Coast sometime. The 
 following is the record of freight received and 
 forwarded at the Salt Lake City Station for the 
 year 1875. Freight received, 70,916,527 Ibs. 
 Freight forwarded, 71,969,954 Ibs. Its gross 
 earnings for same period, were $188,987.60, and 
 its operating expenses, were $120,650.87. The 
 great bulk of its business is between Salt Lake 
 City and Sandy, though travel and traffic are 
 gradually increasing on the balance of its line, 
 and will rapidly double up as soon as the road 
 shall have reached the rich mining districts in 
 the southern portions of Utah, which are at pres- 
 ent comparatively undeveloped. Its general di- 
 rection is southward from Salt Lake City, up the 
 Jordan Valley to the Valley of Lake Utah, and 
 thence across the divide as before mentioned. 
 Travelers visiting this Territory should not fail 
 to visit the towns, valleys and mountains on this 
 line of road. The Valley of Lake Utah espe- 
 cially, entirely surrounded by mountains lofty and 
 rugged, will compare favorably, so far as magnifi- 
 cent scenery is concerned, with anything of a 
 similar character to be found either in Europe 
 or America. Leaving Salt Lake City, we slowly 
 pass through the limits of the coiporation where 
 cultivated fields and gardens, with farm houses 
 and fine orchards of all kinds of fruit trees, 
 giving evidences of thrift on every side, greet 
 our gaze. Streams of water are constantly run- 
 ning through the irrigating ditches, and the 
 contrast between the cultivated lands and the 
 sage brush deserts, sometimes side by side, is 
 wonderful. On our left, the everlasting mount- 
 ains, with their crowns of snow almost always 
 visible, stand like an impenetrable barrier to ap- 
 proaches from the east, or like eternal finger- 
 boards, and say as plainly as words can indicate 
 " go south or north ; you cannot pass us." On 
 the right, the river Jordan winds its way to the 
 waters of the great inland sea, while beyond, 
 towering into the sky, are the peaks of the 
 Oquirrh Range. You will need to keep your 
 
141 
 
 eyes wide open, and gaze quickly upon the 
 rapidly changing scenes as they come into view, 
 or swiftly recede from your vision ; for, between 
 the scenes of nature and the works of man in 
 reclaiming this desert, you will hardly know 
 which to admire the most, or which is the most 
 worthy of your attention. Passing on, we arrive 
 at the first station 
 
 Little Cottonwood, 7 miles from the city. 
 It is a way station at which trains do not stop 
 unless flagged, or the signal is given from on 
 board the train. All the canons and ravines in 
 the mountains supply more or less water, which 
 is gathered into canals and distributed through 
 ditches as re- 
 quired for the 
 fields, meadows 
 and orchards. 
 The well culti- 
 vated fields con- 
 tinue until we 
 arrive at 
 
 Junction, 
 12 miles from 
 Salt Lake City, 
 where the Biug- 
 ham Canon & 
 Camp Floyd 
 Railroad inter- 
 sects the Utah 
 Southern. Pas- 
 sengers here 
 change cars for 
 Bingham Canon 
 and the mining 
 districts in that 
 vicinity. This 
 road i s about 
 twenty-two 
 miles long and 
 i s extensively 
 used in trans- 
 porting ore, bull- 
 ion, coke, coal 
 and charcoal to 
 and from the 
 mines and 
 smelting works 
 and railroad. It is a narrow gauge (three 
 feet) road and is now doing a fine business. 
 
 Sandy, 13 miles from the city and the point 
 of intersection of the Wahsatch & Jordan Val- 
 ley Railroad, narrow gauge (three feet). This 
 road turns off to the left and goes up Little 
 Cottonwood Canon, which can now plainly be 
 seen from the cars. The Big Cottonwood Canon 
 is also in sight. There they are, with the mount- 
 ain of silver between them. There is silver 
 enough in that mountain to pay the national 
 debt of the United States, with enough left to 
 pay for a huge fourth of July celebration. This 
 road has some very heavy grades, and, on the 
 
 SNOW SLIDE MOUNTAIN. LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANON. 
 
 upper end of it, horses, instead of engines, are 
 employed to haul the empty cars. These two 
 narrow gauge roads are now under one manage- 
 ment. The Little Cottonwood Road is about 
 eighteen miles in length. Sandy is a flourish- 
 ing little town. It has several smelters, or 
 reduction works, where crude ore is converted 
 into bullion. The celebrated Flagstaff mine 
 has its smelting works here ; its ore is brought 
 down from the mine on the Wahsatch & Jor- 
 dan Valley Railroad. Every visitor to Utah, 
 who is at all interested in mines, or metal- 
 lurgy, will obtain a great deal of informa- 
 tion, and be amply repaid for the time and ex- 
 pense of a visit 
 to its more cele- 
 brated mining 
 districts. A 
 visit to the Bing- 
 ham and Little 
 Cottonwood Dis- 
 tricts, certainly 
 should not be 
 neglected. Leav- 
 ing Sandy, we 
 enter into a des- 
 ert country 
 again ; the farm- 
 houses are scat- 
 tering, though 
 the land on the 
 right, toward 
 the immediate 
 vicinity of the 
 Jordan, is still 
 pretty well set- 
 tled. The next 
 station is 
 
 DrapervUle, 
 17 miles from 
 Salt Lake City. 
 It is an unim- 
 portant station, 
 convenient to a 
 little Mormon 
 settlement. 
 Leaving this sta- 
 tion we soon 
 cross South Willow Creek, and then follow the 
 outer rim of the hills around the valley toward 
 the right, like a huge amphitheatre. We have 
 been going up hill, and, as we turn to the right, 
 to get through a pass or gorge in the mount- 
 ains, the valley below us with Sandy, Salt 
 Lake City, Salt Lake itself, its islands, the 
 mountains beyond and a vast scope of country 
 is suddenly unrolled, like a beautiful panorama, 
 to our view a magnificent spectacle which 
 never fails to excite and satisfy the beholder. 
 Turning to the left again, we near the narrows, 
 and, looking to the right, the river Jordan 
 winds along beneath us ; then, passing through 
 
142 
 
 a deep cut, we suddenly emerge into the 
 valley of Lake Utah, and at once become en- 
 chanted with the lovely view now spread out be- 
 fore us. The valley, cities and towns we have 
 just left, are entirely shut out from our vision, 
 and, in their stead, new wonders invite our at- 
 tention. There is Lake Utah, with little villages 
 and settlements between its shores and the base 
 of the mountains, and those mountains thou- 
 sands of feet in height, piercing the very clouds, 
 around it. With an elevation about 500 feet 
 higher than that of the Great Salt Lake, it 
 lies nestled down among the lofty peaks, as 
 though it would hide its beauty and shun the 
 gaze of the outside world. But iron arms have 
 forced their way through the rugged defiles, and 
 now hold it in long and lasting embrace. 
 Henceforth it will receive the homage of thou- 
 sands, and become a place of worship to the 
 multitudes who shall see in it and its surround- 
 ings, the Mecca of their pilgrimages the grati- 
 fication of their desires and the satisfaction of 
 every hope. This is strong language, and the 
 tourist himself shall be the judge of its truth- 
 fulness. This lake is virtually the head of the 
 river Jordan. It winds its way, like a ribbon of 
 silver, through the valley, passes through the 
 gorge we have entered and becomes lost to view. 
 Down into the valley of the lake we go and ar- 
 rive at 
 
 Lehif the next station, 31 miles from the 
 City of the Saints. It is located on Dry Canon 
 Creek, though the creek furnishes water suffi- 
 cient to irrigate the thrifty farms bordering the 
 little village. A large portion of the bottom- 
 lands around the lake are cultivated and irrigated 
 with the water that flows down the mountain 
 streams. 
 
 American Forte, 34 miles from Salt Lake 
 City, is now reached. It is named from the 
 creek and canon back of the town, which has 
 cleft the mountains in twain, and left on their 
 ragged edges the marks of the heroic and victo- 
 rious struggle. From this town another narrow 
 gauge railroad has been built up the canon to 
 Deer Creek, some twelve miles, to accommodate 
 the necessities of the mines which have been 
 opened there. It will be extended whenever 
 the increased productions of these mines shall 
 demand it. Of the grand scenery of this 
 noted canon we shall speak in another place. 
 The town is about six miles from the mouth 
 of the canon, and has every appearance of the 
 industry which usually characterizes Mormon 
 towns. 
 
 Pleasant Grove, -37 miles from the city, is 
 the next station. It is a thriving farming set- 
 tlement, and similar to all the little villages in 
 the Territory. It was formerly called Battle 
 Creek because of a fight which early settlers had 
 with the Ute Indians. Leaving Pleasant Grove 
 we soon arrive at 
 
 Frovo, 48 miles from Salt Lake City, and 
 the third town in size in Utah Territory, having 
 a population of about 5,000 souls. After leaving 
 the last station, off to the left, Provo Canon is 
 visible, with Provo or Timpanogos River flowing 
 through it. This river rises in the western spur 
 of the Uintah Mountains, flows along the south- 
 ern part of Kammas Prairie and then turns to the 
 south-west, entering what is called Provo Valley, 
 which lies east of the range of mountains on our 
 left, and finally cutting through this range into 
 the valley of Lake Utah. Observe, as you ap- 
 proach the town, how the strata of rocks in the 
 mountains on each side of the canon dip toward 
 each other. An immense body of water flows 
 down this river, annually more than passes 
 through the river Jordan, the surplus being 
 taken up by evaporation or drank by the 
 thirsty soil. We cross the river as we ap- 
 proach the town, and for the first time since 
 leaving Salt Lake, see small bodies of timber, 
 mostly cottonwood, and a thick undergrowth of 
 brush, etc. 
 
 Sporting. Between the town and lake are 
 low marshes and meadows which render this 
 place a paradise for ducks, which fact the sports- 
 man will do well to note. The streams which 
 flow into the lake abound in fish, and the lake 
 itself is full of trout, chub, suckers, etc. It is 
 no unfrequent matter to catch trout here weigh- 
 ing from seven to ten pounds, though from two 
 to five pounds is their usual weight. The trout 
 ascend the streams in the proper season to de- 
 posit their spawti ; the suckers follow to devour 
 it, and sometimes they almost choke the river, so 
 vast are they in numbers, and are caught in 
 large quantities. The streams sometimes fall so 
 rapidly that they are left in shallow places and 
 die there as the water recedes. Measures should 
 be taken to prevent this wholesale raid on the 
 spawn of the trout, or it will soon be des- 
 troyed at least materially lessened. If the 
 suckers are masters of the situation, so far as the 
 spawn is concerned, the reverse holds true with 
 the trout in the lake, for there they attack the 
 suckers without mercy, and the old adage that 
 " the big fish eat the little ones," proves liter- 
 ally true. It is evident that the young suck- 
 ers are highly relished by the larger trout in this 
 lake. 
 
 The town of Provo is regularly laid out, has 
 numerous school-houses, stores, grist-mill, tanner- 
 ies, woolen factory, etc. Brigham Young has a 
 private residence here, which he frequently visits, 
 and which is occupied by one of his so-called 
 wives. It has finely cultivated gardens, yards, 
 orchards and small farms adjacent. 
 
 Sprinffvitte, 53 miles from Salt Lake City. 
 The little town lies back under the mountains, 
 and will probably be the initial point of a narrow 
 gauge railroad to the extensive coal fields in 
 Strawberry Valley, some 60 miles east. This 
 
143 
 
 coal possesses coking qualities, and as a large 
 amount of coke is now imported from Pittsburg, 
 Pa., for the use of the numerous smelting works 
 in the Territory, it at once becomes an object to 
 manufacture it nearer home. Coke made from 
 coal found in the San Pete Valley is already ship- 
 ped from this point. Still rounding the eastern 
 rim of the valley, we soon arrive at the next sta- 
 tion, which is 
 
 Spanish Fork, 58 miles from Salt Lake 
 City. To the left, the traveler will observe the 
 canons and gorges which have cut their way 
 through the mountains, and the lofty peaks of 
 Mount Nebo, now nearly in front. Hobble 
 Creek courses a canon through the range back 
 of Springville, and now Spanish Fork does like- 
 wise. There is more of a depression in the 
 mountain, however, where this river canons 
 through. It has two main branches on the other 
 side of the range upon the northern, the pro- 
 posed Denver Railroad comes in, while the 
 southern branch heads in the divide that crosses 
 San Pete Valley, east of Mount Nebo. Near 
 Wales, in this valley, coking coal has been dis- 
 covered, ovens erected, and the manufactured 
 article is now delivered at Springville, being 
 hauled nearly 60 miles by wagons. The pro- 
 jected railroad from Springville, will pass up the 
 valley of the Spanish Fork River. The town is 
 located on this river, a little distance from the 
 road. We cross the river soon after leaving 
 the station. A little village called Pontoun, is 
 seen on the left at the base of Mount Nebo. 
 
 Payson, 66 miles from the City of the 
 Saints. Iron ore is shipped from here to the 
 smelters, where it is used for fluxing purposes in 
 the reduction of ore. It is hauled some 14 miles 
 by wagons. It is said to bear 60 or 65 per cent, 
 of iron, and is known as brown hematite. At 
 this station and the next, ore and bullion are 
 hauled from the East Tintic Mining District, 
 which is about 22 miles away. To our right, a 
 mountain rises from the level plain around it, 
 while the lake puts out an arm, as if to clasp it 
 in fond embrace. Between this mountain and 
 Mount Nebo, the road finds its way, and a little 
 farther on, this arm of the lake can be seen west 
 of the mountain. 
 
 Santaquin is the next station, 71 miles 
 from Salt Lake City. This station is also an 
 outlet for the mining district referred to, and 
 for one or two little villages nestled down at the 
 base of the mountains on the left. The road now 
 passes through a low depression or valley, which 
 divides the Wahsatch and Oquirrh Ranges, and 
 across the divide between Lake Utah and Juab 
 Valley, by easy grades, and we soon arrive at 
 
 York, 75 miles from the northern terminus, 
 and the present southern terminus of the Utah 
 Southern Railroad. The town is of no particular 
 importance, and will lose its present significance 
 as soon as the road is extended. In fact it is no 
 
 place for a town, and there is no country around 
 it to support one. Farther down the valley, 
 streams from the mountains come in, water for 
 irrigation can be obtained, and the desert, under 
 the manipulations of labor, is made to bud and 
 blossom as the rose. When the road is extended 
 to Nephi, 16 miles, the traveler can pass into a 
 beautiful and highly cultivated valley, and be- 
 hold the towering form and giant outlines of 
 Mount Nebo, from the south. It is one of the 
 highest peaks in the Wahsatch Range of the 
 Rocky Mountains, and its lofty head whitened 
 by eternal snows, is frequently obscured by 
 clouds. The elevation of the summit of this 
 mountain, is given by the Engineer Department 
 of the United States Army, at 11,922 feet. 
 Froiseth's map of Utah places it at 12,000 feet, 
 but the difference is so slight as to be scarcely 
 worthy of notice. It is a grand old mountain, 
 and worthy of a visit from the remotest parts of 
 the globe. 
 
 AMERICAN FORK CANON. 
 
 Of this canon, no less a writer than the late 
 Charles Kingsley, Canon of the English Church 
 in London, England, has given the most enthusi- 
 astic expression, and declares it " The rival of the 
 Yosemite." 
 
 It is by far the most wonderful of all the canons 
 which are within convenient access to the Pacific 
 Railroad, and tourists who value sights of grand- 
 eur and sublime rock scenery, must not omit it 
 in their overland tour. In interest, beauty, and 
 as a delightful pleasure trip, it will surpass either 
 Echo, Weber, or Humboldt Canons, and not a 
 little of the joy is attributable to the novel mode 
 of ascent and descent. 
 
 Taking the cars of the Utah Southern Rail- 
 road at Salt Lake City, proceed southward to 
 American Fork Station ; there a little train is in 
 waiting with narrow gauge cars and locomotive. 
 If the party is large enough for a picnic, so much 
 the better, as often flat cars are added, neatly 
 trimmed with evergreen boughs. The railroad, 
 after leaving the station turns directly toward 
 the mountain range, and gradually ascends for 
 the first six miles, a steady grade of 200 feet to 
 the mile, until just before the mouth of the can- 
 on it reaches 296 feet. Nothing can describe the 
 apparent desolation of sage brush and dry sterile 
 appearance of the soil, but here and there where- 
 ever the little mountain brook can be diverted 
 from its course, and its water used to irrigate the 
 land, the richest of fruit trees, grass and grain 
 spring up and give abundant crops. The little 
 stream, with its rapid fall, follows us up the 
 entire length of the canon. The upward ascent 
 of the grade seems, hardly noticeable, of so uni- 
 form a slope is the surface of the country, and it 
 is not till the base of the mountains is reached, 
 and the tourist looks back, he realizes his height, 
 
144 
 
 5 I 
 
 o * 
 
 a g 
 
 H 
 
 i 
 
 <J 
 
145 
 
 and sees in the distance the clear surface of Utah 
 Lake considerably below him. Gathering now 
 on the flat cars where the scenery can be best 
 observed the little train slowly enters the canon. 
 Scarcely 500 feet are passed over before there 
 bursts upon the eye views of rock scenes of the 
 most rugged character. The little valley is 
 scarcely 100 feet broad, and in its widest part 
 not over 200 feet, but from the very track and little 
 stream, the rocks loom up into heights of start- 
 ling distinctness and almost perpendicular ele- 
 vation. 
 
 The color of the rocks is uniformly of very 
 dark red and brown granite, apparently having 
 once been heated in a terrible furnace, and then 
 in melting had arranged themselves into rugged 
 and fantastic shape more than mortal could con- 
 ceive. 
 
 At the beginning of the canon, the rocks aver- 
 age about 800 feet in height, then, as the route 
 ascends, the sides become more and more bold 
 and erect, the height greater, and the summits 
 sticking up in jagged points seem like heaven- 
 reaching spires, often 1,500, 2,000, and 2,500 
 feet above the observer. 
 
 No pen can picture the sensations of the ob- 
 server, as he passes slowly through these scenes 
 which are constantly shifting. Each turn in 
 the road brings forward some new view, more 
 entrancing than the last, and on either side, 
 front and rear, the vision is superb in the high- 
 est degree. We could not term these scenes 
 better than to call them " Rock Kaleidoscopes" 
 For in this short distance of 12 miles, there is a 
 constant succession of castellated heights, titanic 
 monsters, spires, rock mountains of increasing 
 height, sublime form and piercing altitudes, 
 meeting us, crossing our path, and shooting up 
 above and around us the entire distance, it 
 seems like a succession of nature's castles, far 
 more rugged and picturesque than the castle 
 covered rocks of the Rhine. Rocks of endless 
 form and beauty, vistas of rocks, sky tower- 
 ing summits, bold crags, and flinty points jut- 
 ting out from the mountain sides in most profuse, 
 rugged, yet charming positions and combina- 
 tions, that those eyes which once had no admira- 
 tion for rocks here confess with extreme en- 
 thusiasm, that there is beauty beyond the wildest 
 imaginations. 
 
 While passing upward, the train is very slow, 
 scarcely passing more than four or six miles per 
 hour, the traveler will see some rocks of curious 
 formations at the left hand, about one-third of 
 the way up; on the summit of one of the 
 highest crags, will be seen a sharp-pointed rock, 
 and in it a large distinct hole, through which can 
 be seen the sky beyond. The contrast of the 
 dark brown rock, and the clear blue of the sky is 
 intense. This is familiarly called the Devil's 
 Eye. 
 
 Farther up, the track passes under the jutting 
 10 
 
 edge of a rock mountain with a sharply cut 
 alcove in its base. This is Hanging Rock the 
 roof of the rock which projects over the railroad, 
 being about 20 feet outward. 
 
 Near the upper part of the canon, just before 
 reaching the junction of two little valleys, the 
 track reaches a huge rock mountain overlooking 
 a little wilderness of trees and vegetation, in the 
 center of which is located the Old Mill. It is 
 now entirely useless, once used for sawing timber 
 and ties for the railroad, but though it has left 
 its field of usefulness behind, it has remained 
 to add a far more important help to art. The 
 scene as viewed in our illustration, is one consid- 
 ered the most lovely and picturesque, not only of 
 the entire canon, but also of all the Territory. In 
 all that grand reach of country, of 2,000 miles 
 from Omaha to the Sierras, not a single view is 
 the equal of this delightful scene of the Old 
 Mill. The dense growth of trees, the rippling 
 water, the bold rock at the side, the soft shades 
 of light in the distance, the luxuriant bushes 
 along the stream, and the little silent deserted 
 mill, situated exactly in the most beautiful site, 
 make up a view which artists of keenest taste 
 admit with rapture is unparalleled in beauty. 
 
 Beyond this, as the track ascends the canon, 
 it is bordered with more shrubbery and trees, 
 and the rock views partially ceasing the tourist 
 will find his best vision looking backward, with 
 a good view of the tallest mountain of the canon, 
 Lone Mountain, or Mount Aspinwall. 
 
 At last the end of the track is reached at Deer 
 Creek, though the canon continues six miles or 
 more to the Silver Lake Mine. At Deer Creek, 
 there is a little village with a comfortable inn 
 and store, and a large collection of charcoal 
 kilns. This business is quite large, there being 
 ten pits of brick, which reduce each about 1,100 
 bushels of charcoal, for which the proprietor 
 gets 25 cents per bushel, a business of about 
 $50,000 per year is done. 
 
 The Miller Mine has been estimated exceed- 
 ingly rich, and is owned largely by New York 
 capitalists, who work it steadily. It is said to 
 yield, with lead, over fifty ounces of silver per 
 ton. The American Fork Railroad was built 
 originally to facilitate the carrying of ores, 
 as well as the charcoal, but the grandeur of 
 the scenery has given it a celebrity among 
 tourists, far beyond that of any railroad in 
 Utah. 
 
 At Deer Creek is a good hotel, The Mountain 
 Glen House, and a lovely picnic grove, pure spring 
 water, and for those of good wind and lovers of ad- 
 venture, an opportunity for mountain climbing. 
 
 The total length of the canon to this point, is 
 12 miles, and the total length of the railroad, is 
 16 miles, cost about $400,000, and the most 
 solidly built narrow gauge railroad in the 
 United States. The total ascent in elevation 
 for the whole railroad, is nearly 5,000 feet, and 
 
SCENES IN AMERICAN FORK CANON. 
 
 1. Mt. Aspinwall, or Lone Mountain. 2. Rock Summits. 3. Picnic Grove, Deer Creek. 
 4. A quiet Glen. 5. Hanging Bock. 6. Rock Narrows. 
 
147 
 
 the average grade of the railroad is 200 feet. The 
 maximum grade is 296 feet. This is the steepest 
 railroad grade in the United States, and the only 
 grade over 200 feet ascended by a locomotive. 
 
 Tourists who have enjoyed so fine and glori- 
 ous a ride up the canon hither, will perhaps ex- 
 pect that the return will be tame. They will be 
 most pleasantly surprised and disappointed, for it 
 is the grandest of all railroad scenes they will ever 
 witness. 
 
 Detaching the locomotive from the train, the 
 conductor stands at the little brake, and without 
 a signal or help, the little cars of the train 
 quietly start on their downward journey, alone. 
 Gliding down with increasing speed, rounding 
 the curves with grand and swinging motion, the 
 breeze fanning your face, and the beautiful, 
 pure mountain air stimulating your spirits to 
 the highest limits of exhilaration, your feelings 
 and body are in an intense glow of delight, as 
 the rock scenes, crags and mountain heights 
 come back again in all their sublimity, and your 
 little car, securely held, glides swiftly down the 
 beautiful valley. In no part of the country is 
 there a scene to be compared with this. The 
 entire being is fascinated, and when, at last, the 
 little car turns swiftly into the broad plain, the 
 tourist feels he has left behind him a land of de- 
 light. The little cars occupy but one hour in 
 making the descent, and the writer has made the 
 trip in forty minutes. This canon was first 
 brought to the notice of the traveling public and 
 pleasure travelers of the East, by the editor of 
 " THE PACIFIC TOURIST," who conducted over 
 it, in 1873, the first body of editors which had 
 ever visited the locality. Since that time, while 
 its value as a road for mining purposes has be- 
 come less valuable, yet the canon has become so 
 noted as a resort of grand and remarkable scen- 
 ery, that the steady crowd of pleasure travelers, 
 give it now a large and valuable custom. Tour- 
 ists can purchase excursion tickets at a great 
 reduction from single prices. No one who crosses 
 the Continent, should omit a sight of this most 
 wonderful locality. 
 
 Lake Utah. This beautiful sheet of water 
 lies between the Oquirrh and Wahsatch Ranges 
 of Mountains. These ranges and their foot 
 hills come closely together between Drapersville 
 and Lehi, and the River Jordan cuts through 
 them there in a narrow gorge or canon. The 
 lake and valley then suddenly burst upon the 
 view of the traveler, and admiration grows into 
 enthusiasm as he contemplates the lovely picture 
 before him. The lake is about thirty miles long 
 and six miles wide, is triangular in shape and 
 composed of fresh water. Its elevation is about 
 4,482 feet, or nearly 300 feet greater than that of 
 the Great Salt Lake. The railroad goes around 
 the eastern side of the lake, turning an obtuse 
 angle at or near Provo. The lake is fed by Provo 
 River, American Fork, Hobble, Spanish Fork, 
 
 Peteetneet, Salt and a few other small creeks. 
 Its outlet is the Siver Jordan which empties 
 into Great Salt Lake, and supplies water for 
 irrigating the numerous farms in its valley. 
 As before stated the lake abounds in fish, and 
 on its eastern and northern sides, has a large 
 quantity of arable land. Its western shore is 
 not very well watered, only one or two little 
 creeks putting down into it from the Oquirrh 
 Range of Mountains. It is well worthy of a 
 visit from the tourist, or sportsman. 
 
 The Utah Western Railroad. This 
 road was first chartered on the 15th of June, 
 1874, with a capital stock of 1900,000. The 
 company is mostly composed of Utah men 
 having their residence in Salt Lake City ; John 
 W. Young, a son of Brigham Young, being 
 President, while Heber P. Kimball is Superin- 
 tendent. The same year it was chartered, 
 twelve miles were completed and opened for 
 business on the 12th day of December, and, 
 on the 1st of April, 1875, it was completed to 
 Half-Way House, thirteen miles farther. An 
 extension of fourteen miles is now under con- 
 tract, which will doubtless be completed the 
 present year. This last extension will take the 
 road to within one and a half miles of Stockton, 
 a prosperous mining town on the western slope 
 of the Oquirrh Range of Mountains. Its busi- 
 ness on twenty-five miles of completed road, for 
 the year beginning February 10, 1875, and end- 
 ing February 9, 1876, both days inclusive, was 
 as follows : Freights received, 15,284,636 Ibs. ; 
 freights forwarded, 5,276,619 Ibs., one of the 
 smelting works near Stockton, alone forwarding 
 over 7,000,000 Ibs. of bullion, ore, etc. The 
 cash receipts for the same time were as follows : 
 $49,186, and the operating expenses of the road, 
 also, for the same period, were nearly $16,000. 
 It is a narrow gauge road, (three feet) and has 
 prospects for an extensive business in the future. 
 Its general route is westward until it passes the 
 southernmost point of the Great Salt Lake, and 
 then southward, along the western base of the 
 Oquirrh Range, and into the rich mining dis- 
 tricts which have been developed on the western 
 slope of those mountains. Leaving Salt Lake 
 City, on a heavy downward grade of ninety-five 
 feet to the mile, but which is short, the road 
 crosses the River Jordan on a common pile bridge, 
 and then over a barren sage brush country, un- 
 til it reaches 
 
 Millstone Point, near the base of the 
 mountains, and 11 1-2 miles from Salt Lake 
 City. This place is named from the fact that 
 the first millstones used in grinding grain in 
 Utah, were quarried from the mountains near 
 this point. The old overland stage road from 
 Salt Lake City to California passes along the 
 line of the road, as does one line of the Western 
 Union Telegraph Company, to the present ter- 
 minus of the road. The station is of no partic- 
 
149 
 
 ular importance, and beyond the incident men- 
 tioned, is without a history. We are now at the 
 base of the Oquirrh Range, and the first station 
 of the Old Stage Company where they changed 
 horses is pointed out to the traveler on the south 
 side of the road. Beyond Millstone Point, about 
 two miles on the south side of the track, is a 
 large spring, which furnishes a good supply of 
 water, and which has been utilized by a dairy- 
 man. A little beyond this spring on the same 
 side of the track, there is, in the first point of 
 rocks, quite an extensive cave which a shepherd 
 uses as a shelter fo'- his sheep, during the inclem- 
 ent season of 
 the year. A rail 
 fence with gate 
 surrounds the 
 entrance to the 
 cave, and it is 
 said to be large 
 enough to turn a 
 four horse team 
 and wagon with- 
 o u t difficulty. 
 The extent of 
 the outer part of 
 the cave is about 
 40 feet, where a 
 huge fallen rock 
 precludes f u r - 
 ther access with- 
 o u t inconven- 
 ience. The lake 
 and its mount- 
 ain islands, and 
 the ranges be- 
 yond, now come 
 grandly into 
 view on the 
 north side of 
 the track. 
 The next sta- 
 tion is 
 
 Black Rock, 
 17 1-2 miles 
 from Salt Lake 
 
 C i t y, a s t a - 
 tion named from 
 a rock, dark 
 enough to be called black, rising in the lake 
 about 100 yards from the shore. It is nearly 
 flat on the top, and with a little effort can be 
 easily ascended. Jutting out from the shore, 
 and a short distance from the station, is " Lion's 
 Head " Rock. Beyond this is " Observation 
 Point," from which the Goose Creek Mountains, 
 145 miles north, can be seen in a clear day, with 
 their white peaks glistening in the sunlight. 
 The northern point of the Oquirrh Range here 
 comes close to the lake, and what seems to be a 
 few scattering trees, or groves of trees, high up 
 on the mountain, contain millions of feet of pine 
 
 LIONS HMAD BOCK. GREAT SALT LAKE. 
 
 lumber, if it could only be made available. 
 Right under " Observation Point," on the very 
 edge of the lake shore stands a stone house, 
 formerly kept as a hotel for pleasure seekers, but 
 now the private property of John W. Young, 
 Esq. Whoever occupies it hereafter, can very 
 nearly be " rocked in the cradle of the deep," or, 
 at least, be lulled to sleep by the murmur of the 
 restless waves. Standing upon " Observation 
 Point," before you, a little to the left, rises the 
 rock from which the station is named ; beyond 
 and to the left still, Kimball's Island rises out of 
 the sea twenty-two miles away ; while off to the 
 
 right is Church 
 Island, 14 miles 
 away : they do 
 not look half the 
 distance, but 
 the rarified at- 
 mosphere of 
 these elevated 
 portions of the 
 Continent is 
 very deceptive 
 as regards vision 
 and distance. 
 P r omontory 
 Point on the 
 north shore 
 of the lake is 
 also visible at a 
 distance of 
 about eighty 
 miles. 
 
 Lake Point, 
 20 miles from 
 the city is the 
 next station and 
 the great resort 
 for excursion 
 parties and tour- 
 ists in the sum- 
 mer. Near this 
 station is " Gi- 
 ant's Cave" from 
 which stalactites 
 may be obtain- 
 ed, and other 
 relics, said to be 
 remains of Indians who were conquered and 
 penned in until they died. A personal exam- 
 ination will satisfy the tourist as to the proba- 
 ble truth of this tradition. The company has a 
 large hotel at Lake Point containing 35 rooms 
 for guests, besides other necessary appurtenances 
 to a good hotel. A wharf has been built into 
 the lake, beside which, when not employed, the 
 stern wheel steamer, " General Garfield," is 
 moored. This steamer is employed for excur- 
 sion parties and for transporting ore from the 
 islands, and the west side of the lake, to the 
 railroad. A bathing-house has been erected on 
 
150 
 
 the wharf, where conveniences for a salt water 
 bath are kept. The waters of the lake are very 
 dense, and it is almost impossible for bathers to 
 sink. In former times three barrels of water 
 would make by evaporation, one barrel of salt ; 
 now four barrels of water are required to effect 
 the same result. A company has been organized 
 in Salt Lake City, to manufacture salt from the 
 waters of this lake near Millstone Point, and 
 vats are to be erected the present year. An ex- 
 cellent quality can be made and sacked ready 
 for market for f 4.50 per ton. 
 
 Half- Way House, 25 miles from Salt 
 Lake City, and Grantville 37 miles are the 
 next stations and termini of the road. Grant- 
 ville is one of the richest agricultural towns 
 of Utah. Stages leave here for the mining 
 camps on the western slope of the mount- 
 ains, and a large amount of freighting is done 
 with teams to and from the mines. The sta- 
 tion will lose its importance as soon as the 
 road passes beyond it. There are large springs 
 of fresh water near the station, which sup- 
 ply a flouring mill and woolen factory with 
 power. On the left side of the track, before you 
 reach the station, is " E. T. City " the initials 
 being those of E. T. Benson, who was interested 
 in the town. It is simply a settlement of Mor- 
 mon farmers, nestled under the mountains. The 
 woolen factory alluded to is a long, low stone 
 structure, with approved modern machinery, 
 about one and three-fourths miles from the sta- 
 tion, north of the track. This route must prove 
 very attractive to travelers, and one which will 
 amply reward them in the pleasures it will 
 afford. The rich mining districts of Rush Val- 
 ley, Ophir and others, are reached by this line 
 of road. The Hidden Treasure and other mines 
 in these districts have already acquired a repu- 
 tation and standing among the first mines in the 
 country. 
 
 Social Life Among the Mormons. Be- 
 yond the limits of Salt Lake City the uniform 
 character of Mormon families is of exceeding 
 plain ways of living, almost all being of very 
 modest means, and even poor. What the better 
 families have gained has been by the hardest 
 and most persistent labor. It is said that when 
 the city was first settled, there was not found 
 over $1,000 in cash for the whole community, 
 and for a long series of years thereafter money 
 was little used, and the people lived and paid for 
 their wants by barter, and a writer facetiously 
 says : " A farmer wishes to purchase a pair of 
 shoes for his wife. He consults the shoemaker, 
 who avers his willingness to furnish the same for 
 one load of wood. He has no wood, but sells a 
 calf for a quantity of adobes, the adobes for an 
 order on the merchant, payable in goods, and the 
 goods and the order for a load of wood, and 
 straightway the matron is shod. 
 
 " Seven water-melons purchased the price of a 
 
 ticket of admission to the theater. He paid for 
 the tuition of his children, seventy-five cabbages 
 per quarter. The dressmaker received for her 
 services, four squashes per day. He settled his 
 church dues in sorghum molasses. Two loads of 
 pumpkins paid his annual subscription to the 
 newspaper. He bought a ' Treatise on Celestial 
 Marriage ' for a load of gravel, and a bottle of 
 soothing syrup for the baby, with a bushel of 
 string beans." 
 
 In this way, before the advent of the railroad, 
 fully nine-tenths of the business of the Mormon 
 people was conducted. Now barter has given 
 place to actual circulation of money. 
 
 While there is not what may be called dis- 
 tress or abject poverty in any part of the Mor- 
 mon settlements, yet with many, especially the 
 new emigrants, their means are so limited, and 
 the labor so hard, it would be exceedingly dis- 
 couraging to exist, but for the grand conjidence 
 all have in the joys to come promised by their 
 religion and their leader. 
 
 Except in the cities there is little or no form 
 of amusement, and the Sabbath is mainly the 
 great day of reunion, when the population turn 
 out en masse to the Tabernacle or other places of 
 worship. 
 
 In the church services no one knows, until the 
 speaker arises, who is to preach from the pulpit, 
 or what may be the subject. 
 
 The subjects of sermons, addresses and exhor- 
 tations are as wide as there are books. A writer 
 has laughingly said : " In the Great Tabernacle, 
 one will hear sermons, or advice on the culture of 
 sorghum, upon infant baptism, upon the best 
 manure for cabbages, upon the perseverance of 
 the Saints, upon the wickedness of skimming 
 milk before its sale, upon the best method of 
 cleaning water ditches, upon bed-bug poison, 
 upon the price of real estate, upon teething in 
 children, upon the martyrs and persecutions of 
 the Church, terrible denunciations of Gentiles 
 and the enemies of the Mormons, upon olive oil 
 as a cure for measles, upon the ordination of the 
 priesthood, upon the character of Melchisedec, 
 upon worms in dried peaches, upon abstinence 
 from plug tobacco, upon the crime of foeticide, 
 upon chignons, twenty-five-yard dresses, upon 
 plural marriages, etc." 
 
 Portions of this are doubtless the extrava- 
 gance of humor, yet it is true every possible 
 thing, secular or spiritual, is discussed from the 
 pulpit which the president thinks necessary, for 
 the instruction of the flock. We attended per- 
 sonally one Sunday a Sunday-school celebration 
 in the Tabernacle, where the exercises were en- 
 livened with a spirited delivery of " Marco Boz- 
 arris" " Gay Young Lochinvar," the singing of 
 " Home, Sweet Home," and the gallery fronts 
 were decorated with gay mottoes, of which there 
 shone in great prominence, " Utah's best crop, 
 children" 
 
REPRESENTATIVE MORMONS. 
 
 J.W. Woodruff. 2. John Taylor. 3. Mayor Daniel H. Wells. 4. W. H. Hooper. 5. President Brigham Young. 
 6. Orson Pratt. 7. John Sharp. 8. George Q. Cannon. 9. Orson Hyde. 
 
152 
 
 The city Mormons are fond of the theater and 
 dancing, and as their president is both the owner 
 of the theater and its largest patron, the Saints 
 consider his example highly judicious and ex- 
 emplary, so the theater is crowded on all occa- 
 sions. We were present, on one occasion, in 1869, 
 when we witnessed over thirty of the children of 
 one of the Mormons sitting in a row in the 
 dress circle, and the private boxes filled with his 
 wives. The most striking event of the evening 
 was when one of the theatrical performers sung 
 this ditty : 
 
 " If Jim Fisk's rat-and-tan, should have a hull-dog pup, 
 Do you think Louis Napoleon would try to bring him up ? " 
 
 This elicited tremendous applause, and the per- 
 formers, much to their own laughter and aston- 
 ishment, had to repeat it. 
 
 A few years afterward, in witnessing a large 
 body of Mormon children singing their school 
 songs we noticed the end of one of their little 
 verses : 
 
 " Oh, how happy I ought to he, 
 For, daddy, I'm a Mormon." 
 
 As justifying their amusements, the Saints 
 thus say, through one of their authorities : 
 
 " Dancing is a diversion for which all men and 
 women have a natural fondness." 
 
 Dancing parties in the city are, therefore, quite 
 frequent, and the most religious man is best en- 
 titled to the biggest amount of fun. Hence 
 their religion should never be dull. 
 
 " As all people have a fondness for dramatic 
 representations, it is well to so regulate and gov- 
 ern such exhibitions, that they may be instructive 
 and purifying in their tendencies. If the best 
 people absent themselves, the worst will dictate 
 the character of the exercises." 
 
 Therefore every good Mormon, who can get a 
 little money, indulges in the theater. 
 
 The Religion, of the Mormons. It is 
 not the purpose of this Guide to express opin- 
 ions of the religious aspect of Mormonism ; but, 
 as all visitors who come from the East, seeking 
 either from curiosity to gain reliable information, 
 or, having prejudices, expect to gratify them 
 with outbursts of indignation, we can only stand 
 aloof, and explain, calmly and candidly, a few 
 facts as we have found them by actual contact 
 and experience with both Mormons and Gen- 
 tiles, and leave each reader to judge for himself 
 the merits of this vexed question. 
 
 So thoroughly and implicitly have the masses 
 of the Mormon people been led by their leader, 
 that no one must be surprised to find that they 
 are firm believers and obedient servants to all 
 the doctrines and orders of the Church. They be- 
 lieve just as they are told. 
 
 Whatever, therefore, there is in their life, 
 character and business, industry and enterprise, 
 that is good and praiseworthy, to Brigham Young, 
 their leader, belongs the ci-edit. But for what- 
 ever there is wicked in their religion, life, faith, 
 
 deeds and church work and for whatever is 
 lacking in good, to the same powerful mind and 
 willful hand, belongs the fearful responsibility. 
 
 Whether Mormonism be a religion or not 
 yet candor must confess, that if it fails to give 
 and preserve peace, contentment, purity ; if it 
 makes its followers ignorant, brutal, supersti- 
 tious, jealous, abusive, defiant ; if it lack gen- 
 tleness, meekness, kindness, courtesy ; if it brings 
 to its homes, sadness and discontent, it cannot be 
 that true religion, which exists alone by sincere 
 trust in Christ and love for heaven. If in all its 
 doctrines, services, sermons, prayers, praise and 
 church work, it fails to give the soul that seeks 
 after rest, the refreshing, comforting peace it 
 needs, it cannot be everlasting. 
 
 Mormonism has accomplished much in in- 
 dustry, and perseverance, in reclaiming Utah's 
 waste lands and barren plains. It has opened a 
 country, which now is teeming with riches inex- 
 haustible and untold wealth is coming to a 
 scene, once the very type of desolation. We 
 give to the Mormons every worthy praise for 
 their frugality, temperance and hard labor. No 
 other class of people would have settled here. 
 By patience they have reclaimed a desert, peo- 
 pled a waste, developed hidden treasures, have 
 grown in thrift, and their lives bear witness to 
 their forbearance, and complete trust and faith. 
 
 How The Mormon Church Influences 
 Visitors. The system of polygamy is not the 
 only great question which affects the future of 
 Utah. More than all things else, it is the Power 
 of the Rulers of the Mormon Church. It is natural 
 that they should make efforts to maintain it by 
 every use of power; gentleness if that will do the 
 work, coercion if not. 
 
 It is unfortunate that in the spiritual services 
 .of the Church, they fail to impress visitors with 
 proper respect. Their sermons, all eastern 
 travelers have uniformly admitted, were remark- 
 able in the absence of spiritual power. The 
 simple truths of the Gospel rarely ever are dis- 
 cussed, the life of Christ, the Gospel of the New 
 Testament, the " Sermon on the Mount " the 
 Cross are all ignored, the Psalms of David, the 
 life of Daniel, Solomon, and the work of the 
 twelve Apostles are rarely referred to; instead, 
 visitors are compelled to listen to long argu- 
 ments justifying Mormonism and plural mar- 
 riage, and expressions of detestation for their 
 enemies. 
 
 We heard three of the elders talk at one of 
 their Sabbath meetings, during which the name 
 of Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world, was 
 scarcely mentioned. One talked of the wonder- 
 ful conversion as he claimed, and baptism of 
 some Lamanites (Indians), not one of whom to- 
 day, can give a single intelligent reason for the 
 course he has adopted. Another told of the 
 time he was a local preacher in the East, of the 
 Methodist Church, and of the trials and persecu- 
 
153 
 
 tion they had endured there. The third was 
 quite belligerent in tone, and gave utterance to 
 what might possibly be interpreted as treasonable 
 sentiments against the government of the United 
 States. In the meantime the audience accepted 
 all that was said with apparent relish. We 
 thought of the saying of one of the popular 
 humorists of the day, to the effect that " if that 
 kind of preaching suits that kind of people, it is 
 just the kind of preaching that kind of people 
 likes." Their preachers will often take a text 
 from the sayings of the prophets, and give it a 
 literal interpretation that would grate harshly 
 upon orthodox ears, while the listener would be 
 amused at the ingenuity displayed in twist- 
 ing the word of God making it mean anything 
 desired. 
 
 It is exceedingly unfortunate for the cause of 
 the Mormons, that such exhibitions of nature 
 are made, the only result of which is to increase 
 the prejudice of all visitors, and tend to grad- 
 ually change the minds of those who would 
 gladly be cordial, but feel they can not. We 
 speak in candor; the efficacy of a religion is 
 judged by its purity of life and speech. A true 
 religion wins admiration from even its enemies. 
 But Mor monism seems never to have made a 
 friend of an enemy, and only returns even 
 deeper resentment. 
 
 A religion which does not do as Christ com- 
 manded, " Pray fir them which persecute you, 
 bless and curse not," but treasures its resent- 
 ments and fulminates its curses continually can 
 it be any religion at all ? 
 
 Inconsistencies. Another circumstance, 
 one very unfortunate for the Mormons, and al- 
 ways noticed by strangers, is the inconsistency 
 of their history. 
 
 In the original revelation to Joseph Smith, 
 there was not only no mention of polygamy, but 
 in the Book of Mormon, such a practice was 
 fiercely denounced. In the second chapter of the 
 Book of Mormon, there originally appeared this 
 warning to the Nephites : 
 
 " Wherefore, hearken unto the word of the Lord, 
 for there shall not any man among you have save it 
 be one wife ; and concubines he shall have none ; 
 for I the Lord God, delighteth in the chastity of 
 woman." 
 
 The following comments and arguments based 
 on the above, seem absolutely necessary, and im- 
 possible for any one to controvert : 
 
 1. If Joseph Smith wrote this under the inspira- 
 tion of the Holy Spirit, then present Mormon prac- 
 tices and doctrines, being wholly different, are not 
 true nor worthy of confidence. 
 
 2. If Joseph Smith did not write this under the 
 inspiration of the Almighty, then Joseph Smith did 
 not receive a true revelation, was not a true Prophet, 
 and what he has written has been entirely unworthy 
 the confidence of his people. 
 
 3. If Mormonism since then has found a new 
 
 revelation totally opposed to the first, then the first 
 must have been false. 
 
 4. If the first revelation was false, then the 
 Book of Mormon is wholly false and unreliable, and 
 Joseph Smith was an impostor. 
 
 5. If the first revelation was true, then (as the 
 decrees of the Almighty once given, never change), 
 the second revelation is not true, nor ever was in- 
 spired by God. 
 
 6. As History proves that Joseph Smith received 
 and promulgated both the first and second revela- 
 tions as one of these must be false as no Prophet 
 could ever be falsely led, if instructed by the Al- 
 mighty it follows that Joseph Smith never received 
 a true inspiration, was not a true Prophet that 
 Mormonism is not a revealed religion. 
 
 Another inconsistency, fatal to the claims of 
 the Mormon religion, is the curious act of Joseph 
 Smith at Nauvoo. On the 12th of July, 1843, 
 Smith received the new revelation. When it 
 was first mentioned, it caused great commotion, 
 and many rebelled against it. A few elders at- 
 tempted to promulgate it, but so fierce was the 
 opposition that at last, for peace, Smith officially 
 made public proclamation against it in the 
 Church paper as follows : 
 
 NOTICE. As we have lately been credibly informed that 
 an elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day 
 Saints, by the name of Hiram Brown has been preaching 
 polygamy and other false and corrupt doctrines in the 
 County of Lapeer and State of Michigan, 
 
 This is to notify him, and the Church in general, that he 
 has been cut off from the Church for his iniquity, and he is 
 further notified to appear at the special conference on the 
 6th of April next, to make answer to these charges. 
 
 JOSEPH SMITH, I p res ident<i of the CJmrch 
 HYRUM SMITH, } f 
 
 QUERY. What is the world to think of a 
 religion, or a people, when their Prophet falsifies 
 his own record, and denies his own revela- 
 tion ? 
 
 Subsequent history shows that in less than 
 three years from the publication of the above 
 notice, the Mormon leaders were living in open 
 and undisguised polygamy. 
 
 Would a Prophet who ever received a true revela- 
 tion deny it, punish his followers for observing it, and 
 then practice it for himself f 
 
 How appropriately the answer is given to this 
 question when one takes up the Mormon Hymn 
 Book, and finds among its verses, used in their 
 church services, the following leading lines : 
 
 The God that others worship is not the God for me." 
 A church without a Prophet is not the church for me." 
 A church without Apostles is not the church for me." 
 The hope that Gentiles cherish is not the hope for me." 
 It has no faith nor knowledge ; far from it I would be." 
 The heaven of sectarians is not the heaven for me." 
 
 Mormon Courtesies. The leading mem- 
 bers of the Mormon Church we met during our 
 stay, were gentlemen, treated us very courteously, 
 and apparently offered us every facility for ob- 
 taining information, and they will treat all 
 strangers in the same way. We feel under 
 
154 
 
 tn 
 * * 
 
 w S 
 
 M 
 
155 
 
 especial obligation to many of them for their 
 kindness and courtesy. And we are greatly 
 mistaken if they do not respect any one for a 
 free, manly and frank expression of opinion 
 concerning them and their institutions, more 
 than they would a fawning sycophant, or gush- 
 ing twaddler in reference to the course they have 
 chosen to follow, or the work they have done. 
 Neither their institutions nor their practices are 
 thrust into the faces of travelers. If knowledge 
 concerning them or their customs is desired, it 
 must be sought after. They have a special hos- 
 tility for those whom they call apostates, and 
 though a, man may be moral and upright in his 
 life before he leaves their church, he is nothing 
 but concentrated meanness afterwards. His 
 course of life may not be changed in the least, 
 and the fact that he is just as honorable and up- 
 right as before is of no consequence. Godbe, 
 Lawrence, Harrison and others, all pure men in 
 private life, become, according to Mormon ac- 
 count, the princes of liars and scoundrels as 
 soon as they leave the church. In fact, to attack 
 and destroy an apostate's character is their favor- 
 ite, and hitherto most successful mode of de- 
 stroying his influence. In this respect the Mor- 
 mons can not tolerate freedom of opinion. They 
 would much prefer open attacks by Gentiles than 
 the more vital thrusts of apostates. 
 
 The Great Salt Lake. 
 
 In many respects this is the most wonderful 
 body of water on the American Continent. It is 
 the chief object of interest in the physical geog- 
 raphy of the great basin in which it is located. 
 Its waters are saline and brackish, unfit for use, 
 and uninhabited by representatives of the finny 
 tribes. 
 
 Its Discovery. In his report on this lake, 
 Captain Stansbury speaks of a French explorer, 
 with an unpronounceable name, who left the west- 
 ern shores of the great lakes sometime in the 
 seventeenth century, and proceeded westward for 
 an undefined period, and made extensive discov- 
 eries on the Mississippi, Missouri, and other 
 western rivers, and either saw, or heard from the 
 Indians, of the Great Salt Lake. His accounts, 
 however, are somewhat mixed, and not at all sat- 
 isfactory. It is reported that John Jacob Astor 
 fitted out an expedition, in 1820, to cross the 
 Continent, meet a vessel he had sent round Cape 
 Horn, and at some point on the Pacific Coast, 
 form a town which should be to it what New 
 York was to the Atlantic Coast, the greatest 
 commercial emporium of that part of the country. 
 This expedition, it is said, crossed the Rocky 
 Mountains, near Fremont's Peak in the Wind 
 River Range, and after reaching the Tetons sep- 
 arated into small parties, each one exploring on 
 its own account. One of these, consisting of 
 four men and commanded by a Mr. Miller, 
 hunted around the vicinity of Snake River and 
 
 the Soda Springs, finally crossing into Cache 
 Valley, a little north-west of Corinne. It is fur- 
 ther reported that Miller, in one of his rambles, 
 ascended the mountains south of this valley, and 
 here, for the first time, beheld the waters of the 
 great inland sea spread out before him. He re- 
 turned to his party, and with them proceeded to 
 the lake, and on further inspection concluded it 
 was an arm of the ocean. This was its first dis- 
 covery by white men. The next recorded visita- 
 tion is that of John Bedyer, in 1825, and the 
 next was by Captain Bonneville, in 1831, who 
 saw it from the Red Buttes in the Wahsatch 
 Range, and whose account was written up by 
 Washington Irving. In 1832, Captain Walker 
 first attempted to explore it with a party of forty 
 men. He traveled around the northern and 
 western boundaries, but was compelled to aban- 
 don the undertaking for want of water for his 
 animals and men. Captain Stansbury after- 
 wards explored it, and his report contains the 
 only reliable information concerning this re- 
 markable lake that has been published from 
 official sources, though subsequent observation 
 has revealed many facts and phenomenon con- 
 cerning it which would be highly interesting if 
 they could be collected and given to the world in 
 tangible form. General Fremont also visited 
 this lake, and has given some information about 
 it. 
 
 Analysis. The only analysis of its waters 
 that we have been able to obtain is that given 
 by Dr. Gale and recorded in Captain Stansbury's 
 report. We quote : " It gives the specific gravity, 
 1.170; solid contents, 22.422 out of 100 parts. 
 The solid contents when analyzed gave the fol- 
 lowing components : 
 
 Chloride of sodium, 
 Sulphate of soda, 
 Chloride of magnesium, 
 Chloride of Calcium, a trace. 
 
 Loss, 
 
 20.196 
 1.834 
 0.252 
 
 22.282 
 0.140 
 
 22.422 
 
 A remarkable thing about this analysis is that 
 the specific gravity, as here given, corresponds 
 exactly with the mean of eight different analyses 
 of the waters of the Dead Sea of Palestine, which 
 is largely above that of the water of the ocean. 
 This analysis reveals what is now generally 
 known, that here is a source from which salt 
 enough can be obtained to supply the Continent. 
 When it is considered, however, that all the 
 streams flowing into this lake are fresh water, 
 draining the water-shed of a large area of 
 country, and discharging from the springs, melt- 
 ing snows and rains of the great basin, an im- 
 mense volume of water, the puzzling question 
 very naturally arises as to the source of this 
 abundant supply of saline matter. The various 
 saline incrustations, however, at various points 
 on the surrounding shores, indicate clearly that 
 
156 
 
 some portion of the earth is saturated with this 
 ingredient. Still this lake is without any visi- 
 ble outlet, and with all the great influx of fresh 
 water, annually, why does it remain so salty? 
 The inference naturally follows that it washes 
 some vast bed of rock salt or saline deposit in 
 the bottom of the lake, hitherto undiscovered. 
 Without facts, however, even this is a supposi- 
 tion which may or may not be true. The shores 
 of this lake, especially toward the city bearing 
 the same name, have now been settled nearly 
 thirty years, and it would be strange indeed if 
 the changes which have been gradually going 
 on in this lake should not have been noticed. 
 The elevation of the lake is given at 4,200 feet 
 above the level of the sea. The elevation of 
 Salt Lake City is given at 4,351 feet above the 
 sea difference of 151 feet. The figures here 
 given as the elevation of the lake, we think, are 
 based upon observations and calculations made 
 several years ago, perhaps by Captain Stansbury. 
 The observation of the old settlers is, that it is 
 not correct that the lake is from ten to fifteen 
 feet higher now than it was in 1850, and that in 
 proportion as the water rises it becomes less 
 salty. Reliable citizens have informed us that 
 in 1850, three barrels of water evaporated would 
 make one of salt ; now, four barrels of water are 
 required for the same result. This fact leads to 
 the opinion that the humidity of the atmosphere 
 in this region of the Continent is increasing in 
 consequence of which there is less evaporation 
 evaporation being greater and more rapid in a 
 dry than in a moist atmosphere and the failure 
 of evaporation to take up the surplus waters dis- 
 charged into this lake has not only increased its 
 volume and extent, but lessened its saline 
 character. Since the settlement of this Terri- 
 tory, there has been a great increase of rain-fall, 
 so much so that it is noticed and remarked upon 
 by very many of the inhabitants, and the belief 
 is very generally entertained that the Territory is 
 gradually undergoing a great climatic change. 
 
 Speculations as to the Result. The 
 evaporation of the water in the lake growing 
 gradually less, it will, of course, continue to 
 rise and overflow its banks in the lowest places, 
 but no fears need be entertained for the safety 
 of any considerable portion of the country, or 
 the inhabitants thereof. Notice the elevation of 
 Salt Lake City, as herein given, being about 151 
 feet greater than the lake itself. If the rise 
 continues it will be slower as the covered surface 
 of the adjoining land becomes greater, on the 
 principle that the larger end of a vessel fills more 
 slowly with the same stream, than the smaller 
 end. If it reaches a height of 15 or 20 feet 
 above its present surface, it will fii-st overflow a 
 low, sandy and alkali desert on its western shore, 
 nearly as large as the lake itself. In this case, 
 its evaporating capacity will be nearly doubled 
 in extent a fact which will operate to retard 
 
 its rise. But if it continues to rise in the years 
 to come until it must have an outlet to the ocean, 
 that outlet will be the Humboldt River, and a 
 cut of 100 feet or less in the low hills of the di- 
 vide, will give it. When, however, this event 
 transpires, it will be unless some convulsion of 
 nature intervenes to hasten it after the last 
 reader of this book shall have finished his earthly 
 labors and been quietly laid away to rest. 
 
 Boundaries and Extent. Looking from 
 Observation Point at the south end of the lake, 
 to the north, it seems to be pretty well di- 
 vided. Promontory Mountains on Antelope 
 Island, those on Stansbury Island and Oquirrh 
 Mountains are evidently parts of the same 
 range running from north to south, parallel 
 with the Wahsatch Range. Their continuity is 
 only broken by the waters in the lake or sink of 
 the great basin. Promontory Mountains divide 
 the northern end of the lake into two parts, or 
 arms, the eastern being called Bear River Bay, 
 and the western, Spring Bay the latter being 
 considerably the largest. The lake has numerous 
 islands, both large and small. Fremont Island 
 lies due west of the mouth of Weber River, and 
 is plainly visible from the cars of the Utah Cen- 
 tral Railroad. South of it and nearest to Salt 
 Lake City, is Antelope Island. West of Ante- 
 lope, and north-west from Lake Point, is Stans- 
 bury Island. A little north-west of this, is Car- 
 rington Island. North of these still, and in the 
 western part of the lake are Hat, Gunnison and 
 Dolphin Islands. Nearly south of Gunnison 
 Island is a high promontory jutting out into the 
 lake called Strong's Knob ; it is a prominent 
 landmark on the western shore of the lake. 
 Travelers on the Central Pacific Road can ob- 
 tain a fine view of this great inland sea, near 
 Monument Station. The extreme length of the 
 lake is about 80 miles, and its extreme width, a 
 little south of the 41st parallel of latitude, is 
 about 50 miles. Promontory Mountains project 
 into the lake from the north about 30 miles. 
 Nearly all the islands we have named are rich in 
 minerals, such as copper, silver, gold and iron. 
 Excellent quarries of slate have also been opened, 
 but neither it nor the mines have been developed 
 to any great extent, because of the want of cap- 
 ital. 
 
 Incidents and Curiosities. When Col- 
 onel Fremont first explored the lake in 1843, it 
 is related by Jessie, his wife, that when his boat 
 first touched the shore of Fremont Island, an 
 oarsman in the bow of the boat was about to 
 jump ashore, when Kit Carson, the guide, insisted 
 that Colonel Fremont should first land and 
 name the island, " Fremont Island." 
 
 Tonic Properties. A bath in the water 
 of the Great Salt Lake, is one of the greatest 
 delights a tourist can seek. We have per- 
 sonally indulged in its pleasure, and it is beyond 
 question a splendid recreation. Upon the 
 
157 
 
 wharf near Lake Point, is a cozy bathing-house, 
 wherein are bathing-suits, and large tubs filled 
 with fresh water ; donning the suits, you descend 
 the steps and jump into the water. You are 
 surprised at the buoyancy of it. The most 
 vigorous effort and plunge will not keep your 
 body under the surface. Clasping your hands 
 and feet in the water, you can sit on its bosom 
 with head and shoulders projecting above the 
 surface, and even then for but a short period, as 
 the buoyancy of the water soon has a tendency to 
 tip you over on your side. It is impossible to 
 stand erect in the water, no matter how straight 
 or rigid you place your limbs, in a moment 
 over goes your head, and up come your feet. 
 Lying on your back, or side, or face, in any position 
 still you will always keep at the surface. But 
 beyond this curious feature of impossibility of 
 sinking, there is the better quality of the 
 toning and invigorating properties of the bath. 
 These are beyond all question, the finest of any 
 spring along the Overland Route. In some 
 warm summer day, take your bath in the lake, 
 spend, say half an hour in its water, and then 
 returning to your bath-house, cleanse your skin 
 from all saline material, which may adhere, by 
 plentiful ablutions of pure water from the tubs, 
 wash the hair and face thoroughly, then dress 
 and walk up and down the wharf, or the cool 
 piazza of the hotel, ,and you are astonished at 
 the wonderful amount of strength and invig- 
 oration given to your system, and with greater 
 elasticity than ever you have possessed before, it 
 seems like the commencement of a new life. 
 Invalids should never fail to visit this lake, and 
 enjoy its bath. Tourists who omit it, will 
 leave behind them the greatest curiosity of the 
 Overland Tour, and it is no great effort of the 
 imagination to conceive this fully the rival of 
 the great ocean in all that can contribute to the 
 attractions of sea-shore life. The cool breeze 
 and delicious bath are all here. 
 
 In the summer time the excursion rates from 
 Salt Lake City, are $1.50 per ticket, which in- 
 cludes passage both ways over the Utah Western 
 Railroad, a ride on the steamer on the lake, and 
 the privilege of a bath, the cheapest and 
 most useful enjoyment in the entire Territory. 
 
 The only life in or near the lake, is seen in 
 the summer time by immense masses of little 
 insects (astemia fertilise,) which live on the 
 surface of the lake, and thrive on its brine. 
 These masses stretch out in curious forms over 
 the surface. Sometimes, when small, they appear 
 like a serpent, at other times like rings, globes, 
 and other irregular figures. A gentle breeze 
 will never disturb them, for their presence keeps 
 the water a dead calm as if oil had been poured 
 upon it. If disturbed by a boat passing through 
 the mass, millions of little gnats or flies arise 
 and swarm all over the vessel anvthing but 
 agreeable. Professor Spencer M. Baird, of the 
 
 Smithsonian Institute, Washington, believes the 
 lake may yet sustain fish and other animal life. 
 There seems to be plenty of insect food al- 
 ways on the surface, occasionally with high 
 winds, the surface of the lake is driven into 
 waves, which dashing against the shore, shower 
 the sage brushes near with salty incrustations, 
 which, when dried in the sunlight, give a bright, 
 glittering and pearly appearance, often furnish- 
 ing splendid specimens for mineral cabinets. 
 
 Atmosphere, The atmosphere which sur- 
 rounds the lake, is a curiosity, always bluish and 
 hazy from the effects of the active evaporation, 
 in decided contrast to the purity and trans- 
 parency of the air elsewhere. Surveyors say 
 that it is difficult to use telescopes, and astro- 
 nomical observations are imperfect. 
 
 The solid ingredients of the water have six 
 and one-half times the density of those of the 
 ocean, and wherever washed upon the shore, the 
 salt dried, after evaporation, can be easily 
 shoveled up into buckets and bags. 
 
 Burton describes a beautiful sunset scene upon 
 the lake. " We turned our faces eastward as 
 the sun was declining. The view had memo- 
 rable beauties. From the blue and purple clouds, 
 gorgeously edged with celestial fire, shot up a 
 fan of penciled and colored light, extending half- 
 way to the zenith, while in the south and south- 
 east lightnings played among the darker mist 
 masses, which backed the golden and emerald 
 bench-lands of the farther valley. The splendid 
 sunset gave a reflex of its loveliness upon the 
 alkaline barrens around us. Opposite rose the 
 Wahsatch Mountains, vast and voluminous, in 
 stern and gloomy grandeur, northward the thin 
 white vapors rising from the hot springs, and 
 the dark swells of the lake." 
 
 The Great Desert West of Salt Lake 
 City. The overland stage, which traversed 
 westward, followed a route immediately south of 
 Salt Lake, and passed for several hundred miles 
 through a desert, beside which the Humboldt 
 Valley had no comparison in tediousness and dis- 
 comfort. Captain Stansbury, an early explorer, in 
 describing this section, describes large tracts of 
 land covered with an incrustation of salt : 
 
 " The first part of the plains consisted simply 
 of dried mud, with small crystals of salt scat- 
 tered thickly over the surface ; crossing this, we 
 came upon another portion of it, three miles in 
 width, where the ground was entirely covered 
 with a thin layer of salt in a state of deliques- 
 cence, and of so soft consistence, that the feet of 
 our mules sank at every step into the mud be- 
 neath. But we soon came upon a portion of 
 the plains where the salt lay in a solid state, in 
 one unbroken sheet, extending apparently to its 
 western border. So firm and strong was this 
 unique and snowy floor, that it sustained the 
 weight of our entire train without in the least 
 giving way, or cracking beneath the pressure. 
 

 REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE CENTRAL PACIFIC RAILROAD. 
 1. E. B. Crocker. 2. C. P. Huntington. 3. Leland Stanford. 4. Charles Crocker. 5. Mark Hopkins. 
 
159 
 
 Our mules walked upon it as upon a sheet of 
 solid ice. The whole field was crossed by a net- 
 work of little ridges, projecting about half an 
 inch, as if the salt had expanded in the process 
 of crystallization. 1 estimated this field to be, at 
 least, seven miles wide and ten miles in length. 
 The salt which was very pure and white, aver- 
 aged from one-half to three-quarters of an inch 
 in thickness, and was equal in all repects to our 
 finest specimen for table use. Assuming these 
 data, the quantity that here lay upon the ground 
 in one body, exclusive of that already dis- 
 solved, amounted to over 4,500,000 cubic yards, 
 or about 100,000,000 bushels." And even this 
 small area, is but a very little portion of the 
 whole region, farther northward and westward. 
 
 The Central Pacific Railroad. 
 
 The record of the building of the Central Pacif- 
 ic Railroad is a description of one of the greatest 
 trials of courage and faith the world has ever seen, 
 and the actual results are, beyond doubt, the great- 
 est marvel in engineering science, ever known in 
 the United States. The heroic strength of charac- 
 ter, the magnificent power and endurance, the 
 financial intrepidity and the bold daring which 
 defied all obstacles, overcame all difficulties, and 
 literally shoved the mountains aside to make 
 room for their pathway, are not equaled by any 
 other achievement of the century. If ever an 
 American can feel and express just admiration, 
 it is to those Samsons of the Pacific Coast, who 
 have hewn their way with the ponderous strength 
 of their arms, and with invincible fortitude 
 opened to the world the treasures of industry in 
 the mountains and valleys of the Far West and 
 the Pacific Coast. To one man, more than all 
 others, is due the credit for the conception, sur- 
 vey and actual beginning of the great Trans- 
 Continental Line. Theodore D. Judah yet he 
 did not live to see the completion of the railroad 
 up the Sierras and his successor Mr. S. S. Mon- 
 tague carried it through with great energy and 
 success, and to them the nation and all Califor- 
 nia owe a debt of gratitude. 
 
 For years this brave arid accomplished en- 
 gineer had the subject of the road in his mind. 
 It occupied his thoughts by day and was the 
 subject of his dreams by night. The idea took 
 a firm hold upon him, and he became completely 
 absorbed in it. It energized his whole being and 
 he was persistent and hopeful to the end. Sac- 
 ramento, then a much smaller place than now, 
 was the home of C. P. Huntington and Mark 
 Hopkins, the former now Vice-President and the 
 latter now Treasurer of the company, then hard- 
 ware merchants under the firm name of Hunt- 
 ington & Hopkins. Their store became the 
 headquarters of the little company that used to 
 meet Judah there and talk o.ver the enterprise. 
 Judah's ideas were clear, his plans seemed prac- 
 
 ticable and his enthusiasm was contagious. The 
 men who associated with him were led to make 
 contributions for the purpose of partial pay- 
 ment toward a preliminary survey, and, in 1860, 
 Judah and his assistants wandered over the 
 gorges and canons of the Sierra Nevadas in 
 search of a line for a railroad. The results of 
 his summer's work were in every way encour- 
 aging so much so that other contributions and 
 subscriptions were obtained for work the follow- 
 ing year. The summer of 1861 again found 
 Judah and his party in the mountains. The 
 work of the previous year was extended and 
 further examination renewed the hope of the 
 engineer and quickened the zeal of his followers. 
 Success was certain if they could only enlist cap- 
 ital in the enterprise. 
 
 But right here was the difficulty. While the 
 great majority of the people of California be- 
 lieved that the road would be built some day it 
 would not be done in their time. Some genera- 
 tion in the future might accomplish it, but it 
 would be after they were all dead. The subject 
 was broached in Congress, and finally, in 1862, the 
 bill was passed. Huntington and Judah went to 
 Washington with maps and charts, and rendered 
 invaluable assistance to the friends of the meas- 
 ure in both houses of Congress, and the day of its 
 passage was the day of their triumph. The news 
 was sent to California with lightning speed, 
 and caused great rejoicing among the people. 
 The beginning of the end could now distinctly 
 be seen. Though great difficulties had been 
 surmounted, a comparatively greater one lay in 
 the way. Capital which is proverbially timid, 
 must now be enlisted in the enterprise. Forty 
 miles of road must be built and accepted by the 
 
 ?3vernment, before the aid could be secured, 
 inally, with what local help they could get, and 
 the assistance of New York capitalists and 
 bankers, the work was begun at Sacramento, 
 and the first section carried the line high up 
 toward the summit of the Sierras. Their finan- 
 cial agents in New York, put their bonds on the 
 market, and the funds for the further extension of 
 the road were rapidly forthcoming. Leland 
 Stanford, then as now President of the company, 
 inaugurated the work at Sacramento, and also 
 drove the silver spike, which completed the union 
 of the two roads at Promontory on the 10th day 
 of May, 1869. The progress of the road during 
 each year, from the time of its commencement 
 until its completion, is given as follows : In the 
 years 1863-4-5, the company completed 20 miles 
 each year. This might be called preliminary 
 work. / They were learning how, and their 
 severest difficulties were to be overcome. In 
 1866 they built 30 miles, and the next year 46 
 miles. Now the rivalry between the two great 
 corporations may be said to have commenced in 
 earnest. In 1868, they built 364, and in 1869, up 
 to May 10th, they closed the gap with 191 miles. 
 
160 
 
 Difficulties, Discouragements and La- 
 bor. Few travelers realize, as they pass so 
 easily and pleasantly over this railroad, what is 
 represented by these long, smoothly-laid rails, 
 nor do they know of the early days of labor, and 
 intense energy. 
 
 Everything of every description of supplies had 
 to be shipped by water from New York, via Cape 
 Horn to San Francisco, and then inland to 
 Sacramento. Thus months of delay occurred in 
 obtaining all needful material. 
 
 Even when the project was under full discus- 
 sion at the little office in Sacramento, where gath- 
 ered the six great brains which controlled the 
 destiny of the enterprise, (these were Governor 
 Leland Stanford, C. P. Huntington, Mark Hop- 
 kins, Charles Crocker, E. B. Crocker, and T. 
 D. Judah), everybody predicted its failure, and 
 few or none looked for its success. Very little 
 was known of the country it was to traverse, and 
 that not satisfactory, and one prophesied that 
 this, the western end of the Great Trans-Conti- 
 nental Railroad, would be run up into the 
 clouds, and left in eternal snows. 
 
 Scores of friends approached Huntington in 
 those days and said, " Huntington, don't go into 
 it ; you will bury your whole fortune in the Siena 
 Nevadas." 
 
 Outsiders called it, after the first 40 miles were 
 built, " The Dutch Flat Swindle ; " and the pro- 
 ject was caricatured, abused by the newspapers, 
 derided by politicians, discountenanced by capi- 
 talists, and the credit of every one was impaired 
 who was connected with it. 
 
 Thus nobly did the Californians help this the 
 greatest enterprise of the State, and how much 
 more noble have they since been ! 
 
 In a speech before the Senate Committee of 
 Congress by C. P. Huntington, he says : 
 
 " I suppose that it is a fact, the mercantile 
 credit of my partners in business and myself, was 
 positively injured by our connection with this 
 enterprise. 
 
 " The difficulties which confronted us then, are 
 now nearly forgotten, but they were intensely 
 vivid and real then. There were difficulties from 
 end to end ; difficulties from high and steep 
 mountains; from snows; from deserts where 
 there was scarcity of water, and from gorges and 
 flats where there was an excess ; difficulties from 
 cold and from heat, from a scarcity of timber 
 and from obstructions of rock ; difficulties in 
 supplying a large force on a long line ; from In- 
 dians and want of laborers." 
 
 Of the princely subsidies voted by the United 
 States in its government bonds to aid the road 
 what was the real case? From the individual 
 and private means of the five capitalists, they 
 were compelled to support a force of 800 men 
 one year at their own risks build 40 miles 
 before they were entitled to the government 
 bonds, and then were eleven months delayed in 
 
 receiving what was their due. To build the first 
 section of the road to the mountains, they were 
 obliged to call in private means, which out on 
 loan was yielding them two per cent, interest in 
 gold, per month invest in the road and wait 
 for reimbursement. When the government 
 bonds were at last received, they vested into 
 gold at the high rate of premium then prevail- 
 ing, (often taking $2 in bonds to buy $1.00 in 
 gold) to pay for labor and expense of construc- 
 tion, which, too, were excessively high for gold 
 prices. 
 
 The personal dangers of the builders were 
 great. The very surveyors ran the risk of being 
 killed by Indians, and some of them were ; the 
 grading parties, at times, could only work under 
 military guard ; at all times all the track-layers 
 and the train hands had to be armed, and even 
 after construction the trains were often attacked. 
 The first 100 miles was up a total ascent of 
 7,000 feet, requiring the most skillful engineer- 
 ing and expenditures of vast sums of money in 
 excavation. At the height of 5,000 feet, the snow 
 line was reached, and 40 miles of snow galleries 
 had to be erected, at an additional expense of 
 $20,000 to $30,000 per mile, and for a mile or 
 more, in many places, these must be made so 
 strong that avalanches might pass over them and 
 yet preserve the safety of the track. Even after 
 passing the Sierras, the railroad descended into 
 a vast plain, dry, sere and deserted, where there 
 was not a sign of civilized life, nor any fuel. 
 For over 600 miles of the route, there was not a 
 single white inhabitant. For over 100 miles at a 
 stretch, no water could be found for either man 
 or machinery ; and, even at the present day, in 
 many places the railroad company is obliged to 
 bring its water in artificial pipes for distances of 
 one to fifteen miles for the use of the engines. 
 
 Labor was almost impossible to get, and when 
 attained was almost impossible to control, until 
 the Chinese arrived, and to them is due the real 
 credit of the greatest help the road possessed. 
 Powder was one of the heaviest items of ex- 
 pense, which before the rise in prices of the war, 
 could have been had for $2.25 per keg but then 
 was obtained with difficulty at $5.00. Locomo- 
 tives, cars, tools, all were bought at double prices. 
 Rails, now worth but $40.00 to $50.00 per ton, 
 then cost $80.00 to $150.00. 
 
 Every bar of iron and every tool had first to 
 be bought and started on a sea voyage round 
 Cape Horn, some four or six months before it 
 was needed. 
 
 Insurance on the sea voyages rose from 2 1-2 
 to 10 per cent. freights increased from $18.00 to 
 $45.00 per ton. 
 
 Of the engineering difficulties of the con- 
 struction on the Sierras, none can form a possi- 
 ble idea. A culvert would be built, the begin- 
 ning of which was on the grade, while the other 
 end would be 50 feet or more below. At another 
 
was &*@swx@ T&w^mw. 
 
 161 
 
 place is a bank 80 to 100 feet in height, covering 
 a culvert 250 feet in length, then comes a bridge 
 leaping a chasm of 150 feet in depth. 
 
 Next a cut of hardest granite, where, in the 
 short space of 250 feet, would be working 30 
 carts and 250 workmen, thick as bees while 
 a little beyond is an embankment built up 80 
 feet, from whose top you can look down 1,000 
 feet. 
 
 The famous Summit Tunnel is 1,659 feet in 
 length, cut through solid granite, and for a mile 
 on either side there are rock cuttings of the most 
 stupendous character, and the railroad is cut 
 directly in the face of a precipice. The powder 
 bill alone for one month was $54,000. Blasting 
 was done three times per day, and sometimes of 
 extraordinary execution. A hole of eight feet 
 was once drilled and fired, and 1,440 yards of 
 granite were thrown clear from the road-bed. 
 Several more holes of same depth 
 were drilled into a seam in the rock, 
 which were . lightly loaded and ex- 
 ploded until a large fissure was opened, 
 when an immense charge was put 
 in, set off, and 3,000 tons of granite 
 went whirling down the mountain, 
 tearing up trees, rocks, etc., with 
 fearful havoc. One rock, weighing 70 
 pounds, was blown one-third of a mile 
 away from its bed, while another 
 of 240 pounds was blown entirely 
 across Conner Lake, a distance of two- 
 thirds of a mile. At one place, near 
 Donner's Backbone, the railroad track 
 is so constructed that it describes a 
 curve of 180, and runs back on the 
 opposite side of the ridge only a few 
 feet parallel to the course it has fol- 
 lowed to the point, all at a grade of 90 
 feet to the mile. 
 
 But it is impossible to tell all the won- 
 ders of engineering, or the feats of skill ; 
 let active eyes watch the scene as the 
 traveler passes over the railroad, and then give 
 due credit and admiration to the pluck, skill, 
 persistence and faith which has accomplished 
 so much, and been productive of so much 
 good. 
 
 The little beginning, in 1860, has now given 
 place to the most astonishing enterprise of mod- 
 ern times. The pay-roll of the Central Pacific 
 Railroad Company now exceeds 7,000 names of 
 employes. The Southern Pacific Railroad, an- 
 other grand enterprise, controlled in part by some 
 of the same company, is building its road rapidly, 
 with a force of 5,000 men, toward the fields of 
 Arizona and New Mexico. All the important 
 railroads and steamboats of California are now 
 controlled by these gigantic corporations, and 
 from the latest reports we quote figures of this 
 financial capital of the greatest corporations in 
 the United States : 
 
 CENTRAL PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY. 
 
 Capital stock actually paid in, $54,275,500 
 
 Funded debt, 53,069,095 
 
 United States subsidy bonds, 27,855,680 
 
 Land grants of 11 ,722,400 acres at $2.50, 29,306,000 
 
 Value of lands in San Francisco, Oakland, and 
 
 Sacramento, 7,750,000 
 
 Total value, $172,256,275 
 
 SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY. 
 
 Authorized capital stock, $90,000,000 
 
 First mortgage bonds, authorized, 46,000,000 
 
 12,000,000 acres land grants, at $2.50, 30,000,000 
 
 Total value Southern Pacific Railroad Company, $166,000,000 
 
 Total capital of Central Pacific and Southern 
 
 Pacific Railroads, $338,256,275 
 
 Number miles constructed and in operation by 
 
 Central Pacific Railroad, 1,213 
 
 Number miles built and being built by Southern 
 
 Pacific Railroad, 1,160 
 
 SILVER PALACE CAR, C. P. R. R. 
 
 Westward to San Francisco. 
 
 Travelers from the East, after dining at Ogden 
 and having an hour in which to re-check their 
 baggage, will board a train of silver palace cars 
 belonging to the Central Pacific, in the evening, 
 as the trains now run, and will soon be whirling 
 away across the Great American Desert. As we 
 pass out of the suburbs of Ogden, we cross Og- 
 den River on a pile bridge, and leave it to pur- 
 sue its turbulent way to the lake. We soon ar- 
 rive at tjhe point of junction before alluded to, 
 but find no magnificent hotel, or other buildings, 
 or any evidence of any. " Union Junction " is 
 therefore a myth, and exists only in the fertile 
 imagination. The land, such as it is, however, 
 is there, and we soon pass the steaming Hot 
 Springs on the right of the road and close to the 
 track. These springs are said to be both iron 
 
162 
 
 and sulphur, and from the red sediment which 
 has been deposited over quite an area of surface 
 near by, we judge that the iron springs predom- 
 inate. Since leaving Weber Canon we have come 
 nearly north and will continue in that direction 
 until we approach Corinne. On our right are 
 the towering peaks of the Wahsatch in close 
 proximity. On our left are the irrigating ditches 
 that supply the farms with water, an increas- 
 ing growth of underbrush off toward the lake, 
 and Fremont's Island in the distance with a 
 towering rock, 
 looking like a 
 huge castle, 
 upon one ex- 
 tremity of it. 
 We soon pass 
 a little town 
 called North 
 Ogden, at a 
 canon through 
 the mountains, 
 which is some- 
 times called Og- 
 den Hole, or 
 North Ogdeii 
 Canon. Before 
 the road was 
 built through 
 Ogden Canon 
 proper, this was 
 the nearest 
 source of com- 
 m uni cation 
 with the valley 
 the other side of 
 the mountains. 
 There are about 
 nine miles of 
 straight track 
 here and we 
 soon arrive at 
 
 Bonneville 
 871 miles 
 from San Fran- 
 cisco, with an 
 elevation of 
 4,310 feet. It 
 is merely a side 
 track. The 
 Mormons have 
 some fine farms in this vicinity, and between the 
 railroad and base of the mountains there are 
 many cultivated fields and fine orchards of apple 
 and peach trees. There are frequent canons 
 through the range, at the mouth of which are 
 little settlements or villages ; the creeks from the 
 canons supplying the water which irrigates their 
 fields, gardens and orchards. The largest of 
 these settlements or villages are called Willard 
 City and Brigham City, and their business is now 
 done almost exclusively with the Utah North- 
 
 SHOSHONE INDIAN VILLAGE. 
 
 ern Railroad, which runs parallel with the Cen- 
 tral Pacific between Ogden and Corinne and near- 
 er the base of the mountains. The next station is 
 Brigham, 862 miles from San Francisco ; 
 elevation, 4,220 feet. A side track for the pass- 
 ing of trains. It is the station for Brigham 
 City, which is some three miles away, though it 
 does not look half that distance. Leaving this 
 station we cross some alkali marshes near, and 
 cross an arm of the lake or small bay, with the 
 eastern part of the Great Salt Sea in full view, 
 
 with Promon- 
 tory Mountains 
 beyond. Ap- 
 proaching C o - 
 riime we enter 
 the celebrated 
 Bear River Val- 
 ley, crossing the 
 river on a pile 
 bridge and 
 reach 
 
 Corinne, 
 857 miles from 
 San Francisco, 
 with an eleva- 
 tion of 4,294 
 feet. It is the 
 largest Gentile 
 town in the Ter- 
 ritory, and if 
 not hated is cor- 
 dially and ef- 
 fectually let 
 alone by most of 
 the Mormons in 
 the surrounding 
 settlements. 
 The natural lo- 
 cation is excel- 
 lent, and when 
 the thousands of 
 acres of fertile 
 lands in the 
 Bear River Val- 
 ley are settled, 
 as they surely 
 will be in time, 
 Corinne will be 
 the center of 
 trade and influr 
 ence to which her location entitles her. On the 
 completion of the railroad through here before 
 it came, even the Gentiles had taken posses- 
 sion of the town and determined to maintain an 
 ascendency. From that time it has been an 
 object of defamation by the Saints; and the 
 lands in the broad valley which surround it, as 
 rich as any in the Territory, are left with scarcely 
 a settler. To-day these lands are open and in 
 the market, and if enterprising farmers in the 
 East desire farms in a healthful climate, near a 
 
163 
 
 good market, with short winters and those sel- 
 dom excessively cold, with the salt water breezes 
 fresh from the lake, and in a country where the 
 finest kind of fruit can be grown, we advise 
 them to stop here, inform themselves as best 
 they can, look the ground over thoroughly and 
 decide for themselves, the question of choosing 
 this place for a new home. This is one side of 
 the picture. The other is want of water. All 
 crops in this valley are raised by irrigation. A 
 ditch has already been dug from Malad River, 
 which supplies some farms on its line, and the 
 town with water. A large flouring-mill is also 
 supplied with water from this ditch. 
 
 Some of the finest wheat we ever saw was 
 raised near Corinne, on irrigated land. It was 
 
 TTTB SQUAW AND PAPPOOSE. 
 
 spring wheat and produced at the rate of nearly 
 50 bushels to the acre. The spring wheat of 
 Utah far excels in quality, the best winter wheat 
 produced in Eastern States. It has a large, plump, 
 hard, white berry, and will rank as A No. 1 in 
 any wheat market in the country. 
 
 Corinne in its early history, was "a rough 
 town ; " but the roughs have passed on, or sleep 
 in unknown graves. The town now has three 
 churches, a good school, a large flouring-mill, 
 several commission and forwarding houses, stores 
 of various kinds, etc. It is the natural freight- 
 ing point to eastern Idaho and Montana, and be- 
 fore the Utah Northern, with which it is con- 
 nected by a short branch, was completed to 
 Franklin, its present terminus, nearly all the 
 freighting business of the last named Territory 
 was done from this point, and a large share of 
 it still comes here. 
 
 Corinne is about seven miles from Great Salt 
 Lake. A railroad company has been chartered 
 to build a road direct to Montana, with favorable 
 prospects of being put through at an early day. 
 At some point on or near the Snake River, it will 
 form a junction with the proposed Portland, 
 Dalles and Salt Lake Road, the southern termi- 
 nus of which will be at this city. The Central 
 Pacific have also considered a railroad project 
 around the Bear River Valley, by way of the 
 Soda Springs, to the newly discovered coal fields 
 north of Evanston. 
 
 There are quite a number of hotels and public 
 boarding-houses, for the accommodation of 
 guests, the leading house, a brick structure, being 
 the " Central." Bear River abounds in fish, and 
 in the proper season the sloughs and marshes 
 bordering the river near the lake, are almost 
 covered with ducks and wild geese, thxis offer- 
 ing fine sport for the hunter and fisherman. 
 The water-lines of the lake become, as we pass 
 westward toward the mountains of the Promon- 
 tory Range, visible high up on the side of the 
 mountains. There are three distinct water-lines 
 to be seen in some places near Ogden, and each 
 one has left a bench or terrace of land or rock by 
 which it may be traced. The great basin is full 
 of wonders, and no richer field on the Continent 
 awaits scientific examination than this. We 
 soon pass 
 
 Quarry, a side track, with a huge, rocky, 
 black castle on the right and back of it. Trains 
 do not stop here, nor is the station down on the 
 advertised time-cards. The mountain on our 
 right is called Little Mountain, and rises soli- 
 tary and alone out of the plain. As we pass be- 
 yond and look back, an oval-shaped dome rises 
 from its northern end as the turret of a castle. 
 Salt Creek rises in the valley above, and sinks 
 into the sand on its way to the lake. 
 
 Blue Creek, 838 miles from San Francisco, 
 with an elevation of 4,379 feet. It is a telegraph 
 station with a side track and turn-table. If we 
 have a heavy train a helper engine is here await- 
 ing our arrival, and will assist in pulling us up 
 the hill to Promontory. Between this and the 
 next station, are some very heavy grades, short 
 curves and deep rocky cuts, with fills across 
 ravines. Blue Creek comes rushing down from 
 the mountains, and furnishes water for several 
 stations along the road. Leaving this station 
 we begin to climb around a curve and up the 
 side of the Promontory Range, the road almost 
 doubling back on itself. The old grade of the 
 Union Pacific is crossed and recrossed in several 
 places, and is only a short distance away. 
 
 As we wind into the depressions and round the 
 points, gradually ascending to the summit of the 
 divide, the view of 'the lake, Corinne, Ogden and 
 the Wahsatch Mountains, is grand. The grade 
 for a short distance, is said to be 110 feet to the 
 mile. We pass the rock cuts where each road 
 
164 
 
 expended thousands of dollars, and where Bishop 
 John Sharp, now President of the Utah Central, 
 exploded a mine which lifted the rock from the 
 grade completely out, and gave a clear track after 
 the rubbish was cleared away. 
 
 Promontory, 804 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco ; elevation, 4,905 feet. It is about 9 miles 
 from Blue Creek, and in the first seven miles we 
 ascend over 500 feet. While the road was under 
 construction, this little place was quite lively, 
 but its glory has departed, and its importance at 
 this time, is chiefly historic. It has a very well- 
 kept eating-house for railroad and train men, 
 and large coal-sheds with a three-stall round- 
 house and other buildings for the convenience of 
 employes. The water used here is brought 
 from Blue Creek. It is located between two 
 peaks or ridges of the Promontory Range, one of 
 which on the left, is covered with cedars, and a 
 portion of the year crowned with snow. 
 
 This place is well known as the meeting of the 
 two railroads. 
 
 The highest point on the left, is called " Peak " 
 on Froiseth's Map of Utah, and from its summit a 
 magnificent view of the lake and surrounding 
 country can be obtained. 
 
 TJie Great Railroad Wedding Driving 
 the Last Spike. 
 
 American history, in its triumphs of skill, 
 labor and genius, knows no event of greater, 
 thrilling interest, than the scene which attended 
 the driving of the last spike, which united the 
 East and West with the bands of iron. The 
 completion of a project so grand in conception, so 
 successful in execution, and likely to prove so 
 fruitful and rich in promise, was worthy of 
 world-wide celebrity. 
 
 Upon the 10th of May, 1869, the rival roads 
 approached each other, and two lengths of rails 
 were left for the day's work. At 8 A. M., spec- 
 tators began to arrive; at quarter to 9 A. M., 
 the whistle of the Central Pacific Railroad is 
 heard, and the first train arrives, bringing a large 
 number of passengers. Then two additional 
 trains arrive on the Union Pacific Railroad, from 
 the East. At a quarter of 11 A. M., the Chinese 
 workmen commenced leveling the bed of the 
 road, with picks and shovels, preparatory to 
 placing the ties. At a quarter past eleven the 
 Governor's train (Governor Stanford) arrived. 
 The engine was gaily decorated with little flags 
 and ribbons the red white and blue. The last 
 tie is put in place eight feet long, eight inches 
 wide, and six inches thick. It was made of Cal- 
 ifornia laurel, finely polished, and ornamented 
 with a silver escutcheon, bearing the following 
 inscription : 
 
 " The last tie laid on the Pacific Railroad, May 
 10, 1869." 
 
 Then follow the names of the directors and 
 
 officers of the Central Pacific Company, and of 
 the presenter of the tie. 
 
 The exact point of contact of the road was 
 1,085.8 miles west from Omaha, which allowed 
 690 miles to the Central Pacific Railroad, for 
 Sacramento, for their portion of the work. The 
 engine Jupiter, of the Central Pacific Railroad, 
 and the engine 119 of the Union Pacific Rail- 
 road, moved up to within 30 feet of each other. 
 
 Just before noon the announcement was sent 
 to Washington, that the driving of the last spike 
 of the railroad which connected the Atlantic 
 and Pacific, would be communicated to all the 
 telegraph offices in the country the instant 
 the work was done, and instantly a large crowd 
 gathered around the offices of the Western 
 Union Telegraph Company to receive the wel- 
 come news. 
 
 The manager of the company placed a mag- 
 netic ball in a conspicuous position, where all 
 present could witness the performance, and con- 
 nected the same with the main lines, notifying 
 the various offices of the country that he was 
 ready. New Orleans, New York and Boston in- 
 stantly answered " Ready." 
 
 In San Francisco, the wires were connected 
 with the fire-alarm in the lower, where the heavy 
 ring of the bell might spread the news immedi- 
 ately over the city, as quick as the event was 
 completed. 
 
 Waiting for some time in impatience, at last 
 came this message from Promontory Point, at 
 2.27 P. M. : 
 
 " Almost ready. Hats off, prayer is being of- 
 fered" 
 
 A silence for the prayer ensued ; at 2.40 P. M., 
 the bell tapped again, and the officer at Promon- 
 tory said : 
 
 " We have got done praying, the spike is about 
 to be presented." 
 
 Chicago replied : " We understand, all are 
 ready in the East." 
 
 From Promontory Point. "All ready now; 
 the spike will soon be driven. The signal will be 
 three dots for the commencement of the blows." 
 
 For a moment the instrument was silent, and 
 then the hammer of the magnet tapped the bell, 
 one, two, three, the signal. Another pause of a 
 few seconds, and the lightning came flashing 
 eastward, 2,400 miles to Washington ; and the 
 blows of the hammer on the spike were repeated 
 instantly in telegraphic accents upon the bell of 
 the Capitol. At 2.47 P. M., Promontory Point 
 gave the signal, " Done ; " and the great Amer- 
 ican Continent was successfully spanned. 
 Immediately thereafter, flashed over the line, 
 the following official announcement to the As- 
 sociated Press : 
 
 Promontory Summit, Utah, May 10. THE 
 
 LAST RAIL IS LAID ! THE LAST SPIKE IS 
 
 DRIVEN ! THE PACIFIC RAILROAD is COM- 
 PLETED I The point of junction is 1,086 miles west 
 
I] 
 
 THE GREAT RAILROAD WEDDING. 
 1. Driving the last Spike. 2. Union of the East and West. 3. First Whistle of the Iron Horse. 
 
166 
 
 of the Missouri River, and 690 miles east of Sacra- 
 mento City. 
 
 LELAND STANFORD, 
 
 Central Pacific Railroad. 
 
 T. C. DURANT, ~) 
 
 SIDNEY DILLON, > Union Pacific Railroad. 
 JOHN DUFF, ) 
 
 Such were the telegraphic incidents that at- 
 tended the completion of the greatest work of the 
 age, but during these few expectant moments, 
 the scene itself at Promontory Point, was very 
 impressive. 
 
 After the rival engines had moved up toward 
 each other, a call was made for the people to 
 stand back, in order that all might have a 
 chance to see. Prayer was offered by Rev. Dr. 
 Todd of Massachusetts. Brief remarks were 
 then made by General Dodge and Governor 
 Stanford. Three cheers were given for the 
 Government of the United States, for the Rail- 
 road, for the Presidents, for the Star Spangled 
 Banner, for the Laborers, and for those respec- 
 tively, who furnished the means. Four spikes 
 were then furnished, two gold and tico silver, 
 by Montana, Idaho, California, and Nevada. 
 They were each about seven inches long, and a 
 little larger than the iron spike. 
 
 Dr. Harkness, of Sacramento, in presenting to 
 Governor Stanford a spike of pure gold, delivered 
 a short and appropriate speech. 
 
 The Hon. F. A. Tritle, of Nevada, presented 
 Dr. Durant with a spike of silver, saying : " To 
 the iron of the East, and the gold of the West, Ne- 
 vada adds her link of silver to span the Continent 
 and weld the oceans." 
 
 Governor Safford, of Arizona, presenting 
 another spike, said : " Ribbed in iron, clad in 
 silver, and crowned with gold, Arizona presents her 
 offering to the enterprise that has banded the Conti- 
 nent and welded the oceans." 
 
 Dr. Durant stood on the north side of the tie, 
 and Governor Stanford on the south side. At a 
 given signal, these gentlemen struck the spikes, 
 and at the same instant the electric spark was 
 sent through the wires, east and west. The two 
 locomotives moved up until they touched each 
 other, and a bottle of wine was poured, as a liba- 
 tion on the last rail. 
 
 A number of ladies graced the ceremonies with 
 their presence, and at 1 p. M., under an almost 
 cloudless sky, and in the presence of x about one 
 thousand one hundred people, the greatest railroad 
 on earth was completed. 
 
 A sumptuous repast was given to all the guests 
 and railroad officers, and toward evening the 
 trains each moved away and darkness fell upon 
 the scene of joy and triumph. 
 
 Immediately after the ceremonies, the laurel 
 tie was removed for preservation, and in its 
 place an ordinary one substituted. Scarcely had 
 it been put in its place, before a grand advance 
 
 was made upon it by the curiosity seekers and 
 relic hunters and divided into numberless me- 
 mentoes, and as fast as each tie was demolished 
 and a new one substituted, this, too, shared the 
 same fate, and probably within the first six 
 months, there were used as many new ties. It is 
 said that even one of the rails did not escape the 
 grand battery of knife and hack, and the first 
 one had soon to be removed to give place to 
 another. 
 
 A curious incident, connected with the laying 
 of the last rails, has been little noticed hitherto. 
 Two lengths of rails, 56 feet, had been omitted. 
 The Union Pacific people brought up their pair 
 of rails, and the work of placing them was done 
 by Europeans. The Central Pacific people then 
 laid their pair of rails, the labor being performed 
 by Mongolians. The foremen, in both cases, were 
 Americans. Here, near the center of the great 
 American Continent, were representatives of 
 Asia, Europe and America America directing 
 and controlling. 
 
 It is somewhat unfortunate that all the scenes 
 which characterize this place of meeting are 
 passed over by the railroad trains at night, and 
 travelers can not catch even a glimpse. 
 
 Leaving Promontory, a sugar-loaf peak rises 
 on our right, and. as we near it, the lake again 
 comes into view, looking like a green meadow in 
 the distance. About three miles west of the 
 station, on the left side of the track, a sign-board 
 has been erected, stating that 10 miles of track 
 were here laid in one day. Ten miles farther 
 west a similar sign-board appears. This track 
 was laid on the 29th of April, 1869, and, so far 
 as known, is the largest number of miles ever 
 laid in one day. (For a full description, see 
 page 8.) 
 
 Rozel, an unimportant station, -where trains 
 meet and pass ; but passenger trains do not stop 
 unless signaled. The lake can now be seen for 
 a long distance, and in a clear day, with a good 
 glass, the view is magnificent. Still crossing a 
 sage brush plain, with occasional alkali patches, 
 closing in upon the shore at times, we soon ar- 
 rive at 
 
 Lake. There is an open plain to the north 
 of these two stations, and north of Rozel espe- 
 cially, are salt wells. Between these two stations 
 the second sign-board close to the track, showing 
 the western limit of the 10 miles of track laid 
 in one day, is seen. North of Lake Station 
 about three miles, are Cedar Springs, which was 
 quite a place during the construction of the 
 road, and a great deal of wood, etc., was obtained 
 near them, for use of the road. Leaving this 
 station we pass across flats and marshes, with 
 the old Union Pacific grade still well preserved, 
 on our left. In places, however, it is partially 
 washed away by the waves of the lake. Next 
 comes 
 
 Monument, 804 miles from San Francisco ; 
 
167 
 
 SALT LAKE FROM MONUMENT POINT. 
 
 elevation, 4,227 feet. An isolated rock rises, 
 like a monument, in the lake on the left, while 
 the hill on the right is crowned with turrets and 
 projecting domes. You have here a grand view 
 of the lake, its islands and shores, with promon- 
 tories, etc., which is correctly represented by our 
 artist. The station itself is a mere side track 
 and " Y," for the convenience of the road. 
 When the strong south wind blows, the waves, 
 dashing against the rocks on the shore, and the 
 rolling white caps in the distance, form a beauti- 
 ful view which the tourist, after passing the 
 dreary waste, will appreciate. The road now 
 turns to the right, and the view of the lake is 
 shut out by a low hill that intervenes. On the 
 west side of this hill are the Locomotive Springs 
 which puff out steam at times, and which give 
 them their name. A Mormon brother has a 
 ranche at the springs, and seems to enjoy life as 
 best he can with three wives. 
 
 The Overfloiv of the Great Salt Lake 
 Another theory as to its outlet. Parties 
 who profess to be well posted as to the nature of 
 the country surrounding this great body of salt 
 water, do not agree with the views elsewhere ex- 
 pressed, that in case its rise continues, its waters 
 will flow into the Humboldt River. They assert 
 that north of Monument Rock is an extensive 
 arm of the lake, now dry, and that the divide 
 between the northern extremity of this arm and 
 the Raft River, a tributary of Snake River, is 
 not more than from 50 to 75 feet high ; and that, 
 if the lake rises, this divide will be washed out 
 or a channel may be cut through it into Raft 
 
 .^s^~' 
 MONUMENT POINT FROM SALT LAKE. 
 
 River, and the surplus waters of the lake thus 
 drained into the Pacific Ocean, through the 
 Snake and Columbia Rivers. Next we pass 
 
 Seco, which is an unimportant station in 
 the midst of sage plains, and soon arrive at 
 
 Kelton, 790 miles from San Francisco, with 
 an elevation of 4,223 feet. There have been no 
 very heavy grades between this and Promontory. 
 The town is located at the north-west corner of 
 Salt Lake, and about two miles from it, with low 
 marshes and sloughs intervening. This is a 
 stage station, and passengers for Boise City and 
 other points in Idaho, and points in Oregon as 
 far as Dalles, will here leave the train and secure 
 seats in the coaches of the stage line. The ship- 
 ping of freight for Idaho, and the fact that it is 
 the terminus of the stage line, are the principal 
 causes for the growth and business of this place. 
 It has a fair hotel, several stores, the usual num- 
 ber of saloons, and corrals for stock used in 
 freighting. In 1875, 6,000,000 pounds of freight 
 were shipped from this place to Idaho, or about 
 3,000 tons. The freighting business has grad- 
 ually increased from year to year, and will con- 
 tinue to do so as the mines of the Territory 
 are developed, and until the Portland, Dalles 
 and Salt Lake Railroad is pushed forward into 
 the Ter/ritory. Seven miles north of the town, 
 at the foot of the mountains, are springs of 
 clear, fresh water, from which water is conveyed 
 for the use of the railroad and inhabitants. 
 There is a good deal of stock grazed in the 
 vicinity of this station, which feed on sage brush 
 in the winter and such grass as they get, but find 
 
168 
 
 good grazing in the summer. The surplus cattle 
 are shipped to the markets on the Pacific Coast. 
 
 Tourists will also bear in mind, that this is 
 the station nearest to the great Shoshone Falls. 
 These falls are 110 miles from Kelton. Passen- 
 gers from the east will arrive at about 10 o'clock 
 p. M., and stay all night. Passengers from the 
 west will ai-rive at about two o'clock A. M. The 
 next morning they will take the stage 
 run by the North-western Stage Company, 100 
 miles to Rock Creek Station, which are made 
 over good roads in twelve hours. Here you will 
 stay over night, and take a team the next morn- 
 ing for the falls ; distance ten miles over a lava 
 plain, with stinted sage brush. No sign of the 
 great falls is seen, until you reach a point one mile 
 from them, when they suddenly burst upon the 
 eye with a grandeur and magnificence truly 
 bewildering. 
 
 Travelers to the main falls can reach them on 
 foot very easily from the upper ridge. It will 
 abundantly repay visitors to go to the edge of 
 the river, and contemplate their silent grandeur. 
 A pathway or trail leads from the point where 
 wagons stop, and the distance is about one mile. 
 
 The Great Shoshone Falls. 
 
 BY CLARENCE KING. 
 
 In October, 1868, with a small detachment of 
 a United States Geological Survey, the writer 
 crossed the Goose Creek Mountains, in northern 
 Utah, and descended by the old Fort Boise Road 
 to the level of the Snake Plain. After camp and 
 breakfast, at Rock Creek, mounting in the sad- 
 dle we headed toward the Canon of the Shoshone. 
 The air was cold and clear. The remotest 
 mountain peaks upon the horizon could be dis- 
 tinctly seen, and the forlorn details of their 
 brown slopes stared at us as through a vacuum. 
 A few miles in front, the smooth surface of the 
 plain was broken by a ragged, zigzag line of 
 black, which marked the edge of the farther wall 
 of the Snake Canon. A dull, throbbing sound 
 greeted us. Its pulsations were deep and seemed 
 to proceed from the ground beneath our feet. 
 
 Leaving the cavalry to bring up the wagon, my 
 two friends and I galloped on, and were quickly 
 upon the edge of the canon wall. We looked 
 down into a broad, circular excavation, three- 
 quarters of a mile in diameter, and nearly seven 
 hundred feet deep. East and north, over the 
 edges of the canon, we looked across miles and 
 miles of the Snake Plain, far on to the blue 
 boundary mountains. The wall of the gorge 
 opposite us, like the cliff at our feet, sank in 
 perpendicular bluffs, nearly to the level of the 
 river. A horizon as level as the sea; a circling 
 wall, whose sharp edges were here and there bat- 
 tlemented in huge, fortress-like masses ; a broad 
 river, smooth and unruffled, flowing quietly into 
 the middle of the scene, and then plunging into 
 
 a labyrinth of rocks, tumbling over a precipice 
 two hundred feet high, and flowing westward in 
 a still, deep current, disappear behind a black 
 promontory. Where the river flowed around 
 the western promontory, it was wholly in shadow, 
 and of a deep sea-green. A scanty growth of 
 coniferous trees fringed the brink of the lower 
 cliffs, overhanging the river. Dead barrenness 
 is the whole sentiment of the scene. 
 
 My tent was pitched upon the edge of a cliff, 
 directly overhanging the rapids. From my door 
 I looked over the edge of the falls, and, when- 
 ever the veil of mist was blown aside, I could see 
 for a mile down the river. At the very brink of 
 the fall a few twisted evergreens cling with their 
 roots to the rock, and lean over the abyss of foam 
 with something of that air of fatal fascination 
 which is apt to take possession of men. 
 
 In plan, the fall recurves up-stream in a deep 
 horseshoe, resembling the outline of Niagara. 
 The total breadth is about seven hundred feet, 
 and the greatest height of a single fall about one 
 hundred and ninety. Among the islands above 
 the brink are several beautiful cascades, where 
 portions of the river pour over in lace-like forms. 
 The whole mass of the fall is one ever-varying 
 sheet of spray. In the early spring, when swollen 
 by the rapidly melted snows, the river pours over 
 with something like the grand volume of Niag- 
 ara, but at the time of my visit, it was wholly 
 white foam. The river below the falls is very 
 deep. The right bank sinks into the water in a 
 clear, sharp precipice, but on the left side a nar- 
 row, pebbly beach extends along the foot of the 
 cliff. From the top of the wall, at a point a 
 quarter of a mile below the falls, a stream has 
 gradually worn a little stairway down to the 
 river : thick growths of evergreens have huddled 
 together in this ravine. Under the influence of 
 the cool shadow of the cliffs and the pines, and 
 constant percolating of surface-waters, a rare fer- 
 tility is developed in the ravines opening upon 
 the shore of the canon. A luxuriance of ferns 
 and mosses, an almost tropical wealth of green 
 leaves and velvety carpeting line the banks. 
 There are no rocks at the base of the fall. The 
 sheet of foam plunges almost vertically into a 
 dai'k, beryl-green, lake-like expanse of the river. 
 Immense volumes of foam roll up from the cata- 
 ract-base, and, whirling about in the eddying 
 winds, rise often a thousand feet into the air. 
 When the wind blows down the canon, a gray 
 mist obscures the river for half a mile; and 
 when, as is usually the case in the afternoon, the 
 breezes blow eastward, the foam-cloud curls over 
 the brink of the fall, and hangs like a veil over 
 the upper river. The incessant roar, reinforced 
 by a thousand echoes, fills the canon. From out 
 this monotone, from time to time, rise strange, 
 wild sounds, and now and then may be heard a 
 slow, measured beat, not unlike the recurring fall 
 of breakers. From the white front of the cata- 
 
170 
 
 ract the eye constantly wanders up to the black, 
 frowning parapet of lava. The actual edge is 
 usually formed of irregular blocks and prisms of 
 lava, poised upon their ends in an unstable equi- 
 librium, ready to be tumbled over at the first 
 leverage of the frost. Hardly an hour passes 
 without the sudden boom of one of those rock- 
 masses falling upon the ragged debris piled below. 
 
 After sleeping on the nightmareish brink of 
 the falls, it was no small satisfaction to climb 
 out of the Dantean gulf and find myself once 
 more upon a pleasantly prosaic foreground of 
 sage. Nothing more effectually banishes the 
 melotragic state of the mind than the obtrusive 
 ugliness and abominable smell of this plant. 
 From my feet a hundred miles of it stretched 
 eastward. A half-hour's walk took me out of 
 sight of the canon, and as the wind blew west- 
 ward, only occasional, indistinct pulsations of the 
 fall could be heard. 
 
 I walked for an hour, following an old Indian 
 trail which occasionally approached within see- 
 ing distance of the river, and then, apparently 
 quite satisfied, diverged again into the desert. 
 When about four miles from the Shoshone, it 
 bent abruptly to the north, and led to the edge of 
 the canon. Here again the narrow gorge widened 
 into a broad theater, surrounded as before by 
 black, vertical walls, and crowded over its whole 
 surface by rude piles and ridges of volcanic rock. 
 The river entered it from the east through a 
 magnificent gateway of basalt, and, having 
 reached the middle, flows on either side of a low, 
 rocky island, and plunges in two falls into a 
 deep, green basin. A very singular ridge of the 
 basalt projects like an arm almost across the 
 river,.inclosing within its semi-circle a bowl three 
 hundred feet in diameter and two hundred feet 
 deep. Within this the water was of the same 
 peculiar beryl-green, dappled here and there by 
 masses of foam which swim around and around 
 with a spiral tendency toward the center. To the 
 left of the island half the river plunges off an over- 
 hanging lip, and falls about 150 feet, the whole vol- 
 ume reaching the surface of the basin many feet 
 from the wall. The other half of the river has 
 worn away the edge, and descends in a tumbling 
 cascade at an angle of about forty-five degrees. 
 
 The cliffs around the upper cataract are infe- 
 rior to those of the Shoshone. While the level 
 of the upper plain remains nearly the same, the 
 river constantly deepens the channel in its west- 
 ward course. 
 
 By dint of hard climbing I reached the actual 
 brink in a few places, and saw the canon succes- 
 sively widening and narrowing, its walls here 
 and there approaching each other and standing 
 like the pillars of a gateway; the river alter- 
 nately flowing along smooth, placid reaches of 
 level, and then rushing swiftly down rocky cas- 
 cades. Here and there along the cliff are dis- 
 closed the mouths of black caverns, where the 
 
 lava seems to have been blown up in the form of 
 a great blister, as if the original flow had poured 
 over some pool of water, and the hot rock, con- 
 verting it into steam, had been blown up bubble- 
 like by its immense expansion. I continued my 
 excursions along the canon to the west of the 
 Shoshone. About a mile below the fall, a very 
 fine promontory juts sharply out from the wall, 
 and projects nearly to the middle of the canon. 
 Climbing with difficulty along its toppling crest, 
 I reached a point which I found composed of 
 immense, angular fragments piled up in danger- 
 ous poise. Looking eastward, the battlemented 
 rocks around the falls limited the view ; but 
 westward I could see down long reaches of river, 
 where islands of trachyte rose above white cas- 
 cades. A peculiar and fine effect is noticeable 
 upon the river during all the midday. The 
 shadow of the southern cliff is cast down here 
 and there, completely darkening the river, but 
 often defining itself upon the water. The con- 
 trast between the rich, gem-like green of the sun- 
 lit portions and the deep-violet shadow of the 
 cliff is of extreme beauty. The Snake River, 
 deriving its volume wholly from the melting of 
 the mountain snows, is a direct gauge of the an- 
 nual advance of the sun. In June and July 
 it is a tremendous torrent, carrying a full half of 
 the Columbia. From the middle of July it con- 
 stantly shrinks, reaching its minimum in mid- 
 winter. At the lowest, it is a river equal to the 
 Sacramento or Connecticut. 
 
 Near the "City of Rocks " Station, in the 
 Goose Creek Mountains, are found the " Giant 
 Rocks," and over the little rise is the place that 
 gives the name to the station. Dotting the 
 plains are thousands of singular rocks, on which 
 the weary pilgrims of 1849, have written their 
 names in cart-grease paint. The old Cali- 
 fornia road is still seen, but now overgrown 
 with rank weeds. The view as you descend 
 from the summit is sublime. Far away in the 
 distance loom up the Salmon River Mountains, 
 distant 125 miles, and in the intervening space 
 winds the valley of the Snake River. 
 
 Kelton has from 250 to 300 inhabitants, nearly 
 all supported by the Idaho trade, though it will 
 eventually have some mining trade, as the recent 
 discovery of mines in the Black Pine District, 25 
 miles north, will have an influence in this direc- 
 tion. Kelton is the nearest railroad station to 
 these mines, and parties desiring to visit them 
 will leave the cars here. 
 
 Idaho Territory. This is one of the 
 smallest of the Territories, as now constituted, 
 and claims a population of about 15,000 people. 
 There are three public lines of conveyance which 
 lead into the Territory, or rather two, as one of 
 them passes entirely through it. The stage line 
 from Kelton passes the City of Rocks, and 
 
171 
 
 within ten miles of the Great Shoshone Falls, to 
 Dalles in Oregon, by way of Boise City, 250 miles 
 out ; thence to Baker City, Oregon, 400 miles ; 
 to Union, 435 miles ; to La Grande, 450 miles ; 
 to Unatilla, 510 miles, and to Walla Walla, 530 
 miles. At Boise City the line connects with 
 stages for Idaho City, Centerville, Placerville and 
 Silver City. Boise City is the territorial capital, 
 a city said to contain 3,500 people, and located 
 on the Boise River. There is not much agri- 
 cultural land in the Territory, but a few of the 
 valleys are cultivated and produce excellent 
 crops of wheat, barley and oats, with potatoes 
 and all kinds of vegetables. Crops are raised by 
 
 are quite a large number of Chinese in the Ter- 
 ritory, mostly engaged in placer and gulch min- 
 ing. They are industrious and frugal and will 
 frequently make money from claims that have 
 been abandoned as worthless by white men. So 
 far as developed, the Territory has some rich 
 mines, and those in the Atlantic District are be- 
 coming somewhat noted. It is claimed that the 
 richest known gold mine in the country at pres- 
 ent, is in this district. In addition to the sup- 
 plies, etc., shipped from Winnemucca, over 
 6,000,000 pounds of freight were shipped from 
 Kelton Station to this Territory in 1875, and 
 more than this amount will be shipped the pres- 
 
 VIEW LOOKING DOWN THE SHOSHONE FALLS. 
 
 irrigation. Boise Valley, the settled portion of 
 it, is about 60 miles long and four miles wide, 
 and is the most thickly settled of any of the 
 valleys in the Territory. The nights are so cool 
 and the altitude of the valleys is so great that ex- 
 periments in corn raising have not, thus far, 
 turned out very well. The second line of public 
 conveyance spoken of, runs from Winnemucca to 
 Silver City. 
 
 It is claimed that this town is equal in popu- 
 lation to Boise City. It is sustained by the 
 mines located near it. At Rattlesnake Station 
 there is also a connecting stage line for Rocky 
 Bar, a mining camp, near which placer and 
 gulch diggings have been discovered. There 
 
 ent year. Much of it has been, and will be, 
 mining machinery. A railroad through the Ter- 
 ritory is much needed, will aid greatly in the 
 development of its mines, and will be a paying 
 investment from the start, or, at least, in a very 
 short time after its completion. The Snake and 
 Salmon Rivers are among its principal streams. 
 The Snake River rises in the mountains of the 
 Yellowstone Region, and flows entirely through 
 the Territory from east to west, and forms one of 
 the tributaries to the Columbia River of Oregon. 
 The scenery along its valley is varied, but in 
 some places is grand. Idaho also has immense 
 ranges where a large number of cattle are grazed 
 both winter and summer, without hay. The stock 
 
172 
 
 interest is rapidly becoming one of the principal 
 features of the Territory. Its future prosperity, 
 however, depends largely upon the development 
 of its mining interests. 
 
 Leaving Kelton, the road soon turns to the left, 
 and, rising a heavy grade, reaches the divide be- 
 tween the Great Salt Lake and the valley beyond. 
 The mountains for a distance are on our right, 
 while, from the left, a magnificent view of the 
 western arm of the lake can be obtained. Be- 
 tween the road and the lake are extensive salt 
 plains, which in the sun glisten like burnished 
 silver, while beyond are the green waters of this 
 inland sea. Going up this grade, you will notice 
 a ledge of rocks on the left side of the track, 
 the lower end of which has been tunneled by the 
 wind, forming a natural aperture like an open 
 arch. We soon turn to the right, leave the lake 
 behind us and wind along the side of the mount- 
 ain. A dreary salt marsh or alkali plain is now 
 seen on the left, and the low, isolated hill on the 
 shore, which for a time obscured our vision is 
 passed, giving us another view of the lake in the 
 distance, and the mountains of the Wahsatch 
 and Oquirrh Ranges beyond, as far as the eye 
 can reach. Passing through a rocky cut from a 
 projecting spur of the range we are passing, and 
 looking to the right, a beautiful conical dome 
 rises up, as a grim sentinel to guard the way. 
 
 Ontbey, simply a side track in the midst of 
 a heavy gravel cut, 778 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco, with an elevation of 4,721 feet. At Kelton 
 we were but little above the elevation of Salt 
 Lake, 4,223 feet, and we are 500 feet higher here 
 than when we left that place, the distance be- 
 tween the two being about 11 miles. From the 
 frequent views of the Great American Desert 
 which the traveler can obtain while passing over 
 this portion of the road, he can form some idea 
 of its utter barrenness and desolation, and the 
 great sufferings of those who have attempted to 
 cross it without adequate preparation,- and the 
 consequent burning thirst they and their animals 
 have endured. 
 
 Matlin, only a side track, 768 miles from 
 San Francisco ; elevation, 4,597 feet. 
 
 Terrace, a railroad town on the edge of the 
 Great American Desert. It is 757 miles from 
 San Francisco, with an elevation of 4,544 feet. 
 Here is a ten-stall roundhouse, and the machine 
 and repair shops of the Salt Lake Division of 
 the Central Pacific Railroad. Mr. R. H. Pratt, 
 with headquarters at Ogden, is Superintendent 
 of this Division, which extends from that place 
 to Toano in Nevada. The town has about 300 
 people, which includes not only the railroad men 
 and their families, but those who are here for the 
 purpose of trade and traffic with them. The 
 water tank here, as at a good many stations on 
 this road, is supplied with water brought through 
 pipes from the springs in the mountains. 
 
 The town has two or three stores, saloons and 
 
 an eating-house, where railroad men and emi- 
 grants take their meals. It depends wholly on 
 its local trade at present ; but the discovering 
 and opening of the Rosebud Mines, about 10 
 miles north, will tend to increase its business, if 
 they are developed. Terrace is the railroad sta- 
 tion for the mines in the Newfoundland District, 
 some 18 miles south. Miners for either of the 
 above named districts, will leave the cars at this 
 station. There are no stage lines to them, as 
 yet, but private conveyances can be readily ob- 
 tained. The desert with its dreary loneliness 
 a barren waste still continues. 
 
 Leaving Terrace we have over 20 miles of 
 straight road over which we soon pass. A spur 
 of the Goose Creek Range of Mountains puts 
 down on our right, while Silver Islet Mountain 
 rises out of the alkali plain on our left, and 
 Pilot's Peak, one of the lofty mountains of 
 Nevada, and a noted landmark for many a weary 
 pilgrim across the desert, looms up in the south- 
 west. 
 
 Bovine, an unimportant station, with side 
 track for the convenience of passing trains, 747 
 miles from San Francisco, with an elevation of 
 4,347 feet. On our right are broken mountains, 
 while there is an isolated peak one side of which 
 seems to have settled away from the other, leav- 
 ing it very rough and ragged. Next we come to 
 
 Lucin, 734 miles from San Francisco, with 
 an elevation of 4,486 feet above the sea. Be- 
 yond Lucin, a short distance, we strike Grouse 
 Creek, which rises in the hills north. This creek 
 usually sinks in the sandy desert, and no water 
 in it crosses the railroad, except in the spring 
 when the snows are melting. On the right, east 
 of the hills, and north of Lucin about 4 1-2 miles, 
 are the Owl Springs which have an abundance 
 of water. As we enter the pass in this low range 
 of hills, we lose sight of Silver Islet Mountains, 
 and the range close to the track is called the 
 Pilot Range, or by the miners, Buel Range, after 
 Buel City. Leaving Grouse Creek on our right, 
 the road leads to the left again, and we enter 
 the Thousand Spring Valley. It virtually unites 
 with the Grouse Valley, though its waters usu- 
 ally sink in the sand before they reach those of 
 the creek mentioned. As we near Tecoma, the 
 traveler will notice a small granite monument on 
 the left side of the track, near the summit of the 
 grade, supported by a heap of stones. This mon- 
 ument marks the Nevada State line and passing 
 it, we enter the land of the " big bonanzas." 
 
 Tecoma, Nevada, 724 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco, with an elevation of 4,812 feet. This is 
 the nearest railroad station to the celebrated 
 Tecoma Mines, one owned by Rowland & 
 Aspinwall of New York, and the other owned 
 by a London company, both mines bearing the 
 same name. Tecoma is the railroad station for 
 Lucin Mining District, and stages leave here 
 every morning for Buel City, the mining town 
 
173 
 
 of the district, six miles south, in the foot hills of 
 the range. It is the nearest railroad station 
 also, to the Deep Creek District, 90 miles due 
 south. The Goose Creek and Delano Districts 
 have recently been opened about 35 miles north 
 of this place and are said to contain rich pros- 
 pects. The formation, however, is very much 
 broken, and affords strong evidences of a mighty 
 upheaval sometime. Within a mile or two of 
 the town, north, a good view of the Thousand 
 Spring Valley is obtained with its pasturage and 
 hay lands. Tecoma has two or three stores, 
 saloon, dwellings, etc., and will soon have a 
 smelting works. It has a population of from 50 
 to 100 ; and the most of its business is with the 
 mines and cattle men. Stock-yards convenient 
 for shipping cattle have been erected here. 
 There is a fine grazing country off to the north, 
 where large herds of cattle are kept, and this 
 has come to be a prominent business of this part 
 of the country. As we approach Tecoma, on 
 our left a bluff peak with perpendicular walls 
 closes the northern end of Pilot Range, while 
 Pilot Peak towers up to the heavens at the 
 southern extremity. It is 20 miles from Tecoma 
 to the base of this peak, though it does not seem 
 half that distance. Tecoma is also the railroad 
 station for the Silver Islet Mining District, and if 
 the mines in its immediate vicinity are developed, 
 it will become a place of considerable impor- 
 tance. Leaving Tecoma the railroad continues 
 over a sage brush and greasewood plain to the 
 left of the valley, with a part of the old Union 
 Pacific grade on the right, and as we approach 
 the next range of hills or mountains, we have a 
 fine broadside view of grand old Pilot Peak, and 
 do not wonder at its prominence, or the great re- 
 gard in which it was held by the emigrants across 
 this dreary desert. 
 
 Motitello, 715 miles from San Francisco, 
 with an elevation of 5,010 feet. At this station 
 is a large water-tank supplied with water from 
 a spring in the mountains on the right, some ten 
 miles away. The mountain ranges this side of 
 Ogden run from north to south, parallel with 
 each other, and the railroad crosses them over 
 low divides or passes, while the plains of the 
 desert lay between them. To our right a 
 point of the Pequop Range approaches the 
 track, and shuts out our view of the Old Pilot, 
 as we pass up the grade, and into the narrow 
 defile. 
 
 It is generally understood that the mines of 
 the Pilot Range are quite extensive, and that the 
 ore, though of rather low grade, is nevertheless 
 to be found in large quantities and is quite ac- 
 cessible. Buel City has a smelter erected which 
 has reduced considerable ore. 
 
 Loray, nearly on the summit of the divide. 
 It is 704 miles from San Francisco, with an ele- 
 vation of about 5,960 feet. It is a station of no 
 particular importance to travelers. Wood and 
 
 timber, cut in the mountains for the use of the 
 road, is delivered here. 
 
 Toano, 698 miles from San Francisco, with 
 an elevation of 5,973 feet the western terminus 
 of the Salt Lake Division of the Central Pacific, 
 and nearly 183 miles from Ogden. Toano has 
 a roundhouse with six stalls and an adjoining 
 shed where two engines can be sheltered. It 
 has the usual side tracks, coal-sheds and build- 
 ings for the transaction of the business of the 
 company. The town has about 250 people. 
 
 The following mining districts are tributary to 
 this place, and transact the most of their busi- 
 ness here : Silver Zone, distant 20 miles, mines 
 mostly milling ore ; Dolly Varden, 55 miles ; 
 Cherry Creek, 100 miles ; Egan Canon, 105 
 miles; Shellburn, 110 miles; Mineral City, 130 
 miles ; Ward, 140 miles. They are all south of 
 the railroad, and connected with Toano by a 
 good wagon road, though there are no mails car- 
 ried by this route. A great deal of freight is 
 carried to the mines, and ore and bullion hauled 
 back. The road is destitute of water for a consid- 
 erable part of the way, and wells, at a great ex- 
 pense, have been dug in some places, from which 
 water is sold to freighters. The ore from some 
 of the mines in these districts is very rich. 
 Twenty cars of ore from the Paymaster Mine in 
 the Ward District were shipped from here in 
 January, 1876, nineteen of which averaged about 
 $800 per ton, and one car averaged a little over 
 $1,000 per ton, net. Not only the Ward, but 
 others in this region are regarded as prosperous 
 mining camps. In 1875, from 800 to 1,000 tons 
 of base bullion were shipped from this place, the 
 product of these mines. The valleys south have 
 good ranges for stock, and some of them, as the 
 Steptoe Valley, produce excellent crops of small 
 grain and vegetables. The Toano Range of 
 Mountains runs from north to south, and heads 
 near this place. On the road to Pioche, about 
 180 miles from Toano, and about half a mile 
 from the road, is the Mammoth Cave of Nevada. 
 It has been partially explored, but its extent is 
 not known. Beautiful specimens of stalactites 
 and crystals have been found here, and the 
 tourist would be highly interested in a visit to 
 this cave, which in a short time must become a 
 place of public resort. 
 
 North of Toano, the Goose Creek Range of 
 Mountains, which divides Goose Creek and Thou- 
 sand Spring Valley, are plainly visible. The Sal- 
 mon Falls copper mines, on Salmon Falls River, 
 are about 60 miles north, and are known to be 
 rich in copper. 
 
 Abput 20 miles south of the town, a road to the 
 Deep Creek Mining District branches off from 
 the Pioche road, and part of the business of that 
 mining camp is done here. The country imme- 
 diately around Toano is barren and desolate in 
 appearance not very inviting to the traveler or 
 settler. 
 
174 
 
 On leaving Toano we have an up grade to 
 Moore's Station, about 30 miles. In the winter 
 great difficulty is experienced with snow over 
 this distance, and in the summer the route is ex- 
 tremely beautiful and picturesque. Just west of 
 the town, on the right, the low hills are covered 
 with a scattering growth of scrub pines and ce- 
 dars. The Pequop Range juts up to the town 
 on the south, while on the north may still be 
 seen the mountains of the Goose Creek Range. 
 The road between this point and Wells is undu- 
 lating, and full of short curves and heavy grades. 
 Six snow sheds are passed, in rapid succession. 
 As we look off to the right, the hill seems to de- 
 scend into a large valley, with a range of mount- 
 ains beyond. It is a dry, sage brush valley and 
 continues in sight until we pass Independence. 
 
 JPequop, 689 miles from San Francisco, 
 with an elevation of 6,184 feet. It is simply a 
 side track, at which passenger trains do not stop. 
 Passing this, we next reach the Otego telegraph 
 station, which is only used in winter, to give no- 
 tice of snow-blocked trains, etc. 
 
 Dead Man's Sprint/. About five miles 
 from Pequop, in the low hills off to the right of 
 the track, is a spring which bears the above sug- 
 gestive title. In the spring of 1873, the body of 
 a dead man was found near it, with a bullet hole 
 through his skull. The decomposition of the 
 body had advanced so far that it was past 
 recognition, and the questions as to who he was, 
 and how he came to be killed, were not likely to 
 be solved. In short, the man and his tragic end 
 were wrapped in great mystery. The old adage, 
 however, that " murder will out," was again veri- 
 fied in this case. It seems that a large drove of 
 cattle came into this region of country, in the 
 fall of 1872, and that two of the herders em- 
 ployed one a Mexican, and the other a white 
 man, were paid off near Wells, and started back 
 for Colorado, where they were first employed. 
 They camped together one night at this spring, 
 and the next morning one was left cold and 
 stark upon the bosom of mother earth, while the 
 other, the Mexican, went on and in due time 
 arrived in Denver, Col. He had murdered 
 his companion, robbed him of his money, his 
 watch and his horse, and with his plunder, with 
 no one to witness the deed, thought himself se- 
 cure. But a brother of the murdered man lived 
 in Denver, and hearing nothing from the absent 
 one for a long time, became somewhat alarmed 
 about him, and began to institute inquiries and 
 to search for his companion. His efforts were 
 soon rewarded, and in a short time he heard that 
 the Mexican, who was known to have accom- 
 panied his brother in driving the herd to Neva- 
 da, had returned, and had been seen in Denver. 
 Furthermore, it was supposed that he had not 
 left that city, and could be found somewhere in 
 its immediate vicinity. His trail was finally 
 struck, and followed until he was found. His 
 
 account of the missing man was so confused, and 
 his different stories so conflicting and improb- 
 able, that he was arrested and searched. The 
 search revealed the watch and other trinkets of 
 the murdered man, which were at once recognized 
 by his brother. His horse was also found. The 
 Mexican, now thoroughly suspected, was closely 
 questioned, and the evidence against him was so 
 strong, that, while confined in jail, he confessed 
 the crime. This so exasperated the friends of 
 the murdered man that they determined upon 
 vengeance, and immediately organized to secure 
 the death of the culprit. The villain was taken 
 from his cell in the jail one night, and found the 
 next morning hanging to a telegraph pole. Thus 
 was the spring named. 
 
 Otego, station and side track, which is 688 
 miles from San Francisco, with an elevation of 
 6,154 feet. The tourist may enjoy a magnificent 
 view of hills and mountains, valleys and dales, 
 as we pass on over some of the reverse curves in 
 the road. The old Union Pacific grade is still 
 seen in patches, on our right. Pequop Range, 
 with Independence Valley, now looms grandly 
 into view on our left, as we arrive at 
 
 Independence, 676 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco, with an elevation of 6,007 feet. We are 
 now crossing a low divide between the valley on 
 our right, above spoken of, and Independence 
 Valley on our left. This station is on a heavy 
 down grade, and trains going west seldom stop. 
 The water tank is supplied from springs in the 
 low hills off to the right, and the side track is a 
 little beyond it. We now pass to the right 
 around an isolated mountain that seems to 
 guard the entrance to Independence Valley, 
 and then to the left, and as we turn to enter the 
 pass in the mountains a lovely view of this beau- 
 tiful valley is again obtained stretching away as 
 far as the eye can reach. It is a great stock 
 range, and thousands of cattle annually feed 
 upon its rich nutritious grasses. Turning again 
 to the right we enter what is called Cedar Pass. 
 Passing a section-house at which there is a win- 
 ter telegraph station for use of snow-bound trains, 
 we soon reach the summit of the divide between 
 Independence Valley, and the valley of the Hum- 
 boldt, at 
 
 Moore's, 669 miles from San Francisco, 
 with an elevation of 6,166 feet. It was formerly 
 quite a town for wood-choppers and frontier 
 men, when the railroad was being built; but 
 its glory has departed and the stakes and posts 
 of a few houses are all that remain to mark the 
 spot. Down the grade we go into the far-famed 
 Humboldt Valley, passing Cedar, a side track, 
 where a camp of wood-choppers in the mount- 
 ains on our left, deliver their wood. 
 
 Wells, 661 miles from San Francisco, with 
 an elevation of 5,629 feet. Just as we enter the 
 town, we pass the mountain spur on our 'left, 
 and Clover Valley bursts into view. Its name 
 
175 
 
 is significant as it abounds in the natural clover 
 so well known in the Eastern States. The town 
 has about 100 inhabitants, with roundhouse for 
 three engines, a hotel, stores, saloon, etc. The 
 railroad water tank formerly supplied with water 
 pumped from the wells, a little west of the town, is 
 now rilled from a mountain spring four miles 
 away. 
 
 Humboldt Wells as they are called, give celeb- 
 rity to this place. They are really springs about 
 thirty in number, situated mostly in a low basin 
 half a mile west of the station. There are no 
 evidences of volcanic action about them as we 
 could perceive, nor does a crater in this low 
 place seem at all probable. They are very 
 probably natural springs and from the nature of 
 the porous soil around them, they do not rise and 
 flow away as similar springs do in a more com- 
 pact soil. The water, by residents here, is not 
 considered brackish at all, nor is it particularly 
 warm, though the springs have never been 
 known to freeze over. They are also called 
 bottomless, but no accurate knowledge has yet 
 been published in regard to their depth. They 
 are simply deep springs, but the opinion is here 
 entertained that a lead and line would soon 
 touch bottom in them. It was the great water- 
 ing place in times of the old emigrant travel, and 
 at least three of these roads converged to this 
 point and united here. These were the Grass 
 Creek, the Thousand Spring Valley and the 
 Cedar Pass Roads. Emigrants in those days al- 
 ways rejoiced when they had passed the perils of 
 the Great American Desert, and arrived at these 
 springs where there was plenty of water, pure 
 and sweet and an abundance of grass for their 
 weary and worn animals. Hence it was a favor- 
 ite camping ground. Visitors approaching these 
 springs in the summer, and springing on the sod 
 can fairly shake the adjoining springs, a fact 
 that leads to the opinion entertained by some, 
 that they are really openings of a lake, which 
 has been gradually covered over by the accumu- 
 lation of grass and grass roots and other luxu- 
 riant vegetation, which abounds along and 
 around the basin. The fact that the ground 
 around these springs is so elastic, and the known 
 incidents in history, where luxuriant vegetation 
 has frequently caused islands in rivers and lakes, 
 confirms this opinion in our mind, and we be- 
 lieve a thorough investigation will establish this 
 theory as correct. There is then in this basin 
 simply a covered lake, and the springs are open- 
 ings to it. The conformation of the land 
 around the basin also tends to convince us of the 
 truth of this theory. The basin is the receptacle 
 of the drainage of a large water-shed, and there 
 are high mountains nearly all around it. These 
 springs abound in fish the little minnows that 
 are so common in the brooks and small streams 
 in the Eastern States. Other kinds there may 
 be, but these only have been caught. The 
 
 apertures differ in size, and the openings to 
 some are much larger than the openings in 
 others. If they were on a side-hill every body 
 would call them springs, but inasmuch as they 
 are in a low basin, they are called wells. Their 
 depth and surroundings also convey this im- 
 pression. 
 
 Mr. Hamill, a merchant of Wells, says that he 
 took a piece of railroad iron and tied some lariat 
 ropes to it (about 160 feet), and could find no 
 bottom in the deepest springs which he sounded 
 with that length of rope. He further says that 
 a government exploring party, under command 
 of Lieutenant Cuppinger, visited Wells in 1870 
 and took soundings of the springs to a depth of 
 from 1,500 to 1,700 feet and found no bottom. 
 These soundings were of the largest springs or 
 wells, and while his statement may be true, even 
 soundings to this depth does not render them 
 bottomless. 
 
 How to see them and know where they are, is 
 the next thing of consequence to the traveler. 
 As you pass west of the station, notice the end 
 of a piece of the old Union Pacific grade ; next 
 the graves surrounded by painted fences ; then 
 off to the right a heap of stones, where the en- 
 gine-house was built the engine being used to 
 force water from the well, which is just beyond 
 this heap of stones, to the tank along side of the 
 track. The heavy growth of grass around the 
 place will indicate where this well is in sum- 
 mer, and the accumulated deposits of this grass 
 has raised a little rim around this particular 
 well, and the same is true of others in its im- 
 mediate vicinity. 
 
 Travelers will take notice that a mail and ex- 
 press stage line leaves Wells tri-weekly Mon- 
 days, Wednesdays and Fridays in the morning, 
 for Sprucemont, 40 miles, and Cherry Creek, 
 95 miles distant. At Cherry Creek this line con- 
 nects with stages for Egan Canon, on the line of 
 the old overland stage route, Mineral City (Rob- 
 inson District) and Hamilton, the county-seat of 
 White Pine County. At Mineral City, convey- 
 ances can be easily obtained for Ward's District, 
 20 miles distant. The Spruce Mountain Mining 
 District is said to contain some very good mines, 
 and a company has recently been organized in 
 San Francisco, to continue the work of develop- 
 ment. Sprucemont is the mining town of the 
 district, and is beautifully located on an elevated 
 bench in the midst of groves of pines and cedars. 
 It has a population of from 50 to 100, according 
 to the season. 
 
 There are estimated to be about 40 ranches in 
 Clovev Valley, and as many in Ruby Valley. 
 These ranchemen are engaged in agriculture and 
 stock growing. They raise wheat, barley, oats, 
 and splendid vegetables. Wells has extensive 
 stock-yards, to accommodate the large shipments 
 of cattle, annually made from these ranches. 
 The valley in this immediate vicinity is the 
 
176 
 
 scene of the annual " round-ups," every spring. 
 Cedar Pass Range is the range on our left, as we 
 come through by Moore's Station. West of this 
 range and south of Wells, is Clover Valley. The 
 tourist will see " Castle Peak " on the further 
 side of this valley as the train pauses at the 
 station, and this peak is on the northern end of 
 Ruby Range, and it is always covered with snow. 
 Ruby Valley is nearly due south of the " Castle " 
 which you see in the mountain, and is divided 
 from Clover Valley by a spur of this range, 
 which turns into it like a hook. Ruby Range is 
 about 150 miles long, and we only see its north- 
 ern extremity at Wells. 
 
 North of Wells, across the first range, lies the 
 Thousand Spring Valley then across another 
 low divide, you will strike a valley whose 
 waters flow north-west through the Columbia 
 River, to the Pacific Ocean. Fishermen will 
 bear in mind that salmon trout are caught in 
 this valley in the spring of the year. The 
 stream is a branch of the Salmon Falls River, 
 which empties into Snake River, about 120 
 miles north of this station. 
 
 A proposed railroad has been talked of, to con- 
 nect this point with Callville, on the Colorado 
 River, and the route is said to be very feasible. 
 Wells is also the connecting point for a direct 
 " cut off " to Salt Lake City, should such a road 
 be built. 
 
 It may be well to remark here, that the mount- 
 ain ranges in Nevada, as in Utah, generally ex- 
 tend from north to south and the only exception 
 to this rule, is where there are broken or detached 
 ranges, or isolated peaks. Leaving Wells, the 
 foot hills on our left, in a short distance, ob- 
 scure a view of the high peaks in the Ruby 
 Range ; but they soon reappear as we pass down 
 the valley, and are our constant companions, only 
 a short distance away, until we leave Halleck. 
 Between the Humboldt River and the base of 
 these mountains, there is an elevated bench cov- 
 ered with the usual sage brush and greasewood, 
 while in the valley and along the borders of the 
 stream, grass land predominates. An exten- 
 sive stock-dealer, when asked about the quali- 
 fications, etc., for growing cattle, said that 
 " there was about one acre of grass to seventy- 
 five acres of sage brush," and a limited observa- 
 tion of this part of the State, at least, proves 
 that he was not far out of the way. As we de- 
 scend the river, however, a gradual increase in 
 grass lands will be observed, while in places, the 
 greasewood which, so far as we know, is entirely 
 useless, grows in astonishing luxuriance. 
 
 Tulasco, 654 miles from San Francisco, 
 with an elevation of 5,482 feet. The valley seems 
 to widen out as we descend it, and bushes grow 
 in bunches along the banks of the stream as if 
 the old earth, under the most favorable conditions, 
 was trying to produce trees to beautify and adorn 
 these barren plains. Soon Bishop's Valley can 
 
 be seen on our right. Looking to the left, we 
 see the canon in the mountain side, down which 
 rushes Trout Creek, when the snows are melting 
 in the spring and early summer. This creek 
 abounds in " speckled beauties," and unites with 
 the Humboldt about a mile and a half below 
 Bishop's Creek, which we soon cross, through a 
 covered bridge. 
 
 Bishop's is another side track station, but 
 on we glide through the valley as it widens out 
 into magnificent proportions. It is 649 miles 
 from San Francisco, and has an elevation of 
 5,412 feet. Another little creek and valley now 
 appear on our right, and we soon arrive at 
 
 Deeth, 642 miles from San Francisco ; ele- 
 vation, 5,340 feet. It is a telegraph station, and 
 has a few buildings around it. The valley seems 
 very broad as we approach this station, and evi- 
 dences of settlement and cultivation begin to 
 appear. The bushes and willows along the 
 banks of the stream increase, and it is a para- 
 dise for ducks and geese. 
 
 Halleck is the next station, 630 miles from 
 San Francisco, with an elevation of 5,230 feet. 
 It is named from Camp Halleck, which is located 
 at the base of mountains, 13 miles from the 
 station, and across the river. A few troops are 
 usually kept here two or three companies, 
 and all the freighting and business of the post is 
 done from this station. The town itself has a 
 post-office, hotel, a small store and the usual saloons 
 where " lingering death," or " blue ruin," the com- 
 mon terms for whisky, is doled out to soldiers, and 
 others who patronize them. It is probable that 
 good crops of wheat, barley and oats could be 
 raised here by irrigating the land, but it is 
 mostly occupied as stock ranges. Camp Halleck 
 is not plainly seen from the railroad, though a 
 few buildings a little removed from it, will point 
 out its locality. A regular mail ambulance runs 
 daily between it and the station. Leaving 
 Halleck, Elko Mountain seems to rise on our 
 right close to the track, but the road soon turns 
 and we pass this landmark on our left. The 
 Ruby Range which we have seen away to the 
 left, from Wells to the last station, is now left in 
 the rear as we turn westward again, and pass 
 down one of the Humboldt Canons. The camp 
 is delightfully located, well watered and is sur- 
 rounded with thriving groves of cottonwood 
 trees. 
 
 Peko is the next station, merely a side 
 track, and section-house at the head of the first 
 canon on the river. It is 626 miles from San 
 Francisco, with an elevation of 5,204 feet. We 
 are now at the head of the Humboldt Canon, the 
 first one through which the river passes. It is 
 not wild and rugged but nevertheless sufficiently 
 so to make it interesting. A short distance be- 
 low Peko, the North Fork of Humboldt comes 
 in. It is about as large as the main body and is 
 a peculiar stream. It rises nearly north of Car- 
 
177 
 
 lin, some distance west of this point, and runs 
 to the north-east for a distance, then nearly east, 
 and finally turns toward the south-west, and 
 unites with the Humboldt at this point. The 
 road through this canon is full of short curves, 
 and winds like a serpent through the hills. 
 Now it seems as though the train would be 
 thrown into a heap at the base of the hill we 
 are approaching, but a turn to the right or 
 left saves us from such a calamity. Once or 
 twice before we reach Osino, the valley opens 
 out between the hills, and where the North Fork 
 enters there is an abundance of grass which is 
 monopolized by a rancheman. At the next 
 station, 
 
 Osino, 614 miles from San Francisco, with 
 an elevation of 5,132 feet, a mere side track, 
 we enter upon an open valley, and for about 
 nine miles pass over a nearly straight track. 
 The valley is all taken up by ranchemen and 
 farmers, and good crops are raised by irrigation. 
 The water is taken from the Humboldt above, 
 brought down in a ditch, from which it is taken 
 and distributed among the farms. 
 
 Elko, 608 miles from San Francisco, with 
 an elevation of 5,063 feet. Jt is the regular 
 breakfast and supper station of the road, and 
 passengers get an excellent meal in a neat 
 house, kept by Mr. Clark, the most genial 
 and accommodating landlord on the road. 
 The table is usually well supplied with fruits, 
 fish and game. 
 
 Elko is the county-seat of Elko County the 
 north-eastern county of the State. It has a pop- 
 ulation of about 1,200, and is destined to become 
 one of the important commercial and educa- 
 tional centers of the State. Jt lias a large brick 
 court-house and jail, one church, an excellent 
 public school, and is the seat of the State Uni- 
 versity. This institution has 40 acres of ground 
 on a bench of land overlooking the city, in plain 
 sight of the cars on the right, just before reach- 
 ing the town. Its buildings have thus far cost 
 about $30,000, and it was first opened in 1875. 
 The money paid for freights consigned to this 
 place and the mining districts which are tribu- 
 tary to it, in 1875 amounted to nearly $400,000, 
 and the first year the railroad was completed 
 ran up to over 11,000,000. The town has nu- 
 merous retail stores and two or three wholesale 
 establishments, with a bank, a flouring mill, 
 brewery, hotels, etc. Water taken from the 
 Humboldt River some 17 miles distant, and 
 brought here in pipes, supplies the city. It has 
 three large freight depots, for the accommo- 
 dation of its railroad business, and is the loca- 
 tion of the United States Land office for the 
 Elko Land District. The city is rapidly im- 
 proving, brick and wooden structures taking 
 the place of the canvas houses that were formerly 
 prevalent. Altogether it has a bright and 
 promising future. Indians, mostly the Sho- 
 12 
 
 shones, of all sizes and of both sexes, hover 
 around the town and beg from the trains of 
 cars. They still bedaub themselves with paint, 
 and strut around with feathers in their hats in 
 true Indian style. 
 
 Elko is destined to become famous as a water- 
 ing place. About one and a half miles north of 
 the river, and west of the town, are a group of 
 mineral springs that are already attracting the 
 attention of invalids. There are six springs in 
 this group, three hot, and three cold. The hot 
 springs show 185 Fahrenheit, and one of them, 
 called the " Chicken Soup Spring," has water 
 which, with a little salt and pepper for season- 
 ing, tastes very much like chicken broth. We 
 regret that no analysis of the waters of these 
 springs has been made, which we could furnish 
 to our readers. Tourists in search of wonderful 
 curiosities will not fail to visit these springs and 
 observe the craters of those which are now ex- 
 tinct. The sediment or incrustations formed by 
 the water into some kind of porous rock, accu- 
 mulated around the apertures until at length 
 they were raised, in one instance, about three 
 feet above the surface of the ground, with a hol- 
 low basin, at least one foot in diameter on the 
 top. Other extinct springs are not as high as 
 this one, but show the same formation and have 
 the same peculiarities. Of the hot flowing 
 springs said to be white sulphur two are quite 
 large, and one of them is said to contain a large 
 solution of iron. A bathing-house has been 
 erected a short distance away, to which the wa- 
 ter is conducted, and in which there are private 
 bathing-rooms supplied with both hot and cold 
 water from the springs. There is also a large 
 swimming bath near by, with dressing-rooms ad- 
 joining. A large hotel is to be erected the pres- 
 ent year for the accommodation of guests. There 
 is a public conveyance running between the city 
 and the springs for thte accommodation of vis- 
 itors. In the absence of an analysis of the 
 waters we will simply state that they are claimed 
 to be a certain cure for rheumatism and all dis- 
 eases of the blood ; to have a remarkable effect 
 in paralytic cases ; to have a good effect on con- 
 sumptives, when the disease is not too far ad- 
 vanced ; to cure fevers of all kinds, and the 
 leaded cases of miners who become poisoned 
 with the lead disease, by working among antimo- 
 nial ores. The uniform temperature of the 
 hot springs has been further utilized in hatching 
 chickens, and the experiment, if carried to per- 
 fection, will beat all the setting hens in the coun- 
 try. Poultry breeders will make a note of this 
 fact. A competent physician who is a good 
 judge of temperaments and diseases should be 
 located at the springs, and additional facilities 
 for the accommodation of invalids will make it a 
 place of great resort. 
 
 The following mining districts are tributary to 
 Elko, and will in the future, far more than in 
 
178 
 
 the past, contribute to its growth and prosperity : 
 Lone Mountain, 30 miles distant ; Tuscarora, f>0 
 miles; Grand Junction, 55 miles; Cornucopia, 
 70 miles ; Aurora, 80 miles ; Bull Run, lately 
 changed to Centennial, 80 miles ; Cope, 100 
 miles : Island Mountain placer diggings and 
 quartz mines, 75 miles ; Bruno, 80 miles ; Hicks, 
 110 miles ; Mardis, 100 miles. Nearly all the 
 business done in these mining districts is trans- 
 acted through Elko, and adds not a little to its 
 bustling activity. These districts are north of 
 the town, and located mostly in the ranges of 
 mountains that border or lie between the forks 
 of the Owyhee River, a stream that flows into 
 the Snake River of Idaho. Lieutenant Wheeler, 
 in his report of the United States Exploring Ex- 
 pedition, which made a partial survey of the 
 lands and features of Nevada, describes this 
 mineral belt as about 160 miles long, and as one 
 of the richest in the country. It has been but 
 partially prospected, however, and we believe the 
 developments which are now in progress and 
 which are hereafter to be made, will astonish the 
 nation as to the unparalleled richness of the 
 mines of Nevada. Up to the spring of 1876, 
 greater developments had been made in the 
 mines in Tuscarora and Cornucopia Districts 
 than in most of the others. Tuscarora is the 
 principal town in the mining district of the 
 same name. It has about 500 inhabitants, and by 
 Saptember of the present year is anticipated to 
 have 1,500. The principal mines of this district 
 are Young America, Young America North, 
 Young America South, Lida, De Frees, Star, 
 Grand Deposit, Syracuse and others. The most 
 work thus far done, is on the Young America, 
 Young America South, and De Frees. On the 
 first named of these three there is an inclined 
 shaft of 190 fest, and carries free ore from sur- 
 face to end of development. In sinking, levels 
 have been run to full extent of the ground, 800 
 fest, and tha ledge is from 20 inches to five feet 
 wide. 
 
 It is easily worked, no explosions being re- 
 quired, and the ore is said to average from $ 80 to 
 $103 per ton in gold and silver, without assorting. 
 
 The development on the De Frees Mine is as 
 follows : A tunnel has been run from side of 
 hill and ledge struck, about 40 feet from the sur- 
 face ; an incline shaft has been sunk from level 
 of this tunnel to a depth of 95 feet, showing fine 
 ore all the distance, the extreme bottom showing 
 the best ore. This ore has averaged from $90 
 to $150 par ton, in gold and silver. Steam 
 hoisting works have been erected on the Young 
 America, and a twenty-stamp mill will soon be 
 finished, for the reduction of the ores from this 
 mine. A twenty-stamp mill will soon be finished 
 for the De Frees Mine, and it is expected that 
 these mills will do some custom work for the 
 mines being developed in the vicinity. Other 
 mines in the district are said to be very prom- 
 
 ising. The mines in the Tuscarora and Cornu- 
 copia Districts are in a porphyry formation, 
 with free milling ore ; those in the Bull Run or 
 Centennial District are in porphyry and lime, 
 and the ores have to be roasted before they are 
 milled. 
 
 Cornucopia District is about 25 miles north of 
 Tuscarora District, and contains a population of 
 500. Its mines are upon the same range of 
 mountains as the Tuscarora. The principal 
 mines in this district are the Leopard ; the Pan- 
 ther, the Tiger, the Hussey, and the Consoli- 
 dated Cornucopia. Principal developments are 
 on the Leopard and Hussey. The former has 
 been largely opened, and has been running a 
 twenty-stamp mill for the past year or more, 
 producing about $1,000,000. The ore is said to 
 average about $150 per ton, all silver. 
 
 The Centennial District has a population of 
 about 200. Its principal mine is the Blue 
 Jacket, which supplies a twenty-stamp mill with 
 ore. A Buckner furnace for roasting is also 
 used in connection with the mill. The ore is 
 said to average $70 per ton, and the vein is 
 very large, frequently 20 feet between the walls. 
 Other districts are said to contain promising 
 mines, but miners and those interested in mines, 
 are always so full of hope always expecting to 
 strike something rich and nearly always hav- 
 ing a good thing in the "prospects" already 
 found, that it is extremely difficult to determine, 
 in a short investigation, which is the most prom- 
 ising district, or where are the best undeveloped 
 mines. In a developed mine the daily product 
 of bullion will show what it is worth. 
 
 Elko has a daily stage route north, which car- 
 ries the mail and express and supplies the fol- 
 lowing places : Taylors, Tuscarora, Independence 
 Valley, Grand Junction, Cornucopia, Bull Run 
 and Cope. These places are generally north and 
 north-west of Elko. At Cope, the route ends. 
 There is a weekly mail, stage and express line 
 to the Island Mountain District, 75 miles due 
 north. This is a placer gold field, discovered 
 in 1873, and it is estimated that $100,000 in gold- 
 dust, were taken out in 1875. Three miles north 
 of the Island Mountain District, is the Wyoming 
 District, where valuable silver mines are said to 
 have been discovered. The chief lode is known 
 as the Mardis, which is owned by a Chicago 
 company. A stamp mill is now being erected 
 there. The mineral belt before alluded to, be- 
 gins at the north end of the Goose Creek Range, 
 and runs south-west about 160 miles. It is 
 about 60 miles wide. Tuscarora is also some- 
 what noted as a placer field, while Aurora, a 
 new district west of Cornucopia, is said to be 
 very promising. It is 10 miles from the last 
 named place to Aurora. 
 
 In the vicinity of the mining districts spoken 
 of, there are rich agricultural valleys where all 
 kinds of grain, but corn, are extensively raised, 
 
179 
 
 MOUNTAIN SCENE IN THE RUBY RANGE. 
 
 and vegetables and melons grow to a great size 
 and excellence. There are, also, vast stock 
 ranges all of which are tributary to Elko. 
 
 South from Elko there is a semi-weekly stage, 
 mail and express route to Bullion City, the town 
 of the Railroad Mining District. This town has 
 about 150 people, and is distant 25 miles from 
 Elko. The ores of this district are smelting 
 ores, and the town has two large furnaces for 
 the reduction of this ore. The principal mines 
 
180 
 
 are owned by the Empire Company of New 
 York. 
 
 There is also a weekly stage line into the 
 South Fork and Huntington Valleys two rich 
 agricultural valleys, which are thickly settled 
 with fanners and stockmen. In addition to the 
 two valleys last named, there are the Star, 
 Pleasant and Mound Valleys, all rich agricultural 
 districts, and all tributary to Elko. Elko has 
 one daily and two weekly papers which are well 
 supported. The Post is a weekly, Republican 
 in politics, and the Independent, daily and weekly, 
 is Democratic in politics though party ties do 
 not seem to be drawn very tightly, and men, re- 
 gardless of their personal political affiliations, 
 frequently receive the support of all parties. 
 
 We will now take leave of this city, and, re- 
 freshed with food and rest, renew our journey 
 westward. The valley of the Humboldt con- 
 tinues to widen as we leave Elko for a few miles, 
 and if it is winter or cool mornings of spring or 
 autumn, we will see the steam rising in clouds 
 from the Hot Springs across the river near the 
 wagon bridge, on our left. The pasture and 
 meadow lands, with occasional houses are soon 
 passed, and we arrive at 
 
 Moleen, 594 miles from San Francisco, with 
 an elevation of 4,982 feet. It is simply a side 
 track station, with no settlements around it, and 
 trains seldom stop. The same general appear- 
 ance of the valley and low ranges on either side 
 continue to this place. Occasionally as we have 
 glanced to the left, the high peaks of the Ruby 
 Range have lifted themselves into view, overtop- 
 ping the nearer and lower range that borders the 
 river on the south. 
 
 Passing Moleen, the valley begins to nar- 
 row, and the river gorges through the Five Mile 
 Canon. Close to the bluffs we roll along and 
 suddenly, almost over our heads, the beating 
 storms of ages have washed out the softer and 
 more porous parts of the ledges, leaving turrets 
 and peaks, towers and domes standing along in 
 irregular order. We could not learn that this 
 peculiar formation had any local name ; they are 
 known in this vicinity as the " Moleen Rocks," 
 and with this name we must be satisfied. The 
 road curves to conform to the line of the earth 
 now one way and now another. The scenery here 
 is not grand and sublime, but just enough 
 peculiar to be interesting. The towering ledges 
 in this canon or, in the one below, are not a 
 thousand or fifteen hundred feet high, for accu- 
 rate measurements have placed them at about 
 800 feet. This canon is soon passed and the 
 valley opens out again. We soon cross Susan's 
 Creek, and then Maggie's Ci'eek, then Mary's 
 Creek, and we are at 
 
 Carlin, 585 miles from San Francisco, at 
 an elevation of 4,897 feet. It is a railroad town, 
 the terminus of a freight division of the road 
 and the location of the roundhouse, machine, 
 
 car and repair shops of the Humboldt Division 
 of the Central Pacific Railroad. It is the head- 
 quarters of Mr. G. W. Coddington, the Division 
 Superintendent. The division extends from 
 Toano to Winnemucca, and this place is about 
 half way between them. The town has no busi- 
 ness outside of the railroad shops and employes, 
 and numbers about 200 people. The round- 
 house has 16 stalls for engines, and the repair 
 shop, six pits. It is in Elko County. The old 
 emigrant road divided just before reaching Car- 
 lin, one branch going south of the river, and the 
 range of mountains bordering the same, and the 
 other going north of the hills on the north side of 
 the river. These two roads came together below, 
 near Gravelly Ford. In the vicinity of Carlin 
 the four little creeks come in from the north. 
 In the order in which they are crossed, they are 
 called Susie, Maggie, Mary and Amelia. Tra- 
 dition says in regard to these names, that an 
 emigrant was crossing the plains with his family 
 at an early day, and that in this family were 
 four daughters in the order given, and that as 
 the party came to these streams, they gave the 
 name of each one of the daughters to them 
 a very appropriate thing to do, and their names 
 have been perpetuated in history. Just east 
 of Moleen Station, the tourist looking off to the 
 left, will notice the break or gorge through the 
 low hills, on the south side of the river. Through 
 this gorge the South Fork of the Humboldt 
 comes in. This stream rises in the Ruby Range 
 of Mountains and flows in a general westerly 
 direction, uniting with the main river at this 
 point. We will here state that nearly all the 
 people in the vicinity, call the range of mount- 
 ains last alluded to " Ruby," and we have fol- 
 lowed the custom ; but Lieutenant Wheeler's Map 
 speaks of it as the Humboldt Range, and accord- 
 ing to the custom of the people along this valley, 
 nearly every range of mountains in sight, from 
 one side of the State to the other, is called " Hum- 
 boldt Range," or " Humboldt Mountains." As 
 to the fertility of these and other valleys in this 
 part of the State, it all depends upon irrigation. 
 A sage brush plain indicates good soil, but water 
 must be obtained to raise a crop. An effort has 
 been made to make Carlin the shipping point to 
 the mining districts on the north, but without 
 much success thus far. The iron horses are 
 changed here, and with a fresh steed we pass 
 down the valley. It is quite wide here, but will 
 soon narrow as we enter the Twelve Mile Canon. 
 Like the former, the road winds around the base 
 of the bluffs and almost under the ledges, with 
 the river sometimes almost under us. The 
 peaks and ledges seem to have no local name, 
 but some of them are very singular. In one 
 place, soon after entering the canon, the ledges 
 on the right side of the track seem to stand up 
 on edge, and broken into very irregular, serrated 
 lines, the teeth of the ledge being uneven as to 
 
SCENES IN THE HUMBOLDT DESERT. 
 
 1. The Sink of the Humbolclt. 2. Mountain Scene near Deeth. 3. Group of Piute Indians. 4. Hum bold t River. 
 5. Great American Desert, East of Elko. 6. Wadaworth. 
 
182 
 
 length. The height oi. the bluffs and of the 
 palisades below, is about the same as in the 
 former canon SOU feet. In some places the pal- 
 isades are hollowed out like caves or open 
 arches, and the debris that has crumbled and 
 fallen from their summits during the ages, 
 obscures their full form and height from view. 
 
 Twelve Mile Canon, in the Palisades, was 
 graded in six weeks by the Central Pacific 
 .Railroad Company, one cut herein containing 
 6,600 cubic yards. Five Mile Canon just east- 
 ward, was graded in three weeks, with a force of 
 5,000 to 6,000 men. 
 
 With the perpendicular walls rising on each 
 side of us, we glide around the curves, and in 
 the midst of these reddish lines of towering 
 rocks, arrive at 
 
 Palisade, 576 miles from San Francisco, 
 with an elevation of 4,841 feet. It is the initial 
 point of the Eureka & Palisade Railroad, is a 
 growing little place between the wall rocks of the 
 river, and has a population of from 150 to 200 
 souls. It has one or two hotels or lodging-houses, 
 stores, saloons, two large freight depots, and the 
 machine and repair shops of the Eureka & 
 Palisade Railroad. This road is a three feet 
 gauge, and we shall speak of it more fully here- 
 after. A new station-house, ticket and telegraph 
 office has been constructed here, the finest on 
 the road to be occupied and used by both the 
 Central Pacific and Eureka & Palisade Roads. 
 
 The town is located about half the distance 
 down the canon, and the rocky, perpendicular 
 walls give it a picturesque appearance. The 
 lower half of the canon is not as wild and rug- 
 ged, however, as the upper half. All freight, 
 which is mostly base bullion, that is shipped 
 from Eureka and other points on this branch 
 road, has to be transferred here, and the traveler 
 may sometimes be surprised, in passing, at the 
 immense piles of bullion which may here be seen 
 on the platform of the railroad companies. On 
 a hill to the right is a wooden reservoir supplied 
 by springs, from which the water used in town 
 is taken. The canon above was not used for the 
 purposes of travel before the passage of the Cen- 
 tral Pacific Road not even a horseman ventur- 
 ing through it. 
 
 Shoshone Indian Village. Just below 
 the town is what Fenimore Cooper would doubt- 
 less call an Indian Village, but it requires a great 
 stretch of the imagination on the part of the prac- 
 tical American, or live Yankee, now-a-days, to see 
 it. A dozen or so tents, discolored with smoke 
 and besmeared with dirt and grease, revealing 
 from six to ten squalid beings covered with ver- 
 min, filth and rags, is not calculated to create a 
 pleasing impression, or awaken imaginary flights 
 to any great extent. Between Ogden and Battle 
 Mountain, the Indians now seen on the line of the 
 road are mostly Shoshones. Their reservation 
 proper, for this part of the country, is at Carlin, 
 
 but very few of them are on it. For some reason, 
 best known to themselves, they prefer to look 
 out for themselves rather than receive the small 
 annual amount appropriated by the government 
 for their maintenance. They are all inveterate 
 gamblers, and a group of squaws will sit on the 
 ground for hours, around a blanket stretched out, 
 and throw sticks. There are usually five of 
 these fiat sticks, from four to six inches in 
 length, one side of which is colored slightly. 
 Each one has a rock, a piece of coal, or some 
 other hard substance by her side, and slightly 
 inclined toward the blanket. She will then 
 gather the sticks in Her hand and throw them 
 upon this rock so that they will bound on to the 
 blanket, and the point of the game seems to be, 
 which side of the sticks, the colored or plain, 
 comes up in falling. It seems to be a perfect 
 game of chance, and the one who throws so that 
 the sticks all fall colored side up, seems to have 
 some advantage in the game. There is said to 
 be some improvement in their methods of living 
 during the last fifteen years ; some of them have 
 been employed on ranches, and some of the 
 squaws are employed in doing the plainest kinds 
 of housework ; the children and younger mem- 
 bers of the tribe are most all becoming acquainted 
 with the English language, and all, so far as they 
 are able, are gradually adopting the civilized 
 customs of dress, etc., though they invariably, 
 thus far, paint their faces. 
 
 Leaving Palisade, the traveler will notice the 
 railroad bridge, a short distance out, on which 
 the narrow gauge crosses the river on its way 
 south as it enters Pine Valley. We soon enter 
 gorges in the canon, and on the left side of the 
 river a high bluff rises. After passing this, and 
 looking back about half way up the side, a 
 column is seen jutting out in front of the bluff, 
 and crowned with what appears like a finger. 
 We have called it " Finger Rock." The chan- 
 nel of the river has been turned from its bed by 
 a heavy embankment a work rendered neces- 
 sary to avoid a short curve, and on we go over a 
 very crooked piece of road for nearly six miles, 
 when we cross the river and the valley again 
 opens. We have now passed through the Twelve 
 Mile Canon, and soon arrive at 
 
 ClurOf a way-station 565 miles from San 
 Francisco, with an elevation of 4,785 feet. 
 Trains do not stop unless signaled. The valley 
 becomes wider, the hills more sloping and less 
 high as they border the valley, but away to the 
 left are the higher peaks of the Cortez Mount- 
 ains. We now enter an open basin, and on the 
 right we see the old emigrant road making up 
 the hill from Gravelly Ford. One branch of 
 this road, leading to "the same ford, we also 
 cross, but the old roadway, plainly visible from 
 the cars, up the hill on the north side of the river, 
 marks the locality of the ford itself. The river 
 here spreads over a wide, gravelly bed, and is 
 
183 
 
 B o 
 
 B H 
 g W 
 H 
 
 ? W 
 d 
 g 
 to 
 o 
 F 
 o 
 
 H 
 
184 
 
 always shallow so that it is easily crossed. The 
 emigrants, in the days of ox and mule trains, 
 took advantage of this crossing to send letters, 
 either one way or the other, by outward bound or 
 returning trains. They would split a willow 
 sprout by the side of the road and put their let- 
 ters in it, which would be taken out by some one 
 in the first train and carried to the nearest post- 
 office on the route. 
 
 In 1858, it is said, that an Indian massacre 
 took place here, in which 18 emigrants were 
 killed ; and other skirmishes with the gentle 
 red men, were frequently in order. The old emi- 
 grant road is fairly lined with the graves of emi- 
 grants, who perished on their way to the land of 
 
 finally come to believe it themselves ; and this 
 may account for the many wonderful stories that 
 have been palmed off on some book-makers, and 
 by them, in turn, hashed up for the traveling 
 public. Travelers can always hear all they 
 choose, but it is well to be a little cautious about 
 believing all they hear. 
 
 The Maiden's Grave. There is hardly an 
 old resident on this coast, but who has some in- 
 cident to relate in reference to Gravelly Ford. It 
 was not only an excellent crossing place, but it 
 was also a fine camping place, where both man 
 and beast could recruit after the weary days on 
 the dreary plains. There were wide bottom- 
 lands that offered excellent grazing for stock, 
 
 ENTERING UUMBOLDT CANON. 
 
 gold, or in returning from the same. There are, 
 also, many of the Shoshoiies and Piutes now 
 living, who have been made cripples in these 
 battles and skirmishes with the emigrants. 
 They will talk about them with their acquaint- 
 ances, and say " heap of white men killed 
 there," but can seldom be induced to say how 
 many Indians were slain in the same conflict. 
 Indeed, parties representing each side of the 
 contending forces have become well acquainted, 
 and now frequently meet each other on friendly 
 terms. There is a disposition, also, among these 
 old plainsmen " to spin yarns," equal to any old 
 navigator that ever lived, and one has to be ex- 
 tremely cautious as to what he believes. These 
 old story-tellers are like old Jim Bridger they 
 will tell a lie so often and so earnestly, that they 
 
 and the small brush along the banks of the 
 stream gave excellent shade and firewood. On 
 a low point of land that juts out toward the 
 river on the south side of the track, and just be- 
 low this ford, is the Maiden's Grave. Tradition 
 has it that she was one of a party of emigrants 
 from Missouri, and that, at'this ford, while they 
 were in camp, she sickened and died. Her lov- 
 ing friends laid her away to rest in a grave on 
 this point of land, in plain sight of the ford and 
 of the valley for miles in either direction. But 
 while her remains were crumbling into dust, and 
 she, too, was fading from the memory of all, per- 
 haps, but her immediate relatives, the railroad 
 builders came along, and found the low mound, 
 and the decayed head-board which marked her 
 resting-place. With that admiration of, and de- 
 
185 
 
 votion to woman, which characterizes American 
 citizens of even humble origin, they made a new 
 grave and surrounded it with an enclosure a 
 picket fence, painted white and by the side of 
 it erected a cross, the emblem of the Christian's 
 faith, which bears on one side, this legend " The 
 Maiden's Grave " and on the other, her name, 
 " Lucinda Duncan." All honor to the men whose 
 respect for the true woman led them to the per- 
 formance of this praiseworthy act an act which 
 would have been performed by no race under the 
 heavens, but ours ; and not by them, indeed, to 
 the remains, under similar circumstances, of a 
 representative of the sterner sex. The location 
 of this grave is near Beowawe, and the point is 
 now used as a burial ground by the people living 
 in the vicinity. Passing the point where the 
 grave is located, an extended valley comes in 
 from the left, south of which extends the Cor- 
 tez Range of Mountains. We now arrive at 
 
 Beowaive, 556 miles from San Francisco, 
 with an elevation of 4,695 feet. It has a hotel, 
 a few dwellings, and is the station where the 
 business of the Cortez Mining District is trans- 
 acted. There is no regular stage line to this 
 district, but private conveyances may be ob- 
 tained. The mines are reported looking well 
 are mostly individual property. They are 30 
 miles from the station and a tri-weekly mail is 
 carried by some parties who are interested in the 
 matter. A reduction mill has been erected there, 
 which is producing bullion regularly. There is 
 a beautiful signification attached to the name of 
 this station, which will be more fully realized 
 after the station is passed, than before. It 
 means " gate," or " the gate," and as you look 
 back from below, the conformation of the hills 
 on either side of the valley is such, that the sta- 
 tion seems to stand in an open gateway, up the 
 Humboldt Valley to the canon beyond. The 
 valley is occasionally dotted with farm-houses, 
 or ranches, and besides stock raising, which is 
 one of the principal features of this part of the 
 country, there is considerable done in the way of 
 agriculture, barley being the chief crop yield- 
 ing immensely when the land is properly irri- 
 gated and the crops taken care of. At Beowawe 
 an immense stretch of valley land can be seen 
 away to the right, with a range of mountains, 
 which seems to be an extension of the Reese 
 River Range, north of the Humboldt, west of it. 
 As the river bends northward to meet these val- 
 leys, it receives the waters of Boulder and Rock 
 Creeks, which come in from the north and north- 
 east. These creeks open up a vast country, 
 which is well occupied by ranches and stock- 
 men. Leaving Beowawe, we cross a large valley 
 and sage brush plain the valley coming in from 
 the south. A few miles out, we notice, if the 
 weather is at all cool, steam rising from the side 
 of the mountain, while colored streaks, caused 
 by the sediment of the springs, can clearly be 
 
 seen from the passing train. This steam comes 
 from the Hot Springs on the mountain side, and 
 the sediment marks their locality. The water in 
 some of these springs is boiling hot, and par- 
 takes strongly of sulphur. We could not learn 
 that any analysis had been made, nor could any 
 one inform us of the exact temperature. There 
 is a vast field for geological exploration in this 
 State, and the general government should enter 
 upon the work at once. The springs also are im- 
 pregnated with iron, but no one knows the quan- 
 tity, nor just in what proportion these mineral 
 waters are mixed. To the inhabitants in this 
 immediate vicinity, of course, they have ceased 
 to be a wonder; but to the majority of travelers, 
 they will ever be clothed with interest. A creek of 
 alkali water comes down from the springs and 
 we cross it on the flat alluded to, and the wide 
 valley off to the right is still better seen as we 
 approach and pass 
 
 Shoshone, 546 miles from San Francisco ; 
 elevation, 4,636 feet. It is simply a side track 
 station. Rock Creek, before spoken of, comes 
 into the Humboldt nearly opposite this place, 
 and the broad valley continues, on the right of 
 the road. The station is called Shoshone Point 
 by the people in the valley, because a mountain, 
 or high ridge, pushes out into the valley, like a 
 promontory. This is one of the landmarks on 
 the dividing line between the Shoshone and 
 Piute tribes of Indians ; but the line we con- 
 sider purely imaginary, from the fact that Indi- 
 ans, as a general thing, go where they please in 
 this country, lines or no lines. The wide basin 
 spoken of, continues below and off to the right 
 of this station, and, as we pass on, a long line of 
 board fence will be noticed stretching, from a 
 point high up on the mountain, across the track 
 and valley toward the Humboldt River, on the 
 right. This is the eastern line of Dunphy & Hil- 
 dreth's stock ranche. In seven miles we shall 
 pass the western line, or fence. We have be- 
 fore spoken of Iliff, as the cattle king of the 
 plains, and, while this is true east of the Black 
 Hills of Wyoming, he will have to yield the 
 crown to some of the cattle kings of the Pacific 
 Coast. This firm has 20 miles of fencing in 
 these two lines: They have over 20 thousand 
 acres fenced in. Their fences, made of redwood 
 posts and Oregon pine boards, cost them a little 
 over $900 per mile. They have, altogether, 
 about 40,000 head of cattle, mainly in two 
 herds one here and the other north, on the 
 Snake River. Th< y have purchased of the State, 
 government and Central Pacific Railroad and 
 now own about 30,000 acres of land. Most of 
 their cattle are shipped to, and find a market in 
 San Francisco. 
 
 The immense range fenced in at this point is 
 occupied by a select herd of graded stock, and 
 some of the best blooded animals in the country 
 are annually purchased to improve the grades. 
 
186 
 
 The system they have adopted for grading up their 
 herds, is such that in a very few years they will 
 have the largest herd of high graded stock in 
 the country. They also cut large quantities of 
 hay on the meadow lands near the banks of the 
 Humboldt, which they feed to all their weak 
 cattle, and to those which they intend for late 
 winter, or early spring market. The Humboldt 
 Valley and its tributaries constitute the best 
 part of the State for stock ranges. The snow 
 seldom falls very deep ; does not stay long, and 
 the grass makes its appearance early in the 
 spring. The purchase of large tracts of land by 
 these foresighted cattlemen, will give them a 
 monopoly of the business in the future. 
 
 Argenta, 535 miles from San Francisco ; 
 elevation, 4,548 feet. It is simply a side track 
 station, where considerable hay is shipped. This 
 station is immediately surrounded by alkali flats, 
 near the base of the Reese River Mountains. 
 The road continues for a few miles along the 
 base of these mountains, when, suddenly, a broad 
 valley opens out, on the left. It is the" valley of 
 Reese River. We turn to the right, cross the 
 valley and the river all there is left of it and 
 arrive at 
 
 Battle Mountain, 524 miles from San 
 Francisco, with an elevation of 4,511 feet. It is 
 located at the junction of the Reese River and 
 Humboldt Valleys. The mountain which gives 
 it its name is about three miles south of the sta- 
 tion, where there are magnificent springs from 
 which water is conducted to the town, supplying 
 the railroad and inhabitants with water. Battle 
 Mountain is the regular dinner station on the 
 line of the road, and the passenger will dine at a 
 very cosy and attractive place. In the midst of 
 a surrounding desert he will observe the flowing 
 fountain and patches of green grass which will 
 here greet his eyes, together with the evident 
 taste and care which is manifested about every- 
 thing connected with the house. Travelers will 
 occasionally have a great deal of fun in listening 
 to the talk of the Chinese waiters. 
 
 The town is mostly on one street south of the 
 railroad. It has several quite extensive stores, a 
 public hall, an excellent school-house, two large 
 freight depots, a first-class hotel. It has an ex- 
 tensive and rapidly increasing trade with the 
 surrounding country, and newly developed min- 
 ing districts in its neighborhood. It is the busi- 
 ness center of a large number of stockmen, and 
 the trading point for a large number of mining 
 districts districts considerably scattered over 
 quite a large part of the State. The town is 
 located in Lander County, but is not the county- 
 seat. Austin, 90 miles away, claims that honor. 
 
 Daily stages, carrying the mail and express, 
 leave here for Austin, Belmont and other places 
 south, immediately on the arrival of the trains 
 from the west. The distance to Austin, 90 miles, 
 is made by about 6 o'clock on the morning of the 
 
 day after departure, and, of course, takes in an 
 all night stage ride. Belmont, about 90 miles 
 from Austin, is reached in the evening of the day 
 after departure. 
 
 The following mining districts, south of the 
 railroad, are more or less tributary to Battle 
 Mountain : commencing on the east side of the 
 Reese River Range, first is the Lewis Mining 
 District, 16 miles distant from Battle Mountain. 
 It is located on the northern extremity of the 
 range. At the southern extremity of this range 
 is the Austin District. The mountain range 
 between these two districts, is said to contain 
 mines, but it has not been thoroughly prospected. 
 Austin, the head-quarters of the Austin District, 
 is a very nice town with a population of about 
 3,000 souls. It is said to possess a good deal of 
 public spirit, and is active and enterprising. It 
 has a fine court-house, three churches, a large 
 brick public school building, some elegant resi- 
 dences, and other appearances of thrift. The 
 Reese River Valley is about 160 miles long, trav- 
 ersed its entire length by the river of the same 
 name, though it cannot be called much of a river 
 where the railroad crosses it, near Battle Mount- 
 ain. The upper portion of the valley, about 50 
 miles in length, is a very fine agricultural dis- 
 trict, is quite well settled, and is tributary to 
 Austin. The valley is also settled in places 
 where mountain streams come into it, between 
 Battle Mountain and Austin. The Manhattan 
 Company, composed of New York capitalists, 
 own and operate nearly all the mines in the 
 Austin District. They are reported to possess 
 some excellent mines with milling ore, some of 
 which is high grade. There are other mining 
 districts around Austin, and tributary to it 
 such as the Jefferson, lone, Belmont, etc., which 
 are favorably spoken of. 
 
 On the west side of the Reese River Valley, 
 and immediately south of Battle Mountain, are 
 the following districts : Battle Mountain Dis- 
 trict, 7 miles distant; Galena District, 16 miles; 
 Copper Canon, 18 miles, and Jersey, 55 miles. 
 The copper mines are owned by an English com- 
 pany which is now putting in concentrating 
 machinery and are said to be rich. The Jersey 
 District produces smelting ore, and has one or 
 two furnaces already erected which are turning 
 out biillion. 
 
 North of Battle Mountain are the Cornucopia 
 and Tuscarora Districts which are said to do 
 some business from this place, and are regarded 
 as tributary to it. Several stations on the line 
 of the road are competing for the trade of these 
 mining districts, and all claim it, and also claim 
 to be the nearest railroad point, with the best 
 wagon roads, etc. 
 
 Battle Mountain not north of the Humboldt 
 River, but about three miles south of the station 
 is reported to have been the scene of a conflict 
 between a party of emigrants camped near the 
 
187 
 
 springs heretofore spoken of, and a band of red- 
 skins who had an innate hankering after the stock 
 of the said party of emigrants. The losses of 
 this battle are said to have been quite severe on 
 both sides, considering the numbers engaged. It 
 is generally conceded, however, that the redskins 
 got the worst of it, though they say " A heap 
 white men killed there." 
 
 The opening, or valley directly opposite and 
 north of Battle Mountain, is without water in its 
 lower portion, and is a desert of sand and sage 
 brush. The range of mountains at whose base the 
 town is situated, and south of it, on the west side 
 of Reese River Valley, is sometimes called the 
 Battle Mountain Range, and sometimes the 
 Fish Creek Range, from a creek that rises in it 
 about 25 miles south of Battle Mountain, and 
 runs into Reese River Valley. 
 
 About 25 miles south of Battle Mountain, are 
 some very fine hot springs. There are nearly 
 60 of them, covering about half a section of 
 land. The largest one is about 60 feet long by 
 30 feet wide, and at times rises and falls from 
 three to five feet. These springs are on the 
 stage road to Austin, and are something of a 
 wonder to travelers in that direction. 
 
 How Ore is Reduced. We visited the re- 
 duction works of the Lewis District, and to those 
 who are not familiar with the way in which ores 
 are handled, the following account may be of 
 some interest. The ore from the mine in this dis- 
 trict is neither free milling nor smelting ore. It 
 has to be dried before it can be milled, and then 
 roasted before it can be separated and amalgam- 
 ated. The following is our account of the 
 process in taking the silver from the ore : The 
 ore, as it comes from the mine, is first run through 
 a crusher a machine which has two heavy pieces 
 of iron coming together like the human jaws in 
 chewing. It is then passed either onto drying 
 pans, heated by a fire from some furnace, or into 
 a revolving dryer where all the moisture is ex- 
 tracted. From this dryer it passes through a large 
 iron tube or pipe into the milling hoppers below. 
 These hoppers, holding the crushed and dried ore, 
 are similar to those seen in old fashioned grist- 
 mills, and from them the ore runs on to the stamp 
 mill. The stamp mill is a series of upright iron 
 shafts with a heavy iron or steel hammer on the 
 lower end of each shaft. By machinery, these 
 shafts are lifted up very rapidly and dropped a 
 process repeated by each one from sixty to ninety 
 times per minute. As they fall, they stamp or 
 crush the ore to powder. In fact it leaves this mill 
 pulverized like dust, and is conveyed by a hori- 
 zontal screw to an adjoining room, where it is 
 taken by elevators, just like those used in flour- 
 ing mills to a bin or tank above. In the room 
 where this elevator and bin are, is the cylin- 
 drical roaster and furnace. From the tank the 
 pulverized ore is taken as required, through an 
 iron pipe into a large horizontal revolving 
 
 roaster. About one and one-half tons of ore 
 dust are required to charge the roaster, to which 
 is added from eight to ten per cent, of salt. The 
 heat and fire from the furnace pass through 
 this roaster as it slowly turns around, the ore 
 now mixed with salt, falling of course, from side 
 to side at each revolution, across and through 
 the flames. It is kept in this place about seven 
 hours, or until it is supposed to be thoroughly 
 chloridized. It is a sulphuret ore as it comes 
 from the mine, but becomes a chloride ore by 
 passing through this process. It comes out of 
 the roaster at a white heat, is then wet down and 
 cooled, and taken to an amalgamating pan which 
 is agitated with a rnuller, which revolves in the 
 pan from 60 to 70 times per minute in other 
 words, it is a stirring apparatus. One and a 
 half tons of ore are put into these pans, to 
 which is added about 350 Ibs. of quicksilver. 
 Water is then turned in and the mixture stirred 
 a little, to the consistency of thick paste. Then 
 hot steam is let in upon the mass, and while in 
 process of agitation it is heated to a boiling heat. 
 The pulp, as it is now called, is kept in this pan 
 and constantly agitated or stirred for about 
 seven hours. A plug is then drawn from the 
 bottom of the tank or pan, and the pulp passes 
 into " a settler " or " separator " where it is 
 again agitated in water the amalgam, mean- 
 while, settling to the bottom of the " settler," the 
 quicksilver with the silver being drawn into 
 a little receiver, from which it is dipped into 
 sacks and strained. The quicksilver being thus 
 nearly all taken out, the balance is called dry amal- 
 gam, and this is taken to an iron retort, cylindri- 
 cal in shape, about five feet long and 12 inches 
 in diameter. This cylinder is charged with 
 about 900 Ibs. of this dry amalgam, then 
 thoroughly sealed, after which it is heated from 
 a furnace underneath. The quicksilver remain- 
 ing in the amalgam,volatilizes under the action of 
 heat, and passes through an iron tube sur- 
 rounded by cold water, where it is condensed and 
 saved. The quicksilver being expelled by the 
 action of the heat, leaves the crude bullion 
 (silver in this case) in the cylinder. The dry 
 amalgam remains in the retort some six or seven 
 hours, requiring two or three hours additional 
 to cool. The base bullion is then taken out, cut 
 into small pieces and placed in a black lead 
 crucible, and melted over a charcoal fire. While 
 in this crucible the dross of course rises to the 
 surface of the molten metal and is skimmed off. 
 In the crucible it is thoroughly stirred with 
 a long iron spoon, and a sample poured into 
 cold water for assaying purposes. This is done 
 just before the hot metal is poured into 
 the molds and becomes bars. The assay deter- 
 mines its fineness and value, which is stamped 
 upon it, and it is then shipped and sold. It goes 
 into the mill ore from the mine, and comes out 
 silver in bars. 
 
188 
 
 The tfreat Plains and Desert. 
 
 BY JOAQUIN MILLER. 
 
 Go ye and look upon that land, 
 That far, vast land that few behold, 
 And none beholding, understand ; 
 That old, old land, which men call new, 
 That land as old as time is old : 
 
 Go journey with the seasons through 
 Its wastes, and learn how limitless, 
 How shoreless lie the distances, 
 Before you come to question this, 
 Or dare to dream what grandeur is. 
 
 The solemn silence of that plain, 
 Where unmanned tempests ride and reign, 
 It awes and it possesses you, 
 'Tis, oh, so eloquent. 
 
 The blue 
 
 And bended skies seem built for it, 
 With rounded roof all fashioned fit, 
 And frescoed clouds, quaint-wrought and true : 
 While all else seems so far, so vain, 
 An idle tale but illy told, 
 Before this land so lone and old. 
 
 Lo ! here you learn how more than fit, 
 And dignified is silence, when 
 You hear the petty jeers of men, 
 Who point, and show their pointless wit. 
 The vastness of that voiceless plain, 
 Its awful solitudes remain, 
 Thenceforth for aye a part of you, 
 
 And you are of the favored few, 
 For you have learned your littleness. 
 
 Some silent red men cross your track ; 
 Some sun-tann'd trappers come and go ; 
 Some rolling seas of buffalo 
 Break thunder-like and far away, 
 Against the foot hills, breaking back, 
 Like breakers of some troubled bay ; 
 But not a voice the long, lone day. 
 
 Some white tail'd antelope flow by, 
 So airy-like ; some foxes shy, 
 And shadow-like shoot to and fro, 
 Like weaver's shuttles as you pass ; 
 And now and then from out the grass, 
 You hear some lone bird chick, and call, 
 A sharp keen call for her lost brood. 
 That only make the solitude, 
 That mantles like some sombre pall, 
 Seem deeper still, and that is all. 
 
 A wide domain of mysteries, 
 And signs that men misunderstand ! 
 A land of space and dreams : a land 
 Of sea, salt lakes and dried up seas ! 
 A land of caves and caravans, 
 And lonely wells and pools. 
 
 A land 
 
 That hath its purposes and plans, 
 That seem so like dead Palestine, 
 Save that its wastes have no confine, 
 Till pushed against the levell'd skies. 
 
189 
 
 How the Piutes Bury their Dead. 
 
 There seems to be a very irregular custom in 
 practice among this tribe of Indians, in refer- 
 ence to the disposition they make of their dead. 
 When one of their number is sick, the services 
 of a Medicine Man, as he is called, are made 
 available, and all his arts and skill are exhausted 
 to effect a recovery if possible. The Medicine 
 Man comes, and goes through a system of con- 
 tortions, which would rack the frame of a white 
 person till it was unjointed, makes passes with 
 the hands over the body of the sick one, and 
 keeps up a continual howl that must grate very 
 harshly upon the nerves of a sensitive person. 
 Amidst these motions and groans and passes, the 
 victim to disease lingers, until death puts an 
 end to his sufferings. When the final dissolu- 
 tion has occurred, the body hardly has time to 
 become cold, before it is wrapped in a blanket, 
 or old cloths, and preparations are made for the 
 burial. This is done in secret, and, strange as 
 it may appear, though many have died since the 
 advent of the whites into this country, not a 
 single person, so far as we could learn, knows of 
 the burial place of a Piute Indian. The Indians 
 will scatter in small parties, some of whom, it is 
 supposed, will dig a grave, or perhaps several of 
 them ; and though their actions may be closely 
 watched, they somehow manage to spirit away 
 the body and conceal it in its final resting-place 
 so completely, that its location is unknown. 
 Whether the immediate relatives of the deceased 
 are mads acquainted with the burial place, we 
 could not learn, but judge not, from the fact 
 that all traces of the grave are obliterated from 
 human view. This custom of concealing their 
 dead, so very strange to us, is said to be univer- 
 sal amrmg this tribe. Another singular custom 
 among them, is to remove the tent, or wick-ee-up, 
 at once, as soon as the body is taken away. 
 They claim that an evil spirit has cursed the 
 spot, and that it would be dangerous for them to 
 remain in the " wick-ee " longer, or on the 
 ground where it stood. They hasten into this 
 work as if actuated by the greatest fear, and, 
 ever afterwards, seem to regard it with suspicious 
 awe. 
 
 How the Flutes Catch Fifth. Nearly 
 all the Indians seen on the line of the road be- 
 tween Battle Mountain and Reno, are Piutes. 
 They are great rabbit-hunters, and very success- 
 ful in fishing. They make hooks from rabbit 
 bones and greasewood, which are certainly su- 
 perior to the most improved article made by the 
 whites. This hook is in the shape of what 
 might be called the letter " V " condensed ; that 
 is, the prongs do not spread very far. A line, 
 made of the sinews of animals, or the bark of a 
 species of wild hemp, is attached to this hook at 
 the angle, and baited with a snail or fresh water 
 bloodsucker. Several of these hooks are tied to 
 a heavier line, or a piece of light rope, one above 
 
 the other, so far that they will not become tan- 
 gled or snarled. A stone is then tied to the end 
 of the heavy line, and it is cast into the stream. 
 The fish take the bait readily, but Mr. Indian 
 does not " pull up " when he feels one fish on the 
 line. He waits until the indications are that 
 several fish are there one on each hook and 
 then he pulls out the heavy line, with fish and all. 
 It seems that the hooks are so made that they 
 can be swallowed easily enough with the bait, but 
 as soon as the fish begins to struggle, the string 
 acts on both prongs of the hook, pulling it 
 straight, the ends of the letter " V " hook, of 
 course, piercing its throat. It can neither swal- 
 low it, nor cast it forth from its mouth. The 
 more it pulls and struggles, the more straight- 
 ened the hook becomes. Besides the superiority 
 of this hook, one fish being caught, others are 
 naturally drawn around it, and seize the tempt- 
 ing bait upon the fatal hook. In this way an In- 
 dian will catch a dozen or so fish, while a white 
 man, with his fancy rod and " flies " and 
 " spoons," and other inventions to lure the finny 
 tribes and tempt them to take a bait, will catch 
 not one. 
 
 Leaving Battle Mountain we have a straight 
 track for about 20 miles, across a sage brush 
 plain, the river and a narrow strip of bottom- 
 lands, on our right. 
 
 Piute, 519 miles from San Francisco, with 
 no elevation given, and 
 
 Coin, 511 miles from San Francisco, are 
 simply side track stations where trains meet and 
 pass, but of no importance to the traveler. There 
 was no Indian battle fought near Piute, nor does 
 the Reese River sink into the valley here. What 
 battle there was, was fought, as before stated, 
 about three miles south of Battle Mountain Sta- 
 tion, and what the sands in the valley do not ab- 
 sorb of the waters of Reese River, may be seen 
 a little alkali stream flowing across the railroad 
 track, east of Battle Mountain, to effect a junc- 
 tion with the Humboldt River. 
 
 Stone House, 504 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco, with an elevation of 4,422 feet. This was 
 not an old trading post, but a station in former 
 times of the Overland Stage Company, and the 
 house, built of stone near some very fine springs, 
 was one of the eating-houses on their line, where 
 travelers could relish square meals of bacon and 
 coffee with safety. There is no particular ravine 
 near the old ruins which the traveler would 
 notice as an impregnable fortress. Quite a 
 number of skirmishes are reported to have taken 
 place near this station, however, and the graves 
 yet distinguished in its vicinity tell of the num- 
 ber who were killed near this place, or died here 
 on their journey to the golden shores of the 
 Pacific. Stone House Mountain, as it is now 
 called, rears its head just back of the crumbling 
 ruins, and from its summit a most extensive and 
 beautiful view of the neighboring valleys and 
 
190 
 
 surrounding country can be obtained. On the 
 western slope of this mountain, and about seven 
 miles from the station, are some hot springs simi- 
 lar to others found in the Great Basin. But 
 these springs are no more peculiar than those 
 found at Golconda. a few miles below, nor dif- 
 ferent from those found near Beowawe, which 
 have already been mentioned. A gentleman 
 who camped four days near them, while in pur- 
 suit of a marauding party of Indians, informs us 
 that there are four springs at the place alluded to, 
 that they vary in temperature, and that only one 
 is boiling hot, from which steam simply rises in 
 the cool mornings of the season. The waters of 
 this particular spring are very fine for drinkinsr, 
 when cooled. These springs are not in sight 
 from the railroad, nor can the steam therefrom 
 be seen. About the only way one can become 
 scalded is to tumble into it. Jn such a case, 
 something more than " simple cerate and the 
 prayers of friends " will be required. During 
 the passage of the Humboldt Valley we cross 
 several dry valleys, between ranges of mountains, 
 that seem to be cut in twain by the river. These 
 valleys are mostly covered with sand and sage 
 brush ; occasionally have streams flowing down 
 from the mountains which soon sink in the sands. 
 There is a wide valley of this description north 
 of the track as we approach 
 
 Iron Point, 491 miles from San Francisco ; 
 elevation, 4,375 feet. This station is near the 
 point of a low ridge, with barren sides and rocky 
 summit; the rocks a little reddish, indicating 
 the proximity of iron. It is a shipping point 
 for cattle, and has extensive stock-yards, though 
 there are no other accommodations near by. 
 This ridge was formerly considered the bound- 
 ary line between the Shoshones and Piutes, and 
 a trespass by either party has been the cause of 
 many an Indian war. The wasting away of these 
 tribes, however, renders the line simply imagin- 
 ary, and the rights of either party to exclusive 
 privileges on either side are no longer regarded. 
 The valley now narrows, and we pass through a 
 sort of a canon, with high bluff son both sides of 
 the road. We wind round numerous curves, and 
 after the canon is passed, we shall see the re- 
 mains of an old irrigating ditch that was started 
 here by a French company to take water from 
 the Humboldt and carry it down the valley quite 
 a distance for irrigating and mill purposes. A 
 great amount of labor and money was expended 
 upon this enterprise, but it was finally aban- 
 doned. We believe a small outlay, compara- 
 tively, would now make it a success. The ditch 
 began at an adobe house, just as we are through 
 a short canon and as the valley again begins to 
 widen. This pass was called Emigrant Canon 
 in the days of wagon travel. 
 
 Golconda, 478 miles from San Francisco, 
 with an elevation of 4,385 feet. The little town 
 here has one or two stores, a hotel, several adobe 
 
 houses and the usual railroad conveniences. 
 Golconda is favorably located, as regards two or 
 three important mining districts, and will event- 
 ually do considerable business with them. It is 
 also the location of some eight or ten hot mineral 
 springs, which are passed on the right side of the 
 track, just after leaving town. These springs 
 vary in temperature from cool, or tepid water, to 
 that which is boiling hot. The swimming bath 
 an excavation in the ground is supplied with 
 tepid water, and is said to be very exhilarating. 
 The Boiling Spring exact temperature and 
 analysis unknown is utilized by the farmers in 
 the valley in scalding their swine. The water is 
 said to be hot enough to boil an egg in one min- 
 ute. Here clouds of steam can be seen when 
 the weather is cold, rising from the hot water and 
 warm soil surrounding. 
 
 One of the springs near this station is also a 
 curiosity, and should be visited by tourists. It 
 is conical in shape, like an inverted tea-cup, four 
 or five feet high, with a basin about three feet in 
 diameter on the top. Formerly, the water came 
 in at the bottom of this basin and bubbled over 
 the rim ; but a few years since, it was tapped 
 from below, and the water now flows out at 
 the side, leaving the basin and cone as it was 
 formed, by the sedimentary incrustations and 
 deposit. The water flowing from the hot 
 spring is used for irrigating purposes, and the 
 owners of the spring have a monopoly of early 
 vegetable " garden truck," raising early radishes, 
 lettuce, onions, etc., before their season, by the 
 warmth produced from the hot water. It is 
 expected that the springs will be improved this 
 year by the erection of a suitable bathing-house 
 and hotel for the accommodation of guests. 
 
 Gold Run Mining District, south of Golconda, 
 is tributary to the place. The mines are re- 
 ported rich in large bodies of ore, but not of a 
 very high grade. They are, however, easily ac- 
 cessible, and not more than 10 or 15 miles from 
 the railroad, with good wagon roads the entire 
 distance. The ore in this district is both smelt- 
 ing and milling but requires roasting if it is 
 to be milled. Three prospects are now being 
 worked. About three miles from town is a small 
 four-stamp mill, which is running on ore from 
 this district. 
 
 Paradise District of gold and silver mines, is 
 about 18 miles north of Golconda. The ore is 
 said to be a rich milling variety, but the pros- 
 pects are not yet sufficiently developed to deter- 
 mine the true value of the district. 
 
 Title, 530 miles from San Francisco, with an 
 elevation of 4,313 feet. It is simply a side track 
 of no importance to travelers, and trains seldom 
 stop. After leaving Golconda, we look toward 
 the north and see the opening of Eden Valley. 
 East of this valley, and to our right, is the Sol- 
 dier's Spring Range, a broken range of mount- 
 ains. Eden Valley extends north to the Little 
 
191 
 
 Humboldt River. In fact, this river flows through 
 the upper portion of the valley, and rises in the 
 range just named, and flows in a south-westerly 
 direction through Paradise Valley and unites 
 with the Humboldt, nearly opposite, north of 
 Tule. Paradise Valley is a fine agricultural 
 basin, thickly settled, about 30 miles north. 
 Paradise Valley is the name of the post-office 
 a semi-weekly line of mail stages connecting it 
 with Winnemucca, the county-seat of Humboldt 
 County. This valley is shaped like a horseshoe, 
 and produces superior crops of barley, wheat, 
 rye and all kinds of vegetables. It seems to 
 have a depression in the center, and, while it is 
 nearly all cultivated, the best crops are raised on 
 the slopes toward the mountains. The soil is a 
 black, gravelly loam, and sage brush grows on 
 the slopes to enormous size. Experiments in 
 fruit culture have been tried, but, thus far, with 
 indifferent success. Paradise Valley has a flour- 
 ing-mill, store and dwellings, and gives every in- 
 dication of thrift. Its name indicates the high 
 esteem in which it is held by the settlers. It is 
 nearly surrounded by mountains, and the numer- 
 ous streams flowing down from them, afford am- 
 ple water for irrigation. Most of these streams 
 sink in the ground before they reach the Little 
 Humboldt. Five miles beyond Tule, we reach 
 
 JViunemucca, 463 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco ; elevation, 4,332 feet. It is named in 
 honor of the chief of the Piute tribe of Indians. 
 The name itself means " chief," and is given to 
 any member of the tribe who holds that office. 
 The Piutes are divided into several bands, each 
 under a chief they call ' Captan," thought here 
 to be derived from the Spanish, and to mean the 
 sam3 as our English word, "captain." Winne- 
 mucca is now about 70 years old, and lives on 
 the Malheur Reservation, in Oregon a reserva- 
 tion occupied by the Piutes and Bannocks. He 
 is very much respected almost worshiped by 
 his dusky followers. 
 
 The town is the county-seat of Humboldt 
 County, and has- a population of about 1,200 
 people, among whom are some Indians, and quite 
 a number of Chinamen. It is the western ter- 
 minus of the Humboldt Division of the Central 
 Pacific, has a large roundhouse, two large freight 
 depots and the usual offices, etc., for the accom- 
 modation of the railroad business. An elegant 
 brick court-house has baen erected, together with 
 several stores, hotels, shops, a large flouring-mill, 
 a foundry, a ten-stamp quartz mill, with a capa- 
 city for crushing ten tons of ore every 24 hours, 
 and other public improvements completed, or in 
 contemplation. The town is divided into two 
 parts upper and lower; the latter being built 
 on the bottom land near the river, and the upper, 
 on a huge sand-bank, adjoining the railroad. 
 Most of the buildings are frame, though a few 
 are built of brick, or adobe, which, in this west- 
 ern country, are called " dobe," for short. 
 
 There is a school-house with accommodations 
 for about 150 pupils two apartments, and no 
 churches. It is also quite a shipping point for 
 cattle and wool. About 9,000 head of cattle 
 were shipped to the San Francisco market from 
 this place, in the months of January and Feb- 
 ruary of the present year. In the spring of 
 1875, over 500,000 Ibs. of wool were shipped to 
 New York and Boston markets. It is also the 
 shipping point to Camp McDermott, near the 
 northern line of the State ; to Silver City and 
 Boise City, Idaho ; and to Baker and Grant 
 
 WINNEMUCCA, THE NAPOLEON OF THE PIUTES. 
 
 Counties, in south-eastern Oregon. The stage 
 lines are as follows : Daily stage and mail line 
 to Silver City and Boise City, Idaho, distance 
 to Silver City, 210 miles, extension to Boise, 65 
 miles farther. The same line supplies Camp 
 McDermott, 85 miles distant. Semi-weekly 
 line, Mondays and Fridays, to Paradise Valley, 
 45 miles. Weekly line soon to be made daily 
 and to caYry the mail to Jersey, 65 miles, (south) 
 leaving at present every Wednesday. There is 
 also an immense freighting business done with 
 the mining districts in the vicinity, and with 
 Idaho Territory. Regular freight lines are on 
 the road between this place and Silver City. 
 The following mining districts are tributary 
 
192 
 
 to Winuemucca and located in Humboldt 
 County : beginning north of the railroad there 
 are placer mines west of Paradise Valley and 
 settlement ; at Willow Creek about 60 miles dis- 
 tant from Winnemucca. Bartlett Creek Mines, 
 gold and silver, 100 miles distant. Varyville is 
 the town of this camp. It has about a hundred in- 
 habitants, and is north-west of this city. Two 
 quartz mills are in operation there, controlled by 
 a Chicago company. Pueblo District copper 
 mines, about 100 miles distant. Winnemucca 
 District silver, two miles west of town, mines 
 owned and operated by the Humboldt Mining 
 Company, which has a ten-stamp quartz mill in 
 town, supplied in part with ore from their mine, 
 and run on custom ore at times. The ores in 
 this vicinity have to be roasted, and this mill 
 has a drop furnace the ore dropping through 
 the flaming fire instead of being turned in a 
 revolving heated cylinder. 
 
 Central District in Eugene Mountain, south- 
 west of town, produces silver ore and has a 
 quartz mill. 
 
 South of the railroad there is Jersey District 
 and town, 65 miles distant. The business of 
 this mining camp is divided between Battle 
 Mountain and this place both claiming it. 
 The town has about 200 people. The ore is 
 argentiferous galena, rather above the average 
 grade, and is found in large quantities. A 
 smelting furnace has been erected and a consider- 
 able amount of base bullion has been turned out. 
 The smelter has a capacity of 25 tons per day. 
 The shaft in the mine has been sunk to a depth 
 of 130 feet, and levels run about 300 feet. It is 
 claimed to be a very promising mining district. 
 
 Antimony District is 80 miles due south of 
 Winnemucca. Slabs of that mineral, weighing 
 three tons, and averaging 70 per cent, pure anti- 
 mony, can be obtained in this district. Near it 
 is the Humboldt Salt Marsh, where salt, 95 per 
 cent, pure, can be shoveled up by the wagon- 
 load. This salt deposit is very extensive, and 
 the supply seems to be exhaustless. Underneath 
 the surface deposit, rock salt, or salt in large 
 cakes or slabs, is taken out, in the driest part of 
 the season, by the ton. 
 
 In the valley leading to the above-named dis- 
 trict are some very fine hot springs, but they are 
 so common here as to be no curiosity. Twelve 
 miles out, in the same valley, is a rich agricul- 
 tural district, thickly settled, where not only 
 grain and vegetables have been successfully cul- 
 tivated, but the experiments in fruit culture 
 have also proved successful. At the county fair, 
 held in this city during the fall of 1875, fine 
 specimens of apples, peaches, pears and plums 
 were exhibited which were raised in this valley. 
 
 Bolivia District, silver ore, 70 miles away. 
 Ore from this district is shipped to various 
 points; some to the mill here that is claimed to 
 average $500 per ton. Comminsville Camp, in 
 
 Sierra District, produces gold and silver ore. A 
 ten-stamp mill is erected there. 
 
 As the tourist walks the platform at this place, 
 looking across the river to the right, he will see 
 Winnemucca Mountain, but a short distance 
 away, overlooking the town. To the left, he will 
 observe the peaks of the Franklin or Sonoma 
 Range. To the east, and somewhat distant, are 
 the ragged summits of the Soldier's Spring 
 Range, while a little to the south-west, but ap- 
 parently in front, Eugene Mountain lifts itself 
 up as a landmark to guide the traveler on his 
 way. This mountain will be passed on our left 
 as we continue the journey. 
 
 Winnemucca has two newspapers, The Daily 
 Humboldt Register and the Daily Silver State. 
 Both are energetic little sheets, and fitly illus- 
 trate the enterprise of these western towns. 
 Across the river, over a wooden bridge, is located 
 the cemetery, in which the remains of the dead 
 are enclosed. It is on an elevated, sandy bench, the 
 second ten-ace or step from the river level. By 
 it winds the stage road to Idaho and the north. 
 The Piutes have their tents scattered on all 
 sides of the town, to which the euphonious name 
 of " Wick-ee-ups " is given. They serve to re- 
 mind cne of the departing glory if they ever 
 had any of the Indian race. In this tribe, to 
 their honor be it said, licentiousness among their 
 women is very rare, and virtue is held in high 
 esteem. But very few half-breed Indians can be 
 found, or are they known in the State. This 
 tribe, with the Bannocks, were especially hostile 
 to the whites in an early day, and fought for 
 many years with desperation and cruelty to pre- 
 vent the settlement and development of this 
 country. Their courage and deadly enmity has 
 been displayed on many a hard-fought field, and 
 if there are families in the East, or on the Pacific 
 Coast, who still mourn the loss of missing ones, 
 who were last heard of as crossing the plains, 
 some Indian warrior, yet living, might be able to 
 explain the mystery which has enveloped their 
 final doom. For a number of years, with cease- 
 less vigilance, they hung around the trains of 
 emigrants, eager to dispatch a stray victim, or 
 upon the borders of settlements, ready to strike 
 down the hardy pioneer at the first favorable 
 opportunity. At present, overpowered by num- 
 bers, they live upon the bounty of their former 
 enemies, and are slowly, but surely learning, by 
 example, the ways of civilization. As a class, 
 however, they are still indolent, dirty and cov- 
 ered with vermin. But they begin to learn the 
 worth of money, and know already that it has a 
 purchasing power which will supply their scanty 
 wardrobe, and satisfy their longing appetites. 
 
 The mines on the top of Winnemucca Mount- 
 ain are plainly seen, and the road that leads to 
 them, from the cars, and the tourist from this 
 will be able to understand something of the diffi- 
 culties attending the process of getting out ore. 
 
193 
 
 As we pass westward, a grand view of a distant 
 range is obtained between Winnemucca and 
 Black Butte. The last named mountain is an 
 isolated peak, and stands out like a sentinel on 
 guard. As we approach the higher peaks of the 
 East or Humboldt Range, we pass 
 
 Hose Creek, 453 miles from San Francisco, 
 with an elevation of 4,322 feet. It is an unim- 
 portant station, with side track, etc. You will 
 have to look sharp to see the creek, or the roses, 
 and, by way of variety, you will discover plenty 
 of sage brush. It is a staple article, in this 
 country. The river still winds its way along our 
 right, and there is an occasional ranche on the 
 mountain slope, where the water from some 
 spring, or little creek, can be obtained for irriga- 
 tion. 
 
 Raspberry, 
 443 miles 
 from San Fran- 
 cisco ; elevation 
 4,327 feet. If 
 roses were few 
 and far be- 
 tween, at the 
 last station, 
 raspberries are 
 less frequent 
 here. But these 
 names are tanta- 
 lizing and sug- 
 gestive in the 
 places they are 
 applied to. 
 Having turned 
 the point of 
 East Range, we 
 bear off to the 
 left. Eugene 
 Mountain is 
 now on our 
 right, across the 
 H umboldt 
 River. 
 
 M ill City, 
 435 miles from 
 San Francisco, 
 with an eleva- 
 tion of 4,225 
 
 feet. This was once a town with great prospects. 
 It was to be the terminus of the irrigating ditch, 
 which we have seen beyond Winnemucca and Gol- 
 conda, and this ditch, by a small expenditure of 
 money, could now be made available, as far as 
 Winnemucca. The Humboldt Mining Company, 
 owning the stamp mill at that place, already al- 
 luded to, also own this ditch. The French capi- 
 talists, who put their money into the enterprise, 
 long since abandoned it. Mill City, in their im- 
 agination, was to be the seat of empire a mighty 
 city of the plains, of influence and power. The 
 banks of the canal they partially dug, were to be 
 
 13 
 
 lined with factories and mills. The mineral bear- 
 ing ore of the State was to be brought to these 
 mills, for reduction. Their ideas were grand, and 
 could have been made successful, under other cir- 
 cumstances ; but they were in advance of the 
 times ahead of the age in which they lived. In 
 the mutations of time, the town has become a 
 great shipping-point for cattle 100 cars being 
 shipped last year a number which is greatly ex- 
 ceeded in some years. It has a steam foundry in 
 operation, mostly employed in the manufacture 
 and repair of mining machinery, and is the rail- 
 road point where the business of several mining 
 districts is done. Ore from Dun Glen, Unionville 
 and Star City, comes here for shipment, and, 
 once per week, bullion comes over from Union- 
 ville. This last place was formerly more lively 
 
 than at present. 
 It is a town of 
 about 300 peo- 
 ple has four 
 quartz mills in 
 operation, and 
 is connected 
 with Mill City 
 by a daily stage 
 line, which 
 passes by Star 
 City distance 
 to Unionville, 
 20 miles; to 
 Star City, 10 
 miles ; to Dun 
 Glen, 8 miles. 
 The general 
 course of the 
 railroad being 
 east and west, 
 these places are 
 all south of it. 
 The mining dis- 
 tricts, including 
 the towns 
 named, which 
 are tributary to 
 this place, are 
 Unionville, Star 
 and Indian Dis- 
 
 B. B. STATION, HUMBOLDT, NEVADA. trfcts all trib- 
 
 utary to Mill City. Mill City has a neat little 
 hotel, a livery stable and several dwellings. It 
 may possibly be the junction of a railroad to Ore- 
 gon surveys of which have been, and are now 
 being made. 
 
 Leaving Mill City, we pass rapidly by an 
 opening or gap in the mountains on our left, 
 while a broad extent of valley opens out on our 
 right, as Eugene Mountain sinks into the plain. 
 The river recedes from our view, and winds along 
 across an alkali flat some six or seven miles 
 away. Through this opening on our right, the 
 proposed branch railroad to Oregon will pass. 
 
194 
 
 Surveys have already been made, and it is supposed 
 the men in the Central Pacific Company will 
 build it, and the junction with this road will be 
 either here or near here. Through this gap 
 travelers in the old emigrant times, turned off to 
 go by the Honey Lake Route to Northern Cali- 
 fornia and Southern Oregon. A natural road 
 with easy grades is claimed for this route. In 
 coming down this valley from Mill City, we pass 
 a high mountain on our left, said to be the 
 highest peak in Nevada 8,000 feet high. It is 
 called Star peak. The elevation given is the 
 common rumor in the vicinity. It is certainly 
 a high mountain, and its lofty towers are nearly 
 always covered with snow. Opposite this 
 mountain is 
 
 Humboldt, 423 miles from San Francisco, 
 with an elevation of 4,236 feet above the sea, 
 nearly the same as the Great Salt Lake. We 
 have been coming down hill all the way from 
 Wells, and yet we are no lower than when we 
 left Ogden. We have now arrived at 
 
 An Oasis in tlie Desert. 
 
 The traveler from the East, will be especially 
 delighted with this spot. It will remind him of 
 things human, of living in a land of cultivation 
 again. The first growing trees since leaving 
 Ogden will be seen here, with green grass, shady 
 bowers and flowing fountains. Humboldt 
 House is a regular breakfast and supper station, 
 at which all passenger trains stop for meals. 
 The proprietors have been here quite a number 
 of years, and seem to delight in making their 
 house, and surroundings beautiful and attractive 
 to the traveling public. A fountain surrounded 
 with an iron fence, springs up in front of the 
 house, while gold-fish swim around in the basin 
 below. East of the house, trees, locusts and 
 poplars are growing finely, while the ground is 
 covered with a thick matting of blue-grass. At 
 first this lot was sown to alfalfa, which grew 
 very rank and strong. Blue-grass seed was 
 afterwards sown, and now it has rooted every- 
 thing else out and grows luxuriantly. A field 
 south of the road toward the mountain, has pro- 
 duced 18 tons of alfalfa at one cutting, and has 
 been cut from five to -seven times a year. In the 
 garden north of the house, toward the valley, all 
 kinds of vegetables grow luxuriantly. The 
 average yield of potatoes is 300 bushels to the 
 acre, of the very best quality. We were, how- 
 ever, particularly interested in the experiments 
 made in fruit growing. Here in the midst, 
 almost, of the Great Nevada Desert, with barren- 
 ness and desolation spread out on every hand 
 with a high rocky mountain on one side, and a 
 huge alkali flat on the other, nestled under the 
 towering cliffs as though it would claim shelter 
 and protection, is this Oasis in the desert, this 
 reminder of more genial climes and a more 
 kindly soil this relief from the wearisome, 
 
 dreary views, which have everywhere met our 
 gaze, over the largest part of the journey. The 
 experiments so successful here prove, beyond a 
 doubt, that the desert can be reclaimed and 
 " made to bud and blossom as the rose." Grit, 
 labor and above all, water, will do it. Here is 
 an orchard of apple trees five years old, bearing 
 not only fruit as beautiful to the eye as that 
 raised in California, but superior in flavor in 
 fact retaining the flavor of eastern apples. 
 These apple trees of all varieties are prolific 
 bearers, and the same is true of the peaches, 
 pears, plums and cherries. In the orchard and 
 opposite the water tank, is a fish-pond some 
 25 or 30 feet in diameter. In it are trout, great 
 speckled fellows, very thick and very shy. 
 Rocky coves have been built for them in the 
 bottom and center of the basin, and here they 
 hide seeking shade from the rays of the hot sum- 
 mer's sun, and also from those of the silvery 
 moon. The experiments first made with these 
 fish were costly, but have at last proved suc- 
 cessful. This place and its surroundings cause 
 the traveler not only to rejoice over the scene 
 which here greets his gaze, but serves to remind 
 him of home of " God's country " either in the 
 far East or, at this point, in the nearer West. 
 
 In the fish-pond mentioned, there are a coiiple 
 of wild geese, and a Mandarin duck said to be 
 from Japan. It is a beautiful little creature 
 with tufts of feathers on each side of its head, 
 and finely colored plumage. The proprietors of 
 the Humboldt House, seem to strive to offer 
 attractions to their guests in both their indoor 
 accommodations, and outside arrangements. 
 
 The station has shippe'd a large number of 
 cattle, and is the shipping point for the sulphur 
 or brimstone, that is manufactured some thirty 
 miles north-west of the place. The old emigrant 
 road spoken of as leading to Northern California 
 and Southern Oregon, winds around the base of 
 Eugene Mountain and near a low butte, re- 
 sembling a haystack, which can be seen in the 
 distance across the alkali flats. This road was 
 laid out by General F. W. Lander, who was 
 killed in the war of 1861, and is said to be one 
 of the best wagon routes to the regions named. 
 The Humboldt House is the place of resort for 
 tourists who desire to visit the sulphur mines, 
 Star Peak, or the mining districts in the Hum- 
 boldt Range, Eugene Mountain, and the Ante- 
 lope Range. The latter is a low range on our 
 right, beginning as we leave this station. In 
 front and south-east of the Humboldt House, is 
 the Humboldt Mining District, four to six miles 
 distant. Humboldt Canon opens in the mountain 
 side, in which was formerly located Humboldt 
 City. Mines were first discovered in the rocky 
 gorges of this range in 1861, and there was a great 
 rush here from all parts of the country. The 
 " City " sprang up as if by magic, and at one 
 time contained about 500 people. Several sub- 
 
195 
 
 stantial buildings were erected, a few of which 
 still remain. The mines were diligently pros- 
 pected, but not rewarded with immediate suc- 
 cess, the expenses of living and building being 
 very great, together with the determined hos- 
 tility of the Indians, the people left it as 
 suddenly as they came. The district remained 
 idle until 1874-5, when work was again begun 
 by a few individuals, and the mines are now be- 
 ing re-opened with rich developments and every 
 prospect of success. The ore is gold, silver and 
 argentiferous galena. 
 
 Antelope District is 16 miles away, in a west- 
 erly direction ; Geneva District is 21 miles dis- 
 tant, in a north-westerly direction ; both of these 
 are but little developed. 
 
 one and one-half miles distant from the Me Wor- 
 thy Mines. They were formerly known as the 
 Wright and Egbert Mines. This company have 
 a new patented process for refining the crude 
 ore, which they claim has a capacity of ten tons 
 per day, and producing an article which they 
 further claim is superior to that manufactured 
 by any other process yet known. The ore, as it 
 comes from the mine, is a mixture of sulphur, 
 clay, gypsum, water, etc., and the trouble has 
 heretofore been to separate them perfectly and 
 cheaply. This company fuses the crude or mixed 
 ore by heat, and then separates them by a chemi- 
 cal process which is claimed to be very simple, 
 producing the " brimstone " of commerce, nearly 
 100 per cent. fine. The deposits lie in the hills, 
 
 TWO BITS TO SEE THE PAPPOOSE. 
 
 The sulphur mines are 30 miles away, in a 
 north-westerly direction. Very large deposits of 
 native sulphur are found in these mines which 
 will average nearly 75 per cent. pure. There are 
 two mines opened. One called the Me Worthy 
 Mine, located and developed by Mr. Me Worthy, 
 is now operated by a San Francisco company. 
 The product of this mine is refined by retorts, 
 three in number, which are now in active opera- 
 tion, and which are capable of producing about 
 three tons per day of twenty-four hours. The 
 mines of the Pacific Sulphur Company are about 
 
 and are found from 20 to 100 feet thick. They 
 are also found in some of the adjoining valleys, 
 but are not as pure in the valleys as in the hills. 
 They are covered with ashes and mixed with ex- 
 traneous matter. In fact, wherever these de- 
 posits come to the surface, they are covered with 
 ashes, nearly white in color, indicating that at 
 some period, they were on fire, and that the fire 
 was extinguished smothered by the accumu- 
 lation of these ashes. When " the elements shall 
 melt with fervent heat," the vast sulphur de- 
 posits of Nevada will add fuel to the flames and 
 
196 
 
 greatly accelerate the melting process. Hum- 
 boldt is the business center of the mining dis- 
 tricts named, and has bright prospects for the 
 future. 
 
 The Oregon branch of the Central Pacific 
 Railroad, which was surveyed in 1875, will leave 
 the main line of the Central Pacific, between Mill 
 City and Humboldt, cross the Rabbit Hole Mount- 
 ains, Mud Lakes, thence northerly to Goose Lake, 
 then on to Klamath Lake, and across the Cascade 
 Mountains near Fort Klamath, to intersect the 
 completed railroad in Oregon. This road is to 
 be constructed by an Oregon company, is not a 
 part of the Central Pacific Railroad, but will be 
 a feeder to it, and it is understood that some of 
 the principal owners of the Central Pacific Rail- 
 road are giving it some of their support. It is 
 expected to be in progress next year, and com- 
 pleted between Humboldt and some point on the 
 California and Oregon Railroad, near Eugene 
 City, a distance of 450 miles, within five years. 
 
 Immediately to the north-west of these mines, 
 and in close proximity around them, is a vast 
 alkali desert covering a large area of ground. 
 Of all the dreary wastes to be seen in this sec- 
 tion of the country, this desert is one of the most 
 forbidding and desolate. 
 
 About half a mile west of Humboldt, on our 
 right, is a sulphur deposit. It seems to be near 
 the remains of what was once, evidently, a sul- 
 phur spring, long since dried up. It is not 
 worked for the reason of its impurities a far 
 better article of crude is being obtained else- 
 where. The river, still on our right, seems to 
 have cut a deeper channel in the valley, and is 
 seldom seen from the cars. On our left are the 
 towering peaks of the Humboldt Range. The 
 valley itself becomes more undulating, but still 
 retains its dull monotony. 
 
 A Vigilance Committee Incident. The 
 following incident which happened in one of the 
 Nevada mining towns, is vouched for by Clar- 
 ence King : 
 
 Early in the fifties, on a still, hot summer's 
 afternoon, a certain man, in a camp of the 
 northern mines, which shall be nameless, having 
 tracked his two donkeys and one horse a half 
 mile, and discovering that a man's track with 
 spur marks followed them, came back to town 
 and told " the boys," who loitered about a popu- 
 lar saloon, that in his opinion some Mexican had 
 stolen the animals. Such news as this demanded, 
 naturally, drinks all round. 
 
 " Do you know, gentlemen," said one who as- 
 sumed leadership, " that just naturally to shoot 
 these greasers aint the best way? Give 'em a 
 fair jury trial, and rope 'em up with all the 
 majesty of the law. That's the cure." 
 
 Such words of moderation were well received, 
 and they drank again to "Here's hoping we 
 ketch that greaser." 
 
 As they loafed back to the veranda, a Mexican 
 
 walked over the hill brow, jingling his spurs 
 pleasantly in accord with a whistled waltz. 
 
 The advocate for the law said in an undertone, 
 " That's the cuss." 
 
 A rush, a struggle, and the Mexican, bound 
 hand and foot, lay on his back in the bar-room. 
 The camp turned out to a man. 
 
 Happily such cries as " String him up!" "Burn 
 the dogyoned lubricator ! " and other equally pleas- 
 ant phrases fell unheeded upon his Spanish ear. 
 A jury was quickly gathered in the street, and 
 despite refusals to serve, the crowd hurried them 
 in behind the bar. 
 
 A brief statement of the case was made by the 
 ci-devant advocate, and they showed the jury in- 
 to a commodious poker-room where were seats 
 grouped about neat green tables. The noise 
 outside, in the bar-room, by and by died away 
 into complete silence, but from afar down the 
 canon came confused sounds as of disorderly 
 cheering. They came nearer, and again the 
 light-hearted noise of human laughter mingled 
 with clinking glasses around the bar. 
 
 A low knock at the jury door, the lock burst 
 in, and a dozen smiling fellows asked the ver- 
 dict. A foreman promptly answered, "Not 
 guilty." 
 
 With volleyed oaths, and ominous laying of 
 hands on pistol hilts, the boys slammed the door 
 with " You'll have to do better than that." 
 
 In half an hour the advocate gently opened 
 the door again. 
 
 " Your opinion, gentlemen ? " 
 
 " Guilty." 
 
 " Correct, you can come out. We hung him 
 an hour ago." 
 
 The jury took theirs next, and when, after a 
 few minutes, the pleasant village returned to its 
 former tranquility, it was " allowed " at more than 
 one saloon, that "Mexicans'll know enough to 
 let white men's stock alone after this." One 
 and another exchanged the belief that this sort 
 of thing was more sensible than " nipping 'em on 
 sight." 
 
 When, before sunset, the bar-keeper concluded 
 to sweep some dust out of his poker-room back- 
 door, he felt a momentary surprise at finding the 
 missing horse dozing under the shadow of an 
 oak, and the two lost donkeys serenely masticat- 
 ing playing-cards, of which many bushels lay in 
 a dirty pile. He was then reminded that the 
 animals had been there all day. 
 
 Rye Patch, 411 miles from San Francisco, 
 with an elevation of 4,257 feet. In early days, 
 in the canons that put down from the mountains 
 near here and along the banks of the little 
 creeks flowing through them, there were large 
 patches of wild rye, from which the station took 
 its name. The increase, however, in the herds 
 of the stockmen has destroyed its native growth, 
 and it is now seldom seen. It is a small station 
 with a store and saloon, freight-house, side track, 
 
197 
 
 etc. It is the location of a ten-stamp mill owned 
 by the Rye Patch Mill and Mining Company, 
 and which is supplied by ore taken from the 
 company's mine in the mountains on our left. 
 This mine is about four miles distant from the 
 station. The Rye Patch Mining District, and 
 the Eldorado Mining District, six miles away, 
 are tributary to this place. The train stops but 
 a moment, and as you look to the mountains, on 
 the left, two high peaks are seen the left one 
 being Stark Peak, and the right one Eldorado 
 Mountain. This is the best view of these mount- 
 ains that can be obtained. Leaving this station, 
 the mountains of the Humboldt Range gradually 
 dwindle into hills, and a conical or isolated little 
 peak across the range is seen. It seems fully as 
 prominent as a wart on a man's nose. It is called 
 Black Knob a very appropriate name and near 
 it is Relief Mine and mill. There is no stage to 
 this mining district, and its principal business 
 point is 
 
 Oreana, 400 miles from San Francisco, 
 with an elevation of 4,181 feet. The descent 
 from Humboldt has been quite rapid, and we 
 will soon be at the lowest elevation in this great 
 basin. The Antelope Range continues on the 
 north-west, and the Humboldt Range on the 
 left, though the peaks in these ranges grow 
 smaller as we pass this place. Oreana is the 
 railroad and business point for the following 
 mining districts : in the Antelope Range is the 
 Trinity District, seven miles away, ore princi- 
 pally milling. The Governor Booth Mine has 
 the most development thus far, though other 
 prospects are said to be looking well. Some of 
 the ore found in this district is claimed to be 
 very rich. Adjoining this is the Arabia Dis- 
 trict, five miles from the station ; it has smelt- 
 ing ore. Three miles from the mine and two 
 miles from the station, on the Humboldt River, 
 which has been dammed at this point, are the 
 smelting furnaces, where the ore is reduced to 
 base bullion. There is also a small stamp mill 
 at this point. The principal mines thus far 
 developed in this district are the Vanderbilt, 
 Montezuma and Hurricane, and the ore is said 
 to average 33 per cent, metal. lead, antimony 
 and silver. South of the railroad first comes 
 the Sacrament District, seven miles away. It has 
 milling ore but the prospects are not yet devel- 
 oped. Spring Valley District is next, 12 miles 
 distant. The ore is gold and silver, and the 
 Eagle Mine has a fifteen-stamp mill in operation 
 reducing the ore. Relief District follows, 16 miles 
 from Oreana. It has milling ore and a five- 
 stamp mill. At the south end of this district, is 
 a very superior mine of antimony, the ores of 
 which are brought to this station and shipped to 
 San Francisco. Bolivia District is 40 miles 
 away, and abounds in copper ore. Tidal Wave 
 is the name of the principal mine ; Kellogg's 
 Mine is next in importance. Conveyances to these 
 
 mining districts can be obtained at Oreana. 
 The region round about the station is occupied 
 by stockmen, and large numbers of cattle and 
 horses are grazing upon the extensive ranges in 
 the vicinity. No traveler will be able to see 
 what they live on, but stockmen claim that they 
 relish the white sage which abounds here, and 
 that they will grow fat upon it. The very air is 
 heavily perfumed with sage. 
 
 Leaving Oreana, we pass round a curve where 
 the Humboldt River bends in toward the hills 
 on our left, and soon cross the river which makes 
 its way into Humboldt Lake. After crossing 
 the river, the large growth of sage brush and 
 greasewood shows that the soil in this vicinity 
 is very rich and that, properly cultivated and 
 well supplied with water, it will produce im- 
 mense crops. 
 
 Lovelock's, 389 miles from San Francisco, 
 with an elevation of 3,977 feet. It is a side 
 track station with a telegraph office, a store, 
 post-office and a few adjoining buildings. The 
 Humboldt River near here, spreads out over con- 
 siderable territory a fact which renders irri- 
 gation comparatively easy. It has also caused 
 the formation of a large body of natural mead- 
 ows, from which immense quantities of hay are 
 cut and shipped to different points along the 
 line of the road. It is also a fine grazing region 
 and large herds of cattle are fattened here upon the 
 rich native grasses and the white sage. There are 
 three varieties of the sage brush to be found on 
 the plains and on the deserts. The largest kind 
 is used as fuel for the engines at several stamp 
 mills ; white sage is considerably smaller and 
 affords grazing for both cattle and sheep ; the 
 clover sage, still smaller, is not as plentiful as the 
 former kinds, but is highly relished by sheep. 
 Thus we have at last found the uses to which 
 this shrub is applied. Even greasewood, when 
 it first starts up in the spring, and before it 
 hardens, is a favorite food with sheep and swine. 
 
 There is quite a settlement of farmers near 
 Loveldck's. The station itself is named after a 
 gentleman who lives near it. and who is an old 
 settler in this part of the country. Farms are 
 being cleared of sage brush and greasewood, 
 irrigating ditches are being dug, and the success 
 which has hitherto attended the growing of 
 barley and potatoes, induces quite a number to 
 engage in the business, and a black, rich soil 
 gives every promise of encouragement. Before 
 the railroad came, the meadow or pasture lands 
 here were renowned among the emigrants, par- 
 ties of whom recruited their stock after the 
 wearisome journey across the plains. The 
 meadows are off to the left of the road, as you 
 pass, and are not conspicuous from the cars. 
 After leaving Rye Patch, the Humboldt Mount- 
 ains on our left dwindle considerably, and are 
 neither ragged nor formidable after reaching 
 this place. The same is likewise true of the 
 
198 
 
 Trinity Range on our right. They are low, 
 barren, tinged with reddish brown ; the evi- 
 dences of volcanic action become more apparent 
 as we pass, and the broken lava of the desert, 
 the cinders and sconce, visible in places, speak of 
 the time when the mountain ranges near here, 
 were seething volcanoes and vomited forth 
 smoke, flames, fire and lava with great profu- 
 sion. Passing Lovelock's we soon arrive at a 
 point, where a glimpse can be obtained of the 
 waters of Humboldt Lake, just under the mount- 
 ain ridge on our left. We have also passed by 
 the richer soil that surrounds the last station, 
 and entered upon the barren desert again. 
 
 Granite Point, 380 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco, with an elevation of 3,918 feet. Approach- 
 ing the sink in this great basin, it will be seen 
 that our elevation is decreasing, but this will 
 only last for a short distance, and then it will 
 be up hill again. On the right of the station, 
 which is merely a side track, there is a ragged, 
 broken mountain, which undoubtedly gives the 
 place its name. It is the only thing curious or 
 interesting to be seen from the cars. As we leave 
 this place the lake comes into full view a beau- 
 tiful sheet of water with white, salty incrusta- 
 tions all around it, like a cloud fringed with a 
 silver border. The waters on the shore nearest 
 the road, are said to be far more brackish and 
 saline in character than those on the farther 
 side. The channel through the lake is on that 
 side, and probably the cause of the difference. 
 The lake abounds in fish but they are mostly 
 in the fresh water channel, and at the proper 
 season it is a great resort for pelicans, wild 
 geese and ducks. We approach nearer the shore 
 as we pass to 
 
 Brown's, 373 miles from San Francisco, 
 with an elevation of 3,929 feet. It is a coaling 
 station, and engines sometimes take water from 
 the tank, pumped from the lake, though it is 
 poor stuff to make steam with. Above the 
 nearer range of mountains, just across the lake, 
 can be seen the tops of a farther and higher 
 range in the distance. This higher range runs 
 south of the Humboldt and Carson Sink, and 
 looms into view as the nearer range gives way. 
 Humboldt Lake was not as large formerly as 
 now, in fact it was a simple widening of the 
 river as it entered the gateway of the sink be- 
 low. At the foot of the lake a ridge of land ex- 
 tends nearly across the valley, and there was some- 
 thing of a gorge through which the outlet passed. 
 The opportunity to build a dam was thus 
 improved, and what was formerly a little widen- 
 ing in the river, has now become a lake about 
 35 miles long and from 16 to 18 miles wide in 
 the widest places. It is filled with islands 
 caused by this rise, and the head or volume of 
 water thus accumulated serves to run a stamp 
 mill, located a few miles below the station and 
 under a reddish bluff across the valley. Ore for 
 
 this mill has been found in the mountains near it, 
 and some is brought from the range on the 
 north. You will notice an island nearly op- 
 posite the station, and may be interested to 
 know that it was part of the main land before the 
 dam was built. The mountains on each side of 
 the track, now become high hills though, occa- 
 sionally, a ragged peak is seen, to relieve the 
 monotony of the journey. We pass over the 
 ridge of land before spoken of, and fairly enter 
 upon what is the beginning of the Humboldt 
 and Carson Sink. We pass down on the low 
 alkali flats which are whitened with salt, and 
 which extend for miles as far as the eye can 
 reach, off to our left. 
 
 White Plains, ml miles from San Fran- 
 cisco, with an elevation of 3,894 feet the lowest 
 point we reach in this great basin. The place 
 a side track, is appropriately named for it is 
 surrounded by a white alkali desert, covered in 
 places with salt and alkali deposits. 
 
 The evidences of volcanic action and a lava 
 formation are everywhere visible in the hills and 
 on the plains in this vicinity. Though the plains 
 immediately adjoining the station are white with 
 alkali or salty deposits, yet the ridge and uplands 
 to the right are covered with the reddish, porous 
 rocks and finer blackish sand which always ac- 
 company this formation. At White Plains we 
 have reached the lowest elevation on the Central 
 Pacific, east of the Sierras. We are, in fact, 
 almost in the sink itself of the Humboldt and 
 Carson Rivers. The low flats stretching away 
 to our left, are usually more or less covered with 
 water in the season of floods, and the two rivers 
 virtually unite in this great valley or basin. 
 There is no visible outlet to these streams, or 
 rather to this basin, and the immense drainage 
 of these two rivers sinks in the sand and is taken 
 up by evaporation. The oldest settlers in this 
 region of country, hold to the opinion that the 
 water is taken up by evaporation, and say that at 
 certain seasons of the year this process is very 
 rapid large bodies of land covered with water 
 becoming thoroughly dry in a few days. 
 
 Leaving White Plains, we again begin to go 
 up a grade. We have to cross a divide between 
 White Plains and the Hot Spring Valley. This 
 divide is reached at 
 
 Miracfe, 355 miles from San Francisco, with 
 an elevation of 4,247 feet. It is simply a side 
 track with no habitation near it but a section- 
 house and is near the summit of the divide. 
 This place, like many others, is named from some 
 peculiarity of location or from some character- 
 istic of the country. The wonderful optical de- 
 lusions that are apparently seen here, have given 
 it a suggestive name. When the conditions of 
 the atmosphere are favorable, wonderful visions 
 of lakes, mountains, trees, rivei's, etc., can be seen. 
 It is reported that many a weary emigrant in the 
 days of old, was deceived by the optical illusions 
 
199 
 
 that here seemed so real, and wondered why he 
 did not reach the cooling lakes and spreading 
 shade that seemed so near and was yet so far 
 away. The heat of summer during the day 
 time on these plains is almost intolerable. The 
 dust, sometimes blowing in clouds, is suffo- 
 cating, and long distances add to the incon- 
 venience of wagon travel, without water. But 
 overland travelers on the trains have more 
 comforts. No matter how oppressive the day, 
 yet the moment the sun is set, a lovely cool 
 breeze comes from the mountains, the air be- 
 comes fresh, and sleep is delightful. The 
 heat and dust of the day is soon forgotten 
 in the comforts of the pure, cool night at- 
 mosphere. Crossing a low divide, the end of 
 the Antelope Range we reach 
 
 Hot Springs, 346 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco, with an elevation of 4,072 feet. This is a tel- 
 egraph station with side track, section-houses, etc. 
 Great efforts have been made here to sink arte- 
 sian wells in order to obtain fresh water for the 
 use of the road. First a depth of 800 feet was 
 reached, then 1,000 feet, and lastly 1,300 feet, 
 but all without success. In some portions of 
 work very rapid progress would be made 95 
 feet having been made in one day then some 
 hard, flinty rock would be struck, and progress 
 of less than one foot per day would be the result. 
 
 The station is in the midst of a desert, and is 
 named from the Hot Springs, whose rising steam 
 can readily be seen about half a mile from the 
 track on the left. There are quite a number of 
 them boiling hot. They formerly extended 
 along the base of the hill, still farther to the left, 
 and nearer the track, but while they seem to 
 have dried up in one locality, they have broken 
 out in another. These springs are now owned 
 by a German company, who have a dwelling- 
 house, and works for producing borax, erected 
 near by. They were badly " sold " by sharpers 
 who induced them to believe that borax, in 
 large quantities, could be obtained here. They 
 sent out an expert who was induced to make 
 a favorable report to the effect that there were 
 inexhaustible quantities of the mineral to be 
 found near here. As a consequence, they in- 
 vested large sums of money in the purchase of 
 the mines and in the erection of works. We 
 believe some 60 boxes of the manufactured arti- 
 cle was all that was ever turned out, and then 
 the mine suddenly gave out, the production 
 ceased, of course, and the company, after an ex- 
 penditure estimated. at about a quarter million of 
 dollars, ceased operations, their property re- 
 maining idle. These springs are said to be a sov- 
 ereign remedy for rheumatism and kindred dis- 
 eases, and the property may yet be utilized as an 
 infirmary or watering-place for invalids. The 
 erection of a bathing-house would be all that is 
 at present required. The steam from these 
 springs can be seen for quite a distance in the 
 
 cool mornings of the winter, and in the spring 
 and fall months. Looking off to the right, as 
 far as the eye can reach, almost, is a valley com- 
 ing in from the north-east a dreary waste of 
 sage brush and alkali, which extends across the 
 track, over low hills, to the sink of the Carson. 
 We move out through a gap in the hills, and in 
 about two miles come to the salt works. Build- 
 ings have been erected, side track put in, and 
 large platforms built where the salt is stored pre- 
 paratory to shipping. The whole face of the 
 country, in this vicinity, is nearly white, the saline 
 water rising to the surface and evaporating, leaves 
 the white incrustations to glisten in the sun. The 
 salt obtained here is produced by solar evapora- 
 tion, and is said to be nearly 99 per cent. pure. 
 Formerly vats were tried, but they were found to 
 be useless and unnecessary. Vats are now dug in 
 the ground and the salt water pumped into them. 
 It soon evaporates, and after a sufficient quantity 
 has accumulated, it is shoveled out, drawn to the 
 station, ground and sacked, when it is ready for 
 the market. We are now passing over one of the 
 most uninviting portions of the desert. The 
 range of mountains directly in front are those 
 through which the Truckee River comes, and the 
 valley, both north and south, extends beyond our 
 vision. Away off to the left we can see the 
 mountains south of the Carson Sink and River. 
 The aspect of the desert becomes more dreary as 
 we approach 
 
 Desert, 335 miles from San Francisco ; ele- 
 vation, 4,018 feet. It is only a side track, rightly 
 named, and passenger trains seldom stop. The 
 winds that sweep the barren plains here heap the 
 sand around the scattering sage brush like huge 
 potato hills. Now we turn toward the right 
 approaching the base of the adjoining hills, while 
 boulders of lava, large and small, greet the eye. 
 The hill on our right, dwindles into the plain ; 
 we round it, toward the right, and arrive at 
 
 Two-Mile, 329 miles from San Francisco ; 
 elevation, 4, 156 feet. The gap, in the mountain 
 range in front, now opens and we see where the 
 Truckee River comes tumbling down. The 
 valley extends, on the right, till it is lost in Pyra- 
 mid Lake. We pass rapidly on, and in a short 
 distance pitch down a steep grade into the valley 
 of the Truckee, where green grass, green trees 
 and flowing water, God's best gift to man, again 
 greet our vision. 
 
 Rabbit drives and Rabbit Robes. The 
 Piutes have a very clever way of catching rab- 
 bits, by a method called " rabbit drives " in this 
 country. They make some long, narrow nets 
 like fish-seines from the bark of the willow, or from 
 wild hemp, and hold them up on edge by means 
 of sticks, which they fasten in the ground at in- 
 tervals ; the part of net next to the ground is 
 held there by weights just as seine is managed. 
 These nets they spread in the shape of the letter 
 "V," with the arms extended to receive the 
 
200 
 
 game when it shall be driven in. One Indian 
 crouches in the enclosure for a purpose which 
 will be explained hereafter. The nets are 
 woven coarsely, so that a rabbit's head, once 
 through the meshes, is tight. Late in the fall 
 or early in the winter, when a light snow has 
 covered the ground, the Indians will set their 
 nets generally across some valley and prepare 
 for the "drive." From twenty-five to sixty of 
 them, the more the better, will start out and 
 go quietly away from the net some ten or twelve 
 miles. This company is composed of Indians, 
 squaws, and children armed with sticks, old 
 sacks or blankets which they can nourish in 
 the air, and when they have arrived where they 
 propose to commence the drive, they spread out 
 in a semi-circular form, and begin to hoot and 
 yell, swinging their rags around their heads, and 
 beating the sage brush with their sticks. The 
 rabbits, very much frightened, run in the only 
 direction open for them, while the Indians press 
 forward to the net and gradually draw in to- 
 ward it. The rabbits continue their flight until 
 they are fairly within the arms of the nets, with 
 the Indians close upon them. The Indians, per- 
 haps two or three of them who have remained 
 in the net perfectly still until the frightened 
 rabbits surround them, suddenly rise up with 
 a shout, and the frantic creatures wildly rush 
 hither and thither and finally dash into the 
 meshes of the net, which holds them by the 
 neck so that they cannot escape. Then follows 
 " the slaughter of the innocents." The Indians 
 pass along and tap the rabbits over the head, 
 the squaws secure the game, and the whole 
 drive results in a big feast, wherein the course 
 begins and ends with rabbit ad libitum. Our 
 informant stated that he had known from 500 to 
 1,000 rabbits to be caught in this way, in one 
 drive. 
 
 About Rabbit Robes. The traveler has 
 doubtless noticed the gray fur robes, which 
 adorn the persons of a large number of the 
 Indians seen on the road west of Ogden. These 
 robes are a curious piece of workmanship in 
 some respects. They are not made of whole 
 rabbit-skins sewed together, as wolf and coon- 
 skin robes are made. When the rabbits are 
 skinned, their hides are at once cut into narrow 
 strips with the fur on. These strips are sewed 
 together until the right length for a robe is 
 secured, and then they are twisted like a rope 
 in fact, become fur ropes. These are used the 
 same as " filling " in woolen or cotton cloth, as 
 distinguished from the " warp." You can press 
 your fingers through these robes at pleasure 
 the threads of the " warp " being from one to 
 three inches apart. This warp is made from the 
 sinews of animals, from the bark of willows, or 
 from the wild hemp which the Indians gather 
 for this purpose. It is. very stout and very du- 
 rable, and is not perceptible as you casually ex- 
 
 amine one of these robes. The Indians value a 
 rabbit-skin robe very highly, and much prefer 
 them to blankets, though it takes a good deal of 
 time and patience to make one. This work, 
 however, is all done by the squaws, and is taken 
 as a matter of course by the '*' bucks " of the 
 tribe. 
 
 Wadsworth, 328 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco ; elevation. 4,077 feet. It is a little vil- 
 lage of about 400 inhabitants, nestled down in 
 the valley of the Truckee and overshadowed by 
 the range of mountains beyond. The railroad 
 has a twenty-stall roundhouse, 65 feet deep, with 
 over 500 feet of circular length. The machine 
 shop has six working stalls where engines are 
 repaired, and is 75 by 130 feet. Engines are 
 here entirely rebuilt. At one end of this shop a 
 piece of ground has been fenced in, a fountain 
 erected, trees planted, and alfalfa and blue-grass 
 sown. It affords a refreshing sight to the me- 
 chanics here employed, and strangely contrasts 
 with the barren desert surrounding the place. 
 The engines used on that part of the division 
 between Winnemucca and this place, have very 
 large tenders, the tanks in them holding 3,800 
 gallons of water. They run 70 miles without 
 taking water on the line of the road. Other 
 shops for the convenience of the road are located 
 near by. The huge water tank in which water is 
 stored for use of shops and engines, has a capacity 
 of 60,000 gallons. Hydrants have been erected, 
 connected with it by pipes, and hose supplied by 
 which the water may be quickly applied in case 
 of fire, to any part of the buildings. The road 
 passes from Wadsworth to Sacramento through 
 a mountainous region of country, where there is 
 plenty of timber and, hence, wood is used for 
 fuel on the engines between these two places. 
 Between Ogden and this place coal taken from 
 the mines north of Evanston, on the Union 
 Pacific Road, is used. West of Sacramento, coal 
 from Oregon and Washington Territory is used. 
 Between Wadsworth and Truckee some trouble 
 has been experienced with snow, and in some 
 places huge boulders roll down on the track 
 which are knocked out of the way by the snow- 
 plows on the engines. This is a novel use for 
 snow-plows. In addition to the machine shops, 
 there is a large freight building and other 
 offices for the convenience of the company. The 
 town has several large stores, hotels, saloons, 
 with China houses, ad libitum, and is, altogether, 
 the place of considerable trade. Huge freight 
 wagons, from two to four attached together, are 
 here loaded with freight for the mining districts 
 south. These large wagons, with their teams 
 attached, are quite a curiosity to eastern trav- 
 elers, and fully illustrate how western men do 
 their freighting. 
 
 The following mining districts do business 
 at this station: Columbus, borax mines, 130 
 miles distant ; Teal's Marsh borax Mines, 140 
 
201 
 
 miles away ; the Pacific Borax Works are 20 miles 
 south-east of Columbus still ; the Bellville Min- 
 ing District, 140 miles distant. In this dis- 
 trict the celebrated Northern Bell Silver Mine is 
 located, also the General Thomas and others less 
 prominent. Silver Peak Mining District is 110 
 miles distant. These districts, and others not 
 named here, are all south of Wadsworth. Rhodes' 
 Salt Marsh, an immense salt deposit, is about 
 130 miles distant. There is salt enough in this 
 deposit to preserve the world, if reports as to its 
 extent, etc., prove true. 
 
 there are three bodies of water which travelers 
 will more fully understand by an explanation. 
 Humboldt Lake proper, into which flows the 
 Humboldt River, we pass at Brown's Station. 
 A little south-west of this lake is the Humboldt 
 and Carson Sink the waters from the lake 
 seeping through a channel or slough into the 
 sink. The dam at the foot of the lake is across 
 this outlet or slough. The waters from Car- 
 son Lake flowing nearly east, find their way 
 into this sink through a similar outlet. Thus 
 the waters of the two rivers, the Humboldt 
 
 PYRAMID LAKE. 
 
 From Wadsworth to Carson Lake, south, the 
 distance is about 40 miles. This lake is named 
 from the river of the same name, which flows 
 into, or rather through it. Directly south of 
 Carson Lake is Walker Lake into which flows 
 Walker River. The lake last named has no 
 visible outlet, and is one of the sinks of the great 
 basin east of the Sierras. South of the railroad, 
 
 and Carson, each flowing through a small lake, 
 finally meet in the same sink. To this sink 
 there is no visible outlet, and the vast amount 
 of water which is poured into this basin through 
 these two rivers is undoubtedly taken up on its 
 way, or after its arrival into this common sink, 
 by evaporation. 
 
 The Humboldt River, though it has a length 
 
202 
 
 of 500 miles, and has several tributaries con- 
 stantly flowing into it, yet does not increase in 
 volume, throughout its length, as do most rivers. 
 After passing Winnemucca it diminishes to a 
 small stream, finally spreads into a marsh and 
 " sinks " out of sight. 
 
 In addition to the mining districts south of 
 the railroad, the Soda Lakes and refining works 
 must not be forgotten. These are now in active 
 operation, and the results are the frequent ship- 
 ments from this place. 
 
 North of Wadsworth about 21 miles is Pyr- 
 amid Lake, and east of it, .separated by Lake 
 Range of Mountains, which can plainly be seen 
 from Wadsworth, is Winuemucca Lake, 26 
 miles distant. Both of them are sinks, and 
 have no visible outlet. Both of them receive the 
 waters of Truckee River, and the latter is said 
 to be rising, being several feet higher now than 
 it was ten years ago. 
 
 Curiosities of Pyramid Lake. In 1867 
 a surveying party visited this lake, which they 
 found to be 12 miles long and 30 miles wide. 
 The lake takes its name from a remarkable rock 
 formation, a pyramid which towers above the 
 lake to a height of more than 500 feet, and pre- 
 sents in its outlines the most perfect form. Upon 
 visiting this pyramid, the party found it occupied 
 with tenants who were capable of holding their 
 ground against all intrudei-s. 
 
 From every crevice there seemed to come a hiss. 
 The rattling, too, was sharp and long-continued. 
 The whole rock was alive with rattlesnakes. 
 Even in the party those who had been champion 
 snake exterminators, and had demolished them 
 on all previous occasions, now found the combat 
 beyond their power to carry on, and abandoned 
 the island with all hope of victory. 
 
 The water of Pyramid Lake is clear, sparkling. 
 In it are said to be fish, principally among which 
 is the comer, very sprightly, with flesh the color 
 of salmon. The weight of the fish ranges from 
 3 to 20 pounds. There is also said to be an 
 abundance of trout. 
 
 Winnemucca Lake is also stated to be some 
 200 feet lower than Pyramid Lake, its basin 
 being on the east side of Lake Range of Mount- 
 ains. The Truckee River and these two lakes 
 are great resorts for ducks, geese and pelicans. 
 The latter abound here in large numbers in the 
 spring. An island in Pyramid Lake is a great 
 resort for them and there, undisturbed, they rear 
 their young. These birds are very destructive 
 to the _ fish of the river and lake. They will 
 stand in the shallow water of the entrance to the 
 lake for hours, and scoop up any unwary fish 
 that may happen to pass within their reach. 
 They are apparently harmless, and of no earthly 
 use whatever. The huge sacks on their under 
 jaws, are used to carry food and water to their 
 young. These waddle around before they fly a 
 shapeless, uncouth mass, and easily destroyed be- 
 
 cause unable to get out of the way. A man with 
 a club could kill thousands of them in a day, 
 without much difficulty. 
 
 North of Pyramid Lake is Mud Lake, another 
 sink of this great basin, and a little north-east of 
 Winnemucca Lake is the sink of Quin's River 
 and other streams. In fact, they lose their iden- 
 tity in flowing across the desert, are swallowed 
 up by the thirsty sands. 
 
 On the north, Pyramid Lake Mining District 
 is 15 miles away. This is a new district, and 
 said to contain good " prospects." Mud Lake 
 District, similar in character, is 75 miles due 
 north from AVadsworth. Black Butte District 
 on the east side of Winnemucca Lake, is about 
 28 miles distant. 
 
 The Piute reservation, or rather one of them, 
 begins about seven miles north of the town. 
 The reservation house, which is supposed to be 
 the place where the government officers reside, is 
 16 miles away. There is another reservation for 
 these Indians south, on Walker River. They 
 have some very good land near the lake, and 
 some of them cultivate the soil, raising good 
 crops. 
 
 There is considerable good bottom-land on the 
 Truckee River, between Wadsworth and Pyra- 
 mid Lake. That which is not included in the 
 Indian reservation is occupied by stockmen and 
 farmers, much of it being cultivated and pro- 
 ducing excellent crops of cereals and vegetables. 
 The experiments thus far tried in fruit growing 
 have been successful, and in a few years there 
 will be a home supply of fruit equal to home 
 demand. 
 
 The arrival at Wadsworth is a great relief to 
 the tourist weary with the dull, unchanging 
 monotony of the plains, the desert and bleak 
 desolation which he has passed. The scenes are 
 now to change and another miniature world 
 is to open upon his view. There is to be 
 variety beauty, grandeur and sublimity. If 
 he enters this place at night, the following day 
 will reveal to him the green fields and magnifi- 
 cent landscapes of California, and in less than 
 24 hours, he will be able to feast his greedy eyes 
 upon a glowing sunset on the Pacific Coast. 
 
 Leaving Wadsworth we cross the Truckee 
 River and gaze with delight upon the trees, the 
 green meadows, the comfortable farm-house, and 
 well-tilled fields of the ranche on our left, just 
 across the bridge. Like evei-ything else lovely 
 in this world, it soon fades from our vision, as 
 we rapidly pass into the Truckee Canon. The 
 mountains" now come down on either side as 
 though they would shake hands across the silver 
 torrent that divides them. The valley narrows 
 as if to hasten their cordial grasp, and to remove 
 all obstacles in their way. Now it widens _ a 
 little as though it was not exactly certain 
 whether these mountains should come together 
 or not, and wanted to consider the matter. But 
 
SCENES ON THE TRUCKEE RIVER. BY THOMAS MOHAN. 
 
 l.-Truckee Meadows, Sierras in the distance. 2.-Pleasant Valley. 3.-Trueh Kiver. near State I4ne. 
 
 4.-Bed Bluff, Truckee Kiver. 6.-Bridge at.Eagle Gap. 6,-Xruckee River Rapids. 
 
204 
 
 leaving this question to the more practical 
 thoughts of our readers, we hasten on, winding 
 around promontories and in and out of " draws " 
 and ravines, through rocky cuts, and over high 
 embankments with the river rolling and tumbling 
 almost beneath our feet, and the ragged peaks 
 towering high above us, passing 
 
 Salvia, a simple side track, six miles from 
 Wadsworth. Now we have something to occupy 
 our attention ; there are new scenes passing by 
 at every length of the car, and we have to look 
 sharp and quick, or many of them will be lost 
 forever. Soon we make a short turn to the right, 
 and what the railroad men call " Red Rock " ap- 
 pears in front, then to our right, and finally over 
 our heads. It is a huge mountain of lava that 
 has, sometime, in the ages of the past, been 
 vomited from the crater of some volcano now 
 extinct ; or it may have been thrown up by some 
 mighty convulsion of nature that fairly shook 
 the rock-ribbed earth till it trembled like an as- 
 pen leaf, and in which these huge mountain piles 
 were thrown into their present position. Pres- 
 ently, amidst the grandeur of these mountains, 
 a lovely valley bursts upon our view. We have 
 arrived at the little meadows of the Truckee, at 
 a station called 
 
 Clark's, 313 miles from San Francisco, with 
 an elevation of 4,263 feet. This station is named 
 from a former proprietor of the ranche here. It 
 is a beautiful place with mountains all around it, 
 and the only way you can see out, is to look up 
 toward the heavens. The narrow bottom on 
 either side of the river is fenced in, producing 
 excellent crops of vegetables and hay, and afford- 
 ing excellent grazing for the stock that is kept 
 here. As we arrive at this station, we pass 
 through a cut of sand which seems just ready to 
 become stratified, and which holds itself up in 
 layers, in the sides of the cut. Occasionally, as 
 we look over the nearer peaks in front, we can 
 catch a glimpse of the snow-crowned Sierras in 
 the distance. Now a creek comes in from a 
 canon on our left, and through this canon is a 
 wagon road to Virginia City, and now a butte is 
 passed between us and the river the river being 
 on our left since we crossed it at Wadsworth. 
 There are a few ranches scattered along its 
 banks where vegetables for the 10,000 miners at 
 Virginia City are grown. The mountains we 
 have passed are full of variegated streaks of clay 
 or mineral, some white, some red, some yellow, 
 and some pale green. You will notice them as 
 you pass 
 
 Vista, 301 miles from San Francisco; ele- 
 vation, 4,403 feet. We are going up hill again. 
 At this station we arrive at the Truckee Mead- 
 ows. It is like an immense amphitheatre, and 
 the traveler rejoices again in the presence of 
 farm-houses and cultivated fields in the scene 
 of beauty that spreads out before him. Beyond 
 the level plain, we see in front of us Peavine 
 
 Mountain and at the base of the hills to the 
 farther side of the valley, lies Reno. To our left 
 Mt. Rose lifts its snow-covered head ; to the left 
 of Mt. Rose is Slide Mountain. 
 
 Letters. Throughout the Territories and the 
 Pacific Coast, letter days, when the Pony Ex- 
 press, Mail Coaches or Steamer arrived, the local 
 population was wrought up to its most intense 
 excitement, and expectation of news. In the Ter- 
 ritory of Montana letters could not be obtained 
 from any direction by regular mails, and the in- 
 habitants depended upon the good offices of 
 traders, who journeyed at long intervals back 
 and forth, who brought with them letters and 
 newspapers, for which, gladly, every receiver 
 paid $2.50 gold. Letters in California were re- 
 ceived only by steam via the Isthmus of Pan- 
 ama, fully 30 days being occupied in the trip 
 from New York, and fully 90 days' time was 
 necessary to send a letter from San Francisco 
 to any point in the East, and receive a reply. 
 Whenever the semi-monthly steamer arrived at 
 San Francisco, the event was celebrated by the 
 firing of guns, and the ringing of bells, and 
 an immediate rush for the post-office. The let- 
 ter deliveries from the post-office, were often 
 from a window opening directly upon the 
 public street, and a long line of anxious let- 
 ter-seekers would quickly form extending oft- 
 en half a mile in length. Here were gathered 
 the characteristic classes of California life, the 
 " gray shirt brigade " of minei's, many of whom 
 in their rugged life had not heard from home 
 for a full year ; next anxious merchants whose 
 fate depended upon their letters and invoices, and 
 on approaching the office, had only a feeling of 
 dismay at the terrible length of the line, with 
 little hope of approaching the window for hours. 
 At last they were compelled to offer sums for pur- 
 chases of place from some fortunate one in the 
 line. It used to take five hours or longer, on or- 
 dinary occasions, to get to the window, and there 
 were lots of idlers who had no friends, nor ever 
 expected a letter, who from pure mischief, took 
 their places in the line, and then when near the 
 window sold out again. From $5 to $20 were 
 the average prices for fair places, but $50 to 
 $100 were often paid for a good position near 
 the window. Prices were in proportion to the 
 length of the line or the anxiety of the individ- 
 ual. The expression of countenance of some of 
 those paying highest rates, when forced to leave 
 the window without a letter, is beyond descrip- 
 tion. " Selling out in the line," soon became a 
 trade, and many a loafer made his $10 to $20 
 three or four times a day. Cases have even 
 been known, where over-anxious individuals in 
 search of letters, would take their positions at 
 the post-office window, one or two days before the 
 arrival of the expected steamer, often passing 
 the entire night standing and watching at the 
 window, and only leaving it when forced to seek 
 
205 
 
 food and drink. It often happened that while 
 temporarily absent from their post a few min- 
 utes, the steamer's gun would fire, and with a 
 break-neck race of a few minutes back again, 
 their disgust was immense to be compelled to 
 attach themselves to the extreme end of a line, 
 from one-fourth to one-half a mile in length, so 
 quickly had it formed. 
 
 An Citing's Theology : a Belief in the 
 Devil. A traveler encountered once Ah Ching, 
 a Chinese laundryman, at one of the San Fran- 
 cisco hotels, who spoke some English and had 
 some intellect, of whom he asked the question, 
 whether he believed in the devil. 
 
 " Hallo, John, do you believe in him ? " 
 
 "Ah, velley, Mellica man, me believe him," 
 
 " All Chinamen believe in him ? " 
 
 " Oh, China like Mellica man, some believe him 
 sahvey, some link him all gosh damn." 
 
 Firing off the Devil. At one of the 
 Chinese festivals, conducted by the Chinese 
 priests, a large figure representing the devil was 
 brought forward, and at the close of the play a 
 torch was applied to him. The figure, which 
 was full of fire-crackers, " went off " in brilliant 
 style till nothing was left, apparently, but the 
 hideous head and backbone; these, then, shot 
 upward, like a huge Roman candle, leaving a 
 trail of blue fire, and exploded, high in the air, 
 with a loud report followed by a shower of sparks 
 and insufferable stench, and that was supposed 
 to be the last of the devil for another year. 
 
 The apparent reason for paying so much at- 
 tention to the devil is contained in the answer 
 made by one of the worshipers: "//" God good, 
 why pray? 'Tend to the devil." Hence the cere- 
 mony of getting rid of him at regular intervals. 
 
 Carious Names Giveti by Miners. 
 Placerville was, in 1849, called Hangtown because 
 it was the first place where any person was 
 hanged by lynch-law. 
 
 Tin Cup was so named, because the first miners 
 there found the place so rich that they measured 
 their gold in pint tin cups. 
 
 Pine Log is so named because there was once 
 a pine log across the South Fork of the Stanis- 
 laus River in such a position as to offer a very 
 convenient crossing to miners. 
 
 The following are among the other oddities 
 which have, through miners' freaks and fancies, 
 been used to denote settlements and camps and 
 diggings, small or large : 
 
 Jim Crow Canon, 
 Red Dog, 
 Jackass Gulch, 
 Ladies' Canon, 
 Miller's Defeat, 
 Loafer Hill, 
 Rattlesnake Bar, 
 Whisky Bar, 
 Poverty Hill, 
 Greasers' Camp, 
 
 Gridiron Bar, 
 Hen-Roost Camp, 
 Lousy Ravine, 
 Lazy Man's Canon, 
 Logtown, 
 Git-Up-and-Git, 
 Gopher Flat, 
 Bob Ridley Flat, 
 One Eye, 
 Push Coach Hill, 
 
 Christian Flat, 
 Rough and Ready, 
 Ragtown, 
 Sugar-Loaf Hill, 
 Paper Flat, 
 Wild-Cat Bar, 
 Dead Mule Canon, 
 Wild Goose Flat, 
 Brandy Flat, 
 Yankee Doodle, 
 Horsetown, 
 Petticoat Slide, 
 
 Puppytown, 
 Mad Canon, 
 Happy Vallev, 
 Hell's Delight, 
 Devil's Basin, 
 Dead Wood, 
 Gouge Eye, 
 Puke Ravine, 
 Slap-Jack Bar, 
 Bloomer Hill, 
 Grizzly Flat, 
 Rat-Trap Slide, 
 
 Chucklehead Diggings, Pike Hill, 
 Plug Head Gulch, Port Wine, 
 
 Ground Hog's Glory, Snow Point, 
 Bogus Thunder, Nary Red, 
 
 Last Chance, Gas Hill, 
 
 Greenhorn Canon, Ladies' Valley, 
 
 Shanghai Hill, Graveyard Canon, 
 
 Shirt-Tail Canon, Gospel Gulch, 
 
 Skunk Gulch, Chicken Thief Flat, 
 
 Coon Hollow, Hungry Camp, 
 
 Poor Man's Creek, Mud Springs, 
 
 Humbug Canon, Skinflint, 
 
 Quack Hill, Pepper-Box Flat, 
 
 Nigger Hill, Seventy-Six, 
 
 Piety Hill, Hog's Diggings, 
 
 Brandy Gulch, Liberty Hill, 
 
 Love-Letter Camp, Paradise, 
 
 Blue Belly Ravine, Sluice Fork, 
 
 Shinbone Peak, Seven Up Ravine, 
 
 Loafer's Retreat, Humpback Slide, 
 
 Swellhead Diggings, Coyote Hill, 
 Poodletown, American Hollow, 
 
 Gold Hill, Pancake Ravine, 
 
 Centipede Hollow, Nutcake Camp, 
 
 Seven-by-Mne Valley, Paint Pot Hill. 
 Gospel Swamp, 
 
 Tit for Tat. When Hepworth Dixon was 
 leaving California, he asked one of our news- 
 paper men to write to him occasionally. 
 
 " Certainly," replied our knight of the paste- 
 pot and shears, whom we will call plain Smith, 
 " how shall I address you ? " 
 
 " Simply Hepworth Dixon, England," replied 
 the modest author of " The White Conquest." 
 
 " All right, Mr. Dixon," responded Mr. Smith, 
 choking down his risibilities by a severe effort, 
 " I trust to have the pleasure of hearing from 
 you in reply." 
 
 " Certainly, Mr. Smith," replied Dixon, " how 
 shall I address you ? " 
 
 " Simply John Smith, America," triumphantly 
 replied Mr. Smith. 
 
 Reno is 293 miles from San Francisco, sit- 
 uated in the Truckee Meadows, the junction of 
 the Virginia & Truckee Railroad, the first point 
 reached from which there are two daily passenger 
 trains to San Francisco, and the best point of de- 
 parture for tourists going west to visit Lake 
 Tahoe. The Meadows, about 15 miles long and 
 eight wide, are mostly covered with sage brush. 
 
206 
 
 WINTER FOREST SCENE IN THE SIERRA NEVADAS. 
 BY THOMAS MOKAN. 
 
207 
 
 The numerous boulders which also strew the mead- 
 ows, are built into fences, and alfalfa seed sown 
 after digging out the sage brush, and rich pas- 
 turage results on which sheep thrive. Eight or 
 ten tons to the acre are cut in a single season, 
 and farms make handsome returns. The boul- 
 ders are most numerous along the river. 
 
 Reno has an altitude of 4,507 feet, and, al- 
 though a railroad town only a few years old, is 
 destined to be the prominent city of the State. 
 It was named in honor of the fallen hero of 
 South Mountain has now 2,000 people, and is 
 a county-seat with a $ 30,000 court-house, arid is 
 the gate to the West for all the State, and distrib- 
 uting point for a large portion of it. It has out- 
 run Truckee in competing for the trade of Cali- 
 fornia, east of the Sierras and among the 
 beautiful and fertile valleys north of the railroad, 
 for, from November to May, Truckee is shut in 
 by deep snows, and its roads have steeper grades. 
 
 Sierra Valley, the Honey Lake Region, Long 
 Valley, Camp Bidwell and Goose Lake Region, 
 Surprise Valley, Indian Valley, Winnemucca 
 Valley, the Pitt River Country, Fort Warner 
 and South-eastern Oregon, all derive their sup- 
 plies, wholly or in part, on wagons from this 
 point. It is the healthiest place in the State 
 and has the most stable population, being sur- 
 rounded with an agricultural region. 
 
 It has five churches, Congregational, Metho- 
 dist, Episcopal, Baptist and Catholic, and ground 
 will soon be broken here for the erection of a 
 Young Ladies' Seminary, under the care of 
 Bishop Whitaker of the Protestant Episcopal 
 Church, for which $10,000 were contributed by 
 Miss AVolfe of New York City, $5,000 contribu- 
 ted elsewhere, and Reno has supplied the re- 
 maining $5,000 needed. 
 
 Nevada, by a State law, sets apart one-fourth of 
 one per cent, of her tax for a building fund, out 
 of which the Capitol was erected, at Carson 
 City. About $100,000, since accumulated, has 
 been spent on a State prison, the completion of 
 which is yet in the future. 
 
 Here are the grounds of the State Agricultural 
 Society and the finest speed-track in the State, 
 two banks, one newspaper the Nevada State 
 Journal and several factories, a steam fire de- 
 partment and a public library. 
 
 The benevolent orders are well represented, 
 the Masons and Odd Fellows meeting in halls 
 of their own. There are two hotels, the Rail- 
 road House, which is well kept, and the Lake 
 House, on the bank of the Truckee River, a 
 most desirable place for a few days' stay. A 
 daily stage leaves for Susanville, in the Califor- 
 nia portion of the Sierra Nevadas. 
 
 The Pea Vine District is nine miles north- 
 west, and about 1,500 feet above Reno, in which 
 are valuable mines of dark sulphuret ore the 
 basest worked on the coast, and worked success- 
 fully only of late by the O'Hara process. 
 
 Virginia <; Truckee Railroad. 
 
 Leaving Reno, the Red Mountain District is 
 seen on the east, and the Washoe Range with 
 Mount Rose, 8,200 feet high, on the west, and 
 soon the cars pass a flume, 15 miles long, owned 
 by Flood & O'Brien, running through a long 
 canon to Evans Creek to convey lumber to 
 the railroad. Huffaker's is six and one-half 
 miles from Reno, the terminus of the Pacific 
 Wood, Lumber and Flume Company's flume. 
 The next stopping point is called 
 
 Brown's, and is the terminus of the Eldo- 
 rado Flume, owned by the Virginia & Truckee 
 Railroad Company. This flume starts in White's 
 Canon, and is about six miles long. The first 
 important station is 
 
 Steamboat Springs, 11 miles south of 
 Reno. They consist of many springs in two dis- 
 tinct groups, those of each group apparently con- 
 nected with each other. Their escaping steam 
 may be seen near the station on the rise to the 
 right of the road, and the fissures, through which 
 the water of 212 Fahrenheit gurgles up, vary 
 from a narrow crack to a foot in width. For- 
 merly they were more active than now, yet at 
 times they spout the water to a height of ten feet. 
 Sulphur abounds in the water, and remarkable 
 cures of rheumatism and cutaneous diseases have 
 been effected, but no reliable analysis of the 
 water has been made. 
 
 The hotel is a popular resort, kept in first- 
 class style with accommodations for fifty guests. 
 
 Steamboat Springs are fast becoming famous 
 for mines of cinnabar and sulphur, of both of 
 which this region seems to be full. Much of the 
 sulphur is pure and beautifully crystallized. Cin- 
 nabar is found between strata of lava. 
 
 The railroad crosses Steamboat Creek, the out- 
 let for Washoe Lake, and then enters Steamboat 
 Valley, which contains about 6,000 acres of good 
 soil with some natural meadow at the upper 
 end. 
 
 South of Steamboat Valley is Washoe Valley, 
 which is entered by passing through a narrow 
 gorge with large conglomerate rocks, weather- 
 beaten into castellated form. Emerging from 
 the canon, one is in 
 
 Washoe City, 5 3-4 miles from Steamboat ; 
 it has a few dilapidated houses. Mount Rose, 
 over 8,000 feet high, eternally snow-capped, is di- 
 rectly opposite the lower end of the valley. 
 
 On the left of the track may be seen the ruins 
 of the old Ophir Mill whose Superintendent 
 was honored with a salary of $30,000 per annum, 
 and a furnished house, while the mill employed 
 165 men* 
 
 On the left, at the foot of the mountains, over- 
 looking the beautiful lake and valley, is Bower's 
 Mansion the favorite resort for picnics from 
 Carson and Virginia City. 
 
 Franktown, 4 1-4 miles from Washoe, is 
 an old Mormon colony, the terminus of another 
 
208 
 
 flume, and was the first place settled in this reg- 
 ularly formed and picturesque valley, twelve miles 
 long by seven wide. The long promontories from 
 the mountain side are denuded of timber, but 
 numerous ice-cold crystal streams come down 
 from the mountain side, and the valley produces 
 considerable grain and fruit, and supports no 
 little stock. 
 
 Mitt Station, 3 miles from Franktown, is 
 an old mill site at the upper end of the valley, 
 from which Washoe Lake, ten miles long and six 
 wide, may be clearly seen. Here is the end of 
 still another flume for lumber and wood ; next is 
 Eagle Valley, reached by a short tunnel. At the 
 summit, or 
 
 Lake View, 2 miles from Mill Station, 
 commanding the finest view of Washoe Lake, 
 the railroad crosses the large water pipe which 
 supplies Virginia City from a lake on the west- 
 ern summit of the Sierras, above Lake Tahoe. 
 Washoe and Eagle Valleys almost join, and on 
 entering the latter, Carson City and the State 
 Capitol are seen below. 
 
 Carson City is 21 miles from Virginia 
 City. It was settled in 1858, by Major Ormsby 
 and others, has a population of 4,000, is regu- 
 larly laid out, the streets coinciding with the 
 cardinal points of the compass. Shade trees, 
 the U. S. Mint, the Capitol, Court-house, and 
 some neat private residences, four churches 
 (Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopalian and Cath- 
 olic), the best school-house in the State, and good 
 society, make it one of the most desirable places 
 for residence in Nevada. It has two daily papers, 
 the Appeal and Tribune. It is the center of a 
 large trade for all parts of South-western Nevada 
 and Mono and Inyo Counties of California. 
 
 It has three good hotels, the general offices and 
 workshops of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad, 
 and daily stages south to Genoa, 16 miles, 
 Wellington 55 miles, and Aurora 104 miles, 
 connecting Belleville, Columbus, Benton and 
 Independence, and another line to Marklee- 
 ville and Silver Mountain, and the line to 
 Glenbrook on Lake Tahoe, leaving at 10 A. 
 M., time two and cue-half hours, 15 miles, fare 
 
 The railroad from Carson City to Virginia 
 City, is often spoken of as the Crooked Railroad, 
 so full is it of curves and windings. There are 
 many curves on it of 14, and one of 19, and on 
 one portion of it for 16 miles, there is a contin- 
 uous grade of 90 feet to the mile. This is believed 
 to be the road of which it is said that an en- 
 gineer, badly frightened at the approach of a 
 red light, jumped from his engine, and soon saw 
 that he had been scared by the rear end of his 
 own train. It is fifty-one and three-quarter miles 
 long, and has 35 miles of side track. Forty to 
 fifty trains daily pass over it, and it is probably 
 the best paying railroad in the country. 
 
 The railroad between Carson City and Vir- 
 
 ginia City is full of interest, passing along a con- 
 tinuous line of reducing works on the Carson 
 River, and mines on the slope of Mount David- 
 son. 
 
 Proceeding through Eagle Valley to Virginia, 
 there may be seen off to the right, the State 
 Prison, two and one-half miles from Carson, an 
 edifice whose architectural appearance is befit- 
 ting its purpose. Adjoining, as if it was the 
 same building, are the Carson Warm Springs 
 and its hotel, one of the choicest spots for 
 an attractive resort. The great volume of water 
 boiling from the rocks, supplies a succession of 
 large plunge baths for a distance of 160 feet. 
 The first station from Carson is 
 
 Lookout, 2 1-4 miles from Carson, and 
 next 
 
 Empire, 1 1-4 miles farther, the location 
 of a quartz mill of the same name. Half a mile 
 farther on is 
 
 Morgan, named from the Morgan Mill, the 
 only steam quartz mill along this end of the 
 road, and another mile brings the train to 
 
 Brunswick, another quartz mill. Cord- 
 wood will be seen filling the river here, floated 
 down from the mountains, by different compa- 
 nies, to be caught and distributed. 
 
 Merrimac, still another quartz mill, is only 
 half a mile from Brunswick, and Eureka, i.e., 
 Eureka Dump, is two and three-fourths miles 
 farther. The mill is situated below, and the road 
 turns almost directly away from the river, and 
 rapidly ascends the side of the Mount Davidson 
 Range, climbing to the lofty peak to which Vir- 
 ginia City clings. The peak and city are not 
 far away, but the road makes many windings 
 and curves, and it is long before the terminus is 
 reached. 
 
 Mound Souse is 1 34 miles from the 
 Eureka Dump. Along here the road is without 
 curves for a long distance for such a crooked 
 railroad as this is. It is the depot of supply for 
 Dayton and Sutro, and soon it is expected there 
 will be a new road opened to Columbus, via 
 Walker's Lake, on which a steamer will be 
 placed, thus saving four days' time for freight- 
 wagons to Columbus, and making what will be 
 the favorite route for passengers by a line of 
 stages leaving the Mound House every morning, 
 on arrival of the 4 p. M. train from San Fran- 
 cisco. At 
 
 Silver, three miles from Mound House, 
 there is a dump for ore which is caught in cars 
 and carried on a narrow gauge horse railroad for 
 two and one-half miles to mills at Silver City. 
 
 Scales, a station for weighing ore. Silver 
 City is to be seen down in the ravine, and the 
 road makes a horseshoe curve around American 
 Flat, on the farther side of which is seen the 
 city of Gold Hill. 
 
 Gold Hill. As the traveler approaches, he 
 sees evidence of mining in every direction 
 
209 
 
 abandoned shafts, puffing engines, smoke issu- 
 ing from gigantic stacks, huge mounds of earth 
 dumped from the end of high trestle-work, the 
 capacious buildings and the posts and stones that 
 mark the undeveloped claims, or the loaded ore, 
 need no explanation as to their origin or pur- 
 pose. 
 
 Gold Hill follows the ravine of the same name, 
 and the street is both steep and crooked. It has 
 a population of 6,000 and is, in all respects, like 
 Virginia City. The two are built up so as to be 
 without marked separation. Gold Hill has a 
 vigorous daily paper, the " Gold Hill News," a 
 Catholic, a Methodist, and an Episcopal Church. 
 
 a great credit to the city and the land of sil- 
 ver. Its narrow streets show with what diffi- 
 culty sites are obtained for buildings, whether 
 anchored to the rocks or perched in mid-air, and, 
 while in the city but little of it is visible at a 
 time, the dwellings are mostly low, and, there- 
 fore, unstable roofs do less damage when the 
 Washoe zephyrs blow. It appears small, but is 
 the most densely packed of all American cities. 
 One-third its people are underground, where 
 lighted candles glimmer faintly in subterranean 
 passages, by day and by night. Bedrooms do 
 double duty for hundreds or thousands, whose 
 work never ceases. Miners are shifted every eight 
 
 STREET SCENE IN VIRGINIA CITY, NEVADA. 
 
 Virginia City and Gold Hill are connected by a 
 line of omnibusses, making four trips every hour 
 during the day, while the frequent trains of the 
 railroad carry also many passengers. By rail 
 the distance to Virginia City is two miles, in 
 which several tunnels are passed through. 
 
 Virginia City is one of the most interesting 
 towns on the coast. One expects streets of gold 
 and silver, and finds dust or mud. On October 
 26, 1875, it was almost wholly destroyed by fire, 
 but the burnt district has been rebuilt more 
 handsomely than ever. Its population now 
 exceeds 20,000. A first-class hotel, The In- 
 ternational, has been erected, in all respects 
 
 14 
 
 hours, and the men of two shifts may occupy the 
 same couch. 
 
 On many levels, down 2,000 feet, are thousands 
 of busy, bustling, narrow streets, over which is 
 the city proper. Tide-water is 6,205 feet below 
 the banks, and perhaps it is best that it is no 
 'nearer, for now pumps are constructed to raise 
 the water to the surface from 3,000 to 5,000 feet 
 below, only seven of which are capable of raising 
 4,000 gallons every minute. 
 
 Dwellings on the side-hill overlook one another 
 without any appearance of aristocratic preten- 
 sions, and steps and foot-ladders are continually 
 at hand. 
 
210 
 
 The streets present a busy appearance with 
 men of all classes, and occasionally women, watch- 
 ing the indicator of the San Francisco stock- 
 market as anxiously as a gambler reduced to the 
 " bed rock " watches for the playing of the hand 
 against him. 
 
 Saloons are numerous and crowded, and pro- 
 fanity fearfully prevalent. 
 
 It is a city of extremes in prices, speculations, 
 character, activity, enterprise, debauchery and 
 home life. The rich and the penniless are side 
 by side. Every notion and ism is advocated 
 every nation represented by the worst and best 
 of the race except the horrible Celestial, who is 
 always called bad, but is even somewhat like 
 " the Englishman of character and the English- 
 man of no character to speak of." The lazy 
 Indians that lounge about the street, rich with a 
 loaf of bread, a blanket, a string of beads and 
 some feathers, are no poorer than hundreds who 
 will have nothing until they sober up, and at the 
 other end are the owners ot wealth incomprehen- 
 sible by any system of counting all glittering 
 and golden-hued in a vast firmament of riches, 
 as great as the reality of idlest dreams. Here 
 the world has seen, not one, but at least four, 
 richer than Croesus ; with lamps, rings and slaves 
 better than Aladdin's ; four Bonanza kings, each 
 with a mountain of treasure greater to carry than 
 the horrible Old Man of the Sea, but which no 
 modern Sinbad would shake off with delight. 
 
 One says, " The gods here worshiped are 
 heathen deities, Mammon, Bacchus and Venus. 
 The temples are brokers' offices, whisky shops, 
 gambling hells and brothels. There is wonder- 
 ful enterprise, much intelligence, some refine- 
 ment, not a little courtesy, and a sea of sin." 
 
 The view from the city is picturesque and 
 sorrowfully beautiful. Off to the south and east 
 the eye ranges over a waste of sage brush, and 
 the face of the whole country appears like the 
 waves of an angered sea, broken the more be- 
 cause they can go no farther. 
 
 The Carson River can be seen stretching off 
 toward its sinking place in arid sands, and the 
 twenty-six mile desert will deceive the unthink- 
 ing, and add a faint lake-like look to the picture, 
 of which the Walker and Sweetwater Ranges and 
 endless mountains' rosy light and heaven's blue 
 dome, all add their beauty. 
 
 But to enjoy the best view, make the ascent of 
 Mount Davidson, about 2,000 feet above the city, 
 and nearly 8,000 feet high. One need not climb, 
 but may ascend it on horseback by following up 
 the ravine from Gold Canon. When he reaches 
 what seems from the street to be the top of the 
 mountain, he sees another summit as far beyond, 
 but the latter gained the view is magnificent. 
 
 Below, on the west, is a beautiful lake two or 
 three miles in diameter, "glistening like the 
 silver of the mountains which it covers." Reno, 
 the Carson Valley, valleys, mountains, rivers, 
 
 lakes, and deserts may be seen in every direction 
 for a hundred miles. 
 
 Or, if it is too fatiguing to ascend, whoever is 
 the fortunate possessor of a note of introduction 
 to some mining superintendent, may prepare for 
 a visit to the world below. Donning brogans, 
 woolen socks and coarse flannels, he will step on 
 the cage, holding his breath, his heart feeling 
 gone, and as the water drips around him down 
 the shaft, his feeble lantern will not remove the 
 queer sensation of the descent. Once below, 
 there are cuts, and cross-cuts, drifts, winzes, 
 stopes and a maze of strange words, sights and 
 sounds. Here is explained the use of the 
 squared timbers seen by the car load, passing 
 from the Sierras to Virginia City. As worthless 
 rock or treasured ore is removed, the excavation 
 must be replaced almost as solid as the rock it- 
 self. The huge timbers are mortised and fitted 
 to each other with the utmost precision ; ladders 
 lead from level to level. Cars convey the ore to 
 the shaft, and up and down the busy cages are 
 always going. Every minute a loaded car as- 
 cends from a quarter of a mile below and is re- 
 placed by another. The engineer tells by an 
 indicator the precise location of the cage at any 
 moment, and by varying the signals to him, he 
 directs the movements for passengers with greatly 
 decreased speed. 
 
 If time permits, ride over to the Sutro Tunnel, 
 six miles from Virginia City. It once promised 
 well, may benefit the Comstock Lode more than 
 its friends have ever dreamed, but from present 
 appearances the real contest concerning it, was 
 not in Congress, nor opposition from the mines 
 it aims to tap, but has yet to come. As a 
 specimen of engineering it will repay a visit. 
 With indomitable energy it is pushed forward, 
 and has now penetrated nearly three miles. 
 The average progress is 90 feet per week, and 
 tunneling was never done elsewhere, more speed- 
 ily or successfully. 
 
 Mines of Virginia City. The discovery 
 of the Comstock Lode, was made in 1857, by 
 men in pursuit of gold placers. They came 
 upon some mineral new to them, which a Mex- 
 ican recognized as silver ore. Comstock at an 
 early day, was a middle-man in the purchase of an 
 interest in the lode, and his name thus became 
 attached to it. As explorations were made, very 
 rich ore was found near the surface, and soon a 
 great excitement was created, and vigorous oper- 
 ations commenced, which were crowned with 
 wonderful success. The Ophir Mine, and the 
 Gould & Curry, at an early day began to pay 
 dividends, and continued to do so without inter- 
 ruption for several years. The Savage and the 
 Hale & Norcross were later in becoming 
 known, and their period of prosperity continued 
 after the others had gone into decline. These 
 are all Virginia City Mines. The Kentuck, 
 Crown Point, Yellow Jacket, Chollar Potosi, 
 
211 
 
 and Belcher, which have all paid dividends and 
 others less widely known, are in Gold Hill. 
 Neither of them became successful as early as 
 the Ophir and Gould & Curry. The original 
 discoverers of these mines " located " them, as 
 miners say, that is, posted upon the property a 
 notice of claim in writing, of which they filed a 
 copy with the recorder of the mining district. 
 The regulations in reference to locating claims 
 differed slightly in different districts. Usually 
 not over 2,000 feet along the length of a vein 
 could be located in one claim, and no one could 
 claim over 200 feet except the discoverer, he be- 
 ing usually allowed 300, and sometimes 400 feet. 
 Under the present United States Mining Law 
 no single claim for 'over 1,500 feet can be made, 
 whatever number of persons join in it, and the 
 discoverer is accorded no advantage over others. 
 Feet in length along a vein, are always stated 
 and understood to carry all its depth, spurs and 
 angles, that is, its whole breadth and depth be 
 they more or less, for the length claimed. Veins 
 are usually only a few feet wide, but sometimes 
 extend miles in length. The Comstock Lode 
 has been traced for five miles, but its greatest 
 breadth so far as yet known, is between 300 and 
 400 feet, and no other silver vein in the State of 
 Nevada approaches it in breadth, and some are 
 worked which do not exceed 6 inches. In early 
 days dealings in mines were by feet, and not by 
 shares. The Ophir Mine comprised 1,400 feet 
 for instance, and was sold on the stock-board by 
 the foot. An owner of 100 feet owned a four- 
 teenth of the mine. Gradually the selling by 
 feet was abandoned, and only shares were dealt 
 in, and those have been divided up very small, in 
 order to bring speculation within the compass of 
 persons of small means. The Ophir Mine has 
 been divided so that each original foot is repre- 
 sented by seventy-two shares. The incorpora- 
 tions of all the mining companies on the Com- 
 stock Lode, and their offices have always been in 
 San Francisco, and the men who live immedi- 
 ately over and about the mine, cannot buy or sell 
 stock in them except by letter or telegraph to 
 " The Bay." 
 
 In the development of this mineral lode, three 
 distinct periods may be marked. For some time 
 after its discovery, prosperity continually at- 
 tended operations on it somewhere along its 
 length, and often at all points. All the mines 
 named above paid dividends, and very few assess- 
 ments were made. The ore lying within 800 or 
 900 feet of the surface was finally exhausted 
 along the whole vein, and dividends fell off, 
 assessments became frequent, and great depres- 
 sion followed. This continued until patient 
 exploration revealed, several hundred feet deeper, 
 a rich ore body, in the Crown Point and Belcher 
 Mines, which produced an amount of bullion 
 hitherto unexampled in the history of the vein, 
 dividends amounting to a million a month com- 
 
 ing several months in succession. This body of 
 ore was worked out 'in time, and depression fol- 
 lowed again, until the discoveries in Consoli- 
 dated Virginia, also at great depth, brought the 
 vein once more into prominence. These surpass 
 anything yet on record, in silver mining. 
 
 The Big Bonanza Mine. For more than 
 a year this mine has divided $1,080,000 monthly, 
 and there is no sign of exhaustion. The follow- 
 ing figures, which were furnished at the com- 
 pany's office, give a fair view of the operations 
 of this mine : During 1875, and the three first 
 months of 1876, the bullion receipts of this com- 
 pany were twenty-four million eiyht hundred and 
 fifty thousand, Jive hundred and twenty-four dol- 
 lars and eighty-four cents ($24,850,524.84). 
 
 In March, 1876, were worked 24,991 800-2,000 
 tons of ore, which produced $3,634,218.92 in 
 bullion, the average product per ton being 
 $145.40. 
 
 The above bullion weighed about 56 tons. 
 
 The bullion from this mine and others on the 
 Comstock Lode is very pure, and on an average 
 is about .045 fine in gold, and .950 in silver, leav- 
 ing only about .005 of base metal. The propor- 
 tion of gold to silver varies, and with it the 
 value of the bullion per pound. A shipment, 
 which represented a fair average, was of 50 bars 
 of 1186,998 stamped value, and weighing 5,741 
 Ibs. avoirdupois, thus representing a value of 
 $32.57 per Ib. Had this been pure silver, it 
 would have been stamped $18.81 per Ib., and the 
 excess above that, is for the gold in the bullion. 
 It may surprise one to be told that silver bullion, 
 carrying so large a portion of gold, shows no 
 trace of it. A bar of gold and silver, in equal 
 proportions, would scarcely differ in color from a 
 pure silver bar. Its weight would, however, re- 
 veal the presence of the gold, at once. When 
 six or seven-tenths are gold, its color begins to 
 show. 
 
 The valuable product obtained from the ore 
 was over seventy-two per cent, of its assay^ value 
 during the month reported above. It is not 
 usual to obtain a better result than this without 
 roasting the ore before amalgamation. It will 
 interest one, not familiar with mining, to notice 
 how small in both bulk and weight the bullion 
 product is when compared with the amount of 
 ore handled. During the month referred to, four 
 hundred and forty-six tons of ore, which would 
 make a mass 10 feet high, 20 feet wide and 30 
 feet long, yielded only one ton of bullion, which 
 could be melted into a solid cube 18 3-5 inches 
 on a side, or 1,560 cubic feet of ore were worked 
 to obtain,one cubic foot of bullion. 
 
 Reduction of the Ores. The ores at this 
 place are worked without roasting by the pan 
 process of American origin, first adopted on the 
 Comstock Lode. It is suited admirably to ores 
 which work kindly, requiring little chemical 
 action or heat to make them part with their 
 
213 
 
 precious contents, to be taken up by amalgama- 
 tion with quicksilver. Though it rarely yields 
 as close a result as the Mexican patio process, 
 or the furnace and barrel process of Freiberg, 
 it is so much more expeditious and economical 
 of labor, and so capable of being applied on a 
 large scale, that, on the whole, it is unquestion- 
 ably preferable. The other processes referred to 
 have been thoroughly tried in Virginia City, and 
 found utterly unsuited to the conditions existing 
 there. 
 
 The first part of the process, is wet crushing of 
 the ore, by stamps in iron mortars, a constant 
 stream of water carrying off through a brass 
 wire screen the pulverized portion as fast as re- 
 duced small enough. The screens are at the 
 back of the mortar. Five stamps, weighing 
 about 650 pounds each, are usually placed in a 
 single mortar, and are lifted and dropped from 
 five to eight inches about ninety times a minute. 
 The feeder, standing in front, judges by the 
 sound when and where to feed in the ore lying 
 behind him. He is expected to feed two batter- 
 ies of five stamps each, which are usually placed 
 in one frame, and run by a single shaft. Some 
 mills have twelve such batteries or sixty stamps. 
 The amount crushed by a stamp in twenty-four 
 hours for work never stops day or night varies 
 with the fineness of the screen, the character of 
 the ore, and the skill of the feeder, and is from 
 one to two and a half tons a day. Automatic 
 machinery for feeding batteries is now introduced 
 in many mills. 
 
 The stream running constantly from the bat- 
 tery is received in a series of tanks and settled 
 as much as possible, the deposit from it being 
 coarse sand at first, and fine sediments at last. 
 The fine sediments are called slums, and must 
 be thoroughly mingled with the coarse sand in 
 the after process, for though often containing the 
 richest portion of the ore, the atoms are so im- 
 palpably fine, and adhere to one another so 
 closely, as to elude the mechanical agencies em- 
 ployed to obtain the precious metal they bear, 
 and, if worked by themselves, carry away nearly 
 all they are worth with them. By mingling 
 them with the sand in as nearly as possible the 
 same proportion in which they come from the 
 stamps, they become broken up, separated and 
 distributed through the whole mass of pulp, and 
 are persuaded to give up the most of the silver 
 they hold. This silver is not in metallic form, 
 but combined with sulphur, chlorine or antimony 
 for the most pai't. Chlorides of silver easily and 
 sulphurets more reluctantly part from the base 
 with which they are united, and amalgamate 
 with quicksilver. 
 
 Antimonial silver not only refuses to do this, 
 but obstructs the process on the part of other 
 silver compounds with which it may be associ- 
 ated, and is, therefore, dreaded by all silver mill- 
 men who do not roast their ores ; but the com- 
 
 pounds of silver at Virginia City, are chiefly 
 chlorides, and antimonial silver ores, though they 
 occur there, are found in small quantities only. 
 
 To effect this amalgamation of the silver in 
 the ore with mercury, the crushed pulp is now 
 placed in quantities of one to two tons, some- 
 times even more, in an iron pan, five or six feet 
 in diameter and thi'ee to four feet deep, and 
 ground and stirred by a revolving muller, till all 
 the coarse sand is reduced fine. The muller is 
 then raised and the grinding ceases, but the agi- 
 tation is continued, and a large body of quick- 
 silver is introduced, and steam is also let either 
 into the body of the pulp, or a false bottom under 
 the pan, so as to heat the whole mass, the amal- 
 gamator in charge standing by and testing it with 
 his finger, thinning it with slums of water, thick- 
 ening it with coarse sand, shutting off the steam 
 or letting more on, as his judgment dictates, till 
 the temperature and consistency suit. This pro- 
 cess is continued from three to twelve hours, ac- 
 cording to the richness and the kindly or refract- 
 ory temper of the ore. Poor ores must be rushed 
 through, that a large amount may be worked. 
 Kich ores, after yielding handsomely, may still 
 obstinately retain more value than some poor 
 ones ever carried. 
 
 The pulp is kept thick enough to float minute 
 atoms of quicksilver, and is made to roll over and 
 over by wings on the sides of the pan and on the 
 muller, until all the amalgamation that can be 
 effected is accomplished, when the motion is 
 diminished, and the charge in the pan drawn off 
 into a large settler on a lower level, where it is 
 diluted with a large volume of cold water, and 
 slowly stirred, and the quicksilver atoms uniting, 
 gather in a body at the bottom and are drawn 
 off through a syphon. Meantime, a stream of 
 water running through the settler, carries off 
 the earthy contents, and finally, when quicksilver 
 ceases to gather, the settler is drawn off nearly 
 to the bottom and made ready for the contents of 
 another pan. It is usual to have one settler for 
 two pans, and give half the time to settling that 
 is occupied in grinding and amalgamating. 
 
 The silver and gold, so far as they have been 
 taken up, are now held by the quicksilver. This 
 is strained through long, deep, conical, canvas 
 bags, and the tough amalgam obtained is placed 
 in close iron retorts, the quicksilver distilled out 
 by fire ; crude bullion results, which is melted in 
 a crucible and poured into moulds, and when 
 weighed, assayed and stamped with its value, is 
 ready for market. 
 
 The discharged ore from the settler is called 
 tailings, and is often caught in large reservoirs, 
 and after lying months or years, as the case 
 may be, is worked through the pans and settlers 
 again, and this process is sometimes repeated 
 several times, especially if ore becomes scarce. 
 The practice of different mining companies as to 
 the disposition of their tailings, varies exceed- 
 
214 
 
 ingly. So long as ore is plenty, no pains are 
 taken to save them. They never have been 
 worked so closely as not still to carry several 
 dollars to the ton value in precious metal. 
 
 The process employed at Virginia City, is in 
 use wherever silver is mined on the Pacific Coast, 
 with such modifications as differences in the char- 
 acter of the ore demand. Some ores are so re- 
 fractory as to require roasting. They are first 
 dried thoroughly, then crushed dry, next roasted 
 to expel sulphur, antimony, zinc, etc., and then 
 treated in pans and settlers as if crushed wet with- 
 out roasting. The process is expensive, but has 
 some compensation in the closer percentage of 
 assay value obtained, and smaller waste of quick- 
 silver. The loss of this metal in amalgamating 
 unroasted ores, amounts in various ways to from 
 two to four pounds for each ton worked. Some 
 of it combines with chlorine in the ore, and is 
 converted into calomel. This is lost beyond re- 
 covery. Some of it is volatilized by the heat in 
 the pans, and some escapes through the joints of 
 the retorts, and this also is lost finally, and 
 sometimes hurts workmen exposed to the fumes. 
 Most of it is lost by not being gathered in the 
 settler. It goes off in minute atoms, carrying 
 gold and silver with it. This is partly recovered 
 by working the tailings, or by running them over 
 blankets in sluices which entrap enough of it to 
 pay well for the cost of the process. 
 
 Sinks of the Great Nevada Basin. 
 One of the most wonderful natural features of 
 that part of the Continent lying between the 
 Wahsatch and Sierra Nevada Ranges of Mount- 
 ains, is the Great Desert and its numerous sinks. 
 The sink of the Great Salt Lake has already 
 been alluded to. It is a great natural curiosity 
 of itself. It receives the waters of an immense 
 region of country, and, though gradually rising, 
 is still confined to its banks, and gives off its sur- 
 plus waters by evaporation. There is no evi- 
 dence whatever that it has a subterraneous out- 
 let. Between it and th^ sinks of the Nevada 
 Desert, there is an elevated ridge and broken 
 ranges of mountains, with gaps and valleys be- 
 tween them. This whole desert has evidently 
 been a lake, or an inland sea, at some time, 
 while the mountains have been islands in it. 
 Passing the ridge, or low divide between the 
 broken mountains, which separates the Great 
 Salt Lake from the desert beyond, and we ar- 
 rive at the sinks of the Nevada Basin. The 
 first is the Humboldt Lake, which has been de- 
 scribed. Then the Humboldt and Carson Sink, 
 which, unlike the Great Salt Lake, receives the 
 waters of both the Humboldt River and Lake 
 and the Carson River and Lake, flowing from 
 opposite directions ; and, in the hot months of 
 summer, when evaporation is greatest, is very 
 nearly dry. On the other hand, in the spring, 
 when the snows of the mountains melt, or when 
 heavy rains occur in the winter and spring 
 
 months, causing a large flow of water in the 
 Humboldt and Carson Rivers, these lakes of the 
 same name nearly always rise together, and the 
 vast salty plain, in and around the sink, becomes 
 a lake of great size. There is no evidence of 
 any subterranean outlet to the waters that flow 
 info this large sink. On the contrary, those who 
 have noticed the rapidity with which water dis- 
 appears from a tub or other vessel exposed to the 
 sun and air in this region, have no difficulty in be- 
 lieving, in fact almost seeing, the process of evap- 
 oration going on, by which the waters are drunk 
 up and scattered over the earth in clouds, to be 
 again distilled in rain. 
 
 Walker Lake, which receives the flow of 
 Walker River, is another one of these mysteri- 
 ous sinks. It is off to the south of Carson 
 Lake. The river rises in the Sierra Nevadas 
 and flows in a general easterly direction, till its 
 waters are swallowed up by the sands of the 
 desert, or lost through the same process men- 
 tioned elsewhere. There are also numerous 
 streams rising in the mountains, assuming large 
 proportions by the time they reach the valleys, 
 but the sands of the desert soon drink them dry, 
 and they are " lost to sight." 
 
 North of the Central Pacific, about 20 miles 
 from Wadsworth, are the sinks of Pyramid 
 Lake, Winnemucca Lake and Mud Lake, the 
 latter being a considerable distance north of 
 Pyramid Lake. These bodies of water at times 
 quite large, are called fresh water lakes, though 
 they are brackish and abound in fish. North- 
 east of Winnemucca Lake is Quin's River, quite 
 a large stream near its source in the mountains 
 of Idaho ; but it becomes lost in the desert, on its 
 way, apparently, to Winnemucca Lake. These 
 lakes and the desert are the mighty sinks which 
 drink up the water that is not evaporated, but 
 sometimes evaporation gets the best of them. 
 North-west of Mud Lake, over in California, is 
 Honey Lake, another remarkable body of water. 
 It is sometimes dry so that teams can be driven 
 across its bed, arid then again it is on the ram- 
 page. Its waters resemble soap-suds, and are 
 admirably adapted for washing purposes. When 
 lashed by the winds, its waters become a rolling 
 mass of foam, and afford a magnificent specta- 
 cle to the beholder. If it only had permanent 
 water of the character alluded to, it would be an 
 excellent location for a huge laundry. 
 
 Staye Itoittes to Lake Tahoe, A favorite 
 route to Lake Tahoe is via Carson City. It may 
 be more easily reached and seen on the west- 
 ward tour, than to wait and include it on the 
 eastward return. 
 
 After a visit to Virginia City, the tourist will 
 return to Carson City, remain over night at a 
 good comfortable hotel, the Ormsby House, 
 whose proprietor considers it " lite highest toned 
 hotel in Nevada" and next morning, at 8.30 A. 
 M., take Benton's Stage for Tahoe. 
 
215 
 
216 
 
 To visit and make the circuit of the lake, and 
 return to Carson will require at least 18 hours, 
 but most tourists will find it desirable to stop at 
 the little hotel on the opposite side of the lake, 
 and return via Truckee, thus seeing greater 
 variety of scenery. 
 
 Tourists by this route to Virginia City, Carson 
 and Tahoe, will be obliged to leave the Overland 
 Western train at Reno, about 11.40 p. M., and a 
 comfortable night's rest can be enjoyed at the 
 Railroad Hotel. In the morning a train leaves 
 at 7.35 A. M., and arrives at Carson at 9.00 ; after 
 taking one hour for breakfast, the tourist can 
 either proceed to Virginia City and spend the 
 day, or take immediate departure for Lake Tahoe. 
 Private team or special stage can be engaged at 
 Benton's by any party, for a ride to the Lake at 
 any special time. 
 
 On this route there is the best known of all 
 California stage-drivers, who have reined kyuse 
 or mustang horses, the modest Hank Monk. 
 His first fame was not on the platform of 
 Faneuil Hall in oratory, but in the streets of 
 Boston, with eight horses abreast, well trained 
 to the voice and whip. He has driven stage in 
 California and Nevada, since 1852, and made 
 the distance between Carson and Virginia, 21 
 miles, in one hour and eight minutes. His ap- 
 pearance and gait do not indicate much energy, 
 but he drove Horace Greeley 109 miles in 10 
 hours, fast enough toward the end of the 
 journey, and as long as he can wake up his pets 
 with a strong voice or far reaching whip, he will 
 not fail to get his passengers through, " on 
 time." But to the credit of others, it should be 
 said, that California and Nevada have hundreds 
 of drivers not less skillful and reliable than the 
 favorite Monk. 
 
 The route to the lake lies first south, through 
 the Carson Valley, toward Job's Peaks and Silver 
 Mountain, always beautiful with snow. In the 
 clear atmosphere, the first will appear only a few 
 miles away, but it is still more than twenty 
 miles distant. The stage road turns west, up Clear 
 Creek Canon, through which comes the Twenty- 
 one Mile (V shaped) Flume of the Carson & Ta- 
 hoe Lumber Company, through which 700 cords 
 of wood, or half a million feet of mining timber 
 can be daily delivered at Carson City from the 
 summits of the Sierras. Along the canon are 
 many towering, sun-burnt rocks, weather-beaten 
 and worn into weird and fantastic shapes, and 
 these and the swift-descending timber, splashing 
 the water up many feet at every turn, to sparkle 
 in the sunlight, the Carson Valley spread out 
 below, with the Pine Nut, Walker and Sweet- 
 water Mountains on one side, and the Sierras 
 opposite, always attract and delight the lover of 
 bold mountain scenery. 
 
 At the summit, the flume connects with 
 the Lake Tahoe N. G. Railroad, 9 miles 
 long from summit to Glenbrook on shore of 
 
 the lake. The distance is but three miles by 
 wagon road, 6 miles less than by the R. R. The 
 railroad is worked only in the summer months 
 after much of it has been sought out and found 
 with shovels, and is exposed to damage and de- 
 struction from avalanches of snow or rock which 
 come thundering down the steep sides with re- 
 sistless force. Near the summit it has the enor- 
 mous grade of 180 feet to the mile. This pas- 
 sage over the eastern summit of the Sierras is 
 made where the range is depressed and the view, 
 though beautiful, is far too contracted to fully 
 gratify the traveler. Below, lies Lake Tahoe, 
 girt with everlasting pine-clad hills whose snowy 
 masses and evergreen foliage mingle with the 
 deep blue of an inland sea, yet only a small por- 
 tion of its beauty can be seen. 
 
 Lake Tahoe, This great body of fresh 
 water, 25 miles long, on an average ten wide, 
 about three-fourths in California, and one-fourth 
 in Nevada, has an elevation of a mile and a 
 quarter, and has been sounded to a depth of 
 3,000 feet. Through glacial action in past ages, 
 ice must have been piled up in the valley of this 
 lake 3,400 feet high. It never freezes, is smooth 
 as glass and clear as crystal, permitting the 
 trout to be seen or pebbles counted at a depth of 
 80 feet. Its water changes color to a beautiful 
 emerald or almost indigo blue according to the 
 depth, and when disturbed by the fierce mount- 
 ain winds, its waves lash the shore with foaming 
 fury. 
 
 At Glenbrook, five steamers will be found, 
 three of which are employed for the mills, and 
 the others, the " Niagara " and " Stanford " will 
 convey tourists, not exceeding 200 in number, 
 around the lake. 
 
 Glenbrook is the business center of the whole 
 region that borders on the lake. It has four 
 saw-mills with an aggregate capacity of five 
 million feet per month, running 11 1-2 hours 
 per day, also a planing mill. 
 
 Captain Pray, the oldest settler, is a large 
 land-owner, and much of the 200 acres in the 
 ranche on the shores of the lake, is covered with 
 a beautiful sod of timothy and clover. In the 
 State there is no finer land, and as the captain 
 and other mill-owners will rent none for saloon 
 purposes, Glenbrook, with a summer population 
 of 500, is a temperance town. The Glenbrook 
 Hotel, usually kept in first-class style, is usually 
 open each season, if not, comfortable accommo- 
 dations can still be found at the Lake Shore 
 House, for $20 a week, without extra charge for 
 the use of boats. 
 
 Shakespeare Rock, a remarkable curiosity, is 
 a bold, perpendicular rock on which the profile 
 of the great poet's face is outlined with great 
 accuracy. 
 
 From Glenbrook there is a charming drive on 
 the old Placerville Road, past Cave Rock, and 
 around the head of the lake to Rowlands or 
 
217 
 
 Yank's. The road was constructed at great ex- 
 pense a single mile near the rock, costing $40,- 
 000. The only other drive, of note, is from 
 Tahoe City to Sugar Pine Point. 
 
 The whole of the lake is not visible until the 
 steamer has run out a little distance from the 
 shore. Then its generic name is rather fitting. 
 " Tahoe," in the Indian, signifies " big water," 
 and is the name for ocean. The shore slopes 
 gently, in places, for two miles to a depth of 
 from 30 to 50 feet, then breaks sometimes ab- 
 ruptly as at the Bluffs of Rubicon or Observa- 
 tory Point, to a depth of 600 or 800 feet; and off 
 Sugar Pine Point is the greatest depth yet found. 
 The water is clear as crystal, and the tempera- 
 ture in summer, when taken from considerable 
 depth, very near the freezing point. The fare 
 across the lake is $2.50, and around, $5. The 
 steamer must lie idle half the year, and reasona- 
 ble fares may seem thus high. Leaving Glen- 
 brook for a circuit around the head of the lake, 
 the first object of interest is Cave Rock, three 
 and one-half miles from Glenbrook, about 400 
 feet high. This appears in the engraving from 
 Moran's sketch made from the point just south 
 of Glenbrook, and looking south and west. 
 
 After passing the rock, and looking back, it 
 resembles the Great South Dome of Yosernite, 
 split in two, and the cavern, 30 feet in length, is 
 seen about 100 feet above the ground. The line 
 of solid masonry and bridge for the road can just 
 be traced from the point where the artist stood. 
 Leaving Cave Rock, Zephyr Cove is three miles 
 south. Beautiful meadows afford fine pasturage, 
 and being on the east side, the earliest vege- 
 tables are here grown. The mountain's wall 
 shows plainly its broken but regular character. 
 From the main ridge, a cross spur is thrown out, 
 but this must again be broken into a succession 
 of small canons and " divides." 
 
 Just south of the cave is the old Friday 
 Ranche, well known by the pioneers who were 
 "on the way to Washoe" and the Kingsbury 
 Canon, through which the road crossed the 
 mountain to Genoa. In other days, the toll re- 
 ceipts on the Kingsbury grade were $500 a day. 
 
 Rowlands, 14 miles from Glenbrook, at the 
 head of the lake, on the Old Placerville Road, 
 was the first place of resort on the lake and 
 originally called the Lake House. It has greatly 
 changed from the day when J. Ross Browne was 
 a guest, and the host " seemed to be quite worn out 
 with his run of customers, from a hundred to 
 three hundred of a night, and nowhere to stow 
 'em all cussin' at him for not keepin' provis- 
 ions, with but little to drink, except old fash- 
 ioned tarantula-juice, warranted to kill at forty 
 paces." It has now two stores and a post-office, 
 with accommodations for tourists at moderate 
 price. Lake Valley appears, from a distance, 
 like a large, pine-covered flat. It is 14 miles 
 long and six wide, partly covered with timber, 
 
 and having much grazing land of the best 
 quality. The stock that pastures in these fertile 
 valleys of the lake, is all driven out before the 
 winter snows begin. Between Rowlands and 
 Yank's, is the terminus of Gardner's Rail- 
 road, a successful enterprise for lumbering. It 
 will soon be extended from six to ten miles. 
 
 Yank's is 4 miles from Rowlands, and at 
 the south-west end of the lake, just west of and 
 with convenient access to Lake Valley, and is 
 situated on a grassy sward, in a beautiful grove 
 of tamaracks interspersed with tall pines and 
 quaking aspens, with a pebbly beach gently 
 sloping from Teliae Point, commanding a view 
 of the whole lake, with convenient access to 
 Teliae Mountain, and only two miles from Fall- 
 en Leaf Lake, another beautiful sheet of water, 
 three miles long and one and one-half wide, at 
 the head of which are excellent Soda Springs. 
 Teliae Mountain is easily recognized from its 
 long, flat summit, and may be ascended via Fall- 
 en Leaf Lake and a steep canon. The view 
 from the summit is one of the finest on the Con- 
 tinent. 
 
 To the east, looking across Lake Valley and 
 the beautiful Tahoe, the eastern summits do not 
 shut out the country beyond, for Carson Valley 
 and much of Nevada are in sight. On the west, 
 are the great valleys of central California, beyond 
 them the Coast Range, and scattered among the 
 countless snow and purple peaks of the Sierras, 
 there nestle thirty-six lakes in sight, varying 
 from the deep, dark blue of Tahoe to the bril- 
 liancy of silver beneath a noonday sun. Horses 
 and boats are always to be had at Yank's. 
 Twenty dollars per week is the price of board ; 
 boats are charged for at city prices for carriages. 
 " Yank" is a soubriquet to mark the Green Mount- 
 ain origin of the host, Mr. E. Clement. The 
 tourist will need no further introduction, but 
 should be informed that Yank spends his winters 
 at the lake and sees snow come down the mount- 
 ains and accumulate around his buildings. Of all 
 places on the lake, none is more truly beautiful 
 for situation, than Yank's and it is a favorite 
 resort. 
 
 Leaving Yank's, the steamer heads north and 
 proceeds four miles to Emerald Bay, passing two 
 well-rounded peaks at the foot of which is a 
 beautiful valley, in which lies Cascade Lake. 
 This, too. is accessible from Yank's and is one of 
 its attractions. The point just north of the en- 
 trance to Emerald Bay was long the home of 
 America's pride among the birds, and is named 
 Eagle Point. 
 
 Emerald Say is a gem of beauty entered 
 on the south side of a narrow strait, as shown on 
 our title-page. It is two miles long by about 
 three-fourths of a mile wide. The entrance is 
 shoal, but the bay deep. Near the head of the 
 bay is a little granite island, with a few small 
 trees and shrubs, and the unfilled tomb of an 
 
218 
 
 eccentric tar Captain Dick who prepared the 
 island for his own mausoleum, in which he in- 
 tended to place himself on the approach of death, 
 but his drowned body became food for the fishes, 
 and the lonely cross marked an empty tomb. 
 
 This charming bay is owned by Ben Holladay, 
 Jr. His summer residence is surrounded by a 
 grove of willows and a stream fed by eternal 
 snows, pouring down in three successive lofty 
 waterfalls, which rival in grace and beauty 
 some of the smaller in Yosemite, keeps the 
 grassy sward always green, and plays in a 
 fountain before the door. 
 
 The surrounding hills are so steep that they 
 can be climbed only with great difficulty. Just 
 opposite the island, on the north side, there is 
 the mark of an avalanche of snow, that carried 
 the tall pines before it like shrubs, and has left 
 the mountain side completely bare. 
 
 Rubicon Point and Bay, and Sugar Pine Point 
 are next passed, going north on the way to 
 McKinney's, ten miles from Emerald Bay. 
 
 At McKinney's, there is no large house, bnt 
 13 cottages and pleasant surroundings. The 
 road to Tahoe City, gives this the advantage of a 
 pleasant drive. Board may be had at $20 a 
 week. 
 
 Continuing north, the steamer passes Black- 
 wood Creek, where some towering rocks are seen 
 whose height is scarcely comprehended, because 
 the trees and mountains beyond are on so great 
 a scale. Small as they seem, they are two hun- 
 dred and fifty feet high, and the trees at their 
 base not less than 200 feet. 
 
 Ward's Bay lies north of the Creek, and 
 Bawker's Peak, a sharp, high point, is back in 
 the mountains. 
 
 Tahoe City is eight miles from McKinney's, 
 and one of the loveliest spots on the lake. It is 
 at the source of the Truckee River, the only outlet 
 of the lake, and has the " Grand Central," the 
 largest hotel on the Sierras, with accommodations 
 for 160 guests, and kept by those excellent hosts, 
 Bayley & Moody. This is the most con- 
 venient point of access for tourists from Califor- 
 nia. The road to Truckee is down the beautiful 
 canon of the Truckee River, through a noble 
 forest of pines, invigorating and delightful at 
 every step. Sail and row-boats of all kinds may 
 be had at this point, and also carriages ; but the 
 prices should be agreed upon beforehand. No 
 boats are kept for the use of the hotel. 
 
 Board at the Grand Central may be had, vary- 
 ing from $3.00 to $4.00 per day, according to 
 rooms. The view of the lake from Tahoe City 
 is not excelled, and equalled only at Yank's 
 and the Hot Springs. 
 
 The hotel and other accommodations are supe- 
 rior to all others on the lake. Besides the Grand 
 Central, there is the Tahoe House, kept by Cap- 
 tain Pomin. 
 
 Tourists who desire to spend only one day in 
 
 visiting the lake, take stages at this point to 
 Truckee, 12 miles down the river. 
 
 Trout. At Tahoe City there is a trout estab- 
 lishment of much interest; and another, on a 
 larger scale, on the river half way to Truckee 
 Station. The water is admitted to a series of 
 ponds, each pond being appropriated to trout of 
 a different size. The eggs are taken during April, 
 May and June, when the fish ascend the river 
 and the creeks, to spawn. The eggs are stripped 
 from the female and impregnated by stripping 
 the male fish into the same vessel in which the 
 eggs are contained, and then placed on inclined 
 shelves or tables where about half an inch of 
 water runs gently, but steadily over them. The 
 temperature of the water affects the time of hatch- 
 ing, and the desire is to have the water as cold as 
 possible at the expense of time to produce the 
 hardier fish. One trout contains about 7,000 
 spawn. Twenty-five cents is charged for admis- 
 sion to the fishery, and the privilege of fishing in 
 the ponds granted for twenty-five or fifty cents a 
 fish, according to the size. 
 
 The fishing in the lake is done by trolling. 
 Spoon-hooks are sometimes used, but early in the 
 season it is necessary to have some shining de- 
 vice to attract attention besides a minnow on 
 the hook. The fisheries have been quite success- 
 ful in hatching fish, but not profitable. At first 
 nearly all died ; now nearly all are raised. The 
 young fish are nourished for several days after 
 birth by a portion of the egg from which they 
 are hatched remaining attached to them till it is 
 absorbed, and then are fed on mashed fish, the 
 yolks of eggs and liver, and the large trout are 
 fed on suckers and white fish caught in the lakes 
 with seines. Of course no trout are caught in 
 seines, for this is contrary to law. 
 
 After they have grown to weigh several pounds, 
 they will increase at the rate of a pound a year. 
 The quantity caught in a year can not be esti- 
 mated. Many are never sent to market, and 
 they are caught in both the lake and the river 
 as well as in Donner Lake. 
 
 From the Truckee River alone, 170,000 pounds 
 were caught last season, half of which were ship- 
 ped to Virginia City. 
 
 In the lake there are at least four kinds, two 
 of which are most commonly known. These are 
 the silver trout and the black trout. The silver 
 trout are most highly esteemed, are always taken 
 in deep water, and attain a size of thirty-two 
 pounds. The silver trout of Donner Lake grow 
 from eight to ten pounds, and those in the river 
 are not so large. The black trout run up the 
 creeks sooner in the spring than the silver, but 
 the latter can pass over greater obstacles than 
 the former. 
 
 The white fish found in the lake are quite un- 
 like those of the Great North American Lakes. 
 
 While the tourist who merely crosses the lake 
 from Glenbrook to Tahoe or vice versa, or who 
 
219 
 
 desires to reach the Central Pacific Railroad, 
 with the loss of one day only will not make the 
 entire circuit of the lake ; others will visit the 
 north end, and some may prefer this alone. 
 Continuing around from Tahoe City, Burton's 
 or Island Farm is two miles from Tahoe City. 
 It is a lovely spot, with summer green meadows 
 and pebbly beach, and accommodates at reason- 
 able cost, 25 or 30 people. It is a favorite resort 
 for California clergymen needing rest. 
 
 Burton's is connected with Tahoe City by a 
 carriage road, and is not too far to exercise at 
 the oars of a small boat. 
 
 Passing around the north end of the lake, 
 there is next, Observatory Point, where the great 
 telescope of James Lick was expected to be 
 erected, and beyond this is Carneliaii Bay, and 
 Carnelian Beach, so called from fine specimens 
 of chalcedony here found. Here is Doctor 
 Bournes' hygienic establishment. 
 
 Beyond this, are Agate bay and then Camp- 
 bell's Hot Springs, ten miles from Glenbrook. 
 and on Boundary Point, because it marks the 
 dividing line between California and Nevada. 
 
 The water boils out in several places in great 
 volume. The hotel is comfortable; the charge 
 $3 a day ; the entire lake is seen from the house, 
 and the baths are an advantage to be had no- 
 where else on the lake. There is a stage from this 
 point to Truckee, and the stages from Tahoe City 
 will also carry passengers thence to the springs. 
 
 Fishing and boating and driving can be en- 
 joyed at pleasure, and in the hills there are a few 
 grouse, quail, deer, and bear, but game is not 
 plentiful. 
 
 The Lumber and Trees of the Lake 
 Region. The logs which are brought down to 
 the lake at various points are towed to Glenbrook 
 in V-shaped booms, from 50 to 70 feet wide at 
 one end, and about 150 feet long, averaging 
 200,000 feet of lumber. 
 
 The sugar pine is the most valuable, then the 
 yellow pine. The black, or " bull " pine was 
 long despised, but is now highly prized for its 
 strength. It reaches, in California, a diameter 
 of 15, and height of 200 feet; about the lake, a 
 diameter of 10 feet. The leaves are of a dark 
 green color, but the cones are enormous some- 
 times 18 inches long. The wood is fine grained 
 and solid, soft and clear. 
 
 The yellow pine is not quite so large, seldom 
 exceeding 10 feet in diameter, and has bark fur- 
 rowed into plate-like sections, six or eight inches 
 wide, and from 12 to 20 inches long. 
 
 The " bull " pine is a favorite with the wood- 
 pecker for storing his acorns, not in the hollow 
 trees, but by drilling holes in the bark, and fit- 
 ting an acorn into each. Old woodmen say the 
 bird never makes a misfit, and selects, the first 
 time, a nut which will exactly fill the hole he 
 has drilled. In the valleys of California, nearly 
 all large trees are utilized in this way. 
 
 There are two kinds of fir, the white and the 
 red. The latter called also the Douglass fir, is a 
 good strong timber ; the former is the least 
 esteemed in the market. 
 
 Other pines of the Sierras are interesting, but 
 notice of all must be omitted except the Nut or 
 " Digger " pine, so called from a sweet or oily 
 seed forming a staple article of food for the 
 Indians, but it does not grow in the high 
 Sierras. It is dwarfish and scraggy, without 
 one main trunk, but dividing up into several. 
 It is said that this is so liable to " draw " while 
 seasoning, that miners who were compelled to 
 use it for building their cabins, were not sur- 
 prised to see them turn over two or three times 
 in the course of the summer. 
 
 As two daily passenger trains leave Reno for 
 San Francisco, one arriving via Vallejo in 
 eleven and a quarter hours, and the other via 
 Stockton in seventeen and a half hours, from 
 the time of leaving Truckee, the tourist econo- 
 mizing time, will take the former, leaving 
 Truckee at midnight. 
 
 By leaving at 3 A. M., daylight will soon fol- 
 low in the summer months, and the fine scenery 
 of the Sierras be more enjoyed. 
 
 To see the mountains, the best plan is to stop 
 at the summit, where there is another of the 
 first-class hotels of James Cardwell, and gain the 
 views from the peaks near by, and then descend 
 the mountain by a freight train, leaving the 
 summit at 5.30 A. M., and reaching Sacramento 
 the same evening, at 7.45. For this, one must 
 be willing to exchange the Palace car for the 
 caboose, and accept delay in exchange for the 
 leisurely enjoyment of the most wonderful rail- 
 road scenery in the world. 
 
 The Great Nevada Flume. 
 
 A PERILOUS RIDE. 
 By H. J. Ramsdell, of The N. Y. Tribune. 
 
 A 15 mile ride in a flume down the Sierra 
 Nevada Mountains in 35 minutes, was not one of 
 the things contemplated on my visit to Virginia 
 City, and it is entirely within reason to say that 
 I shall never make the trip again. 
 
 The flume cost, with its appurtenances, between 
 $200,000 and $300,000. It was built by a com- 
 pany interested in the mines here, principally 
 owners of the Consolidated Virginia, California, 
 Hale & Norcross, Gould & Curry, Best & Belcher, 
 and Utah Mines. The largest stockholders are J. 
 C. F16od, James G. Fair, John Mackey, arid W. S. 
 O'Brien, who compose, without doubt, the wealth- 
 iest firm in the United States. 
 
 The mines named use 1,000,000 feet of lumber 
 per month underground, and burn 40,000 cords 
 of wood per year. Wood here is worth from $10 
 to .$12 a cord, and at market prices, Messrs. 
 
220 
 
 Flood & Co., would have to pay for wood alone, 
 nearly $500,000 per year. 
 
 Virginia City is not built in a forest. From 
 the top of Mount Davidson, which is half a mile 
 back from the city, there is not a tree in sight, 
 except a few shade-trees in the city. 
 
 Going into the mines the other day, and see- 
 ing the immense amount of timber used, I asked 
 Mr. Mackey where all the wood and timber came 
 from. " It comes," said he, " from our lands in 
 the Sierras, 40 or 50 miles from here. We own 
 over 12,000 acres in the vicinity of Washoe Lake, 
 all of which is heavily timbered." 
 
 " How do you get it here ? " I asked. 
 
 " It comes," said he, " in our flume down the 
 mountain, 15 miles, and from our dumping 
 grounds is brought by the Virginia & Truckee 
 Railroad to this city, 16 miles. You ought to see 
 this flume before you go back. It is really a 
 wonderful thing." 
 
 The Journey. When, therefore, two days 
 afterward, I was invited to accompany Mr. Flood 
 and Mr. Fair to the head of the flume, I did not 
 hesitate to accept their kind offer. We started 
 at four o'clock in the morning, in two buggies, 
 the two gentlemen named in one buggy, and Mr. 
 Hereford, the President and Superintendent of the 
 company (which is known as the Pacific Wood, 
 Lumber and Flume Company) and myself in the 
 other. 
 
 The drive through Washoe Valley, and along 
 the mountains, up and down for 16 miles over a 
 road which, for picturesqueness, is without an 
 equal in memory, can not be described. Not a 
 tree, nor bush, nor any green vegetation was in 
 sight. Hills and mountains, well defined and 
 separate in character, were in every direction. 
 Sage brush and jack rabbits were the only living 
 things in sight. That beautiful purple atmos- 
 phere or mist, which has a dreamy, sleepy effect 
 in the landscape, overspread the mountains and 
 extended through the valley. 
 
 The road we traversed swung round and round 
 the mountains, now going nearly to the summit, 
 and now descending to their base. 
 
 Both teams employed were of the best, and in 
 less than an hour and a half we had accom- 
 plished the first part of our journey, 16 miles. 
 Here we breakfasted and went to the end of the 
 flume, a quarter of a mile distant. The men 
 were running timber 16 inches square and 10 
 feet long through it. The trestle-work upon 
 which the flume rested was about 20 feet from 
 the ground. The velocity of the movement of 
 the timber could scarcely be credited, for it re- 
 quires from only twenty-five minutes to half an 
 hour for it to float the entire length of the flume, 
 15 miles. 
 
 The flume is shaped like the letter V, and is 
 made of two-inch plank nailed together in the 
 above shape. Across the top it is about two and 
 one-half feet in width. The ends are very care- 
 
 fully fitted, so that where the planks go together 
 there may be no unevenness ; for timbers going at 
 the rate of 15 to 60 miles per hour must have a 
 clear coast. 
 
 In this trough the water runs from Hunter's 
 Creek, which is situated about 20 miles from the 
 terminus of the flume. 
 
 Some idea of the swiftness with which the 
 timber runs through the flume, may be had 
 when it is stated that in the flume there floats 
 500,000 feet of lumber every day (about ten 
 hours), or 500 cords of wood. 
 
 Near the terminus an iron break is placed in 
 the trough, slanting toward one side, so that 
 when the timber comes rushing down, 50 or 100 
 pieces, one after the other, each piece is turned 
 toward the side, and the men at the break, with 
 a dexterous use of the crowbar, send them 
 bounding to the ground. 
 
 I climbed to the top of the trestle-work, be- 
 fore the timber began to come. It was like the 
 rushing of a herd of buffalo on a party of hunt- 
 ers, and I preferred to view the flume, in active 
 working, from a distance. 
 
 We changed teams upon resuming our journey, 
 taking fresh horses for the mountain ascent. 
 Horsemen in the East who have never seen the 
 mountains of Nevada, Colorado and California, 
 can have no idea of the amount of work a horse 
 can do, and of the difficult places through which 
 he will go, and of the load he will carry or draw. 
 
 How a pair of horses can pull a buggy and 
 two men up a grade that seems half-way be- 
 tween the horizontal and the perpendicular, over 
 stones and fallen trees, and through underbrush 
 six feet high and very thick, is a question I can 
 never hope to solve ; at any rate, we reached the 
 lower mill of the company, about 18 or 20 miles. 
 This was several hours before noon. 
 
 The mill is situated in the lower belt of tim- 
 ber, and there are between 400 and 500 men at 
 work. This number includes those engaged in 
 cutting trees, hauling logs, and sawing the lum- 
 ber. How the heavy machinery of the mills, 
 and the engines which work them were brought 
 from the city up the mountains and placed in 
 position, is another mystery which I have not 
 tried to investigate. 
 
 The amount of lumber turned out by the 
 owner of these mills, the upper and the lower, the 
 former being two and one-half miles farther up 
 the mountain, is marvellous. 
 
 In five minutes' time, a log from two to four 
 feet in diameter is reduced to lumber, planks, 
 scantling, boards, and square timber, perhaps all 
 from the same log, for it is cut in the most ad- 
 vantageous manner. Sometimes one log will 
 give three or four different kinds of lumber. 
 The lower mill is kept running night and day, and 
 has a capacity of 50,000 feet per day cf small 
 stuff, and of 70,000 feet when working on large 
 timber. 
 
221 
 
 SUMMITS OF THE SIEEKAS. 
 
 BY THOMAS MOKAN. 
 
222 
 
 The upper mill has less than half the capacity, 
 being smaller, and being worked only 12 hours 
 a day. 
 
 The Flume. The flume is a wonderful 
 piece of engineering work. It is built wholly 
 upon trestle-work, and stringers ; there is not a 
 cut in ,the whole distance, and the grade is so 
 heavy that there is little danger of a jam. 
 
 The trestle-work is very substantial, and is un- 
 doubtedly strong enough to support a narrow 
 gauge railway. It runs over foot hills, through 
 valleys, around mountains, and across canons. 
 
 In one place it is 70 feet high. The highest 
 point of the flume from the plain, is 3,700 feet, 
 and on an air line, from beginning to end, the 
 distance is eight miles, the course thus taking 
 up seven miles in twists and turns. The trestle- 
 work is thoroughly braced, longitudinally and 
 across, so that no break can extend farther than a 
 single box, which is 16 feet ; all the main sup- 
 ports, which are five feet apart, are firmly set in 
 mud-sills, and the boxes or troughs rest in brackets 
 four feet apart. These again rest upon sub- 
 stantial stringers. The grade of the flume is 
 between 1,600 and 2,000 feet from the top to 
 lower end, a distance of 15 miles. 
 
 The sharpest fall is three feet in six. There 
 are two reservoirs from which the flume is fed. 
 One is 1,100 feet long, and the other 600 feet. A 
 ditch, nearly two miles long, takes the water to the 
 first reservoir, whence it is conveyed 3 1-4 miles to 
 the flume through a feeder capable of carrying 
 450 inches of water. 
 
 The whole flume was built in 10 weeks. In 
 that time all the trestle-work, stringers and boxes 
 were put in place. About 200 men were employed 
 on it at one time, being divided into four gangs. 
 It required 2,000,000 feet of lumber, but the item 
 which astonished me most was that there were 
 28 tons, or o6,000 pounds of nails, used in the 
 construction of this flume. 
 
 To the lower mill, as the road goes, it is about 
 40 miles from Virginia City. Although I had 
 already ridden this distance, yet I mounted a 
 horse and rode two or three miles to the top of 
 the mountain, where I had one of the finest 
 valley views that come to the lot of man. Miles 
 and miles below, the valley was spread out with 
 spots and squares of green crops growing, and 
 barren wastes of sand and sage brush reach- 
 ing in a long stretch to the base of another 
 spur of the Sierras. The City of Reno occupied 
 a little spot on the plain from my mountain it 
 seemed like a city of toy houses built on Nature's 
 carpet. 
 
 A Ride in the Flume. Upon my return I 
 found that Mr. Flood and Mr. Fair had arranged 
 for a ride in the flume, and I was challenged to 
 go with them. Indeed, the proposition was put 
 in the form of a challenge they dared me to go. 
 
 I thought that if men worth $25,000,000 or 
 $30,000,000 apiece, could afford to risk their lives, 
 
 I could afford to risk mine, which was not worth 
 half as much. 
 
 So I accepted the challenge, and two boats 
 were ordered. These were nothing more than 
 pig-troughs, with one end knocked out. The 
 " boat " is built, like the flume, V shaped, and 
 fits into the flume. It is composed of three 
 pieces of wood two two-inch planks, 16 feet 
 long, and an end board which is nailed about 
 two and one-half feet across the top. 
 
 The forward end of the boat was left open, 
 the rear end closed with a board against which 
 was to come the current of water to propel us. 
 Two narrow boards were placed in the boat for 
 seats, and everything was made ready. Mr. 
 Fair and myself were to go in the first boat, and 
 Mr. Flood and Mr. Hereford in the other. 
 
 Mr. Fair thought that we had better take a 
 third man with us who knew something about 
 the flume. There were probably 50 men from 
 the mill standing in the vicinity waiting to see 
 us off, and when it was proposed to take a third 
 man, the question was asked of them if anybody 
 was willing to go. 
 
 Only one man, a red-faced carpenter, who takes 
 more kindly to whisky than his bench, volun- 
 teered to go. Finally, everything was arranged. 
 Two or three stout men held the boat over the 
 flume, and told us to jump into it the minute it 
 touched the water, and to " hang on to our hats." 
 
 The signal of " all ready " was given, the boat 
 was launched, and we jumped into it as best we 
 could, which was not very well, and away we 
 went like the wind. 
 
 One man who helped to launch the boat, fell 
 into it just as the water struck it, but he scam- 
 pered out on the trestle, and whether he was 
 hurt or not, we could not wait to see. 
 
 The grade of the flume at the mill is very 
 heavy, and the water rushes through it at rail- 
 road speed. The terrors of that ride can never 
 be blotted from the memory of one of that party. 
 To ride upon the cow-catcher of an engine down 
 a steep grade is simply exhilarating, for you 
 know there is a wide track, regularly laid upon 
 a firm foundation, that there are wheels grooved 
 and fitted to the track, that there are trusty men 
 at the brakes, and better than all, you know that 
 the power that impels the train can be rendered 
 powerless in an instant by the driver's light 
 touch upon his lever. But a flume has no ele- 
 ment of safety. In the first place the grade can 
 not be regulated as it can on a railroad ; you can 
 not go fast or slow at pleasure ; you are wholly at 
 the mercy of the water. You can not stop ; you 
 can not lessen your speed ; you have nothing to 
 hold to; you have only to sit still, shut your 
 eyes, say your prayers, take all the water that 
 comes filling your boat, wetting your feet, 
 drenching you like a plunge through the surf, 
 and wait for eternity. It is all there is to hope 
 for after you are launched in a flume-boat. I 
 
223 
 
 can not give the reader a better idea of a flume 
 ride than to compare it to riding down an old 
 fashioned eave-trough at an angle of 45, hang- 
 ing in midair without support of roof or house, 
 and thus shot a distance of 15 miles. 
 
 At the start, we went at the rate of about 20 
 miles an hour, which is a little less than the av- 
 erage speed of a railroad train. The reader can 
 have no idea of the speed we made, until he 
 compares it to a railroad. The average time we 
 made was 30 miles per hour a mile in two min- 
 utes for the entire distance. This is greater 
 than the average running time of railroads. 
 
 Incidents of the Hide. The red-faced car- 
 penter sat in front of our boat on the bottom, as 
 best he could. Mr. Fair sat on a seat behind 
 him, and I sat behind Mr. Fair in the stern, and 
 was of great service to him in keeping the water, 
 which broke over the end-board, from his back. 
 
 There was a great deal of water also shipped 
 in the bows of the hog-trough, and I know Mr. 
 Fair's broad shoulders kept me from many a 
 wetting in that memorable trip. 
 
 At the heaviest grade the water came in so 
 furiously in front, that it was impossible to see 
 where we were going, or what was ahead of us ; 
 but, when the grade was light, and we were go- 
 ing at a three or four-minute pace, the vision was 
 very delightful, although it was terrible. 
 
 In this ride, which fails me to describe, I was 
 perched up in a boat no wider than a chair, some- 
 times 20 feet high in the air, and with the 
 ever varying altitude of the flume, often 70 
 feet high. When the water would enable me to 
 look ahead, I would see this trestle here and 
 there for miles, so small and narrow, and appar- 
 ently so fragile, that I could only compare it to 
 a chalk-mark, upon which, high in the air, I was 
 running at a rate unknown upon railroads. 
 
 One circumstance during the trip did more to 
 show me the terrible rapidity with which we 
 dashed through the flume, than anything else. 
 We had been rushing down at a pretty lively 
 rate of speed, when the boat suddenly struck 
 something in the bow a nail, or lodged stick of 
 wood, which ought not to have been there. What 
 was the result? The red-faced carpenter was 
 sent whirling into the flume, 10 feet ahead. 
 Fair was precipitated on his face, and I found a 
 soft lodgment on Fair's back. 
 
 It seemed to me that in a second's time, Fair, 
 himself a powerful man, had the carpenter by 
 the scruff of the neck, and had pulled him into 
 the boat. I did not know that, at this time, 
 Fair had his fingers crushed between the boat 
 and the flume. 
 
 But we sped along ; minutes seemed hours. It 
 seemed an hour before we arrived at the worst 
 place in the flume, and yet Hereford tells me it 
 was less than 10 minutes. The flume at the point 
 alluded to must have very near 45 inclination. 
 
 In looking out before we reached it, I thought 
 
 the only way to get to the bottom was to fall. 
 How our boat kept in the track is more than I 
 know. The wind, the steamboat, the railroad 
 never went so fast. I have been where the wind 
 blew at the rate of 80 miles an hour, and yet my 
 breath was not taken away. In the flume, in the 
 bad places, it seemed as if I would suffocate. 
 
 The first bad place that we reached, and if I 
 remember right, it was the worst, I got close 
 against Fair. I did not know that I would sur- 
 vive the journey, but I wanted to see how fast 
 we were going. So I lay close to him and placed 
 my head between his shoulders. The water was 
 coming into his face, like the breakers of the 
 ocean. When we went slow, the breakers came 
 in on my back, but when the heavy grades were 
 reached, the breakers were in front. In one case 
 Fair shielded me, and in the other, I shielded 
 Fair. 
 
 In this particularly bad place I allude to, my de- 
 sire was to form some judgment of the speed we 
 were making. If the truth must be spoken, I 
 was really scared almost out of reason ; but if I 
 was on the way to eternity, I wanted to know 
 exactly how fast I went; so I huddled close to 
 Fair, and turned my eyes toward the hills. 
 Every object I placed my eye on was gone, be- 
 fore I could clearly see what it was. Mountains 
 passed like visions and shadows. It was with 
 difficulty that I could get my breath. I felt that 
 I did not weigh an hundred pounds, although 
 I knew, in the sharpness of intellect which one 
 has at such a moment, that the scales turned at 
 two hundred. 
 
 Mr. Flood and Mr. Hereford, although they 
 started several minutes later than we, were close 
 upon us. They were not so heavily loaded, and 
 they had the full sweep of the water, while we 
 had it rather at second hand. Their boat 
 finally struck ours with a terrible crash. 
 
 Mr. Flood was thrown upon his face, and the 
 waters flowed over him, leaving not a dry thread 
 upon him. What became of Hereford I do not 
 know, except that when he reached the terminus 
 of the flume, he was as wet as any of us. 
 
 This only remains to be said. 'We made the 
 entire distance in less time than a railroad train 
 would ordinarily make, and a portion of the 
 time we went faster than a railroad train ever 
 went. 
 
 Fair said we went at least a mile a minute. 
 Flood said we went at the rate of 100 miles an 
 hour, and my deliberate belief is that we went 
 at a rate that annihilated time and space. We 
 were a wet lot when we reached the terminus of 
 the flume. Flood said he would not make the 
 trip again, for the whole Consolidated Virginia 
 Mine. 
 
 Fair said that he should never again place him- 
 self on an equality with timber and wood, and 
 Hereford said he was sorry that he ever built the 
 flume. As for myself, I told the millionaire that 
 
224 
 
 I had accepted my last challenge. When we left 
 our boats we were more dead than alive. 
 
 We had yet 16 miles to drive to Virginia City. 
 How we reached home, the reader will never 
 know. I asked Flood what I was to do with my 
 spoiled suit of English clothes. He bade me 
 good night, with the remark that my clothes were 
 good enough to give away. The next day, 
 neither Flood nor Fair were able to leave their 
 bed. For myself, I had only strength enough 
 left to say, " / have had enough of flumes" 
 
 RENO TO SAN FRANCISCO. 
 
 Proceeding from Reno, directly to San Fran- 
 cisco, the line of the railroad is along the 
 Truckee River. 
 The meadows 
 grow narrower, 
 and the mount- 
 ains approach on 
 either side, then 
 widen again in 
 Pleasant Valley. 
 
 Verdi is 283 
 miles east of San 
 Francisco, has 
 three stores and a 
 planing mill ; de- 
 rives its impor- 
 tance from the 
 lumber trade, and 
 its notoriety from 
 the robbery o f 
 the express and 
 mail cars, of an 
 overland train. 
 
 The scenery is 
 now becoming 
 fine; Crystal Peak 
 may be seen on 
 the right, and win- 
 ter moonlight 
 nights will add 
 charms to make 
 the views more 
 lovely and unique 
 between this point 
 and Truckee. 
 Then the mount- 
 ains, denuded at 
 their base of all 
 timber, and the 
 shrubs and stumps 
 buried in deep 
 snow are of un- 
 fa r o k e n, silvery 
 
 white, while the 
 lofty pines, farther up the steep sides or on the 
 rounding tops, form a veil of green, and above 
 all irregular, fleecy clouds float fantastically by, 
 as if a silvery mist in the valleys was rising over 
 the dark peaks, mingling light of many shades, 
 
 SNOW SHEDS ACROSS THE SIERRAS. 
 
 while exulting clouds, glide smoothly and silently 
 along the azure sky. 
 
 The Truckee River foams, as its rapid waters 
 battle with the rocks, and it is crossed and re- 
 crossed on Howe truss bridges, and the mount- 
 ains, often precipitous, show their volcanic origin 
 in masses of basaltic rock. 
 
 Essex, 282 miles from San Francisco, is a 
 side track at which passenger trains do not stop. 
 Bronco, 273 miles from San Francisco, is 
 a meeting place for trains with a store and a 
 summer station-agent. Soon after leaving the 
 station, there will be noticed a post marked 
 " State Line," standing on the 120th merid- 
 ian west of Washington D. C., and this passed, 
 
 the traveler is in 
 the Golden State 
 of California. 
 
 Between Bronco 
 and Boca, at what 
 was Camp 18, a 
 flag station has 
 just been located 
 and named Dover. 
 Boca, a tele- 
 graph station, is 
 267 miles from 
 San Francisco, 
 with a population 
 of about 150. It 
 is at the mouth of 
 the Little Truckee 
 River, and is the 
 Spanish name for 
 "mouth." The 
 only business is 
 that of the Boca 
 Lumber Mill and 
 Ice Company, and 
 the Boca Brewery, 
 the latter the larg- 
 est on the Pacific 
 Coast, and on ac- 
 count of the equa- 
 ble temperature, 
 expected to pro- 
 duce the best lager- 
 beer in the world. 
 About 8,000 tonsof 
 ice are cut yearly 
 from the pond. 
 The cold is some- 
 times severely felt, 
 the mercury 
 standing at 22 be- 
 lowzeroduringthe 
 winter of 1875-6. 
 Prosser Creek is 265 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco at the mouth of a creek of the same name, 
 called from a hotel keeper in early days. It is a 
 flag station, and the terminus of a flume for sev- 
 eral milling stations, and the ice-field for two 
 
225 
 
 companies that supply San Francisco. Continu- 
 ing west 3.3 miles, we reach 
 
 Proctor's, 262 miles from San Francisco, 
 but trains do not stop. On the left will be 
 noticed a large tract of flat land covered with 
 timber, or stumps, and a rariche or two. Across 
 this and over the range of hills beyond, lies 
 Lake Tahoe, but keeping to the river, 3.2 miles 
 from Proctor's, we reach 
 
 Truckee, 259 miles from San Francisco, 
 the dividing line between the Truckee and 
 Sacramento divisions of the railroad, with 
 a roundhouse for 24 engines. It has a tri- 
 weekly newspaper, the Republican, and is the 
 most import- 
 ant town in 
 the Sierras, on 
 account of the 
 business done, 
 as a summer 
 resort, and be- 
 cause of its 
 convenience to 
 other favorite 
 resorts. It is 
 the seat of a 
 large lumber 
 trade, and 
 would be ben- 
 efited by the 
 establishment 
 of an exten- 
 sive fire insur- 
 ance business. 
 The town was 
 burned in 
 1868, 1869, 
 twice in 1870, 
 in 1874, and 
 "ChinaTown" 
 in 1875. 
 
 The prevail- 
 ing winds are 
 west, and in 
 summer one 
 might think 
 the great width of the street is designed to pre- 
 vent fires from the locomotive sparks, but in 
 winter the more probable suggestion is that 
 it is for the convenience of piling up the snow 
 when the people shovel out their houses. The 
 population is about 1,500, nearly one-third of 
 which are Chinamen. A large number of good 
 stores are arranged on the north side of the 
 street, and considerable trade carried on with 
 Sierra and Pleasant Valleys on the north. 
 
 Its hotels are first-class the " Truckee Hotel," 
 where the train stops, and the Cardwell House 
 across the wide street and a little removed from 
 the noise of passing trains. Many desiring the 
 benefit of mountain air, and the convenience of 
 the railroad, spend their summer months in 
 
 15 
 
 GALLERY IN SNOW SHEDS, C. P. B. B. 
 
 Truckee, from which Donner Lake is distant 
 only two miles, and Tahoe 12. 
 
 Stages leave Truckee on Tuesdays, Thursdays 
 and Saturdays for Randolph, 28 miles, time four 
 hours, and fare $4 ; Sierraville, 29 miles, time 
 four and one-fourth hours, fare $4 ; Sierra City, 
 60 miles, time ten hours, fare $8 ; Downieville, 
 72 miles, time twelve hours, fare tf 10 ; Jamison 
 City, 55 miles, time ten hours, fare $8, and Eu- 
 reka Mills, 58 miles, time ten and one-half hours, 
 fare $8. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 
 for Loyalton, 30 miles, time five hours, fare $4 ; 
 Beckwith, 45 miles, time seven and one-half 
 hours, fare $5. 
 
 The stages 
 leaving on 
 Mondays, 
 Wednesdays 
 and Fridays, 
 are also the 
 stages for 
 Webber Lake, 
 1 6 miles north 
 of Truckee, 
 and Independ- 
 ence Lake, 
 about the 
 same distance. 
 At each of 
 these is a good 
 hotel. 
 
 Webber 
 Lake is about 
 the size of 
 Donner, en- 
 circled by 
 high, s n o w- 
 capped mount- 
 ains, but beau- 
 tified by a 
 rim of fer- 
 tile meadow 
 around its 
 pebbly beach. 
 Card well's 
 stages leave 
 the summit daily, passing along Donner Lake to 
 Truckee, thence to Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe. 
 Fare from the summit to Tahoe, $2.50. Truckee 
 to Tahoe, $2 ; John F. Moody, of the Truckee 
 Hotel, also runs an elegant open coach, of the Kim- 
 ball Manufacturing Company, between Truckee 
 and Tahoe City, daily, fare $2 ; and Campbell's 
 stages leave every morning for Campbell's Hot 
 Springs on Lake Tahoe. 
 
 Truckee was named after General Fremont's 
 old Indian, who was engaged to guide the un- 
 fortunate Donner party across the Sierras. It is 
 full of business and beauty in summer and win- 
 ter. Here, among good hotels, is the best place in 
 the Sierras to be snowed in, although twice as 
 much snow may be seen falling at the summit. 
 
226 
 
 A Snow-Storm at Truckee. At mid- 
 night, the mountain peaks stood clear and white, 
 with deep shadows here and there, and above, a 
 cloudless sky ; but, at daylight, a foot of new 
 snow lay upon many previous snows. 
 
 The one-story houses were hid from view. 
 While the air was full of falling flakes, busy men 
 were shoveling off the roofs of their dwellings 
 shoveling all the while, and half a hundred 
 Chinamen were loading cars with snow from the 
 railroad track to throw it down some steep 
 mountain side. Men are coming in with their 
 shoes in hand not number thirteens, but thir- 
 teen feet long, and stand them up against the 
 wall. 
 
 These snow- 
 shoes are about 
 six inches wide, 
 turned up in 
 front like the 
 runner of a 
 skate, and wax- 
 ed to make 
 them slip easi- 
 ly over the 
 snow. Near the 
 middle is a 
 leather that 
 laces over the 
 instep (a skele- 
 ton half -shoe), 
 and out of 
 which the foot 
 will slip in case 
 of a fall or acci- 
 dent. 
 
 A long pole 
 is carried like 
 a rope-dancer's 
 to preserve a 
 balance, and to 
 straddle-and sit 
 upon for a 
 brake, when 
 descend ing a 
 hill. They are 
 essential to 
 safety in these 
 storms. 
 
 MABY'S LAKE, MIRROR VIEW. 
 
 As I watched the falling snow, nothing could 
 exceed the beauty. As it curled and shot 
 through the air, the mountains were shut out 
 with a gauzy veil and darker mists. Now and 
 then I caught a glimpse of a clump of pines on 
 the mountain side, indistinct and gray in shadow, 
 and as the fitful snow favored the straining eye, 
 the long white boughs seemed bending as if con- 
 scious of the enormous weight that threatened 
 every living thing. 
 
 When the clouds broke suddenly away, a flood 
 of golden light leaped from hill to hill. The tall 
 pines, partly green, but now like pyramids of 
 
 snow, lift their heads above the mountain sides. 
 But in less than fifteen minutes after the first 
 sight of the sun, a long stratum of dark cloud 
 came down the mountain, and the snow falls 
 thicker and faster than ever. Its hard crystals 
 were driven so furiously as to make one's cheeks 
 burn, and give exquisite torture to the eyelids. 
 I looked upon the rapid river, and around its 
 snow-capped rocks the water played in foaming 
 cascades. 
 
 The enormous snow-plows at length grappled 
 with this monster of the elements. 
 
 From east and west came reports of ava- 
 lanches, snow sheds down, trains wrecked and 
 snow-bound, and soon the telegraph refused to 
 
 do its bidding. 
 The ponder- 
 ous engines 
 were thrown 
 from the rails 
 in the streets, 
 before our eyes, 
 by the hard 
 crystals .which 
 they crushed 
 into glacier-like 
 ice. With five 
 of them behind 
 the largest 
 snow-plow o n 
 the road, we 
 started toward 
 the summit. 
 The snow flew 
 and even 
 the ground 
 trembled, and 
 every piece of 
 the short snow 
 sheds was wel- 
 comed with joy 
 and misgiving. 
 The blinding 
 snow, I thought, 
 will cease to 
 fly, but suppose 
 that, when 
 crushed into ice 
 like granite, it 
 lifts the ponderous plow of 30 tons, or that we go 
 crashing into the shed prostrate beneath twenty 
 or forty feet of snow ; or that an avalanche has 
 come down and our way lies through the tangled 
 trunks of these huge Sierra pines ; five boilers 
 behind that may soon be on top of us. 
 
 Never before did I realize the need of the 
 snow sheds, but I often rebelled against the shut- 
 ting out of nature's mountain charms from the 
 weary or unoccupied traveler. 
 
 Let the discontented not forget that five feet 
 of snow may fall in one day ; that twenty and 
 thirty feet may lie all over the ground at one 
 
227 
 
 TUNNEL NO. 12, STRONG'S CANON. 
 
 time ; that forty and fifty feet are sometimes to 
 be seen, where the road-bed is secure beneath it, 
 and that the canons often contain a hundred 
 feet. 
 
 These capacious reservoirs are the pledge of 
 summer fruitfulness. A winter scene in these 
 Sierras without even the sight of unfriendly 
 bruin, will beget a fondness for the snow sheds 
 that the summer tourist cannot imagine, and a 
 better appreciation of the boldness and daring 
 of the men who brave the hardships of these 
 mountain storms, and peril their lives at every 
 step for other's safety. Day and night I saw 
 the servants of the public, from highest to low- 
 est, haggard and worn, yet never ceasing in their 
 battle against the tremendous storm, and was 
 overwhelmed thinking of our indebtedness to 
 their energy, skill and endurance, as well as by 
 viewing the wonderful works of God. "The 
 feeding of the rivers and the purifying of the 
 winds are the least of the services appointed to 
 the hills. To fill the thirst of the human heart 
 with the beauty of God's working, to startle its 
 lethargy with the deep and pure agitation of 
 astonishment are their higher missions." 
 
 Snow Sheds. The snow sheds, so important 
 
 to winter travel, are found east of Strong's Canon 
 Station, and west of Emigrant Gap, wherever 
 there is no side hill, and the removal of the snow 
 would be difficult for the plow. Between these 
 two stations, they are without break, except for 
 tunnels and bridges. In all, there are about 40 
 miles of the sheds. 
 
 They are of two kinds, the flat roof, built to 
 hold the weight of 25 or 30 feet of snow, or slide 
 it down the mountain side, and those with the 
 pitched or steep roof, and " batter brace." The 
 massiveness of the huge pine trunks, or sawed 
 timbers, twelve or sixteen inches on a side, may 
 be easily seen from the cars. The cost per mile 
 varied from $8,000 to $10,000, and where it was 
 necessary to build heavy retaining walls of ma- 
 sonry, some dry and some cement walls, the cost 
 was at the rate of $30,000 per mile. Sometimes 
 the heavy square timbers are bolted to the solid 
 ledge, that avalanches may be carried by, and 
 the sheds remain. 
 
 At a distance the sheds look small, but they 
 are high enough to insure the safety of break- 
 men who pass over the tops of the freight cars. 
 
 During the summer months when everything 
 is sun-scorched, the destruction of the sheds by 
 
228 
 
 fire is often imminent, and great loss has been 
 suffered in this way. . To prevent fires, the 
 greatest precaution is used, and the most 
 effective measures adopted to extinguish a con- 
 flagration. At short intervals, both sides and 
 roof are of corrugated iron to stop the progress of 
 a fire, and the whole line from Strong's Canon to 
 Emigrant Gap, provided with automatic fire- 
 alarms, telegraphing the place of danger, and at 
 the summit is a train with tanks, and the engine 
 ready to become instantly a well-equipped fire- 
 brigade. 
 
 Near Truckee the railroad leaves the river 
 which turns to the south, and it follows Donner 
 Creek, the outlet of Donner Lake, for a short dis- 
 tance and then turns up the great and magnifi- 
 cent canon of Cold Stream Creek, in a direction 
 nearly south-west. Before leaving Donner 
 Creek, we are hard by 
 
 " Starvation Camp," where in the winter of 
 1846-7 a company of eighty-two persons, coming 
 to California, were overtaken by snow, lost their 
 cattle, and were reduced to such straits that 
 many survivors fed on the remains of their 
 starved companions. The company comprised 
 eighty-two persons, of whom thirty-two were 
 females, a large proportion of the whole being 
 children. Thirty-six perished, of whom twenty- 
 six were males. Of a party of thirteen, who 
 went out for help, ten perished. Relief was sent 
 to the company, but it was impossible to save 
 all. Mrs. Donner, when the alternative was 
 presented her, early in March, of leaving her 
 husband, and going away with her children, or 
 remaining with him and soon perishing, refused 
 to abandon him, and when, in April, the spot 
 was visited again, his body was found carefully 
 dressed and laid out by her. How long she sur- 
 vived him is not known. The sufferings of this 
 party were insignificant in amount when com- 
 pared with the whole aggregate of misery en- 
 dured in the early peopling of California by the 
 Overland, the Cape Horn, and the Panama Route, 
 but no other tale connected with these early days 
 is so harrowing in its details as this, and no one 
 thinking of Donner Lake, turns from its quiet 
 and beauty, to think of this tragedy that gave it 
 its name, without a shudder. 
 
 The old road across the mountains to Sutter's 
 Fort, followed up the Cold Stream, where snows 
 no longer forbid a passage across the dangerous 
 summits. 
 
 Along and rounding this Cold Stream Canon 
 are the finest views on the eastern side of the 
 Sierras, not shut out by snow sheds from the 
 traveler by rail. The canon is wide and long, 
 and far above and across, the road-bed is cut on 
 the steep mountain side, and then protected by 
 long snow sheds till at last it enters tunnel No. 13. 
 Looking up the canon, on the right, soon after 
 entering, or back, after the Horse-Shoe Curve 
 has been made, a long line of purple pyramids 
 
 and jagged precipices surround the valley, and if 
 the road is not at the bottom of everything, the 
 enormous face of the mountain seems to forbid 
 the most daring attempt to ascend. But upward 
 still looking back to the valley of the Truckee 
 far below, and the train reaches 
 
 Strong's Canon, 252 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco, which is a side track, telegraph office and 
 turn-table, for snow-plows, principally. Cold 
 Stream must not be confounded with Strong's 
 Canon, for the latter will not be reached till the 
 train has passed half-way along the lofty wall of 
 Donner Lake. The station was originally at 
 Strong's Canon, but was afterward moved to tun- 
 nel No. 13, the point where the road leaves Cold 
 Stream Canon. 
 
 Donner Lake the gem of the Sierras, is just 
 below, and the vigilant eye will be rewarded by 
 a sight of it through the observation holes in 
 the snow sheds, and when the train crosses a 
 bridge in doubling Strong's Canon. After leav- 
 ing this Canon, the road-bed is cut out of rough, 
 rugged, granite rocks ; and before the summit is 
 reached, it has passed through the seventh tun- 
 nel from Cold Stream. These are almost indis- 
 tinguishable from the sombre snow sheds, and 
 Nos. 11 and 12 and likewise 7 and 8, are almost 
 continuous. The longest are Nos. 13 and 6, the 
 former 870 feet, and the latter, 1,659 feet, and 
 the longest on the line of the road. Emerging 
 from tunnel No. 6, the 
 
 Summit, 244 miles from San Francisco, is 
 announced, and the train is ready to descend 
 rapidly to the valley of the Sacramento. It is a 
 day and night telegraph station, and has an alti- 
 tude of 7,017 feet 119.8 feet above Truckee 
 and is the highest point on the line of the road. 
 Many of the surrounding peaks are two and 
 three thousand feet higher. 
 
 The Summit House is the largest hotel along 
 the line of the road, accommodates 150 guests, 
 and is one of the most popular in the Sierras. 
 
 One who lets the train go by, to climb to 
 the top of the ridge through which the tunnel 
 leads, or some higher peak, will never be sorry, 
 for an enchanting panorama will be unrolled. 
 
 Summit Valley, with its bright pastures, and 
 warm with life, while it touches bleak rocks, and 
 receives the shade of the inhospitable pine or 
 the drip of the snow one of the loveliest val- 
 leys at such an altitude lies toward the setting 
 sun. In the rim that shuts out the south-west 
 wind, towers the Devil's Peak, a bold cliff rising 
 from out of wild surroundings ; and following 
 the ridge eastward with the eye, and around 
 toward the point of vision, there are prominent, 
 Old Man's Peak, just across the valley, sharp- 
 ened by the wintry storms of his long life, and 
 on the main ridge, Mount Lincoln, 9,200 feet high, 
 and Donner Peak, 2,000 feet above the railroad, 
 and 3,200 above the lake that sleeps in quiet 
 beauty at its base; and across the railroad 
 
229 
 
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 5 a 
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 M 
 
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230 
 
 the peak from which Bierstadt sketched the 
 " Gein " beneath. Then there are a thousand 
 other charms in the vast heights above, and 
 vast depths below ; in contrasts of light and 
 shade, form and color ; in mists hanging over 
 the lake, and clouds clinging to the peaks; in 
 the twilight deepening into darkness, or colossal 
 pyres, kindled by the coming sun, and going out 
 in the clear light of the day ; or, in the gloom of 
 the forest mingled with the living silver of the 
 moonlit lake. 
 
 The peaks 
 may be ascend- 
 ed some with 
 difficulty, and 
 some with mod- 
 erate exertion 
 but persons of 
 feeble constitu- 
 tion may enjoy 
 all the varied 
 charms. 
 
 The lake is of 
 easy access, and 
 has on its banks 
 a hotel for tour- 
 ists. The dis- 
 tance to the lake 
 by the carriage 
 road is 2 1-2 
 miles, and 
 Truckee 9 miles. 
 The summit di- 
 vides the waters 
 that flow east 
 and sink amid 
 desert sands, 
 from those that 
 flow west into 
 the Sacramento 
 river. 
 
 Sum mi t 
 Valley, -2 1-2 
 miles long and 
 one mile wide, 
 heads in the 
 high peaks, 
 south of the hotel. It has pasturage during the 
 summer for many cattle, and its springs and 
 abundance of products, fresh from the dairy, 
 make it a delightful place for camping out. 
 
 Its waters are the source of the South Fork of 
 the South Yuba River. 
 
 The railroad descends to the foot of this val- 
 ley, keeping the divide on the north to the right, 
 then, about three miles from the summit, crosses 
 the most southerly branch of the Yuba. A few 
 yards before the crossing, is a summer flag sta- 
 tion, or 
 
 _ Soda Springs Station. These springs are 
 situated on the south side of the high ridge that 
 forms the southern wall of Summit Valley, and 
 
 LAKE ANGELINE. 
 
 are in the headwaters of the American River. 
 They are numerous, flow abundantly, and are 
 highly medicinal. Stages run to them both 
 from the summit, and from Soda Station, and 
 the ride is not surpassed, if equaled, by any in 
 the Sierras north of Yosemite, in the number 
 and beauty of the fine views it affords. 
 
 The hotel at the Springs is not an imposing 
 structure, but it is kept in first-class style and is 
 a favorite resort. 
 
 The dividing ridge, which the railroad now 
 
 follows, is on the 
 left, and on the 
 right are great 
 ridges and can- 
 ons, which gath- 
 er more water 
 for the Yuba. 
 Their extent 
 alone impresses 
 the beholder 
 with awe, but 
 the snow sheds 
 allow no satis- 
 factory view. 
 
 The first reg- 
 ular station 
 after leaving the 
 summit is 5.8 
 miles west, 
 called 
 
 Cascade, 
 239 miles from 
 San Francisco. 
 The vertical de- 
 scent from the 
 summit to this 
 point is 498 feet, 
 and nothing 
 here will check 
 one's readiness 
 to descend far- 
 ther, for it is 
 only a signal 
 station, and 
 there are none 
 to signal, ex- 
 cept such as are employed on the road. 
 
 South of the station are Kidd's Lakes, empty- 
 ing into the South Branch of the South Yuba 
 through the Upper and Lower Cascade Ravines. 
 The bridges over the ravines will be a grateful 
 but short-lived relief from the restraint of the 
 snow sheds. The time in passing is too short to 
 take in the charms of the water-falls in summer, 
 or the ice-clad rocks in winter, and the extended 
 view on the right. 
 
 Kidd's Lakes are dammed so as to impound the 
 water during the winter and spring, and when 
 the dry season approaches, it is let out over the 
 Cascades into the river and carried, eventually, to 
 Dutch Flat. 
 
231 
 
 SCENERY OF THE SIERRAS, NEAR SUMMIT. 
 
 There is a great spur, called " Crockers " 
 thrown out in this ridge, through which the 
 road passes in tunnel No. 5, and thence along 
 Stanford Bluffs to 
 
 Tamarack, 235 miles from San Francisco, 
 another signal station. A stop will not be 
 likely, unless to meet or pass a freight train. A 
 small saw-mill is in operation during part of the 
 year. Just below Tamarack, the Yuba has worn 
 a large gorge, and the bold bluffs, which unfor- 
 tunately are below the road-bed, have been called 
 " New Hampshire Rocks," and the name may 
 well suggest that the Granite State will soon 
 cease to be regarded as the " Switzerland of 
 America." 
 
 The road continues on the north or Yuba side 
 of the divide, between the waters of the Yuba 
 and American Rivers ; and between Tamarack 
 and Cisco, Red Spur and Trap Spur are passed 
 by tunnels No. 4 and No. 3. Three and a half 
 miles from Tamarack is 
 
 Cisco, 231 miles from San Francisco, a day 
 and night telegraph station, with an elevation 
 of 5,939 feet. It was named after John J. Cisco, 
 the sterling, assistant treasurer of the United 
 
 States, at New York City, during the late civil 
 war. Cisco was for a year and a half the ter- 
 minus of the road, and lively with business for 
 the construction of the road, and for Nevada. 
 It had a population of 7,000, and some dwellings 
 erected at a cost of $5,000 ; large warehouses, and 
 all the intensity of frontier life. After the re- 
 moval of the terminus to Truckee, the deserted 
 buildings were either taken down and removed 
 or went fast to decay, until their destruction was 
 hastened by a fire that left nothing for the 
 morning sun to rise upon, but the freight house 
 with a platform 1,000 feet long, standing alone 
 amid the ashes and surrounding forests. 
 
 From Cisco there is a beautiful view on the 
 north, with Red Mountain in the distance. 
 Just back of Red Mountain is the Old Man 
 Mountain, but hid from view until the train de- 
 scends a few miles farther. 
 
 To detect in this any sharp or remote outline 
 of the human profile, wrought in colossal propor- 
 tion by the hand that moulded and chiseled the 
 infinite shapes of nature, is probably beyond 
 the keenness of any Yankee. 
 
 Leaving Cisco, the railroad continues on the 
 
233 
 
 north side of the divide, with the canons of the 
 many streams that form the Yuba on the right, 
 and a deep valley near by through hard por- 
 
 S'lyry, passing Black Butte on the left, crossing 
 utte Canon, around Hopkins' Bluffs and Mil- 
 ler's Bluffs, eight and a half miles to 
 
 Emigrant Gap, 223 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco, another day and night telegraph station, is 
 almost one vertical mile above San Francisco, 
 the altitude being 5,221 feet. Just before 
 reaching this station, the Yuba turns abruptly 
 to the north, and just west of the turning place, 
 with an elevation barely perceptible to one rush- 
 ing by, Bear River heads in a valley of the 
 same name, clothed in summer with a delightful 
 green. At Emigrant Gap the divide is crossed 
 by means of a tunnel, and the old Emigrant 
 Road crossed the Gap here, and is crossed by 
 the railroad, just a few rods west of the tunnel. 
 Here the old emigrants let their wagons down 
 the steep mountain side by ropes, with which a 
 turn or two were taken around the trees at the 
 Gap. How much better are iron rails than rug- 
 ged rocks, and atmospheric brakes than treach- 
 erous cords ! 
 
 On the right we have now the headwaters of 
 the Bear River, but of the valley one can have 
 only a glimpse except by ascending the rocks 
 above the railroad. 
 
 Once over the divide, there are on the left, the 
 headwaters of a branch of the North Fork of the 
 American River, and the road follows Wilson's 
 Ravine, and the valley of the same name is in 
 sight for some distance. A number of little ra- 
 vines may be noticed emptying in Wilson's, the 
 largest of which, called " Sailor's," is crossed 
 where the road doubles Lost Camp Spur, from 
 which one may look across the ravine and see 
 tunnel No. 1 on Grizzly Hill, and continuing he 
 will pass along and around Blue Canon. 
 
 Blue Canon, 217 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco, at the crossing of which, 5.2 miles from 
 Emigrant Gap, is the hotel, a store, a shipping 
 point for six saw-mills, and a day and night 
 telegraph station. The elevation is now 4,693 
 feet. The snow sheds are unf requent and shorter, 
 and the traveler will become more interested in 
 the scenery now growing most wonderfully, until 
 it becomes the grandest on the line of the road 
 across the Continent. 
 
 A little mining is carried on in Blue Canon, 
 but on too small a scale to interest a stranger. 
 
 Blue Canon is the limit of the snow which 
 remains during the winter. It is noted for 
 the best water on the mountains water 
 so esteemed by the railroad men that it is car- 
 ried to supply their shops at Rocklin and 
 Sacramento. 
 
 Flumes and ditches are almost constantly in 
 sight. The canon grows deep rapidly and seems 
 to fall away from the railroad, so that one in- 
 stinctively wonders how he is to get down so far. 
 
 This portion of the railroad has the steepest 
 grade on the whole line 116 feet to the mile. 
 
 China Manche. About two miles west of 
 Blue Canon, a side track is passed where the 
 close-tilling Celestial gardened prior to and at 
 the location of the road and the fact lingers in 
 the name, China Ranche. Mountains may be 
 seen as far as the eye can reach. After passing 
 the ranche, there is a very deep cut through 
 Prospect Hill, the name suggesting the loss of 
 the passenger in the cut. On the west side of 
 Prospect Hill is Little Blue Canon, where Shady 
 Run, a pretty little creek, is seen on the left. It 
 was so named by engineer Guppy at the time 
 the road was located, in honor of the good camp- 
 ing ground it afforded. 
 
 Shady Run, 212 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco, is a side track, but not even a flag-station, 
 4.7 miles from Blue Canon. Near it the railroad 
 passes around Trail Spur, and, on the left is one 
 of the finest views on the line of the road, the 
 junction of Blue Canon Creek and the North 
 Fork of the American River; there the great 
 chasm, worn by glaciers to a depth of about 
 2,000 feet, extending a mile to the junction of 
 the South Branch, the precipitous sides narrow- 
 ing to the water's edge and forbidding ascent 
 even on foot, through the narrow gorge and 
 mountain upon mountain , back toward the snow 
 peaks left an hour and a half ago and east- 
 ward for fifty or more miles, till they are min- 
 gled in the eye as the stars of the milky way, add 
 to the impressiveness of the view which is en- 
 chanced by its suddenness. 
 
 Just west of Trail Spur, and after passing 
 Serpentine Ravine, one may look down the Great 
 American Canon into Green Valley and Giant's 
 Gap, beyond. The view is sublime, with the 
 bright emerald green of the pastures ; the ter- 
 raced and rounded, black, gloomy forests, over- 
 head, and the frowning approach of the majestic 
 mountains, stopped where the icy torrent slowly 
 rent the very frame-work of the Continent. 
 
 For a time the tourist will be compelled to 
 leave the main slope of the American River and 
 be carried across the ridge or divide at Hog's 
 Back, across Canon Creek, to 
 
 Alta,2Q8 miles from San Francisco ; 3,607 
 feet elevation. Here are several stores and the 
 center of considerable lumber trade. Its popu- 
 lation does not exceed a hundred. It is a day 
 telegraph station, 4.8 miles from Shady Run. 
 At one time soap-root, a bulb, growing like the 
 stub of a coarse, brown mohair switch, just 
 emerging from the ground, was gathered by the 
 Chinamen. It has strong alkaline properties, 
 and is used for washing and for genuine hair 
 mattresses. It has become too scarce to be gath- 
 ered here with profit ,by even the keen, moon- 
 eyed Celestial. 
 
 Below Alta we strike the slope of Bear River, 
 and on this water-shed we travel, winding among 
 
235 
 
 hills, until we near Cape Horn. But only 1.9 
 miles from Alta, we arrive at 
 
 Dutch Flat, 206 miles from San Francisco, 
 our approach to which is heralded by the unmis- 
 takable evidences of mining, seen in the up- 
 turned face of the country. 
 
 The water that came down in advance of the 
 cars from Summit Valley and Kidd's Lakes is now 
 utilized. It was gathered from the East Fork of 
 the American River, from Monumental Canon and 
 Wilson's Ravine, and carried in Bradley's ditch 
 around Lost Camp Spur and emptied into Blue 
 Canon, near Blue Canon Station, and taken up 
 again at the station and carried by ditches and 
 flumes to Fort Point, where the railroad crosses 
 it, and soon after one of the spurs is tunneled in 
 two places to find an easy grade, but it cannot 
 descend safely as fast as the cars, and at Pros- 
 pect Hill passes through a tunnel 100 feet above 
 the railroad, and is then emptied into Canon 
 Creek, from which it is again taken up and dis- 
 tributed by flumes or great iron pipes to the 
 mines we overlook at Dutch Flat and Gold Run. 
 There are three separate ditches, the " Cedar 
 Creek," an English company, bringing water 
 from the American River ; the " Miner's Mining 
 and Ditch Company," with water from Bear 
 River, and the " Yuba Ditch Company." The 
 first two companies own and work mines, and 
 the latter derives all its revenue from the sale of 
 water. For hydraulic mining, this is one of the 
 most important regions in the State. 
 
 Dutch Flat, or German Level, has an altitude 
 of 3,395 feet. It is an old town, the mining 
 having begun in 1851. It was once more largely 
 populated than now, yet it boasts 1,500 inhab- 
 itants. It has a Methodist and a Congregational 
 Church, and the finest school-house in the in- 
 terior of the State. It has a tri-weekly stage to 
 Nevada City, 16 miles, leaving every Monday, 
 Wednesday and Friday morning. The time is 
 three hours and the fare $3.00. The route passes 
 through the towns of Little York, 2 1-2 miles, 
 You Bet, 6 miles, and Red Dog, 8 miles from 
 Dutch Flat. The town is built at the head of 
 Dutch Flat Canon, and is very irregular and 
 hilly. It has good stores, hotels and restaurants, 
 and an enterprising semi-weekly newspaper. 
 
 Placer Mining. Where the earth-carrying 
 gold could be easily dug, and water was of ready 
 access, and the diggings were rich enough, the 
 washing out was done by hand, and this form of 
 gold hunting was called placer mining. It re- 
 quired no capital except the simple tools and im- 
 plements used in digging and washing, with food 
 enough to keep one till some return from labor 
 could be obtained. Several hundred million 
 dollars value of gold were thus washed out of 
 the surface soil of California in early years. Lit- 
 tle ground remains that can be made to pay by 
 this process, and it is almost a thing of the past. 
 It naturally led, however, to hydraulic mining 
 
 which is as flourishing as ever, and promises 
 to continue so for many years. Placer miners 
 came occasionally upon ground which, though 
 carrying gold, was not rich enough to pay if 
 worked by hand, but would pay handsomely 
 when handled on a large scale. The device was 
 soon adopted of providing flumes in place of 
 cradles and rockers. Into these flumes a stream 
 was turned and the earth shoveled .in. Large 
 quantities could thus be washed as easily as 
 small amounts had been before. 
 
 The gold in each case, except that portion 
 which was impalpably fine, and would even float 
 on water, was detained by riffles on the bottom 
 of the rocker, or the flume, and gathered up from 
 time to time. It was found eventually that 
 large banks sometimes hundreds of feet high, 
 were rich enough in gold to pay for working, 
 and the device was next adopted of directing a 
 stream against them to wash them down. Stiff 
 beds of cement have been found rich in gold, 
 but too stiff to yield to any except a mighty 
 force. Higher heads of water have been sought, 
 until even 500 feet of head have been employed, 
 the usual range being from 50 feet to 300, and a 
 force obtained which nothing can resist. Such 
 a stream issuing from a six-inch nozzle, comes 
 out as solidto the touch as ice, the toughest bed of 
 cement crumbles before it, and boulders weigh- 
 ing tons are tossed about as lightly as pebbles. 
 A man struck by such a stream would never 
 know what hurt him. The strongest iron pipe 
 is required to carry the water to the nozzle, 
 through which it is played. No hose can be 
 made strong enough to bear the pressure, and 
 the directing of the stream to the point desired 
 is effected by two iron jointed pipes, moving in 
 planes at right angles to each other, and thus 
 securing a sweep in every direction. The 
 amount of the force exerted by such a stream as 
 has been described, it is impossible to estimate 
 except approximately, but 1,300 pounds to the 
 inch is not too high. To provide the water re- 
 quired where " hydraulicking " is done on a large 
 scale, streams are brought long distances. 
 
 The price for selling water is graduated by 
 the size of the opening through which it is de- 
 livered, usually under six inches pressure. Prac- 
 tically it is found that there is in California, 
 more gold than water, for there are many places 
 rich in gold, which cannot be worked for lack of 
 water. 
 
 The season varies in length, according to the 
 situation and the rain-fall, but nowhere is it pos- 
 sible to work the whole year, and probably on an 
 average the active season does not exceed seven 
 or eight months. There is one feature connected 
 with hydraulic mining which no one can contem- 
 plate without regret. It leaves desolation be- 
 hind it in the form of heaps of shapeless gravel 
 and boulders, which must lie for ages before blos- 
 soming again with verdure. One of the difficult 
 
236 
 
 GIANTS GAP, AMERICAN RIVER CANON. 
 
 BY THOMAS MOBAN. 
 
237 
 
 problems in hydraulicking is to find room for the 
 debris which the streams, used in washing down 
 banks of earth, are constantly carrying along with 
 them. The beds of streams have been filled up 
 in some parts of the State so as to increase 
 greatly the exposure of the cultivated regions be- 
 low the mining districts to inundation and ruin. 
 Legislation has been sought by the farmers to 
 protect their interests, but the effort was opposed 
 by the miners and a dead-lock followed. The 
 muddiness which will strike the tourist as 
 affecting all the mountain streams on the west 
 slope of the Sierra Nevadas, is the result of this 
 mining. Once the Sacramento River, the Feather 
 and the American Rivers were clear as crystal, 
 but the hunt for gold has made them like the 
 Missouri River in high flood and even muddier, 
 and they are not likely, while this generation and 
 the next are on the stage of life, to resume their 
 former clearness and purity. 
 
 Gold Run, 204 miles from San Francisco, 
 another mining town in the famous Blue Lode. 
 It is a day telegraph station, with an altitude of 
 3,220 feet. It has a population of 700, with a 
 large number of stores, and several hotels. A 
 mile west of Gold Run and to the right, across 
 Bear River, may be seen You Bet, Red Dog, 
 Little York, and other mining towns can be 
 pointed out from the cars by those familiar with 
 the country ; but Ophir will be seen by every one, 
 looking out on the right-hand side. 
 
 A farmer from Lancaster or Chester County, 
 Pa., would not be impressed with the worth of 
 the country ; but the lover of nature, who does 
 hot tire of the variety in the mountain scenery, 
 will yet feel new interest in the signs of speed- 
 ily emerging into an open and cultivated coun- 
 try. Over the Bear River Canon, on the right, 
 may be traced the thin outline of the basin of 
 the Sacramento River, and, in a favorable atmos- 
 phere, the Coast Range beyond is clearly visible. 
 
 Once, all the ravines in this vicinity around 
 it, swarmed with miners. "They went to the 
 land of Ophir for gold." The placer mines 
 were very rich, and covered with only from one 
 to three feet of surface. The days are long past, 
 but every pioneer has fresh recollections of them. 
 
 Off to the Mines."" Hallo, Bill ! where 
 are you off to, on that mule ? " [The boys all 
 call him Bill, and so do I, but his name is Wil- 
 liam Graves.] " Wa'al, I guess I'll go'n prospect 
 a little, " says Bill, as he and his mule lazily 
 trudge down the canon. I have known Bill 
 these nine years, and he is a genuine prospector. 
 I once paid him and a " pard " $5,000 in twenty- 
 dollar gold pieces for a claim they had worked 
 on a while. [The " pard " is not an " honest 
 miner" any longer, but edits a one-horse paper 
 in a little place out in the desert.] How much 
 Bill got of the $5,000 I never knew, except that 
 it did not long keep him from hard fare, camp- 
 ing out, cooking and washing for himself, and 
 
 every once in a while finding a claim to work on, 
 locate, praise up and try to sell, and then get 
 sick of and abandon. 1 would like to know how 
 many fortunes in which his fancy and confident 
 belief have reveled, have vanished and been for- 
 gotten, like dreams. He has never struck it rich 
 since he made his sale to me, and I fear he never 
 will again, but no use to tell him so. There is 
 the "Belle Boyden," on which he is keeping up 
 assessment work, hiring out for a while to earn 
 something ahead, so as to buy grub and keep 
 himself going for a few weeks. 
 
 It would be cruel to call him back now and 
 ask him about it, but he would like nothing bet- 
 ter, and would talk about its dip, and the rock it 
 lies in, and how much it looks like some vein or 
 other that has turned out well, it is astonishing 
 how many veins run in his head and how many 
 feet there are in the claim, and what he values 
 his feet at, and how much he wouldn't take for it, 
 if he only had money to open it, till he and I 
 were both tired. Bill has gone through too 
 many tight squeezes, and seen too much of tough 
 life to be very emotional, but get him going on 
 about the claim that he now holds and believes 
 in, and his eyes brighten, and he talks with unc- 
 tion. He is tall and loosely hung together, and 
 to hear him drawl out his slow speech and move 
 draggingly around, one would not think he could 
 do much, but give him a pick, a drill, and a 
 sledge-hammer, and set him to running a drift, or 
 sinking a shaft, and not many will beat him. 
 He is cute, too. When I bought his claim he 
 went off to Frisco and New York, and it was 
 rich to hear him tell how the sharpers of all 
 hues and colors were after him, thinking they 
 never had a better chance at a greenhorn, when 
 they were never worse mistaken. What he does 
 not know about holding one's own in a game 
 with the boys, whether it be at cards or banter 
 and jokes, is not worth knowing. He is honest 
 and kind a whole-souled fellow, true as steel, 
 and would doubtless take a fine polish, but his 
 prospect is small of ever getting it. He will go 
 on walking the mountains, camping here and 
 there, hunting for ledges while he has grub, and 
 working when he has not, till his hard life tells 
 on him, and he breaks down, and it is sad to 
 know that then he will go quick. Such as he are 
 the men that prospect the country, penetrating 
 its canons, exploring its gulches, climbing over 
 and over its mountain sides, and finding the out- 
 croppings of its mineral treasures, but hardly 
 ever are they any the richer for it themselves. 
 
 Secret Town, and Secret Town Ravine. 
 There is a side track but it is not now a station, 
 and the high, curved trestle-work, at first 1,100 
 feet long will soon be entirely replaced by the 
 more durable embankment. The ravine was 
 named from its early history, to mark the efforts 
 of a party, to conceal their discoveries of rich 
 claims. 
 
238 
 
 on SSKifc"-" 
 
 About a mile and half below Secret Town, 
 there is a pretty view, where the railroad is 
 near the edge of the side hill, and the deep 
 ravine falls rapidly away to the American 
 River. 
 
 A Chinese Idea of Poker. "What's usee 
 play poker ? " remarked an almond-eyed denizen 
 of Tucson, Nevada, the other day. " Me hold 
 four klings and 
 a lace; Melican 
 man hold all 
 same time four 
 laces and a kling; 
 whole we ek 
 wa shee gon e 
 like e wood - 
 bine." 
 
 Cape Horn 
 Mills is a side 
 track, at which 
 the overland 
 trains stop 
 signal, but the 
 Virginia City 
 passenger train 
 will not stop. It 
 is 5.9 miles from 
 Gold Run, and 
 not far from 
 Cape Horn. Be- 
 fore the train 
 " doubles "the 
 point or Cape, 
 Robber's Ravine 
 will be seen on 
 the left, deepen- 
 ing into the great 
 canon of the 
 American River. 
 
 Cape Horn. 
 Around the 
 Cape, the rail- 
 road clings to the 
 precipitous bluff 
 at a point nearly 
 2,000 feet above 
 the river and far 
 below the sum- 
 mit, and where 
 the first foot-hold 
 for the daring 
 workman on the 
 narrow ledge 
 
 SECEET TOWN, TRESTLE-WORK 
 
 was gained by men who were let down with ropes 
 from the summit. 
 
 When the Cape is rounded, Rice's Ravine will 
 be on the left, and Colfax seen on the opposite 
 side. At the head of Rice's Ravine the railroad 
 crosses by trestle-work 1 13 feet high and 878 feet 
 long, on the summit of the divide between Long's 
 Ravine and Rice's Ravine the waters from 
 Long's going first northward to the Bear River, 
 
 and those in Rice's Ravine southward into the 
 American. At the foot of the trestle-work, and 
 climbing up both ravines to Colfax, its terminus, 
 on a grade of 113 feet to the mile, may be seen 
 the narrow gauge railroad just opened to Grass 
 Valley and Nevada City the former 16.74 and 
 the latter 22 1-2 miles from Colfax. 
 
 At the bottom of the deep gorge around Cape 
 
 Horn, and on the 
 mountain side 
 across the stu- 
 pendous chasm, 
 may be seen the 
 stage road to 
 Iowa Hill, a 
 mining town 
 across the river. 
 The railroad 
 here is an 
 achievement of 
 engineering 
 skill, genius and 
 daring on the 
 part of its bold 
 projectors, t r i - 
 umphing over 
 natural wonders 
 and obstacles of 
 which ever to be 
 proud. The 
 view is magnifi- 
 cent. N o o n e 
 passing can af- 
 ford to miss it, 
 or he will die 
 poorer and worse 
 for the loss. Un- 
 less it be the 
 view at Giant's 
 Gap, there is no 
 railroad view to 
 surpass it. The 
 wonderful chasm 
 is almost fright- 
 ful to behold. 
 The houses and 
 even fields in the 
 valley beneath 
 are little things, 
 and thebut- 
 tresses to the 
 deep water-gate 
 are so enormous 
 
 that large canons are as indistinct as the lines of 
 masonry, and as the defying mountains open 
 wild galleries back among the higher peaks, the 
 mountain sculpture grows grander and grander 
 until the rugged, but dimly outlined forms stretch 
 away in a vast sea of pine, peak and snow, 
 
 " Though inland far we be." 
 The road-bed, to one looking down is appar- 
 
239 
 
 ently scooped out of perpendicular rock and 
 overhanging the great abyss ; and, to one looking 
 up, is like a long skein of gray thread wound 
 around the cliff. 
 
 Colfax and the descending railroad, and the 
 less pretentious narrow gauge toiling up to meet 
 each other, are clearly seen across Rice's Ravine. 
 
 Skillful Cookery. Americans who dine 
 with the Chinese, are surprised at the perfection 
 to which they carry their cooking. During a 
 recent Chinese banquet in San Francisco, an 
 orange was laid at the plate of each guest. The 
 orange itself seemed like any other orange, but 
 on being cut open, was found to contain within 
 the rind five kinds of delicate jellies. One was 
 at first puzzled to explain how the jellies got in, 
 and giving up that train of reflection, was in a 
 worse quandary to know how the pulpy part of 
 the orange got out. Colored eggs were also 
 served, in the inside of which were found nuts, 
 jellies, meats and confectionery. When one of 
 the Americans present, asked the interpreter to 
 explain this legerdemain of cookery, he expanded 
 his mouth in a hearty laugh, and shook his head 
 and said, " Melican man heap smart; why he not 
 find him out ? " 
 
 Moonlight Scenery of the Sierras. 
 Travelers going westward have often the pleas- 
 ure of a delightful ride by moonlight across the 
 famous scenes of the Sierras. Just at evening, 
 when the sun casts its last glorious rays across 
 the mountains, and lights up the peaks and 
 snowy summits with splendor the train arrives 
 at Cape Horn, and the thrill of interest of the 
 excited tourist, will never be forgotten. Take a 
 good look from the point, westward down the 
 grand canon of the American River. Step 
 toward the edge of the cut, and look down the 
 fearful precipice, which is often broken ere it 
 reaches the lowest descent of 2,000 feet. It is a 
 scene more famous in railroad pleasure travel, 
 than any yet known. A few miles beyond, near 
 Shady Run, there suddenly opens on the gaze of 
 the expectant traveler, just before the sunlight 
 has quite disappeared, and the evening shades 
 come on, the vision of 
 
 The Great American Canon, by far 
 the finest canon of the entire Pacific Railroad. 
 The suddenness of approach, and the grandeur 
 of scene are so overpowering, that no pen, pic- 
 ture or language can give to it adequate descrip- 
 tion. Two thousand feet below, flow the quiet 
 waters of the American River. Westward is 
 seen the chasm, where height and peak and 
 summit hang loftily over the little vale. South- 
 ward is a sea, yea an ocean of mountains and 
 the observer, seemingly upon the same level, is 
 bewildered at the immensity of Nature's lavish 
 display of mountain wonders ; night comes on, 
 and the heights catch the soft light of the moon, 
 as it shines and twinkles across and among the 
 tops of the pines, lighting up the open canons, and 
 
 rendering still more deep the contrast with the 
 shady glens the snow fields, cold, white and 
 chilling, with ever changing turns of the rail- 
 road, make the evening ride, beyond a doubt, 
 the most pleasurable that ever falls to the lot of 
 the sight-seer. The tourist must stay up long 
 see for yourself all the beauties of the Sierras, 
 while there is the least possible light Emigrant 
 Gap, Summit, Donner Lake, Blue Canon all 
 are delightful, and the lover of scene pleasures 
 must not forsake his window or the platform, till 
 the midnight hour finds him at Truckee. Trav- 
 elers eastward will bear in mind that from Cape 
 Horn to Summit, the best scenes are on south 
 side of the train, the American River Canon on 
 the right hand, or south side, and the Bear and 
 the Yuba River Valleys on the north side ; but 
 from the Summit the scene changes, and the ob- 
 server must find his pleasures on the north, until 
 he reaches Truckee. 
 
 East of Truckee, the scene is again renewed, 
 and the river and best views are mainly on the 
 south. 
 
 Colfax, 193 miles from San Francisco. It 
 was named in honor of the late Vice-President, 
 has an altitude of 2,422 feet, is a day telegraph 
 station, and the breakfast and supper station for 
 the overland trains. Seventy-five cents, coin, 
 are charged for meals, and 25 minutes allowed 
 for eating them. 
 
 The old settlement was Illinoistown, but with 
 the opening of the station, the old town was 
 " finished." Colfax has a population of 700, 
 two churches, Methodist Episcopal, and Congre- 
 gational, three hotels and stores to indicate that 
 it is the center of trade for a population of 
 several thousand. 
 
 Stages run daily to Iowa Hill, eight miles, 
 time one and one-half hours, fare $2.50, leaving 
 on arrival of the trains from the East. 
 
 In the fall of 1876, a new road will be completed, 
 and stages be run to Forest Hill, 14 miles, in two 
 and one-half hours. The fare will be $2.50. 
 
 Grass Valley is 16.74 miles distant, has a 
 population of 7,000. It is the center of the best 
 gold quartz mining region of the State, and has 
 the largest Protestant Church (Methodist Epis- 
 copal) in the Sierra Mountains. It has also a 
 Congregational Church, Roman Catholic, Epis- 
 copal and Christian or Campbellite. Until re- 
 cently, it had two banks, but at present has none. 
 It is the center of large lumber, fruit and min- 
 ing interests, has a daily paper, the " Union," 
 and one weekly, the " Foothill Tidings." 
 
 This city as well as Nevada, is reached from 
 Coif ax- by the narrow gauge railroad, on which 
 two trains connect daily with the trains of the 
 Central Pacific. The fare to Grass Valley is 
 $7.07, and to Nevada City $2.25, the maximum 
 allowed by the law of the State. 
 
 Nevada has a population of 5,000, and is 
 the county-seat of Nevada County. The people 
 
CAPE HORN. 
 
 1. View looking down the American River. 2. View of Cape Horn and American River Canon, looking East. 
 
 3. Point of Cape Horn. 
 
241 
 
 of Truckee are compelled to attend court in this 
 city. It is in the same mining region as Grass 
 Valley, and was for many years the largest town 
 in the mining regions. From an area of six 
 miles, not less than $75,000,000 have been taken, 
 and $2,000,000 are now produced annually. Slight 
 snows fall in the winter. The route of the nar- 
 row gauge railroad lies through the valley of the 
 Bear River, over which one looks in descending 
 the Sierras. At the crossing of Bear River, 
 where it joins the Elkhorn, there is some fine 
 scenery, and although in the distance of 22 1-2 
 miles there are 16 stopping places, there are no 
 towns or villages except at the termini and at 
 Grass Valley. San Juan North, Comptonville, 
 and Downieville, Sierraville, Lake City, Bloom- 
 field, Moore's Flat and Eureka South, and 
 Marysville are all connected with Grass Valley 
 or Nevada by stage. 
 
 In passing along near Colfax, and in all the 
 foot hills, the manzanita is seen, but the bushes 
 are smaller here than in many other parts of 
 California. It is a queer shrub, and like the 
 madrona tree does not shed its leaf, but sheds its 
 bark. Its small, red berry ripens in the fall and 
 is gathered and eaten by the Indians. Crooked 
 canes made from its wood are much esteemed. 
 The bark is very delicate until varnished and 
 dried, and great care should be taken in trans- 
 porting them when first cut. 
 
 The foot hills are partly covered with chapar- 
 ral, a low evergreen oak, which, in early days, 
 afforded hiding places for Mexican robbers, and 
 now accommodates, with cheap lodgings, many a 
 " road agent " when supplied by a raid on Wells, 
 Fargo & Go's treasure boxes or the coin and 
 watches of stage-passengers. White blossoms 
 load the air with fragrance in April and May. 
 
 On the right, the valley of the Sacramento is 
 coming faster into sight, and the Coast Range 
 growing more distinct. The next station, 5.1 
 miles west of Colfax, is 
 
 New England Mitts, at the west end of a 
 plateau where there is no grade for three miles. 
 Lumbering in the vicinity has declined, and the 
 trains do not stop. The roadway continues on 
 the south side of the divide between the Bear 
 and American rivers, but this has so widened 
 that the cars seem to be winding around among 
 small hills far away from either river. 
 
 Water taken from Bear River, near Colfax, is 
 quite near the railroad, on the right, for a num- 
 ber of miles, and will be seen crossing over at 
 Clipper Gap. 
 
 Below New England Mills there is an opening 
 called George's Gap, named from an early resi- 
 dent, George Giesendorfer, and farther west is 
 Star House Gap, called from an old hotel ; then 
 signs of farming are again seen in Bahney's 
 Ranche, at the foot of Bahney's Hill, and Wild- 
 Cat Ranche farther west, where Wild-Cat Sum- 
 mit is crossed by a tunnel 693 feet long, and 
 
 16 
 
 Clipper Ravine is then found on the left-hand 
 side. 
 
 This tunnel was made in 1873, to straighten 
 the road, and the ends are built of solid ma- 
 sonry. 
 
 Across Clipper Gap Ravine, the stage road 
 from Auburn to Georgetown may be seen wind- 
 ing up the mountain side. 
 
 About half-way between New England Mills 
 and Clipper Gap, there is a side track and day 
 telegraph station, called Applegates, for the run- 
 ning of trains and a point for shipping lime ; but 
 passenger trains run, without stopping, from 
 Colfax 11 1-3 miles, to 
 
 Clipper Gap, 182 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco. The few buildings have a store and a 
 hotel among them. It was the terminus of the 
 road for three or four months, and then a lively 
 place. 
 
 Hare and mountain quail abound in these foot 
 hills. The latter roost, not on the ground, but 
 in trees, never utter the " Bob White," so famil- 
 iar to sportsmen, and fly swifter than the east- 
 ern quail. 
 
 Aubtirn, 175 miles from San Francisco, is 
 a day telegraph station, 6.6 miles from Clipper 
 Gap, with an elevation of 1,360 feet. 
 
 From Auburn Station a daily stage runs 22 
 miles to Forest Hill on arrival of the train from 
 the east, fare $4.00, and to Michigan Bluffs, 30 
 miles, fare $6.00, and another runs daily, except 
 Sunday, to Greenwood, 16 miles, fare $2.50, and 
 Georgetown, 21 miles, fare $3.00, Pilot Hill, 11 
 miles, fare $1.50, Colma, 21 miles, fare $2.50, and 
 Placerville, 32 miles, fare $4.00. Alabaster Cave 
 on the route of the latter, six miles from 
 Auburn, is an opening in a limestone formation, 
 and the seat of the kilns in which the best lime 
 of California is made. What little beauty the 
 cave once possessed has been invaded and it has 
 now no attraction for the tourist. 
 
 The town of Auburn proper is situated below 
 the station. It has a population of 1,000, two 
 churches, good schools, fine orchards, and is the 
 county-seat of Placer County. It is one of the 
 oldest towns in the State. It has three hotels, 
 one of which is the Railroad House. Many of 
 its buildings are constructed of brick or stone, 
 and grapes are extensively grown in the vicinity, 
 and with great success. The Placer Herald is a 
 weekly Democratic paper, and the Argus, a 
 weekly Republican paper. 
 
 From the point where the locomotive stands, 
 the Sacramento River can be seen on the left, as 
 also from other points as the train continues 
 westward. Soon after leaving the station, the 
 railroad crosses Dutch Ravine, at the head of 
 which is Bloomer Cut, where the train passes 
 through an interesting conglomerate, showing a 
 well-exposed strata of boulders, sand and coarse 
 gravel. The trestle work at Newcastle Gap 
 Bridge is 528 feet long and 60 feet high. 
 
242 
 
 A VISION OF THE GOLDEN COUNTRY. 
 
 BY THOMAS MOKAN. 
 
243 
 
 As the train nears Newcastle, the Marysville 
 Buttes, rough, ragged peaks, are easily discerned. 
 They are about 12 miles above the city of 
 Marysville, and the town near the railroad, 
 but clinging to a side hill opposite, is the 
 decayed town of Ophir. 
 
 From the trestle work, just before reaching 
 and also after passing Newcastle, there are fine 
 panoramas of 
 the Sacramento 
 Valley, on both 
 the right hand 
 and the left. 
 Mount Diablo 
 may be seen on 
 the left. 
 
 Newcastle, 
 170 miles from 
 San Francisco, 
 is a day tele- 
 graph station, 
 five miles from 
 Auburn, 956 feet 
 above the sea. 
 It has a hotel and 
 several stores, 
 every man in 
 the place a Good 
 Templar, and 
 some promising 
 quartz mines in 
 the vicinity. It 
 was named after 
 an old resident 
 and hotel-keep- 
 er called Castle. 
 An earnest of 
 what may be 
 seen in the lovely 
 valley, that has 
 such unlimited 
 extent before the 
 traveler, may be 
 seen in a flour- 
 ishing orange 
 tree, growing in 
 the open air, in 
 a garden only a 
 few yards from 
 the railroad 
 track. BLOOMER CUT. 
 
 Almost evei-y one will have noticed an ever- 
 green of attractive hue, a shrub and a vine, 
 always trifoliated. It is the poison oak or 
 poison ivy, and unless one knows that he can- 
 not be affected by it, he should avoid an inti- 
 mate acquaintance. 
 
 Below Newcastle about a mile, the railroad 
 leaves Dutch Ravine, along which it has kept its 
 way from Auburn, and enters Antelope Ravine, 
 by which it descends the plain. 
 
 Penryn is a side track near a valuable 
 
 granite quarry. The rock is susceptible of a 
 high polish probably unsurpassed in the State, 
 and was used for building the dry dock of the 
 U. S. Navy Yard, at Mare Island, and other pub- 
 lic buildings. In summer, 200 men are employed 
 in the quarries. 
 
 Pino, 164 miles from San Francisco, is about 
 where the limit of the pines is found, in a coun- 
 try full of huge 
 boulders, with 
 quarries of gran- 
 ite, slightly soft- 
 er than that of 
 Penryn. 
 
 RocMin is 
 162 miles from 
 San Francisco, 
 a day and night 
 telegraph sta- 
 tion, with 249 
 feet of elevation, 
 and is the point 
 at which east- 
 bound trains 
 take an extra 
 locomotive to 
 ascend the 
 mountain. The 
 roundhouse of 
 the railroad com- 
 pany, with 28 
 stalls, situated 
 here is a most 
 s ub s t antial 
 structure, made 
 from the granite 
 quarries near 
 the station. 
 From these quar- 
 ries, many of 
 the streets of 
 San Francisco 
 are paved, pub- 
 lic and private 
 buildings erect- 
 ed, and here 
 were cut the im- 
 mense blocks 
 used for the 
 pavements of the 
 Palace Hotel. 
 
 (Junction is 157 miles from San Francisco. 
 It is a day telegraph station, and 163 feet above 
 the sea. The town is called Roseville, in honor 
 of the belle of the country who joined an excur- 
 sion here during the early history of the road, 
 and will probably be known as Roseville Junc- 
 tion. 
 
 Here the Oregon division of the Central Pa- 
 cific leaves the main line. On the left may be 
 seen the abandoned grade of a road that was 
 built to this point from Folsom on the American 
 
244 
 
 River. By this road, Lincoln, Wheatland, Ma- 
 rysville, Chico, Tehama, Red Bluff, Redding, and 
 intermediate points are reached. One hundred 
 fifty-one and a half miles have been built from 
 the junction northward. Passengers going north 
 may use their tickets to San Francisco for -pas- 
 sage over this division, and at Redding take 
 stage for Portland, Or. Four miles from the 
 Junction is 
 
 Antelope, a side track at which passenger 
 trains do not stop, and 6.6 miles farther on, a 
 place of about equal importance called 
 
 Arcade. The soil is light, much of it grav- 
 elly, but it produces considerable grass, and an 
 abundance of wild flowers. Prominent among 
 the latter are the Lupin and the Eschscholtzia, 
 or California Poppy. The long fence will inter- 
 est the Eastern farmer, for here is a specimen of 
 a Mexican grant. It is the Norris Ranche, now 
 owned by Messrs. Haggin, Tevis and others, and 
 nearly ten miles long. When California was 
 first settled, these plains were covered with tall, 
 wild oats, sometimes concealing the horseback 
 rider, and wild oats are now seen along the side of 
 the track. No stop is made, except for passing 
 trains, until the American River bridge is 
 reached. 
 
 About four miles from Sacramento we reach 
 the American River. It has none of the loveli- 
 ness that charmed us when we saw it winding 
 along the mountains. The whole river-bed has 
 filled up, and in summer, when the water is al- 
 most wholly diverted to mining camps or for 
 irrigation, it seems to be rather a swamp. It is 
 approached by a long and high trestle work. 
 After crossing the bridge, on the right, you will 
 notice some thrifty vineyards and productive 
 Chinese gardens in the rich deposits of the river. 
 On the left you will obtain a fine view of the 
 State Capitol; also you get a fine view of the 
 grounds of the State Agricultural Society. Its 
 speed-track, a mile in length, is unexcelled. 
 Its advantages, including the climate of the 
 State, make it the best training track in the 
 United States. It was here that Occident trot- 
 ted in 2.16 3-4, and is said to have made a record 
 of 2.15 1-4 in a private trial. The grand stand 
 was erected at a cost of $15,000. 
 
 Should you pass through the city in Septem- 
 ber or October, do not fail to see for yourself the 
 Agricultural Park and the Pavilion, and test the 
 marvellous stories about the beets and the pump- 
 kins, and secure some of the beautiful and de- 
 licious fruit that is grown in the foot hills. 
 
 On the left you will also see the hospital of 
 the Central Pacific Railroad. It contains all 
 modern improvements for lighting, heating, ven- 
 tilation and drainage, and a library of 1,200 
 volumes. It can accommodate 200 patients, and 
 cost the company $65,000. Fifty cents a month 
 is deducted from the pay of all employes for 
 maintaining the institution. No other railroad 
 
 has made such generous provision for its faith- 
 ful employes. 
 
 Railroad Works. North of the city there 
 was a sheet of water known as " Sutter's Lake " 
 and " The Slough," and a succession of high 
 knolls. The lake was granted to the city by the 
 State, and to the railroad company by the city. 
 Its stagnant waters have given place, at great 
 cost, to most important industries. The high 
 knolls have been levelled, and are also owned, in 
 part, by the railroad company. Not less than fifty 
 acres of land are thus made useful for side tracks 
 and fruitful in manufactures. Six and a half 
 acres of it are covered by the railroad shops. 
 Twelve hundred men are constantly employed. 
 
 These are the chief shops of the railroad. 
 Some you saw at Ogden, Terrace, Carlin, 
 Wadsworth, Truckee and Rocklin, and you 
 will find others at Lathrop and Oakland Point, 
 and at Tulare and Caliente on the Visalia 
 Division. At Oakland Point, 150 men are em- 
 ployed, but all these shops and even those of the 
 California Pacific Road at Vallejo center here. 
 These are the largest and best shops west of the 
 Mississippi River, and form the most extensive 
 manufacturing industry of the city. 
 
 The best locomotives, and the most elegant and 
 comfortable passenger cars on the coast are built, 
 and a large portion of the repairs for the whole 
 road is done here. All the castings of iron and 
 brass, and every fitting of freight and passenger 
 cars, except the goods used in upholstering, is 
 here produced ; boilers for steamers put up, the 
 heaviest engine shafts forged, telegraph instru- 
 ments made, silver plating done, and 12,000 
 car wheels made every month. All the latest 
 and best labor-saving tools and machinery used 
 in wood, iron and brass work can here be seen 
 in operation. 
 
 The capacity of the shops is six box-freight, 
 and six flat cars per day, and two passenger, and 
 one sleeping car per month. Twelve years ago, 
 the work of the company at this point, was all 
 done in a little wooden building 24 by 100 feet, 
 and with less men than there are now build- 
 ings or departments. 
 
 Last year a million r.nd a half dollars was paid 
 out for labor in these shops alone, and 4,000 tons 
 of iron consumed. Some of the buildings, like 
 the roundhouse, are of brick. This has 29 pits 
 each 60 feet long, with a circumference of 600 
 feet. Some of the buildings have roofs or sides 
 of corrugated iron. Seven large under-ground 
 tanks, 1,600 gallons each, are used for oil and 
 2,000 gallons of coal oil, and 400 of sperm con- 
 sumed every month. 
 
 In connection with the shops, is a regularly 
 organized and well-equipped fire-brigade, and in 
 two minutes the water of two steam fire-engines 
 can be directed to any point in the buildings. 
 
 Soon a rolling mill will be erected, and upon 
 the location but lately pestilential. The whole 
 
246 
 
 coast will be laid under further tribute to these 
 shops for the facilities of travel and commerce. 
 
 Just before entering the depot you will cross 
 the track of the California Pacific Railroad, and 
 see the Sacramento River on the right. 
 
 Sacramento. Trains stop twenty minutes 
 in the depot. This affords ample time to get 
 a lunch at the Palace Saloon in the depot, 
 or to visit the City and Capitol. Take one 
 of the "free busses" for the Capitol, Golden 
 Eagle, Grand or Orleans Hotel, all first-class, 
 comfortable and well patronized; or the street- 
 cars will convey you near any of these. They 
 leave the depot and go up K street one line 
 to Third, along Third to O, along O to Twenti- 
 eth, and along Twentieth to P, and the other 
 line, out K to Tenth, thence to H, and thence 
 to the Agricultural Park. 
 
 The population of the city is about 20,000. 
 The streets are regularly laid out, and beginning 
 at the river or depot, with Front or First, are 
 numbered to Thirty-first, and the cross-streets 
 are lettered, beginning with A on the north side 
 of the city. The stores are chiefly of brick, and 
 residences of wood. The broad streets are 
 shaded by trees of heavy foliage, the elm, wal- 
 nut, poplar and sycamore prevailing, and in sum- 
 mer are almost embowered by these walls of 
 verdure, that are ready to combat the spread of 
 fires. It is a city of beautiful homes. Lovely 
 cottages are surrounded by flowers, fruits and 
 vines, while some of the most elegant mansions 
 in the State are in the midst of grassy lawns or 
 gardens filled with the rarest flowers. The 
 orange, fig, lime and palm flourish, and the air is 
 often laden with nature's choice perfumes. It is 
 lighted with gas, and has water from the Sacra- 
 mento River, supplied by the Holly system. Two 
 million gallons are pumped up daily. 
 
 The climate is warm in summer, but the heat 
 is tempered by the sea breeze which ascends 
 the river, and the nights are always pleasantly 
 cool. Notwithstanding its swampy surroundings 
 and the luxuriance of its semi-tropical vegeta- 
 tion, statistics establish the fact that it is one of 
 the healthiest cities in the State. 
 
 Among the more prominent buildings are the 
 Court-house, Odd Fellows', Masonic, Good Tem- 
 plars' and Pioneer Halls ; the Christian Brothers' 
 College, the Churches, Schools and the Capitol. 
 The grammar school building is a credit to the 
 educational structures of the State, and attracts 
 attention from visitors second only to the Capitol. 
 
 The Pioneers are an association of Califor- 
 nians who arrived prior to January, 1850. Their 
 hall has an antiquarian value especially in a 
 very accurate register of important events extend- 
 ing back to A. D. 1650. "Another association, 
 the Sons of the Pioneers, will become the heirs 
 of these valuable archives, and perpetuate the 
 association. Geographical convenience and nat- 
 ural advantages have given to the city 
 
 The State Capitol. This is the most 
 attractive object to visitors. It cost nearly 
 $2,500,000. It stands at the west and thrice ter- 
 raced end of a beautiful park of eight blocks, 
 extending from L to N street, and from Tenth 
 to Fourteenth street. Back of the Capitol, but 
 within the limits of the park and its beautiful 
 landscape gardening, are the State Printing 
 Office and the State Armory. 
 
 The main entrance to the Capitol is opposite 
 M street. The edifice was modeled after the 
 old Capitol at Washington and has the same 
 massiveness, combined with admirable propor- 
 tions, and rare architectural perfection and 
 beauty. Its front is 320 feet and height 80 feet, 
 above which the lofty dome rises to 220 feet, and 
 is then surmounted by the Temple of Liberty, 
 and Powers' bronze statue of California. The 
 lower story is of granite, the other two of 
 brick. 
 
 Ascending by granite steps, which extend 80 
 feet across the front, we reach the portico with 
 ten massive columns. Passing through this, we 
 stand in the lofty rotunda, 72 feet in diameter. 
 The chambers and galleries are finished and fur- 
 nished in richness and elegance befitting the 
 Golden State. The doors are of walnut and 
 California laurel, massive and elegant. The 
 State library has 35,000 volumes. The great 
 dome is of iron, supported by 24 fluted Corin- 
 thian columns and 24 pilasters. Rising above 
 this is a smaller dome supported by 12 fluted 
 Corinthian pillars. 
 
 The beauty of the whole is equaled in but 
 few of the public buildings in the country, and 
 the California laurel with its high polish adds no 
 little to the charm. The steps leading to the top 
 of the outer dome are easy, except for persons of 
 delicate health, and the view to be gained on a 
 clear day, will amply repay any exertion. The 
 extended landscape is incomparably lovely. 
 You are in the center of the great Sacramento 
 Valley, nearly 450 miles long by 40 wide, where 
 fertile soil and pleasant clime have contributed 
 to make one of the loveliest pictures to be seen 
 from any capitol in the world. 
 
 Just beneath lies a city with many beautiful 
 residences, half concealed in the luxuriant ver- 
 dure of semi-tropical trees. Lovely gardens 
 enlarged into highly cultivated farms then, 
 wide extended plains, on which feed thousands 
 of cattle and sheep, groves of evergreen oak, 
 long, winding rivers, and landlocked bays, white 
 with the sails of commerce, and along the east- 
 ern horizon stretch the rugged Sierras, with 
 their lines of arid foot hills, perpetual verdure, 
 and snowy summits, shining like white sum- 
 mer clouds in a clear blue sky. 
 
 On the west the Coast Range limits the vision 
 with its indistinct and hazy lines, out of which 
 the round top of Mount Diablo is quite dis- 
 tinct. Southward, the eye takes in the valley of 
 
247 
 
 the San Joaquin, (pronounced, Wah-keen), with 
 its rapidly populating plains. 
 
 In 1850, a fire left only one house standing, 
 where are now 21 of the principal business 
 blocks, and in 1854, a second fire nearly de- 
 stroyed the city, after which lumber was scarce 
 at f 500 a thousand. 
 
 In the winter of 1851-2, a flood covered the 
 whole city, and led to the construction of levees, 
 which were afterward enlarged. Part of the 
 city, too, was raised above high-water mark. 
 Ten years later a flood occurred, with from 
 eight to ten feet of water in all the parts of the 
 city not raised, and flooding the first stories of 
 all houses and stores. In the winter of 1875-6, 
 the river was three inches higher than ever be- 
 fore known, yet the city was perfectly safe. 
 
 As a distributing point, the commercial ad- 
 vantages of the city are second only to San 
 Francisco. Freight by the Overland route is 
 here started north or south. Merchants of Ne- 
 vada, Northern California and Utah secure their 
 freight from this point with less charges and 
 greater despatch than from San Francisco, and 
 all shipments to the mountains or beyond, must 
 go through this gate. Fruit from the foot hills, 
 of choicer flavor than that grown in the warmer 
 valleys, and vegetables, enormous and abundant, 
 from the rich alluvial soil of the rivers, concen- 
 trate here to supply the dwellers from the Sierras 
 eastward. During the summer of 1875 the aver- 
 age weekly shipment, of fruit alone, to the East, 
 was 400 tons. 
 
 The industries that already give the city 
 prominence, and not directly connected with the 
 railroad, are more than can be mentioned. 
 Among them are the Capital Woolen Mills, sev- 
 eral carriage, wagon and furniture factories, 
 several flouring-mills, one of which, the Pioneer, 
 is the largest in the State, with capacity for pro- 
 ducing 600 barrels of flour and 950 tons of barley 
 per day, boiler, general iron and brass works. 
 Wineries are permanently established and pro- 
 ductive. 
 
 Beet Sugar is manufactured about three 
 miles from the city. The works were erected at 
 a cost of $275,000, and 1,450 acres of land are in 
 use for the factory. Ninety tons of beets can be 
 used, per day, yielding about 13 1-2 per cent, of 
 saccharine matter, while the refuse is mixed 
 with other feed and used to fatten cattle. 
 
 This promises to become one of the chief in- 
 dustries of California, and the only occasion 
 where the descriptive powers of Mr. Nordhoff 
 seem to have failed him, was in the presence 
 of the machinery of the Johnson process used in 
 this manufacture. 
 
 The sugar-beet does not grow to enormous 
 size, but the mangel-wurzel continues to grow, 
 summer and winter, until it attains enormous 
 size. Southern California is said to have pro- 
 duced one of 1,100 pounds, and a farmer of So- 
 
 County, had one (not considering the top), 
 feet above the ground. We believe he 
 
 noma 
 
 three 
 
 fenced around it, lest a cow should get inside of 
 
 it and eat out the heart. 
 
 The city has a paid Fire Department, and 
 five newspapers the Daily and Weekly Record- 
 Union, the Daily and Weekly Bee, The Sacramento 
 Valley Agriculturalist (weekly), Sacramento Jour- 
 nal (German tri-weekly), and The Weekly Res- 
 cue, the organ of the I. O. G. T. 
 
 Sacramento is also an important railroad cen- 
 ter, second only to San Francisco. Here is the 
 practical terminus of the California and Oregon 
 Railroad, which uses the main track of the Cen- 
 tral Pacific Railroad to Roseville, and is com- 
 pleted 170 miles north, to Redding. At Redding, 
 daily stage connection is made for Roseburg, Or., 
 275 miles, and thence, by the Oregon and Cali- 
 fornia Railroad, 200 miles to Portland. Time, 
 four days ; Fare, $55.00, gold. 
 
 The California Pacific runs to Vallejo, 60 
 miles, at the head of San Pablo Bay, immedi- 
 ately north of, and connected with San Fran- 
 cisco Bay. At Vallejo, steamers connect, twice 
 a day, for San Francisco. The whole distance 
 is 83 miles. Davisville, Woodland, Knight's 
 Landing, Vacaville and the Napa Valley, are 
 reached by this road. 
 
 Here, too, is the terminus of the Sacramento 
 Valley Railroad, the oldest in the State. The 
 river, also, affords a pleasant route, either to 
 Northern California, or to San Francisco. 
 
 On the upper Sacramento, steamers of light 
 draft ascend 240 miles to Red Bluff, or by the 
 Feather River, from its junction with the Sacra- 
 mento, 65 miles to Marysville, at the confluence 
 of the Yuba and Feather Rivers. 
 
 Below the city an active trade is carried on 
 with steamers and sloops. The California Steam 
 Navigation Company have a daily line of steam- 
 ers leaving Sacramento at ten o'clock A. M., and 
 reaching San Francisco about six p. M. The 
 distance is 108 miles. The river does not pre- 
 sent the picturesque scenery of the Hudson, but 
 the tourist will be interested at every point, 
 whether as he looks out over the rich lands 
 awaiting reclamation, or the thriving villages 
 and fertile fields on either side, or the islands 
 well protected by high and broad levees. The 
 spacious bays Suisun, San Pablo, and San 
 Francisco afford a series of views, in which 
 the interest is like a good novel, increasing to 
 the end. Mount Diablo is nearly always in 
 view. You pass the United States Arsenal at 
 Benicia, once the rival of San Francisco, and 
 through the Straits of Carquinez. The United 
 States Navy Yard, on Mare Island, overlooked by 
 the town of Vallejo, and the beauty of the ap- 
 proach to San Francisco, noticed more at length 
 in connection with the California Pacific Rail- 
 road, will amply compensate for the difference in 
 time between the all-rail route via Stockton and 
 
REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 1. Senator Sargent. 2. R. B. Woodward. 3. Senator Sharon, (Nevada.) 4. D. O. Mills. 
 5. James C. Flood. 6. W. C. Ralston. 7. M. S. Latham. 8. Gov. Irwin. 
 
249 
 
 the river. The river-boats, however, are not run 
 with the regularity of the trains, nor are they as 
 large and comfortable as they were a few years 
 ago. 
 
 Leaving Sacramento on the Central Pacific 
 Railroad, formerly the Western Pacific, we 
 reach 
 
 Brigliton, 134 miles from San Francisco, 
 where the Sacramento Valley Railroad leaves 
 the main track. This road extends to Folsom, 
 22 miles, where it connects with the Sacramento 
 Valley and Placerville Railroad, to Shingle 
 Springs 26 miles, whence daily stages leave for 
 Placerville, 58 miles from Sacramento. The old 
 town of Brighton was on the Sacramento River 
 opposite the present station, and on the old 
 Placerville road. 
 
 At the farm-houses along the country roads, 
 you notice numerous windmills, of various sizes 
 and styles, whirling away to fill reservoirs for 
 household wants, or irrigate the vineyards or 
 orchards and gardens, if any there be. They are 
 common in all the valleys and plains of Cali- 
 fornia, and numerous in the cities. The sobri- 
 quet of Stockton is the " Windmill City." 
 
 About California farms there is usually no 
 garden. Perhaps a few vegetables are raised 
 during the winter. In some localities certain 
 fruits or vegetables do not grow well, and the 
 farmer who has twenty or a hundred head of 
 horses, before his gang-plows, or harvesting his 
 wheat or barley, has no time for gardening and 
 prefers to depend upon the daily visits of the 
 vegetable wagon as well as the butcher. And 
 among our cosmopolitan people, the only class we 
 lack is the farming women of the Mohawk Val- 
 ley, or the Pennsylvania Dutch. 
 
 Florin is 131 miles from San Francisco, 
 a flag station side track, store and post-office. 
 The hard pan is near the surface, and therefore 
 but little moisture retained from the most 
 copious winter rains. Trees cannot send down 
 their roots until this hard pan is broken through 
 for them. 
 
 Elk, Grove, 123 miles from San Francisco. 
 In early days the hunter here could find large 
 game without visiting Shasta, Tulare Lake or 
 the mountains. At the old hotel the sign of the 
 elk horns invited the traveler, suggesting him a 
 dish that even then was seldom seen. Beyond, 
 on the right hand, is some of the best soil in the 
 State in the low lands, comprising the delta of 
 the Sacramento, Mokelumne and San Joaquin 
 Rivers. There are Presbyterian and Methodist 
 Episcopal Churches in the village. 
 
 McConnell's, 119 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco, on the banks of the Cosumne River, a 
 stream like all others in California, turbid in 
 winter, and an empty channel in summer. 
 
 In California the name "ranche" (a contrac- 
 tion of the Spanish rancho, which is primarily 
 the rude lodging-place of herdsmen, or an estab- 
 
 lishment for raising horses and cattle), has 
 almost superseded the "hacienda," or farm. Mc- 
 Connell's Ranche is, however, devoted largely to 
 stock raising, and on it are kept the finest 
 imported thorough-bred merino sheep. Sheep 
 raising is among the most profitable pursuits in 
 the State, and the woolen manufactures of Cali- 
 fornia are unequaled in whatever line they have 
 hitherto sought to excel. 
 
 Gait is 112 miles from San Francisco. The 
 Central Pacific Company are now building a 
 branch road to the coal mines at lone City. 
 Daily stages connect Gait and lone, Sutter 
 Creek, Jackson and Mokelumne Hill, and dur- 
 ing the summer proceed to the Calaveras Grove 
 of Big Trees, 30 miles from Mokelumne Hill. 
 
 lone City is in a prosperous mining and 
 farming region, and has recently received new 
 life from the development of large coal fields. 
 
 Sutter Creek, on this stage route, is 31 
 miles from Gait, and ranks next to Grass Valley 
 in Nevada County, as a quartz mining locality. 
 Here is the famous Amador or Hay ward Mine, 
 where the excavations are now made several hun- 
 dred feet below the level of the sea. It has been 
 one of the richest mines in the State, and pro- 
 duces about 1700,000 annually. With irrigation, 
 fruit growing and agriculture succeed well. 
 
 Jackson was formerly rich in placer mines, 
 but the prosperous mining interests of today 
 are in quartz. The soil and climate combine to 
 produce fruit unexcelled in the State, and large 
 quantities of wine and brandy are made. 
 
 Mokelumne Hill is 41 miles from Gait, and 
 was the county-seat of Calaveras County until 
 1867. It was one of the earliest mining settle- 
 ments. The Gwin and other quartz mines are 
 now successfully worked. This route to the 
 Big Trees is traveled but little, except by those 
 who desire to visit the towns between them and 
 Gait. The tourist will, undoubtedly, proceed to 
 Stockton or Lathrop. 
 
 A.campo, only a flag station. 
 
 Lodi,- formerly called Mokelumne. A daily 
 stage leaves Lodi at 2.20 P. M., for Mokelumne 
 Hill, 37 miles distant ; fare $5. 
 
 Just before reaching the village, the Mokel- 
 umne River is crossed. Lodi is one of a flour- 
 ishing trio of villages. 
 
 Woodbridge is 2 miles north-west, and 
 
 Lockford,^ miles north'. This is one of the 
 best portions of the great valley, across which 
 one now passes. The soil is a rich sandy loam, 
 producing abundantly, and the intelligent, ener- 
 getic people are surrounded with all the neces- 
 sary appendages of first-class farms. The ever- 
 green trees have given their name " Live Oaks" 
 to a large region in this part of the valley. 
 
 Castle is 97 miles from San Francisco a 
 flag station. The Calaveras River is crossed be- 
 fore reaching Stockton, but except in winter is 
 only an empty channel. On either side of the 
 
250 
 
 road will be seen abundant crops, or unmistak- 
 able promise of them. Much of the land is so 
 level that the large fields of 100 or more acres 
 can be completely submerged from either of 
 their sides. 
 
 On the right, entering the town of Stockton, 
 stands one of the 
 
 Insane Asylums of the State. The other, 
 recently opened, is located at Napa. The 
 grounds at this place comprise 130 acres, all 
 under a high state of cultivation. There are 
 about 1,300 inmates. The first building passed 
 is the largest and most imposing, has every 
 modern convenience, and is occupied by female 
 inmates. The male inmates occupy the other 
 buildings. 
 
 Stockton is 91 miles from San Francisco, 
 and has a population of 12,000. It is 23 feet 
 above the sea, and the county-seat of San Joa- 
 quin County. It was laid out in 1848 by Captain 
 Webber, who named it to commemorate Commo- 
 dore Stockton's part in the conquest of Califor- 
 nia. It is two miles from the San Joaquin River, 
 at the head of Stockton Slough, which is navi- 
 gable at all seasons for vessels of 250 tons. 
 
 The heart of the town was destroyed by fire 
 in 1849 and again in 1851. It is laid out with 
 broad streets at right angles, and has street-cars 
 from the depot to the principal hotels and the 
 Insane Asylum. " Free busses " also convey 
 passengers to the Yosemite, Mansion, Grand or 
 Central, all first-class hotels. The city was once 
 the exclusive base of supply for a large mining 
 and agricultural trade which is now diverted, yet 
 the development of the country has caused a 
 steady increase of its volume of business. It is 
 admirably situated to control the trade of the 
 whole San Joaquin Valley, but needs a ship 
 canal that will enable ocean vessels to load at its 
 wharves. 
 
 The water supply is from an artesian well, 
 1,002 feet deep, flowing 300,000 gallons of pure 
 water daily, the water rising 11 feet above the 
 surface of the ground. The city is lighted with 
 gas and has an efficient volunteer fire department. 
 Two daily and weekly papers, the Stockton In- 
 dependent and Evening Herald, four banks and 
 large woolen, leather, wood, iron and paper fac- 
 tories, wholesale and retail stores, and an exten- 
 sive grain business are the foundations and 
 measures of the prosperity of the city. The 
 leather tanned here is considered equal to the 
 best French, and commands as high a price. 
 
 The proximity of iron and coal should make 
 this city the Pittsburg of the Pacific. It has 
 fourteen organized churches, some of which 
 have built houses of worship Roman Catholics, 
 Methodists, North and South, German and Col- 
 ored, Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Baptists, 
 white and colored Christians (Disciples), and 
 Jews. Passing in the cars, nothing is seen of 
 the better residences, of which there are many, 
 
 provided with every convenience and comfort. 
 Excellent public and private schools are the 
 boast of the people, for, if Californians ever 
 boast (which they never do), they do not forget 
 to speak of their schools. Masons, Odd Fellows, 
 Red Men, Knights of Pythias, Hibernians, Pio- 
 neers and other societies represent social and be- 
 nevolent progress. Near the depot, on the left, 
 may be seen the grounds of the San Joaquin 
 Valley Agricultural Society. 
 
 Heat. The city has the best climate of the val- 
 ley. The hot air of the interior is usually tem- 
 pered by the sea breeze, and the nights are always 
 cool. The hot and sickly places of California are 
 never reached by the traveler. In Sacramento 
 it is said to be hot in Marysville, and in Marys- 
 ville, one is referred to Oroville for heat, and in 
 Stockton, men say it is hot at Merced. The sim- 
 ple fact is that all parts of the Great Central 
 Basin of California are subject to occasional 
 north winds the dread, at once, of man and 
 beast. They usually lull at night, but continue, 
 at least, three successive days. The wind hav- 
 ing swept over hundreds of miles of dry and 
 scorching plains, breathes as from a furnace, the 
 mercury marking 110 to 120 in the shade. 
 One may fancy himself in Egypt or Barbary, 
 withered and fainting under blasts from the Sa- 
 hara Desert. 
 
 The origin of the name, California, is said to 
 be from two Spanish words, " caliente fornalo," 
 meaning a " heated furnace." This seems plau- 
 sible. The extreme dryness of the climate, how- 
 ever, enables men and animals to endure this 
 heat surprisingly. Sunstrokes are unknown. 
 Rapid evaporation keeps the pores open, no 
 perspiration accumulates, the skin is dry and cool, 
 and a heat 20 to 30 degrees above what would 
 mark an intensely heated term, in the moister 
 atmosphere of the Eastern States, produces little 
 exhaustion in the dry atmosphere of this central 
 basin. Horses travel frequently 50 to 60 miles a 
 day without injury, the thermometer marking 
 100 or over. Stockton has not yet attained 
 the importance as a railroad center, to which her 
 position entitles her. A narrow gauge road to 
 lone City was commenced, but there is no pros- 
 pect of its early completion. The Stockton and 
 Copperopolis Railroad extends easterly into Cala- 
 veras and Stanislaus Counties, the main branch 
 30 miles to Milton, with a branch at Peters, 15 
 miles from Stockton, to Oakdale, 34 miles from 
 Stockton. 
 
 To the Big Trees, Calaveras Group. 
 The best route to the Calaveras Grove of Big 
 Trees is via Stockton and Milton. There is 
 another grove of big trees at Mariposa, which is 
 best reached from Lathrop and Merced. The 
 comparative inducements to visit one or the 
 other, will be stated hereafter, and here will be de- 
 scribed only the route from Stockton to the Cala- 
 veras Grove. Cars leave Stockton at 12.35 p. M., 
 
1. Grizzly Giant, Mariposa Grove. 2. Three Graces, Calaveras Group. 3. Scenes in Mariposa Grove. 
 4. Trunk of Big Tree, Mariposa Grove. 5. Natural Arch, Big Tree, Mariposa Grove. 6. Calaveras Group, Big Trees. 
 
252 
 
 for Milton ; stages leave Milton at 2.45 p. M., and 
 reach Murphy's at 7 P. M., where the first night 
 is spent. 
 
 The Grove, 15 miles from Murphy's, is reached 
 the next day at 11 A. M., and those who desire 
 can leave at 3 p. M. the same day, and return to 
 Murphy's for the second night. On the following 
 day one may reach San Francisco, or go to Gar- 
 rote, 45 miles from the Yosemite Valley. To 
 visit the Calaveras Grove and Yosemite Valley 
 by this route requires 145 miles of staging. This 
 route to the Yosemite Valley via Milton, is called 
 the Big Oak Flat, or Hutching's Route, the 
 former name from a local point on the road, and 
 the latter after the man who in past years did 
 more than any other to make the Yosemite Valley 
 known, and by whose untiring energy the stage 
 road to it was opened. It is one of three routes 
 by which the valley is reached without horseback 
 riding. It is the shortest route from Stockton or 
 San Francisco, but it requires more staging than 
 the other two. To go directly to the valley by 
 this route, one leaves Stockton for Milton at 12.35 
 p. M., and spends the night at Chinese Camp, 23 
 miles from Milton, reaching the valley the second 
 day after, at 2 p. M. For the other three routes 
 to the valley, see Lathrop, the next station. The 
 decision whether to visit the Calaveras or the 
 Mariposa Grove of Big Trees, substantially de- 
 termines the route taken to and from the valley. 
 The considerations that enter into this decision 
 are as follows : There are seven known groves 
 of big trees. Of these only the Calaveras and 
 Mariposa have accommodations for tourists, are 
 easily accessible and convenient to other points 
 so as to be visited in comparatively little time 
 and without large expense. It is true, that the 
 Tuolumne and Merced Groves are directly on 
 different routes to the valley, but the number of 
 trees in these is small, and their size is not great. 
 In the Tuolumne there are but ten, the largest 
 only 24 feet in diameter. In both the Calaveras 
 and Mariposa Groves are prostrate trunks one- 
 sixth larger than the largest living trees, which 
 enable one to realize, as cannot be done by look- 
 ing at and walking round living trees, the enor- 
 mous size of these forest giants. As the tourist 
 will probably see one of these two groves it may 
 be well to note for him that 
 
 In the In the 
 Calaveras Grorc. Mariposa Grove. 
 
 Number of trees 93 600 
 
 Diameter of largest, 33 feet. 33 feet. 
 Circumference of largest living tree, 
 
 six feet above the ground, 61 feet. 90 feet. 
 No. of living trees between 80 and 
 
 90 feet in circumference, 1 
 
 No. between 70 and 80 feet. 6 
 
 No. between 60 and 70 feet, 1 2 
 
 The largest tree yet known in any of the 
 groves is on King's River, 40 miles from Visalia, 
 and is 44 feet in diameter. 
 
 The Calaveras Grove was the first discovered, 
 the first opened to tourists, has been long and 
 
 well known, has a first-class hotel directly at the 
 edge of the grove, where a summer vacation may 
 be pleasantly passed; the trees all the while 
 growing on the visitor in size and beauty, as Ni- 
 agara does on him who tarries there. 
 
 Private teams for either the big trees or the 
 valley, or both, may be had at Stockton, Milton, 
 or Merced, but unless one's time is absolutely un- 
 limited, the public conveyance is to be chosen. 
 By relays of horses these hurry one over the dry 
 plains, and once in the midst of the charming 
 scenery of the foot hills, one can tarry at pleasure. 
 
 The most notable trees in the Calaveras group 
 are: 
 
 The Father of the Forest, which, measures 435 feet in 
 length, 110 feet in circumferen.ee. 
 
 Mother of the Forest, 321 feet high, 90 feet in circumfer- 
 ence. 
 
 Hercules, 320 feet high, 95 feet circumference. 
 
 Hermit, 318 feet high, 60 feet circumference. 
 
 Pride of the Forest, . 276 feet high, 60 feet circumference. 
 Three Graces, . . . 295 feet high, 92 feet circumference. 
 Husband and Wife, . 252 feet high, 60 feet circumference. 
 
 Burnt Tree 330 feet long, 97 feet circumference. 
 
 " Old Maid," " Old Bachelor," " Siamese Twins," " Mother 
 and Sons," " Two Guardians." 
 
 Lathrop, 82.8 miles from San Francisco, is 
 the junction of the San Joaquin Valley Branch, 
 or " Visalia Division " of the Central Pacific. 
 It extends from Lathrop to Goshen. 147 miles, 
 where it intersects the main line of 
 
 Tlic Southern Pacific Railroad 
 
 as it crosses the head of the San Joaquin or Tu- 
 lare Valley. A branch line of seven miles reaches 
 Visalia. From Goshen the Southern Pacific is 
 completed north-westwardly 40 miles to Huron, 
 and South-eastwardly to Los Angeles, 240 miles, 
 and to Yuma (Arizona) 490 miles, with branch 
 lines to points on the coast ; but there is still 
 an unfinished gap of 100 miles between Huron 
 and the terminus of the Northern Division at 
 Tres Pinos. The communication with all the 
 lines south of Huron is made via Oakland and 
 the Lathrop and Goshen junctions, until such 
 time as the main line of the Southern is com- 
 pleted directly into San Francisco. Through 
 trains daily, Sundays included, from San Fran- 
 cisco at 4 p. m. ; time 22 hours to Los Angeles. 
 Fare $20. For further description of Southern 
 Pacific Railroad, see page 278 
 
 San Joaquin Valley. This great valley 
 has the Sierra Nevada on the east, and the Coast 
 Range on the west, is about 250 miles long, and 
 from 20 to 150 miles wide. The area is 25,000 
 square miles. The greater portion of the land is 
 a sandy loam, easily tilled. There are but few 
 trees, but the farmers have begun to plant exten- 
 sively. Frequent patches of the black, tenacious, 
 alluvial soil, called adobe are found, in which the 
 sun cracks, visible during summer, faintly sug- 
 gest earthquakes. A hundred miles of wheat 
 fields may be seen in the valley, broken only by 
 roads and fences. 
 
253 
 
 This immense valley, with a surrounding belt 
 of timber for lumber and fuel, coal, iron, and the 
 precious metals bordering it, adapted for grow- 
 ing the grains and fruits of two zones, is des- 
 tined to have a teeming population and fabulous 
 wealth. Irrigation will supply the lack of sum- 
 mer rains when needed. The summer tour- 
 ist will be struck with the absence of all 
 sod, and long for the refreshing sight of it once 
 more. As it exists in the Eastern States, it is 
 unknown in California, except where carefully 
 nurtured. The beautiful mantle of green that 
 covers the earth, in winter and spring, is here 
 turned to hay without any artificial process. 
 The juices of the grass are stored, the seeds 
 ripened, and the roots die, and seeds sprout 
 again. 
 
 Alfalfa, a species of clover is, however, an ex- 
 ception. Its roots, sometimes an inch in di- 
 ameter, penetrate to a depth of 12 or more feet, 
 and draw moisture from unseen springs. Several 
 crops of hay may be cut from it in one season, 
 and the quantity produced from an acre is almost 
 fabulous. Ten years ago not a head of wheat 
 was produced in Stanislaus County, one of the 
 counties of this valley, and now it is the chief 
 wheat-producing county in the State. 
 
 To the Yosemite. 
 
 There are several small stations between Lath- 
 rop and Merced. Modesto, at the crossing of the 
 Tuolumne River, is the only town of importance. 
 It is surrounded by a rich agricultural region, 
 is a county-seat, with about 2,500 inhabitants, 
 and has a grain warehouse, owned by the 
 railroad, a quarter of a mile in length. 
 
 Merced, 57.3 miles from Lathrop, illus- 
 trates Californian growth and progress. The 
 first building was erected in 1872, and in two 
 years there were not less than 1,500 residents. 
 The railroad company have erected at this point, 
 one of the finest and most commodious hotels in 
 the State outside of San Francisco. There are 
 several churches and a number of public build- 
 ings, but the chief importance of the place to 
 the tourist, is as the point of departure of stages 
 for the 
 
 Yosemite Valley. There are two "all 
 wagon " roads, the Mariposa and the Coulter- 
 ville. Leaving San Francisco after business 
 hours, at 4 p. M.; Lathrop at 8.15 P.M.; one 
 reaches Merced at 10.35 p. M., and passes the 
 night. The next morning there is a stage at 6 
 A. M., Coulterville Route, and at 7 A. M., by the 
 Mariposa. There will be 12 hours staging on 
 either route, and one will then be ready to en- 
 joy the rest of the mountain stillness, and the 
 refreshment of its pure cool air. 
 
 On the Mariposa Route, the night is spent at 
 Clark's Ranche, only five miles from the Mari- 
 posa Grove of Big Trees, and 22 miles from the 
 hotels in the valley. The grove may be visited in 
 
 the morning, and the same day at 1 p. M. one may 
 leave for the valley via Inspiration or Glacier 
 Point, arriving at 6 p. M. ; but this is too much 
 to accomplish satisfactorily in one day, and the 
 hour of arrival in the valley will be too late to 
 enjoy the beauty of the Bridal Veil Fall when 
 passing it. A day is none too long to wander 
 and wonder amid the Big Trees. It is wiser, 
 therefore, to leave Clark's in the morning, and 
 reach the valley about 2 p. M. 
 
 By a new road from Clark's to Glacier Point, 
 it is possible to see the most prominent points 
 of interest and spend only one night in the val- 
 ley. The other road, entering bf Inspiration 
 Point, passes the Bridal Yeil, El Capitan, the 
 Cathedral Rocks and Spires, the Three Brothers, 
 and Sentinel Dome to one of the hotels, opposite 
 the Yosemite Falls. Having taken all these 
 points of interest on the way, one may make an 
 early start in the morning to Mirror Lake, Ver- 
 nal and Nevada Falls, Glacier Point, Sentinel 
 Dome and back to Clark's, and next day return 
 to Merced. Taking this route, in four days from 
 the railroad without retracing one's steps, the 
 entire length of the valley is visited, also Mari- 
 posa Grove. One has looked up to the summit 
 of the high, towering cliffs, and from above 
 gazed down into the deeply eroded ravine, or far 
 away at the high Sierras, listened to the falling 
 waters, rambled at will among the giants of the 
 forest, and over and over again reveled in looking 
 into the pure depths of the purest mountain 
 atmosphere. 
 
 No improvement on this route is possible. 
 Every minute of time is delightfully occupied to 
 the best advantage. One may, and should, if 
 possible, linger in the valley to visit the South 
 Dome, the Cloud's Rest, the foot of the Upper 
 Yosemite, and take in gradually the growing 
 wonders of the place. It will pay well to go 
 twice, or more, over the same ground ; or at least 
 from Sentinel Dome one may descend again to 
 the hotels in the valley, and thence leave it by 
 either of the three routes. 
 
 By the Coulterville Route, after leaving Merced 
 in the morning and passing through the towns of 
 Snelling and Coulterville, Dudley's Ranche is 
 reached for the first night. The valley is reached 
 next day at 5 p. M. ; passing into it along the 
 foaming river, as it rushes out the narrow canon 
 below the valley proper, the Bridal Veil is on the 
 opposite side of the river, but too distant to see 
 its rainbow, or appreciate its peculiar charms. 
 
 El Capitan, and all other features of interest 
 spoken of on the Mariposa Route, are also passed. 
 By this Coulterville Route, Bower's Cave is 
 passed, and a fine view is obtained from Pilot 
 Peak. The cave is an immense and picturesque 
 crack or sink in the solid limestone of the mount- 
 ain top, into which one may descend to an irreg- 
 ular bottom about a hundred feet square, in one 
 corner of which is a small and beautiful lake. 
 
SCENES IN THE YOSEMITE VALLEY. 
 1. Bridal Veil Fall. 2. Mirror Lak. 
 
255 
 
 By both routes Merced is reached at night on the 
 fourth day after leaving for the valley, or later 
 according to the time spent there. The cars 
 leave at 6 A. M., for Lathrop. 
 
 We distinctly advise travelers not to return 
 the same way as they entered the valley, but 
 always choose a different route. Likewise in 
 horseback rides, always return to the valley from 
 Glacier Point, or other points, and from there 
 take the stage. There are three good hotels in 
 the Yosemite, Black's, Leidig's and Walsh & 
 Coulter's, all which are comfortable. Board, 
 $3.50 gold per day. 
 
 Expenses. The expense of a trip to the 
 Yosemite will be as follows : Railroad fare to 
 Merced and return, $15 ; board one week, at $3.50 
 gold, $24.50; stage fare Merced to valley and 
 returning by different routes, say $40 ; horses and 
 guides, say 4 days, $3 per day, $12. Total, $91.50. 
 
 As to the merits of the different stage routes, 
 we can only say that it is preferable to enter the 
 Yosemite via Inspiration Point, Mariposa and 
 Clark's ; especially in hot days, this route has 
 most shade. The stage route from Milton is the 
 longest. Parties with ladies will find it desirable 
 to enter via Mariposa and return via Coulterville. 
 Of the Yosemite hotels, Leidig's is reputed to 
 furnish the best table and eating, Black's best 
 rooms, and Walsh & Coulter's the best location 
 near Yosemite Falls. The best season for visit- 
 ing Yosemite is from May 1st to July 15. Later 
 than this the falls will be dry, or have but slight 
 volume of water. 
 
 Tickets for the Yosemite, by any route, or to 
 go by one and return by another, may be had at 
 Lathrop, or at 4 New Montgomery street, San 
 Francisco. 
 
 San Joaquin Bridge, 79 miles from San 
 Francisco, is a station at the railroad crossing of 
 the San Joaquin River. The channel is on the 
 west side, and in high water the country is over- 
 flowed for miles up and down the river, reaching 
 back from it almost to Bantas, the next station. 
 
 Bantas, 74 miles from San Francisco, and 
 30 feet above tide-water, is named for an old 
 family resident here. Stages leave at 10.50 A. 
 M., for San Joaquin City, 10 miles, Grayson, 20 
 miles, Mahoney's, 35 miles, and Hill's Ferry, 40 
 miles. Through fare, $3.50. About midway 
 between this and the next station, a railroad has 
 been commenced to run to Oakland via Antioch, 
 Martinez, San Pablo and Berkley", thus avoiding 
 the heavy grades of the Coast Range. To the 
 right of Bantas, down the San Joaquin River, or 
 the branch called " Old River " is a vast extent 
 of lowland, overflowed in June, by the melting 
 snows of the Sierra Nevadas, and during most 
 of the rainy season. 
 
 After the water passes off, flowers spring up, 
 and the button willow blooms, affording excel- 
 lent bee-pasture. From the first of July to the 
 first of November, a single swarm of bees will 
 
 often gather 100 Ibs. of honey. Those who take 
 care of the bees also take quinine with the 
 honey to cure the " chills." This is believed to 
 be the extent of their acquaintance with " Bit- 
 ter-sweet." Hundreds of acres of floating land 
 here rise and fall with the water. 
 
 Ellis, 69 miles from San Francisco, and 76 
 feet elevation, another village which bustles in 
 the midst of vast wheat fields, during seasons 
 following a wet winter, and sleeps under vast 
 disappointments during other years. 
 
 This " West Side " of the San Joaquin River, 
 was supposed, for many years, to be worthless. 
 The old Spaniards left it out of their ranches 
 except when a few square miles or leagues were 
 taken in for the sake of securing a convenient 
 " loma " as a landmark. In 1849-50, as the 
 gold-digger urged his mule, well laden with 
 tent, bedding, pan and rocker, and three 
 months' provisions, his heart full of expectation 
 of a " pile " to be speedily dug from the placers 
 of the " Southern Mines," his eyes were often 
 gladdened by a lake of bright water near the 
 " trail " only a mile ahead. He saw white sails, 
 waves chasing each other, and trees on the shores 
 reflected from their bosom. Pie expected soon 
 to camp in the grateful shade, and slake his 
 burning thirst with the cool water. The white 
 sails bounded away, antelope-like, across the 
 burning plains, for alas ! it was only a mirage 
 an emblem of his expected wealth. Even now 
 many are deluded in seeing the distant water 
 and green trees beyond. 
 
 The soil of this once desert region, now pro- 
 duces the best of wheat, when the rains are 
 abundant, but from its peculiar position on the 
 north-east of the Coast Range, the necessary 
 rain is often wanting. A local adage is " every 
 seven years a crop " worse than ancient Egypt's 
 famine. But the land-owners are moving to 
 construct a ditch 60 feet wide and 300 miles 
 long, to irrigate the entire valley on the west 
 side of the river, and serve for transporting the 
 produce to the tide-water of Suisun Bay. Once 
 accomplished this almost desert land, will easily 
 support a population of 3,000,000. 
 
 Fourteen miles south-west from this station is 
 Corral Hollow or Pass, in the mountain range, at 
 the head of which are extensive coal mines, to- 
 ward which a branch railroad extends five miles. 
 Here an extra engine is taken to overcome the 
 steep grade of the Livermore Pass, in the Mount 
 Diablo Range. 
 
 Medway, 64 miles from San Francisco, and 
 356 feet above the sea-level, was formerly called 
 "Zinc House," from the only building in this 
 hilly region, made of zinc a material used fre- 
 quently as a substitute for lumber, then scarce 
 and difficult to transport. The rolling hills are 
 extensively farmed with varied success. The place 
 has but a small population. From this station the 
 train coils rapidly around the points of hills, across 
 
256 
 
 VEBNAL FALLS, YOSEMITE. 
 
 BY THOMAS MOBAN. 
 
257 
 
 high embankments, and through deep cuts, the 
 engine often seen from the car window like the 
 fiery head of a huge serpent. 
 
 The soil is coarse sand and gravel, the finer 
 particles of which, and vegetation, too, it seems, 
 have been blown away by the trade-winds, which, 
 pent up by the long range, rush with concentrated 
 fury over the summit of the pass, and sweep 
 down with devastating force into the vacuum on 
 the heated plains. 
 
 Suddenly the train enters a tunnel, 1,116 feet 
 long, the only one between Sacramento and San 
 Francisco, and is in total darkness for two 
 minutes. Emerging, it soon arrives at 
 
 Altamont, west of the summit of the Mount 
 Diablo Range, 56 miles from San Francisco, 
 and 740 feet above the level of the sea. The 
 traveler will see numerous gray squirrels stand- 
 ing erect at the entrance to their homes. They 
 are about as large as the fox-squirrel of the East- 
 ern States, live in villages of their own, are the 
 pest of the farmer, have increased since the land 
 has been cultivated, and lay the grain fields 
 under a tribute far heavier than the rent. It is 
 a remarkable fact that both birds and squirrels 
 have increased in variety and numbers all over 
 the cultivated regions of the State since 1850. 
 As the train descends into Livermore Valley, a 
 truly picturesque scene is presented. The level 
 valley, in form a square 12 miles across, with 
 many narrow extensions far into the mountains, 
 is spread out before one in full view, with rolling 
 hills on all sides, except the west, where rises an 
 abrupt, tree-clad mountain. 
 
 On the right, across the low hills, green with 
 live oaks, may now be seen Mt. Diablo, not as 
 before, a blue dome, but a real mountain, with 
 deep gorges in its sides, covered with chaparral, 
 and capped usually with gray mists. 
 
 It is an Indian legend that this country, west 
 of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, was once cov- 
 ered with water, and the top of this mountain 
 then a little island. At that period, says the 
 legend, the devil was there imprisoned by the 
 waters for a long time, and, therefore, great pros- 
 perity and quiet resulted to mankind; hence 
 his name was given to it. However the name 
 may have been first given, it now clings to it in 
 Spanish form. 
 
 The western portion of this valley contains 
 hundreds of acres of the best land in the State, 
 much of it moist, vegetable land, in the midst of 
 which is a lake of fresh water, near which are 
 natural flowing wells. From these the creek de- 
 rives its name " Las Positas " i. e., little wells. 
 
 Much of the eastern part of the valley is cov- 
 ered, to a great depth, with small, angular stones, 
 mixed with clay, and the region was thought to 
 be useless, but it now produces the finest of 
 wheat. 
 
 From Altamont, it is 8.1 miles to 
 
 Livermore, 47 miles from San Francisco. 
 
 17 
 
 This is a live town, 485 feet above tide-water, 
 with 1,000 inhabitants, a seminary of learning, 
 beautifully nestled amid sturdy oaks, a Presby- 
 terian and a Catholic church, a steam mill, news- 
 paper, saloons, stores, and several large ware- 
 houses. Nine miles south, and at the head of 
 Corral Hollow, are five veins of good coal yield- 
 ing 100 tons per day, and six miles from the town 
 another vein has been opened. These are prob- 
 ably an extension of the Mount Diablo Coal 
 fields which have been worked for many years. 
 Six and one-tenth miles down the valley is 
 
 Pleasanton, 41 miles from San Francisco, 
 353 feet above the sea, a village of 300 inhab- 
 itants, with several stores, a large warehouse, an 
 abundance of good water, and a rich, beautiful 
 country on the north connecting with other val- 
 leys, and extending to Martinez at the head of 
 the Straits of Carquinez. This region, now Liv- 
 ermore Valley, was formerly called Amador Val- 
 ley, from its original owner, and was an inland 
 sea. In 1836, Mr. Livermore found the bones of 
 a whale on the surface of the ground, near the 
 town which bears his name. The vertebrae lay 
 in order with the ribs scattered about like the 
 rails of a "worm" fence. Abalone shells are 
 also found in quantities near the old ranche 
 house. Beautiful variegated wild pansies, the 
 lupin and California poppy have taken the place 
 of sea weeds. 
 
 In June may be seen, near Pleasanton, high 
 above the grain, the yellow blossoms of the black 
 mustard. In former years it stood 12 feet high, 
 and so thick that it was difficult to force one's 
 way through it. To 
 
 Sunol, (Sun-yole) 36 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco, the train dashes down the narrow valley of 
 the Alasal Creek, 5.2 miles, amid pleasing scen- 
 ery, and relics of the Mexican and Indian civili- 
 zation of California. On the right is the Contra 
 Costa Range of Coast Mountains, so called be- 
 cause opposite the Coast Range, near and north 
 of San Francisco. It is only a few miles across 
 to the San Jose (San Ho-zay) Valley, where the 
 train will pass in an opposite direction. Sunol 
 Valley, a mile wide and three miles long, is south 
 of this station. Seven miles above this is the 
 Calaveras Valley, containing 1,500 acres the 
 proposed site of a vast reservoir to supply San 
 Francisco with water in future years. The 
 mountains about these valleys are extensive 
 sheep and cow pastures, covered with wild oats. 
 
 The road passes down the canon of the Ala- 
 meda Creek and over three fine bridges, yet 
 winding with the canon, steep mountains on 
 both sides, dressed in green or parched with sum- 
 mer heat; the bracing sea breezes, and the 
 knowledge that in an hour and a half the cars 
 will reach the bay, revive the spirits of the 
 traveler. Soon a scene of wide extended 
 beauty is to burst on his vision the San Jose 
 Valley, the Bay of San Francisco, the Serrated 
 
258 
 
 Mountains that turn back the ocean tides of 
 8,000 miles travel, and all around him, as he 
 hurries on to the great city, a garden spot more 
 and more variegated with the choicest fruits and 
 flowers, and abundant in homes of luxury and 
 ease. From Sunol it is 6.4 miles to 
 
 Niles, 30 miles from San Francisco, 88 feet 
 above tide-water. Here are a store, hotel, ware- 
 house and mill. A stage runs from all trains to 
 Centreville, three miles distant. Here is the 
 junction of the San Jose Branch of the Central 
 Pacific Railroad. This branch passes through 
 Washington Corners, the seat of a flourishing 
 college, under Rev. S. S. Harmon, and a pleasant 
 village overlooking the bay, and near the old 
 Mission de San Jose. 
 
 Three miles farther are the Warm Springs, in 
 the midst of oak and other trees near the Aqua 
 Caliente (hot water) Creek. The minerals that 
 increase the value of the heated water are lime, 
 sulphur, magnesia and iron. They were for- 
 merly a popular resort, but are now the property 
 of Governor Stanford. When his designs of 
 building and beautifying are completed, it will 
 be one of the most attractive of the summer 
 resorts. 
 
 Near Niles the Alameda Creek is turned into 
 a ditch 30 feet wide, and distributed over the 
 valley for irrigation, for although both the land 
 and climate are moist, irrigation promotes the 
 growth of fruits and vegetables called for by the 
 San Francisco market. 
 
 Adjoining the south-east end of this bay, are 
 20,000 acres of salt marsh, now in process of 
 reclamation by dikes and ditches. 
 
 Through this a narrow gauge railroad has been 
 built from deep water, at Dunbarton Point, via 
 Newark to Alviso, and will run thence through 
 Santa Clara to Santa Cruz. 
 
 Along the east side of the bay are numerous 
 salt ponds, the sea water being let in at high tide 
 upon a large tract of land, when the rainy sea- 
 son is over, and this repeated several times. The 
 concentrated brine is then drawn off in a planked 
 reservoir, where it slowly crystallizes. 
 
 As the train passes down 2.8 miles to Decoto, 
 the eye is pleased, in April and May, by the 
 mountain on the right round, green, shaven, 
 like a lawn, or its sides rich with fields of grain ; 
 or yellow with large patches of buttercups, blue 
 with lupin, or deep orange with the Eschscholt- 
 zia, or California wild poppy, gathered, no doubt, 
 far east of this point, for many a sentimental 
 nosegay, in honor of the traveler's acquaintance. 
 It is a flower peculiar to the north-west coast of 
 America. Wild flowers are so numerous in Cal- 
 ifornia that often from twenty to a hundred va- 
 rieties may be gathered from one spot. 
 
 On the left, the trees mark the Alameda Creek, 
 flowing down to the salt land. Beyond this lies 
 the Old San Jose Road, and the richest and best 
 cultivated portion of the valley. At Centreville, 
 
 half -hidden in the distance, is an Alden fruit f ac- 
 tory, convenient to large orchards, and, near by, 
 on the farm of Rev. W. W. Brier, stands the tree 
 from which originated the thousands of acres of 
 Brier's Lariguedoc Almond, the soft-shelled al- 
 mond, that no traveler has ever seen excelled in 
 flavor. 
 
 The hill-sides from one to 500 feet above the 
 valleys, are best adapted to its culture, because 
 the warm air from the lowlands prevents injury 
 from frost. At 
 
 Decoto, 27 miles from San Francisco, may 
 be seen the Blue Gum Tree. Under favorable 
 circumstances it will grow, in five years from the 
 seed, to a height of 70 feet, with a circumference 
 of four feet. The green wood splits readily, but 
 the dry is as hard as the lignum-vitse. They 
 are highly prized for a supposed tendency to 
 counteract malaria, and their cultivation is rap- 
 idly extending. 
 
 Soon after leaving Decoto, Alvarado may be 
 seen. It was once the county-seat of Alameda 
 County. The valley land in this vicinity sells 
 for $150 to $250 per acre, and the mountain land 
 from $10 to $30. It is a peculiarity of Califor- 
 nia, that the value of land is always stated sep- 
 arately from improvements. 
 
 Haywards, 21 miles from San Francisco, 
 is 6.3 miles from Decoto. The town is seen a 
 mile to the right, on the hill, at the outlet of 
 Castro Valley rich, rolling and beautiful, and 
 well watered, four miles long by two wide. Cas- 
 tro Valley is named in honor of the original 
 owner of the ranche, and Hayward's Hotel is a 
 well-known resort. 
 
 On the hill, to the right, is seen a forest that 
 may be mistaken for evidence that these hills 
 have been recently denuded of their timber. It 
 is a forest of the Blue Gum Tree 200 acres, 
 planted by James T. Stratton. 
 
 The town has churches, public schools, and 
 the hotel, still kept by Mr. Hayward, is a popular 
 place of resort for those who seek a good and 
 quiet home without removing from business in 
 the city. Stages leave this station for Alvarado 
 at 9.20 A. M., and 4.20 P. M. ; for Danville and 
 Walnut Creek at 4.20 P. M., and from all trains 
 to Haywards. For many years a railroad ran 
 from Alameda to Haywards, but the track has 
 been taken up. 
 
 Lorenzo, 18 miles from San Francisco, is 
 near San Lorenzo Creek, and surrounded by a 
 well improved country. It is a pleasant village, 
 and contains an extensive establishment for 
 drying fruit on the Alden process, a store, a neat 
 church edifice and the usual places to " take a 
 drink." The land is worth $600 per acre. The 
 large building to the right on the mountain side, 
 is the Poorhouse of Alameda County, with which 
 there is a farm connected. The golden sands of 
 California and the absence of severe winters do 
 not keep poverty and age from every door, nor 
 
259 
 
 does a generous hospitality make public charity 
 unnecessary. 
 
 This section of country is noted for its 
 cherries and currants, but nearly every variety of 
 fruit is extensively cultivated. One of the fine 
 orchards on the right before reaching the sta- 
 tion, has 100 acres of Almonds, and 200 acres of 
 other fruits. The owner, Mr. William Meek, has 
 constructed private water-works at an expense 
 of 115,000. 
 
 San Leandro, 15 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco, was formerly a county-seat. It has a 
 population of 1,000, a large factory for wagons 
 and gang-plows, a Presbyterian, a Catholic and 
 a Methodist Church, stores and saloons. In the 
 mountains opposite, and on a creek of the same 
 name, is located the reservoir of the Oakland 
 water- works. The water is collected from the 
 winter floods and is 65 feet deep. 
 
 Melrose is 11 miles from San Francisco. Be- 
 fore reaching the station and after crossing the 
 San Leandro Creek, there may be seen on the 
 right, nestled in a beautiful vale at the foot of 
 the mountains, the largest and best apportioned 
 Protestant Seminary for girls, to which the 
 Pacific Coast lays claim. The buildings were 
 erected at a cost of about f 100,000, $30,000 of 
 which was contributed by public-spirited indi- 
 viduals. The 65 surrounding acres, with their 
 oaks, sycamores, alders, willows, and laurel or 
 bay tree ; the orchards, lawns and flower-beds, the 
 inspiring views, combining the fruitful plain, 
 the water and the mountains beyond ; a climate, 
 always stimulating to mental effort in short, the 
 correspondence of attractions and advantages, 
 without and within, make this a point of inter- 
 est to all who desire to see the progress of edu- 
 cation in one of nature's most gifted spots. 
 
 Near the race-track on the left, are several 
 buildings with large, square chimneys, used to 
 smelt and refine gold and silver, while on the right 
 is a fuse factory. The town of Alameda is seen 
 on the left, almost hidden by live oaks. A 
 branch railroad connects it with this station, and 
 the " local " trains of Oakland. 
 
 Between Melrose and the next station, we pass 
 Fruit Vale, a station on the Alameda Road, 
 and a spot of surpassing loveliness. The elegant 
 lawns, and beautiful mansions are almost wholly 
 concealed by the luxuriant foliage, and amid the 
 strapping of shawls and gathering of valises, 
 there will be no time to waste, where only a 
 glimpse of the beauty may be had, and 
 
 Brooklyn will be announced 2.3 miles 
 from Melrose, and 9 miles from San Francisco. 
 Here is the point of departure for the " local " 
 trains that will be seen again at the Oakland 
 wharf. It is now East Oakland, a delightful 
 suburb of San Francisco. 
 
 The land rises gently toward the foot hills, 
 almost from the water's edge. Since it has 
 become a corporate part of the City of Oak- 
 
 land, it has made rapid improvement in the 
 opening of new and well macadamized streets 
 and the erection of fine residences. At this 
 point there is a " local " train that passes directly 
 through Oakland to Oakland Point. Before 
 reaching the next station the train will cross the 
 track of the Alameda Branch. This track is for 
 the accommodation of local travel, and connects 
 Alameda and Fruit Vale with Oakland and San 
 Francisco. From the abundance of the ever- 
 green oaks, one may quickly conclude that pleas- 
 ure parties will find there a balmy retreat 
 whether beneath the clear sky, or sheltered from 
 the afternoon winds, and it has always been a 
 popular picnic resort. On Sunday, the boats 
 and trains are crowded with thousands seeking 
 recreation and enjoyment there. Brooklyn is a 
 splendid home resort for travelers ; the comforts 
 of so nice a hotel as Tubb's are worthy of appre- 
 ciation. 
 
 Oakland is 2 miles from Brooklyn. The 
 train halts at the foot of Market Street, where 
 many through passengers leave it, Oakland be- 
 ing really a suburb of the larger city near at 
 hand, and the chosen residence of hundreds who 
 do all their business and spend most of their 
 daytime over there. It if beautiful for situa- 
 tion, and boasts a climate much preferred to 
 that of San Francisco ; the trade-winds from 
 the Pacific, which are fierce and cold, and often 
 heavy with fog there, being much softened in 
 crossing the bay. This has attracted many to 
 make it their residence, though obliged to do 
 business in San Francisco, and about 10,000 
 passengers daily cross on the half-hourly and 
 splendid ferry-boats, and the number of trips 
 will be increased before long. The population 
 of the city increases rapidly, and, in 1877, 
 was 47,000. As measures of its enterprise and 
 prosperity it may be stated that 2,000 new 
 buildings are to be erected in 1877, and a quar- 
 ter of a million dollars expended in building a 
 court-house and county jail. There are three sav- 
 ings banks, two national gold banks, four lines of 
 horse-cars, three flouring and four planing mills, 
 an iron and a brass foundry, two potteries, one 
 patent marble works, a jute bag factory, three 
 tanneries and dther establishments employing 
 many mechanics. On the public schools, of 
 which Oakland is justly very proud, 'nearly 
 <$6,000 are monthly expended, and nearly a 
 quarter of a million dollars value in property is 
 owned by the department. The State Univer- 
 sity is within the city limits. Its site, which has 
 been named Berkley, is on the northern border 
 of the city and has a direct ferry to San Fran- 
 cisco, and many families are planting themselves 
 there, attracted by its natural beauty and the ed- 
 ucational and social advantages which cluster 
 around it. The University is open to students 
 of both sexes, and tuition is free. The number 
 of students exceeds 200. By special law, the 
 
260 
 
 sale of intoxicating liquors is 
 forbidden, within two miles of 
 this University. 
 
 There are 20 churches in 
 Oakland, of which 16 own 
 houses of worship. Some of 
 them are elegant and costly ; 
 the First Presbyterian Church 
 has recently dedicated a new 
 church building which cost 
 them over $60,000. Seven 
 newspapers are published, 
 three daily, the rest 
 weekly. 
 
 The rides in and around 
 Oakland, for variety of at- 
 tractive features, are rarely 
 equaled. Many come over 
 from San Francisco, in the 
 morning, expressly to enjoy 
 this pleasure. Lake Merritt, 
 a beautiful sheet of water, 
 Tubb's Hotel and the Grand 
 . Central Hotel, both spacious 
 8 and admirably kept, are 
 3 among the attractions which 
 5 none fail to visit, and with 
 which thousands have bright 
 fc and happy memories associa- 
 3 ted. 
 
 g Though incorporated as a 
 ^ city, Oakland is thoroughly 
 S rural. A very small portion 
 *" of the business part around 
 x the chief railroad station is 
 " built up solidly, but every- 
 P where else the houses stand 
 g detached and usually sur- 
 rounded by a liberal expanse 
 of gardens, grass-plat, and 
 shrubbery which remind one 
 of an eastern village. Live 
 oaks abound, and show by 
 their leaning over toward 
 the east, the constancy and 
 strength of the summer trade- 
 winds. Geraniums, roses, 
 fuchsias, callas, verbenas, and 
 many tropical plants and 
 flowers grow luxuriantly, 
 never suffering from outdoor 
 winter exposure, and finding 
 a soil of surpassing richness 
 and fertility. Fruit trees de- 
 velop into bearing in a third 
 or half the time usually re- 
 quired on the Atlantic Coast. 
 The city is favored with one 
 rare advantage. The rail- 
 road company charge no fare 
 on their local trains, between 
 stations within the city limits. 
 
261 
 
 These trains are half-hourly, most of the day, 
 and there are nearly five miles of railroad, and 
 eight stations within the city limits. The con- 
 venience of thus riding freely at all hours, can 
 hardly be understood by those who have not ex- 
 perienced it. The line of the local road is 
 directly through the city, and only local trains 
 run upon it, all other passenger trains, and all 
 freight trains taking the main road close to the 
 water's edge. Of all the suburbs of San Fran- 
 cisco, Oakland is the most popular. Its growth 
 exceeds that of San Francisco. The time re- 
 quired to reach it from California Street, is less 
 than is required to get up-town from Wall 
 Street in New York, and once reached, the 
 merchant, weary with the cares of the busy day, 
 may find a home with a more tropical luxuriance 
 of fruit and flowers, almost the same in summer 
 and winter, and scenery scarcely less picturesque 
 than the banks of the Hudson afford. 
 
 Oakland Point is the last station before 
 reaching the ferry. The stop is made to pass over 
 the long trestle work with a light engine. Here 
 the railroad company own about 125 acres of 
 land, and have extensive buildings and repair 
 shops. On their dock they remodel, or build 
 their ferry-boats, the boats of the California 
 Steam Navigation Company, and here the 
 Western Development Company build all the 
 bridges and frame all hotels, warehouses, and 
 other buildings for the Central, California, and 
 Southern Pacific Railroads. About 300 men are 
 constantly employed. There is a roundhouse 
 for 21 engines, and tracks for the extra pas- 
 senger cars needed at this important terminus. 
 
 A channel has been dredged out from this yard 
 to the bay, which shows plainly from the cai*s 
 on the left hand. The train now runs out on 
 the trestle work, which is built out into sea water 
 farther than any other in the world, and is 
 the largest in waters of this depth, and also the 
 best built wooden pier in the world. It was 
 built five years ago, and when examined a year 
 since, a few teredo were found in piles without 
 bark ; but the strength of the pier was not appre- 
 ciably impaired. It is 2.8 miles long. 
 
 To protect it from fire, all the engines em- 
 ployed on it are fitted with force pumps, and 
 can be used as steam fire engines at a moment's 
 notice. There are three slips and four piers, and 
 the aggregate width of the latter is 396 feet, and 
 over these an immense freight and passenger 
 business is done. 
 
 Eight sea-going ships can be loaded with grain 
 simultaneously. Nearly all the lumber for the 
 whole treeless region in Southern California, now 
 reached by the railroad, is loaded from vessels 
 at this wharf. Wagons and carriages crossing 
 between Oakland and San Francisco come over 
 one of these piers to the ferry-boat at present; 
 but it involves risk to horses, vehicles, and their 
 passengers, and the company are building ferry- 
 
 boats to run by San Antonio Creek directly to 
 Oakland, by which all teams will be ferried be- 
 tween the two cities, and the increasing passen- 
 ger traffic have the additional tracks now needed. 
 Freight cars cross from this wharf to the im- 
 mense freight depot at the foot of Fourth Street 
 in San Francisco, and a boat is building to carry 
 at once 20 loaded freight cars and 20 car loads 
 of cattle. 
 
 There is fine angling, chiefly for smelt, from 
 these wharves. Four or five of these fish may be 
 caught at a single cast. Within two years, east- 
 ern salmon have been placed in these waters, and 
 occasionally these are caught. California salmon 
 do not take the hook, because people and fish are 
 sharp on this side of the Continent. 
 
 At Oakland wharf, passengers and baggage 
 are transferred to the spacious and elegant ferry- 
 boats, on which hackmen and hotel-runners will 
 be sure to speak for themselves. 
 
 The distance from the end of the wharf across 
 the water to the ferry-house in San Francisco is 3.4 
 miles, and is ordinarily made in fifteen minutes. 
 When the wind is blowing, none but the most 
 rugged persons should venture to stand outside 
 the cabin; but if it is practicable to gain the 
 view, there are many points of great interest. 
 At night, the city itself with long rows of lights 
 extending over hills, more than " seven," or its 
 wide extent by day, produces at once an impres- 
 sion of its greatness. 
 
 Bay of San Francisco. The bay is large 
 enough to float the navies of the world, and 
 beautified by a rare combination of island, 
 mountain, city and plain. On the right, pass- 
 ing to San Francisco, and near the wharf, is 
 Goat Island, a military reservation, and the sub- 
 ject of considerable agitation in Congress. The 
 quarters of the officers and men are seen on the 
 east side, and on the south end is a fog-bell and 
 whistle that are often called into requisition. 
 The Golden Gate proper is north, or to the right 
 of the city five miles long and about a mile 
 wide. 
 
 It is strongly fortified at various points. Al- 
 catraz, a naval station, is an island at the end of 
 the gate and entrance to the bay, and commands 
 the whole passage from the ocean. 
 
 Angel Island, north of Alcatraz, is another 
 military reservation, well fortified. North-west 
 of this may be seen the towering peak of Mount 
 Tamalpais, the highest near the city. On the 
 right, one may look north to the San Pablo Bay, 
 and behind him see classic Berkley, Oakland, 
 and Alameda, with the Coast Hills in the back- 
 ground. South, the view extends over the bay 
 toward San Jose, and everywhere, except where 
 the city stands, and through the Golden Gate, 
 it is shut in by mountains. 
 
 The trade-winds and fogs are shut out from 
 California by the Coast Range, the fogs not ris- 
 ing above 1,000 feet, and when they sweep down 
 
262 
 
 the coast, drive through the Golden Gate with 
 pent-up fury. The heated interior makes a fun- 
 nel of this passage and creates a demand for the 
 lace shawl and seal-skin sacque on the same day. 
 
 The ferry-house where the trip across the Con- 
 tinent ends, is well arranged and provided with 
 everything necessary for the accommodation of 
 the throngs of passengers passing through it. 
 The baggage department of the railroad is here, 
 and is connected by telegraph with every station 
 on the road, giving all possible facilities for 
 tracing stray baggage. The loss of baggage by 
 this railroad company is almost an unknown in- 
 cident, and the Pacific Transfer Company is 
 equally reliable. 
 
 San Francisco. The ferry-boat lands at 
 the foot of Market Street, which is fast becoming 
 the leading business artery of the city. Every 
 horse-car line, except one, either runs in or crosses 
 it, and by direct communication or transfer, all 
 connect with the ferry at its foot. By these cars, 
 or by carriages in waiting, the hotels which are 
 about a half mile away are easily reached. The 
 Grand and the Palace Hotels are on Market, at 
 the corner of New Montgomery Street, the Lick 
 on Montgomery, a few steps from Market Street, 
 the Occidental and the Russ near at hand on the 
 same street, and the Cosmopolitan at the corner 
 of Bush and Sansome Streets, close to Market. 
 As to their respective merits, we must decline to 
 make comparisons or give free advertisements. 
 Hotel coaches charge uniformly $1.00 gold for 
 transfer of each passenger and baggage from 
 ferry to hotel. The Transfer Company will carry 
 baggage alone for 50 cents. Whether the over- 
 land traveler resorts to a hotel or to the home of 
 friends, the change from a week in the railroad 
 cars to hospitable quarters and richly spread 
 tables will be so grateful as at first to dispel all 
 consciousness of fatigue ; but tired nature will 
 assert herself, and the first night especially, as 
 the arrival is at evening, will be given to rest. 
 
 Perhaps the luxury of a Turkish bath should be 
 had at the earliest moment. " The Hammam," 
 erected by Senator Jones on Dupont Street, near 
 Market, at a cost of nearly $200,000, is in truly 
 Oriental style. The building is an ornament to 
 the city, and in it dusty travelers will experience 
 mingled wonder and delight at its Mohamme- 
 dan architecture, perfect appointments, and com- 
 plete adaptation to restore a sense of cleanliness 
 and give solid refreshment to both body and 
 spirit. 
 
 Thus refreshed and looking about next morn- 
 ing, there confronts the traveler a city, the growth 
 of twenty-seven years, which counts 300,000 in- 
 habitants, and covers a territory of 42 square 
 miles. On its eastern front it extends along the 
 bay, whose name it bears, is bounded on the 
 north by the Golden Gate, and on the west wash- 
 ed by the Pacific Ocean along a beach extending 
 five or six miles. From the Golden Gate on the 
 
 north, to the city and county-line on the south, is 
 a distance of about seven miles, and the same 
 from the bay across to the ocean. The surface 
 is varied by hills, several of which have been 
 built upon, and from whose summit command- 
 ing views may be obtained. Telegraph Hill 
 looks down on the point where the Golden Gate 
 leads into the bay and harbor. Clay Street Hill 
 is farther south and west, and may be ascended 
 in cars drawn up its steep-graded sides by an 
 endless rope running just below the surface. 
 This hill extends some distance southward, and 
 makes the streets crossing Montgomery to the 
 west, steep, and some almost impracticable for 
 wheeled vehicles. Along its heights some of the 
 railroad directors and others have erected, or are 
 erecting, princely dwellings. That of Governor 
 Stanford is perhaps unsurpassed in almost every 
 respect. Rincon Hill is in the southern part of 
 the city, and slopes down to the water's edge. 
 Until a recent period, it was noted for elegant 
 private dwellings and grounds ; but these are 
 now found in all directions, more clustering, how- 
 ever, around Clay Street Hill, perhaps, than else- 
 where. The growth of the city is rather toward 
 the west than the south. 
 
 Russian Hill is west and north of Telegraph 
 Hill, and looks down toward the Golden Gate and 
 what is called the North Beach, a portion of 
 the city less in favor of late years than formerly. 
 Smelting works, woolen factories, potteries, ar- 
 tificial stone-works and establishments of this 
 general character, have clustered here. 
 
 San Francisco is very regularly laid out. 
 There are two systems of streets, between which 
 Market Street is the dividing line. North of 
 Market the streets are mostly 70 feet wide, cross 
 at right angles and run almost north and south, 
 east and west, and the blocks are 150 varas or 
 275 feet wide, and 150 varas or 412 1-2 feet long, 
 the length being east and west. Market Street 
 runs about north-east and southwest. South of 
 it the streets for over a mile from the city front, 
 run parallel with it or at right angles. At about a 
 mile from the city front these parallel streets grad- 
 ually curve toward the south till they run almost 
 north and south. This change of course was caus- 
 ed by the low Mission Hills there lifting them- 
 selves, and by the tendency of travel along the nar- 
 row peninsula toward the country beyond it. The 
 streets south of Market are some of them very 
 broad, and some quite narrow. This portion of 
 the city was laid out originally with very wide 
 streets and in blocks 200 varas or 550 feet wide, 
 and 300 varas or 825 feet long, but these proved 
 too large and it became necessary to cut them up 
 by intervening streets, which have no element of 
 regularity except parallelism with the others. The 
 streets are all numbered from the city front, or from 
 Market Street, one hundred numbers being al- 
 lowed to each block after the first, to which only 
 99 are assigned, the even numbers always on the 
 
263 
 
 right hand as the numbers run. It is thus easy 
 to locate any street and number. There are a 
 few avenues, but with the exception of Van Ness, 
 which is 125 feet wide, and built up handsomely, 
 and Montgomery Avenue, which is laid out to 
 provide easy access to the North Beach portion 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO MINT. 
 
 of the city, they are usually short and narrow, 
 or in the most newly laid out portion of the city, 
 not yet built up. 
 
 The heavy wholesale business of the city is 
 done along the water front and, mostly north of 
 Market Street, extending back three or four 
 streets from the front to where banks, brokers, 
 insurance companies and office business generally 
 have become established, the same territory 
 south of this street being occupied by lumber 
 merchants, planing mills, foundries, and machine 
 shops. Retail business of all kinds is done 
 along Kearney, the southern part of Montgom- 
 ery, the upper part of Market, and along Third 
 and Fourth Streets. Markets are scattered 
 through the city. The Central is near Kearney 
 to the west on Sutter Street, and the Calif ornian 
 between Kearney and Montgomery Streets ex- 
 tending through from Pine to California. Both 
 are worth visiting, and display everything in the 
 market line in rich profusion and perfect neat- 
 ness and order. California Street and Mont- 
 gomery at their junctions, are the great resort of 
 the crowd dealing in stocks. All sorts of men 
 may be seen there, between 9 A. M. and 6 p. M., 
 hovering around quotations displayed on various 
 brokers' bulletin-boards, and talking mines, for 
 speculation centers in mining shares. Kearney 
 Street and the southern part of Montgomery are 
 the favorite promenade of ladies, and especially 
 on Saturday afternoons, the Hebrew holiday, 
 when a profusion of them, richly dressed and 
 be jeweled, may be met there. 
 
 The theaters are all near this region. Two of 
 them are quite new. Wade's Opera House 
 boasts the finest chandelier on earth, and Bald- 
 win's Academy of Music is claimed to be unsur- 
 
 passed on this Continent, in beauty of interior 
 decoration and finish. 
 
 Sidewalks throughout the city are wide and 
 good. Most are of plank, many of asphaltum, 
 which is well suited to the climate, the heat 
 rarely being sufficient to soften it. A few are of 
 cut stone or artificial stone. The last material 
 is fast coming into favor for many uses. Streets 
 are paved with cobbles, Russ pavement and plank, 
 and off from lines of heavy business teaming, are 
 macadamized. Wooden pavements are retained 
 in many, but are not approved. The Nicholson 
 pavement cannot be long kept down. It shrinks 
 during the long dry summer, and with the first 
 heavy rains swells and is thrown hopelessly out 
 of place. Good paving material is not abundant, 
 and the question is yet unanswered, what shall 
 be the pavement of San Francisco in the future ? 
 
 The water supply comes chiefly from reservoirs 
 in the Coast Range Mountains south of the city, 
 and is controlled by the Spring Valley Water 
 Company. The rates are double and treble 
 those charged in New York City, and are due 
 monthly in advance. Many families pay more 
 for their water than for their bread. It should be 
 borne in mind, however, that some families use 
 much more water for irrigating gardens and 
 grass-plats, than for all household purposes. 
 
 The only government building in San Fran- 
 cisco that is finished and in use, and worth visit- 
 ing, is the United States Mint, on Fifth Street, 
 near Market. The machinery here is believed 
 to be unapproached in perfection and efficiency. 
 Visitors are admitted between 10 and 12 A. M. 
 
 BANK OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 A Custom House is in process of erection, and 
 a City Hall ; but both are far from completion. 
 
 There are many fine buildings erected for 
 business purposes. A number of new blocks of 
 stores, on Kearney and Market Streets, combine 
 spaciousness, solidity and elegance. The Ne- 
 
PUBLIC BUILDINGS OF SAN FRANCISCO. 
 
 1. City Park. 2. New City Hall. 3. General View of City, looking towards the Bay. 
 
 4. Merchants' Exchange. 6. View on Market Street 
 
265 
 
 vada Block, the Safe Deposit Building, the 
 Anglo Californian and the California Bank, the 
 Mercantile Library and Merchants' Exchange, 
 all combine pleasing and impressive features, 
 and are thoroughly built and costly erections. 
 The building, comer of California and Mont- 
 gomery Streets, occupied by Wells, Fargo & Go's 
 Express, was the first substantial erection in the 
 city. It was imported from China, where the 
 stone was all cut and fitted, ready for its place. 
 
 One feature of San Francisco architecture is 
 bay-windows. Few private houses are without 
 
 proportion of the population live in lodgings and 
 go out for their meals. The tendency to a more 
 settled mode of life, however, increases, and a 
 great number of private dwellings have been 
 erected by individuals and building associations, 
 of late years. The Real Estate Associates build 
 and sell on an average a house a day, and have 
 done so for three years past. They build by 
 day's work, in thorough style, chiefly houses of 
 six and eight rooms, and sell them for one-fifth 
 cash, and the remainder in 72 monthly install- 
 ments, based on 9 per cent, interest for the de- 
 
 " HOODLUMS." 
 
 them, and the last built hotels, the Grand, the 
 Palace, and Baldwin's, have their whole surface 
 studded with them, to the great comfort of their 
 guests, and equal defacement of their external 
 appearance. San Francisco is called the Bay 
 City. It might well be named the "bay-win- 
 dow city." The mildness of the climate and the 
 instinctive craving for sunshine, are considera- 
 tions which will always make bay-windows a 
 desirable and a favorite feature here. 
 
 A stranger will observe here the great number 
 of restaurants and furnished lodgings. A large 
 
 ferred payment. Most of the uniformly built 
 blocks of detached houses in the city, were built 
 by them. They always built detached houses, 
 which are safer in case of fires. 
 
 A great conflagration may overtake any city, 
 but this is more secure than its wooden appear- 
 ance indicates. Owing to the dampness from 
 summer fogs and winter rains, and the liability 
 of injury by earthquakes, wood is the only desir- 
 able material for dwellings. Nearly all used is 
 the sequoia, or redwood, so abundant in the 
 Coast Range. It burns very slowly, compared 
 
SCENES IN THE HAKBOR OF SAN FRANCISCO. 
 
267 
 
 with eastern woods, and the city has a very effi- 
 cient steam fire department. 
 
 The city cemeteries are yet west of the best 
 residences, but agitation has already commenced 
 looking to an end of interments within city lim- 
 its. Lone Mountain, an isolated mound with- 
 in the Roman Catholic Cemetery and surmounted 
 by a large cross, lately blown down, has long been 
 a noted landmark and gives its name to the re- 
 gion adjoining, which is devoted to burying 
 grounds. 
 
 South from Lone Mountain lies the Golden 
 Gate Park, in which the city justly takes great 
 pride, and which is destined to become one of 
 the most beautiful of city pleasure grounds in 
 the United States. It was a waste of sand only 
 five or six years since, but, by careful planting 
 of the yellow lupin, the sand is subdued, and 
 by irrigation, grass-plats have been created, and 
 a forest of trees brought rapidly forward. The 
 drives are fine, and, on pleasant days, thousands 
 of carriages resort here. Driving is a Calif orni- 
 an's weak point, and more money is expended by 
 him on livery and private stables in proportion 
 to his means and other expenditures, than by his 
 brother-citizens of the " States." It is a natural 
 result of plentiful money, long distances and few 
 railroads. Racing is also much in vogue, and a 
 fine race-track is laid out, near Lone Mountain, 
 in full view from the Park. 
 
 All the religious denominations are well repre- 
 sented, and there are some fine buildings for 
 worship, among which the Synagogue, on Sutter, 
 the First Congregational Church, on Post, and 
 St. Patrick's Cathedral, on Mission Street, are 
 most notable. 
 
 Benevolent mutual societies and secret orders 
 are very numerous. Particulars concerning them 
 and the churches, may be found in the city direc- 
 tory. The free schools of the city are a just 
 source of pride. They are provided for with a 
 liberality, and conducted with a skill which make 
 them of incalculable value to the city in all its 
 interests. 
 
 The Mercantile Library, the Mechanic's and 
 the Odd Fellows,' are large and valuable, and 
 the use of them may be obtained on easy terms. 
 Roman's bookstore, on Montgomery, and Ban- 
 croft's, on Market Street, are prominent among 
 many good ones. Books are generally sold at 
 publisher's prices, in gold. Bancroft is a large 
 publisher of law books, and has erected a build- 
 ing in which are carried on all departments of 
 book-making. 
 
 Excursions. For sight-seeing in San Fran- 
 cisco, no plan will suit the convenience of every 
 one, but the best for a few days is the following : 
 
 Let the morning be spent in a ride to the 
 Cliff House, where a good breakfast may be 
 obtained, if not had sooner. The Cliff House 
 toll-road has been the favorite route and is un- 
 surpassed as a drive. The shell-road of New 
 
 Orleans is no better. But the road through the 
 Golden Gate Park, is splendidly macadamized, 
 and should be traveled either going or returning. 
 A drive should be taken along the beach to 
 " Ocean House," and a return made to the city, 
 through and over the hills. Coming into the 
 city by this road, there bursts into view, one of 
 the most magnificent sights on the coast. The 
 city, the bay, Oakland and a vast extent of 
 mountain, valley, loveliness of nature and art, 
 are spread out below. If the Park can be re- 
 served for a separate drive, go by the Cliff 
 House Road, if not, go by the Park. The Cliff 
 House may be reached also, by two lines of 
 street-cars and omnibusses. The cost of a 
 carriage for four persons will be $10.00 for the 
 trip by omnibus and cars, one dollar for each 
 person. The trip should be made as early as 
 possible to avoid the wind and fog. 
 
 The afternoon may be spent at Woodward's 
 Gardens, making sure of the feeding of sea-lions 
 at 1 or 3.30 o'clock. The aquarium is unique, 
 suggested by one in Berlin, and has nothing like 
 it in America. Birds, animals of various kinds, 
 fruits, flowers, museum, art gallery and many 
 other objects of attraction, make these gardens 
 one of the chief attractions to tourists. They 
 represent the Pacific Coast in its animals and 
 curiosities, better than any other collection. 
 
 Another morning, go up Clay Street Hill in 
 the cars, and ride to the end of the route. Fine 
 views will be seen of the city and bay, from many 
 points, and some handsome residences will be 
 passed. On descending, climb Telegraph Hill on 
 foot, the only way in which it can be done, and 
 enjoy the view in all directions. After lunch take 
 the Market Street cars, and ride to Twenty-first 
 Street. At Sixteenth Street, one will be near the 
 old Mission Church, an adobe building dedicated 
 in 1776. Having reached Twenty-first Street, cross 
 to Folsom, and return in the North Beach & 
 Mission cars to the city, leaving them where they 
 cross Market, or at the end of their route, corner 
 of California and Montgomery. These rides will 
 take one through the portion of the city rapidly 
 growing and extending toward the south-west. 
 There will be time after returning, to walk about 
 Kearney and Montgomery Streets, near Market, 
 also up and down Market, and see the finest re- 
 tail stores, and look at new buildings, or even to 
 climb up California Street to Highland Terrace, 
 and see some of the finest private residences in 
 the city, among which D. I). Colton's and Gov- 
 ernor Stanford's are specially notable, the former 
 on the north side of California Street, the latter 
 fronting on Powell at the corner of California. 
 
 A pleasant place to visit is also the Mercantile 
 Library on Bush Street, opposite the Cosmopoli- 
 tan Hotel. Strangers, properly introduced, are 
 granted the privilege of the library and reading- 
 room free for a month, and odd hours can be put 
 in there very pleasantly, especially in the read- 
 
269 
 
 ing-room, which is light, cheerful, and supplied 
 with the best papers, magazines and reviews of 
 this and other lands. 
 
 Another day one can go to Oakland early, take 
 a carriage at Broadway Station and ride to Berk- 
 ley, Piedmont, and through Brooklyn, or East 
 Oakland, along Lake Merritt, up and down streets 
 and around the city at pleasure. Fine houses, 
 beautiful grounds, good roads, flowers, shade trees 
 and pleasant sights are everywhere. Return- 
 ing to the city in season for the 4 p. M. boat up 
 the Sacramento River, one can take it as far as 
 Martinez, a 2 1-2 or 3 hours' ride, and see the 
 northern part of San Francisco Bay, San Pablo 
 Bay, Benicia and Suisun Bay, leaving the boat 
 at Martinez and there spending the night. Early 
 next morning a stage will take one to Mount 
 Diablo, and three hours can be spent on its sum- 
 mit enjoying as fine a view as there is anywhere 
 in California, after which the boat can be reached 
 in season to be in San Francisco for the night, 
 or one can stay for the night at a good hotel 
 near the summit, see the sun rise, and return to 
 San Francisco the next night. The fare for this 
 round trip is ten dollars. 
 
 Most of San Francisco has now been seen. It 
 would be well to ride through Van Ness Avenue 
 and see the fine residences there ; but one will 
 begin to think of San Jose, Santa Cruz, the Gey- 
 sers, &c. Another forenoon can be spent pleas- 
 antly in the city by taking the Central line of 
 horse-cars (cars with white dashers) through the 
 fast-growing western addition to the city, to the 
 end of the route at Laurel Hill Cemetery, and 
 walking about there for an hour. Returning by 
 the same line in season to get off near the United 
 States Mint, at corner of 5th and Market Streets, 
 by 11 A. M., one can visit that institution, which is 
 daily open for visitors until noon. In the after- 
 noon, at 3.25, one may go to San Jose. The 
 route leads through beautiful villages, some of 
 which have been selected for the residence, most, 
 if not all the year, of wealthy gentlemen of San 
 Francisco. San Jose will be reached in season 
 for a walk or ride about the city. The Auzerais 
 House is a first-class hotel, and carriages can be 
 obtained there at reasonable rates. The Court- 
 House and State Normal School are the chief 
 public buildings. General Naglee's grounds, which 
 are open to visitors, except on Sunday, are well 
 worth a visit. 
 
 If time allows, one may, by taking a private 
 carriage, go to the New Almaden Quicksilver 
 Mines, enjoy a fine ride, gaze upon a wide-spread- 
 ing view upon, the summit of the hill, in which 
 the mines are situated, see the whole under- 
 ground process of mining, provided the superin- 
 tendent will grant a permit to enter them, which 
 is not likely, and return to San Jose the same 
 day, or if not able to afford time for this, can go 
 over to Santa Clara by horse-car, through the 
 shady Alameda, three miles long, laid out and 
 
 planted, in 1799, by the Padres of the mission, 
 visit the two colleges there, one Methodist, the 
 other Roman Catholic, and return in season for 
 the morning train to Gilroy, Watsonville, etc., 
 and reach Santa Cruz the same night ; or, if time 
 will not allow of doing this, he may spend a lit- 
 tle more time at San Jose and Santa Clara, ride 
 out to Alum Rock Springs, through the Shaded 
 Avenue, the prettiest drive in the State, and, 
 taking the afternoon train, reach San Francisco 
 at 5.35 P. M. 
 
 Whoever goes to Santa Cruz will want to stay 
 there two nights and a day, at least, and there 
 are so many charming rides and resorts near this 
 watering-place of the Pacific Coast, that many 
 days can be spent there very agreeably. The 
 trip back to the city, unless made by steamboat 
 at night, which can be done sometimes, and is a 
 pleasant variety for those who are not afraid of 
 a short exposure to ocean waves and tossing, will 
 occupy an entire day, and the arrival is at about 
 5.30 P. M. 
 
 The next trip will naturally be to the Geysers 
 and Calistoga, the Petrified Forest, White Sul- 
 phur Spiings at St. Helena, etc., all of which are 
 passed in the round trip. One may go by Cal- 
 istoga, or return that way, as he prefers. Steam- 
 boats start at 7 A. M. for Vallejo, and at 8 for 
 Donahue Landing. By the first route, one con- 
 nects with cars for Calistoga, and by the second, 
 for Cloverdale, and from each place stages take 
 one to the Geysers the same day. After seeing 
 the Geysers, travelers usually go on so as to re- 
 turn to San Francisco over the route they did 
 not take coming to them, two days being required 
 for the round trip, if one does not go to the 
 White Sulphur Springs, which is a delightful 
 place to spend a half-day, nor to the Petrified 
 Forest, which is reached by a pleasant ride by 
 private conveyance from Calistoga, and is a very 
 interesting and romantic spot, and also requires 
 a half day. To visit these one must take three 
 days for the round trip. The fare for this trip, 
 not including the carriage to the Petrified Forest, 
 is sixteen dollars. 
 
 As the time of tourists is variously limited, it 
 is well to say that the time required for all the 
 trips above described, is twelve days, allowing 
 one day at Santa Cruz, and one day for return- 
 ing from there to the city. Not all persons have 
 so much time to spend. By omitting the visit 
 to Santa Cruz, the Petrified Forest and White 
 Sulphur Springs, one may save four days, and 
 by omitting, also, the trip to Mt. Diablo, the 
 western addition to the city, and the United 
 States Mint, one may save three days more, start- 
 ing for the Geysers, after spending three days in 
 the city and seeing the Cliff House, Golden Gate 
 Park, Woodward's Gardens, climbing Telegraph 
 Hill and Clay Street Hill, seeing the Mission 
 and south-western part of the city, and passing 
 most of a day in Oakland. Should one do this, 
 
270 
 
 it would be well to fill out the day begun in 
 Oakland, by going through Van Ness Avenue, 
 which is, and long will be, the finest street for 
 private residences in the city. Two days more 
 will enable one to visit the Geysers, and thus, in 
 five days, all that is most notable in and about 
 San Francisco, will have been seen. 
 
 Tourists who have time enough for it will find 
 a trip to Pescadero, very pleasant. The route is 
 by stage from San Mateo or Redwood City, on 
 the Southern Pacific Railroad, across the Contra 
 Costa Range, a ride very well paying of itself 
 for the whole cost of the trip. Pescadero is in a 
 narrow valley, about three miles from the 
 famous Pebble Beach, about 100 yards long, 
 which gives it its chief attraction. Most home- 
 like quarters and delightful cooking are found 
 
 Rain falls only in the winter half of the year, 
 and does not much exceed one-half of the amount 
 in the same latitude on the Atlantic shore, and 
 the number of rainy days is very small, since it 
 is apt to rain hard if it rains at all. The atmos- 
 phere in winter is quite moist, and though it is 
 seemingly dry in summer, during the long ab- 
 sence of rain, pianos and furniture, and wood- 
 work generally do not shrink as in many places, 
 owing, doubtless, to the prevailing cool winds 
 from the ocean. It is rarely cold enough for 
 frost ; plumber's work needs no protection, and 
 hot days are equally rare, occurring only when 
 the summer ocean winds yield for two, or at most 
 three days, to winds from over parched and heated 
 plains to the north. The air is rarely clear so as 
 to reveal distinctly the outlines of hill and shore 
 
 STREET SCENE IN SAN FEANCISCO. 
 
 at Swanton's, and one will be taken to the beach 
 and brought back from it at hours of his own 
 choosing. At this beach one will linger and 
 linger, picking up- finely-polished pebbles, many 
 of which are fit to be set as jewels. Pescadero 
 may be reached also by stage from Santa Cruz, 
 and the ride along the coast is wild, interesting, 
 unique and full of interest. The time required 
 is a day, whether coming from San Francisco or 
 Santa Cruz, and the same to return, and no one 
 will spend less than a day there, so that to see 
 Pescadero means three days, and there are few 
 more enjoyable ways to spend so much time. 
 
 Climate. The climate of San Francisco is 
 peculiar, and can not be described in a few 
 words. It is equable on the whole, there being 
 no great range of temperature, and the difference 
 between that of winter and summer being small. 
 
 across the bay, a misty haze like that of eastern 
 Indian summer, usually prevailing. After rains, 
 and notably after frosts, and during the preva- 
 lence of winds from the north this sometimes 
 vanishes, and a crystal clearness of atmosphere 
 succeeds, in which Mount Diablo and the hills of 
 Contra Costa and Alameda stand out mellow and 
 clear as though just at hand. At such times, 
 which are not frequent, and at others, more often, 
 when it is sunshiny and the air is calm, and 
 the haze thin, there is a spring and vitality and 
 exhilaration in the air, and beauty in all out- 
 door nature not often surpassed. Something of 
 this is realized in the early part of most summer 
 days, if fog does not hang over the city. As the 
 day advances, the wind from the ocean rises and 
 pours in mightily, cold and fierce a bane and a 
 blessing at once ; a bane because it destroys all 
 
271 
 
 enjoyment of out-door existence, but a blessing 
 because bearing away noxious exhalations, and 
 securing health even to the most crowded and 
 neglected quarters and thoroughfares. 
 
 There are few days in San Francisco when it 
 is safe to dispense with outer wrappings, and 
 when a fire is not needed morning and evening, 
 both for health and comfort, and fewer yet when 
 a room with the sun shining into it is not amply 
 warm enough while it shines. Sunshine is 
 therefore earnestly coveted, and many are the 
 regrets of those who do not enjoy it. It is rare 
 for persons to seek the shady side of the street, 
 instinct suggests the contrary. Rooms are ad- 
 vertised as sunny, and many are so described 
 which are sunny only a small part of the day. 
 But whether the sun shines or not, it is never 
 safe to sit by open windows or on door-steps 
 without shawls, hats, or overcoats. Strangers do 
 it sometimes, but never do it very long. San 
 Francisco is not the place for out-door pleasur- 
 ing. Bright and sunshiny and beautiful as it 
 often is without doors, one prefers to look upon 
 it from within, and if deciding to go out must 
 wrap up almost as for a winter ride or walk in 
 the older States. 
 
 San Francisco has few pleasure resorts. Seal 
 Rocks, at the mouth of the Golden Gate, attract 
 many to ride to the Cliff House, and gaze at sea- 
 lions gamboling and snorting and basking on its 
 sides. It is a beautiful ride thence south on the 
 beach a couple of miles to the Ocean House, and 
 thence back to the city by Lake Merced. 
 Golden Gate Park is, however, the chief resort 
 for pleasure. It is new, and its charms and 
 beauty are still in the future, but much has 
 been done already, and the promise for time to 
 come is ample. The reclamation of sand wastes 
 and dunes by planting yellow lupin and their 
 conversion into beautiful grass-plots is a notable 
 feature of the success already attained, which 
 elicits the admiration of all who contrast what 
 they see in the park with the proof of what it 
 was once, shown in the still shifting sands 
 around it. The park embraces about 1,100 acres, 
 and when the thousands and ten thousands of 
 trees planted in it have gained their growth, 
 which they are doing almost too fast for belief, 
 and other improvements in progress are carried 
 out, it will rank among the most attractive and 
 admired city parks on the Continent. It is 
 reached by several streets leading west from Mar- 
 ket, but most of the many drivers and riders 
 who resort there find their way either by Turk, 
 Tyler or McAllister Streets. 
 
 A favorite resort is also Woodward's Gardens. 
 They are private property, and a quarter of a dollar 
 is charged for entrance. It is a pleasant place 
 to pass a half day visiting the collection of 
 various living animals and birds, among which 
 are camels born in the garden, and sea-lions 
 caught in the Pacific, and paid for at the rate 
 
 of seventy-five cents a pound. One big fellow, a 
 captive for seven years, has grown to weigh over 
 a ton. Sea-lions can be better studied at Wood- 
 ward's than at Seal Rock, especially at the hour 
 they are fed, when they do some fearful leaping 
 and splashing. There are fine collections also of 
 stuffed birds, and other curiosities, hot-houses 
 with tropical plants, aquaria not surpassed on 
 this Continent, a skating rink, arid many other 
 attractive features. The grounds are spacious 
 and well sheltered, and a pleasanter spot cannot 
 be found within the city limits for whiling away 
 a few hours. The city line of horse-cars leads 
 to the gardens from Market Street Ferry by two 
 routes for part of the distance, both joining on 
 Mission Street, on which the gardens front. 
 They cover over six acres, and almost every 
 taste can be suited somewhere in them. The 
 active and jolly can resort to the play-ground 
 and gymnasium, and those who like quiet, will 
 find shady nooks and walks ; those fond of sights 
 and curiosities can spend hours in the various 
 cabinets, and those who like to study mankind, 
 can gaze on the groups standing around, and 
 streaming passers-by. Through the whole sea- 
 son, from April to November, it is always genial 
 and sunny, and enjoyable there. 
 
 Pleasure Resorts of California. 
 
 Mineral Springs. California possesses an 
 abundance of hot and mineral springs. Those 
 most numerous are sulphur, both hot and cold. 
 Of hot springs, the most frequented are Paso 
 Robles in S. Luis Obispo Co., 143 miles by rail- 
 road and 99 by stage from San Francisco, Gil- 
 roy Hot Springs, 14 miles from the town of Gil- 
 roy, 81 miles south from San Francisco on the 
 Southern Pacific Railroad, and Calistoga, at the 
 terminus of the Napa Branch of the California 
 Pacific Railroad, 66 miles north from San Fran- 
 cisco. Their waters are much used, both for 
 drinking and bathing, with good repute for cura- 
 tive results. What are called mud baths are 
 taken at Calistoga and Paso Robles, and many 
 other places. There is nothing so muddy about 
 them as one w^ild fancy from the name, except 
 at Paso Robles. They are simply baths taken 
 in the spring itself just as it bubbles out of the 
 ground, holding all its peculiar virtues unim- 
 paired. At Paso Robles the mud baths are a 
 literal plunging in thick mud. The waters of 
 these springs, and of many others, must be used 
 while retaining their original heat, and cannot 
 be bottled to any purpose. The San Jose Warm 
 Springs are only two hours from the city, but are 
 not open to tourists. 
 
 There are three noted springs which are re- 
 sorted to by health and pleasure seekers, whose 
 waters are bottled in large quantities. These 
 ae the Napa Soda Springs, near Napa, and the 
 Pacific Congress Springs, in the Coast Range, 10 
 miles from Santa Clara. They have been long 
 
273 
 
 known, and are very freely used on this coast, 
 especially during the summer months. They 
 are bottled by machinery, so as to carry their 
 natural volume of gas, and are highly recom- 
 mended by the medical faculty. The last named 
 is on account of its natural attractions and its 
 accessibility, being only 4 hours' ride from San 
 Francisco, a very favorite summer retreat from 
 the city. The water is said to resemble very 
 closely that of the far-famed Saratoga Springs, 
 after which it is named, and contains a larger 
 proportion of mineral contents than either of the 
 others. The last of these, not yet named, is that 
 of the Litton Seltzer Springs, near Healdsburg, 
 not long introduced to the public, but coming 
 fast into favor, and claimed, not only to equal, 
 but even excel the far-famed Congress water. 
 
 The analysis of these waters gives the follow- 
 in^ results : 
 
 NAP A SODA. 
 
 Bicarbonate Soda, 
 Carbonate Magnesia 
 Carbonate Lime, 
 Chloride Sodium, 
 Sub -Carbon Iron, 
 Sulphate Soda, . 
 Siltoious Acid, . 
 Alumina, . . . 
 Loss, .... 
 
 GRAINS 
 IN A 
 
 GALLON. 
 13.12 
 
 26.12 
 10.88 
 520 
 7.84 
 1.84 
 0.68 
 
 68.76 
 
 PACIFIC CONGRESS. 
 
 Chloride Sodium, 
 Sulphate Soda, . 
 Carbonate Soda, 
 Iron, 
 
 " Lime, 
 
 Silica Alumina and 
 trace Magnesia, 
 
 119.159 
 12.140 
 
 123.351 
 14.030 
 17.295 
 
 49.882 
 335.857 
 
 GRAINS 
 LITTON SELTZER. IX A 
 
 GALLON. 
 
 Carbo'ic Acid (comb.), 42.76 
 
 Chlorine 78.38 
 
 2.36 
 2.02 
 2.85 
 4.41 
 5.24 
 62.19 
 
 Sulphate Acid, . 
 Silicic Acid, . . 
 Oxide Iron, . . 
 Lime, .... 
 Magnesia, . . . 
 Soda, .... 
 Alumina, 
 Ammonia, 
 Potash, 
 Lithiii, 
 
 Boraeic Acid, 
 Organic matter, 
 
 27.38 
 
 227.59 
 
 The quantity of free carbonic acid in the Lit- 
 ton Seltzer, which escapes on standing, is 383.75 
 grains per gallon. This large quantity of gas 
 is very pleasant to the taste, and tests severely 
 the strength of bottles, which sometimes explode 
 even in a cool place. 
 
 The Paso Roble Springs (the name means 
 Pass of Oaks) most used, have been analyzed 
 with the following result : 
 
 MAIN HOT SULPHUR SPRING. MUD SPRING. 
 
 Temperature 110, 122 degrees. 
 
 One imperial gallon con- 
 tains, Sulphurated Hy- 
 drogen Gas 4.55 3.28 inches. 
 
 Free Carbonic Acid, . . 10.50 47.84 " 
 
 Sulphate Lime 3.21 17.90 grains. 
 
 Sulphate Potash, ... 88 traces. 
 
 Sulphate Soda, .... 7.85 41.11 
 
 Perox Iron 36 
 
 Alumina 22 
 
 Silicia, 44 1.11 
 
 Bicarbonate Magnesia, . 92 Carbon. Mag., 3 10 
 
 Bicarbonate Soda, . . . 50.74 Carbon. Soda, 5.21 
 
 Chloride Sodium, . . . 27.18 96.48 
 
 lodi'e and Bromide trac's 
 
 Organic Matter 64 3.47 
 
 Total solid contents, . 93.44 168.38 
 
 The Mud Spring contains also alumina and 
 protoxide of iron. There are also three cold sul- 
 
 18 
 
 phur springs and three other hot springs, the hot- 
 test of the temperature of 140 degrees. There is, 
 also, a chalybeate spring. Paso Robles is re- 
 sorted to with good results by persons suffering 
 from rheumatism, cutaneous diseases, and some 
 constitutional disorders. They are no place for 
 consumptives. 
 
 There are many other springs besides those 
 named. Near Lake Tahoe, are Soda Springs. 
 Near Vallejo and at St. Helena, are White Sul- 
 phur Springs. In Sonoma County, are Skaggs 
 Hot Springs, and at Santa Barbara are springs 
 much resembling those at Paso Robles. The 
 Bartlett Springs are a delightful resort, and will 
 amply pay for the time and cost going to them. 
 They are reached by stage from Calistoga on the 
 arrival of the morning train from San Francisco, 
 going on 35 miles to Clear Lake, which is crossed 
 by steamer, and a ride of six miles then brings 
 one at evening to the springs. The ride is one 
 of the most beaatif ul in California. 
 
 The Geysers. Tourists will find the trip to 
 the Geysers, the most interesting and easy of 
 all the short excursions in the State. It is well 
 to go by one route and return via another. The 
 North Pacific Railroad via steamer by Donahue 
 City, will give a delightful sail through the bay. 
 Neat cars will convey the passengers to Clover- 
 dale, where stages are taken for the Geysers. 
 The ride to the Geysers is over a splendid road, 
 amid beautiful mountain scenery, and occasion- 
 ally there are examples of fine driving of the 
 stage-teams. One day at the Geysers is usually 
 enough, and the visitor will find it absolutely 
 necessary to rise as early as 5 or 6 A. M., to see 
 the finest display of steam from the Geysers. 
 
 The ground literally boils and bubbles under 
 the feet. There are devil's inkstands, and cal- 
 drons, and tea-kettles, and whistles enough to 
 overwhelm eyes, ears, smell, taste and touch with 
 horrid reminiscences. Yet so great is the curios- 
 ity it should not be missed. Neither must the 
 traveler omit the enjoyment of the natural 
 steam bath, the sensation on emerging from 
 which is most delicious. From the Geysers to 
 Calistoga, the celebrated Foss drives a crack 
 stage, and usually has his spanking team of six- 
 in-hand. Reports are strong as to his fearless 
 driving, but a glance at the way he beautifully 
 manages his leaders and wheelers, gives no one any 
 anxiety as to safety. The stage route is over 
 very great heights, up the side of long mount- 
 ains, from the summits of which the views are 
 glorious, probably to many, more enjoyable than 
 the Geysers. 
 
 The tourist must not fail, as he returns to San 
 Francisco, to stop at Calistoga and visit the Pet- 
 rified Forest the best collection we know ; and 
 even a few days' tour to Lake County and the 
 famous soda and borax deposits will be well 
 spent. From Calistoga to Vallejo, stop at Napa 
 and take stage to the famous vineyards of So- 
 
274 
 
 noma, and see grape raising in perfection ; also 
 visit the Spout Farm and the Soda Springs. 
 From Vallejo, go to Benicia, 8 miles and visit 
 the fort, where often there are seen charming 
 displays of flowers. Then cross to Martinez, by 
 ferry, and visit the fruit orchards of Dr. Strentzel, 
 where oranges and pears and peaches and ap- 
 ples grow side by side, and twine their branches 
 together, probably the choicest fruit orchard in 
 the State. From here ascend Mount Diablo 
 and remain over night, witnessing the sunrise 
 scene on all the great valleys and the bay spread 
 out so grandly before you. Descending, the 
 traveler will return to Vallejo, and thence by 
 steam through the bay to San Francisco. The 
 cost of this trip will be, for round trip ticket, $16 
 to Geysers and return. Extra for trip to Mount 
 Diablo, about $8. Board per day, in absence, $3 
 gold. Time for whole trip, about one week. 
 
 Hints to Invalids. California has been 
 the scene of many remarkable recoveries of 
 health, and of many sore disappointments to in- 
 valids who thought that coming to this coast 
 would insure them a new lease of life. There 
 is no doubt that a judicious availing of its pecu- 
 liar climatic features is highly useful in many 
 cases, and it is equally certain that an arbitrary 
 resort to them may even hasten the end which 
 one seeks to avert. 
 
 A consumptive patient should never come to 
 San Francisco expecting benefit from its climate. 
 Cold winds from the Pacific, often loaded with 
 fog, prevail eight or nine months in the year, for 
 a good part of the day, and make warm wrap- 
 pings necessary for well persons. When these 
 trade-winds cease, the rainy season then commen- 
 ces, variable and uncertain, often very damp and 
 chilly, the sky sometimes clouded for days in 
 succession. In the interval between rains and 
 summer winds, both spring and autumn, there is 
 a period of variable duration, when the sky is 
 often clear, the air balmy, the sun genial, and 
 everything in the outer world is charming and 
 exhilarating ; but this period is not sufficiently 
 fixed to be counted on, and is liable to be inhos- 
 pitably broken upon by raw winds, and chilly, 
 foggy days. 
 
 The cause which thus unfavorably affects the 
 climate of San Francisco in so marked a degree, 
 spread out as it is along the Golden Gate, the 
 only interruption for hundreds of miles to the 
 lofty Coast Range, erected as a barrier between 
 the cold, foggy ocean on one hand, and the 
 spreading central basin, gleaming bright and hot 
 with sunshine on the other, affects in some de- 
 gree many other places along the sea-coast. At a 
 sufficient distance inland, the ocean breezes are 
 tempered, and there are places hear the sea-shore 
 where the trend of the coast and outjutting 
 headlands break the force of the trade-winds, 
 and give delightful shelter from them. It is this 
 circumstance which gives to Santa Barbara its 
 
 celebrity. It lies on a bay facing to the south, 
 the usual coast-line facing south-west, and is in 
 the lee of Point Conception, a bold headland 
 which turns away from it most of the cold ocean 
 winds. San Rafael, near San Francisco, nestles 
 under the lee of Tamalpais and adjacent hills, 
 and is also sheltered. In a direct line, it is not 
 over six or seven miles from San Francisco, and 
 yet, when it is foggy or unutterably windy in 
 the city, it is often warm, clear and still there. 
 
 The consumptive patient should carefully avoid 
 exposure to the trade-winds by seeking some 
 resort sheltered from them, or which they reach 
 after being thoroughly tempered by inland travel. 
 Neglect to heed this caution is the reason of 
 many fatal disappointments experienced by Cali- 
 fornia visitors seeking health. 
 
 In the summer season, beyond the range of the 
 ocean trade-winds, the choice between locations 
 for invalids in California will be governed as 
 much by other, as their climatic advantages. 
 Ease of access, hotel and boarding-house accom- 
 modations, social advantages, sources for amuse- 
 ment, comparative expense, are the considerations 
 that will chiefly weigh in deciding the question. 
 Sunshine will be found everywhere; the days, 
 however hot, are always followed by cool nights ; 
 there are no storms, no sudden changes, the air 
 is dry and clear and life-inspiring. 
 
 In winter it is desirable to go well south, where 
 there is little rain and little cold weather, though 
 even at San Diego, almost at the Mexican line, 
 a fire is very comfortable sometimes, as the wri- 
 ter experienced one 10th of January, much to 
 the surprise of some eastern invalids who arrived 
 there with him. It will be wise for invalids to 
 consult the physician best acquainted with the 
 place they may choose, and carefully heed his ad- 
 vice about exposure, clothing, wrappings and the 
 like. Every place has climatic features of its own, 
 knowledge of which is gained only by experience 
 and is of great value. 
 
 The following places, are known as health re- 
 sorts, and each has attractive and valuable fea- 
 tures of its own : San Rafael near San Fran- 
 cisco, and Stockton in the San Joaquin Valley, 
 Santa Barbara and San Diego on the southern 
 coast, Paso Robles north from Santa Barbara, 
 and back from the coast, a beautiful spot noted 
 for sulphur baths; San Bernardino north-east 
 from San Diego, and some distance from the 
 coast, and fast coming into favor as it becomes 
 more accessible and better known. Gilroy Hot 
 Springs, 14 miles from Gilroy, on the Southern 
 Pacific Railroad, 30 miles south of San Jose, is 
 a favorite resort. It is in the hills of the Coast 
 Range, and has good accommodations for vis- 
 itors. Calistoga, at the terminus of the Napa 
 Branch of the California Pacific Railroad, at 
 the foot of Mount St. Helena, abounds in hot 
 springs, and is resorted to for its baths of various 
 kinds. On the railroad going to Calistoga the 
 
275 
 
 White Sulphur Springs are passed at a distance 
 of two miles. They are much frequented, but 
 rather by visitors seeking summer recreation 
 than by health seekers. 
 
 The best place for the consumptive patient is 
 regarded by some good judges to be on an eleva- 
 tion among the hills of the Coast Range in sum- 
 mer, where the change of temperature will be 
 only a few degrees, and in Southern California, 
 a little back from the coast in winter. In such 
 an equable climate, the patient can camp out, 
 and keep in the open air, which is the best pos- 
 sible restorative. , 
 
 The climate of San Francisco, which induces 
 no perspiration, and by dampness aggravates 
 rheumatic and neuralgic affections, is the most 
 favorable in the world for mental invigoration 
 and work. 
 
 Malaria is found in all the lowlands, and 
 often among the foot hills, but elevated places 
 are entirely free from it. 
 
 In short, there is such a variety of climate 
 within a day's reach of San Francisco that the 
 invalid may be sure of finding, somewhere on 
 the Pacific Coast, whatever natural advantage 
 will be most beneficial to his case. 
 
 California Pacific Railroad. 
 
 On the California Pacific Railroad two trains 
 leave Sacramento daily for San Fi'ancisco, one 
 at 6.30 A. M., and one 4 p. M. This is the short- 
 est and favorite route between the capital and 
 metropolis, and will no doubt ere long be the 
 principal line over which the Overland Express 
 Train will pass. 
 
 The train crosses the river by means of a "Y" 
 and the Sacramento & Yolo bridge. Directly op- 
 posite Sacramento is the. village of Washington, 
 protected by a high levee, but retarded in growth 
 by the toll for crossing the river. Along the river 
 bank is a narrow strip of land sufficiently elevated 
 for farming but the train is soon beyond 
 this on trestle-work, or a high embankment 
 crossing the tules. On this narrow strip the 
 ubiquitous pea-nut and chickory grow to perfec- 
 tion. No pea-nut surpasses these in size or flavor, 
 and the chickory commands a price equal to the 
 German. Coffee men consider it of superior 
 quality, and the traveler will find it abundant 
 in the pure coffee of all the hotels in the interior. 
 
 The tule land is the richest in the State a fine 
 vegetable mold and deposit from the winter 
 floods. Many square miles of it up and down 
 the river await reclamation, and much has been 
 reclaimed. It will be difficult to reclaim the 
 great extent of it now before the eye, because on 
 the right of the railroad and several miles up the 
 river, the waters of Cache Creek spread out and 
 sink, and on the left the waters of Putah Creek 
 are also emptied, and high levees would be re- 
 quired to carry off so much water. These tules 
 are the temporary abode of some, and the perma- 
 
 nent abode of other varieties of wild fowl, and 
 the happy hunting grounds for many a Nimrod. 
 After the first rains come, the geese arrive, the 
 white brant coming first and in largest numbers. 
 Three varieties are common, the white and 
 speckled breasted brant, and the hawnker. Acres 
 of the ground, where the dry tule has been burned 
 off and the young grass has sprouted are covered 
 with the geese, and sometimes they are like a 
 great cloud in the air, and their noise heard 
 for a mile or more. 
 
 The varieties of the duck are many, but the 
 mallard, sprig tail, canvas-back, and teal are 
 most esteemed. It is an easy and pleasant task 
 for one acquainted with the flight of the ducks 
 to bring down from twenty to a hundred in a 
 single day, besides more geese than he is willing 
 to " pack." About five miles from Sacramento 
 is an island (of a hundred acres, dry and grassy) 
 where two or three days camping may be en- 
 joyed by a lover of the sport. 
 
 When the Sacramento overflows its banks and 
 the creeks are high, the tules are hidden by the 
 water, and if the wind blows, this region is like 
 an open sea. Frequently the road-bed has been 
 washed away, and now it is protected by an 
 inclined breakwater and young willows. It has 
 been generally but erroneously supposed tha; 
 hogs and the Chinamen feed on the tule roots. 
 
 The bulbous root they eat is called by the 
 Chinese " Foo tau," and is imported largely from 
 China, where it grows to a greater size than in 
 this country. Across the tules at Swingle's 
 Ranche is a side track and flag station. 
 
 Davisville is 13 miles nearly due west of 
 Sacramento, has a population of 300, all gath- 
 ered since the building of the railroad, and 
 has two stores, a dozen saloons, four restaurants, 
 and a Presbyterian, a Methodist Episcopal, and 
 a Roman Catholic Church. About the same pro- 
 portion of saloons to the population holds good 
 over California, but that of churches does not, 
 But " Davisville is not an immoral place, for the 
 liquor is all sold to non-residents" 
 
 In 1862 land was worth from $6 to $10 per 
 acre, and now sells at $75 to $100. 
 
 Near Davisville are large orchards, " Brigg's " 
 covering 400 acres, and the " Silk Ranche " or- 
 chard 250 acres, but in dry seasons the quantity 
 and quality of the fruit, is greatly impaired by 
 the want of irrigation. 
 
 The failure of silk culture was largely owing 
 to the hot winds from the north, killing the 
 worms. Attention to fruit culture, has demon- 
 strated the necessity of allowing nothing to grow 
 between the trees. Nor are the trees trimmed 
 so high up as in the Eastern States. Alfalfa 
 has yielded in one season, $55 worth of hay to 
 the acre. 
 
 At Davisville the railroad to San Francisco, 
 turns directly to the south, and a branch runs 
 north to Woodland and Knight's Landing. 
 
276 
 
 Woodland is a town of 1,000 inhabitants, and 
 9 miles from Davisville. Near Woodland the 
 road branches to the northern part of the valley 
 of the Sacramento, but is not yet opened for 
 business. 
 
 Knight's Landing is on the Sacramento River, 
 and this railroad formerly continued on north- 
 ward to Marysville, until the flood of 1872 de- 
 stroyed the embankment for miles. 
 
 Continuing south from Davisville, Putah 
 Creek is crossed near Davisville, a dry channel 
 in summer, and a torrent in winter ; and 4 miles 
 south is 
 
 Foster, a side track, and 4.17 miles farther, 
 
 Dixon is reached. It has a large grain 
 trade from the surrounding country, a Congre- 
 gational, a Methodist and a Baptist Church ; 
 several hotels and a block or two of good stores. 
 Since the completion of the railroad the town 
 of Silveyville, about three miles distant, has 
 been moved bodily to Dixon. Farther south 
 3.27 miles, is 
 
 Batavia, a village in a promising region, 
 with a large grain trade, a hotel and several 
 stores, and next south 4.83 miles, is 
 
 Elmira, formerly called Vaca Junction, the 
 junction of the Elmira and Vacaville Railroad, ex- 
 tending to Vacaville five miles, and Winters 17 
 miles. Fare to Vacaville 50 cents, and Winters 
 $1.70. South from Elmira 3.96 miles is 
 
 Ctinnon'Sf a large ranch e, and C.55 miles 
 farther is 
 
 Fail-field and Suisun City. The former 
 is on the right-hand side of the road, and the 
 other on the left. Fail-field is the county-seat 
 of Solano County, and Suisun the post-office and 
 business center. Fail-field has a Methodist Epis- 
 copal Church, and Suisun a Protestant Episcopal, 
 a Cumberland Presbyterian and a Methodist 
 Episcopal. Suisun is at the head of Sui- 
 sun Slough, navigable for small sloops and 
 steamers, and on the edge of a large tract of tule 
 land. Its streets are subject to a slight overflow 
 during heavy rains, when its adobe soil is a 
 very tenacious friend to one's feet. The hills 
 which have been approaching closer and closer 
 since we left Sacramento one of the numerous 
 ridges of the Coast Range are now not far off, and 
 to avoid the grades in crossing them, a new road 
 will soon be built along the edge of the " swamp 
 and overflowed " land to Benicia, on the straits of 
 Carquinez, and crossing these will continue 
 along the east side of the San Pablo Bay and 
 Bay of San Francisco, to Oakland Wharf and 
 form part of the Overland Route. 
 
 Before reaching the next station, a small spur 
 of the Suscol Hills is tunneled, and to the right 
 from 
 
 Bridr/eport,5A5 miles from Suisun, and 
 other points, may be seen fertile valleys in which 
 the earliest fruits of the State are grown. In 
 Green Valley one of these, sheltered from 
 
 wind and free from fog, fruits and vegetables 
 ripen sooner than in the paradise of Los Angeles, 
 about 400 miles south. 
 
 The tourist will be struck with the rolling 
 character of the farming land, when he sees the 
 highest hill-tops covered with golden grain or 
 thick stubble. The soil is the rich adobe, the 
 best adapted to dry seasons, and rarely found cov- 
 ering such hills. The crops are brought off on 
 sleds. 
 
 Ci'eston, the summit, is 3.84 miles from 
 Bridgeport, and simply a flag station. Soon 
 after passing it, the Napa Valley lies below on 
 the right, but almost before one is aware of it, 
 
 Napa Junction, 3.65 miles from Creston, 
 is announced. 
 
 Ifapa Valley. 
 
 Here the road branches through Napa Valley, 
 one of the loveliest and most fruitful of the 
 State. It is enclosed between two ridges of the 
 Coast Range, one of which separates it from the 
 Sacramento and the other from the Sonoma 
 Valley. Above Calistoga, Mount Saint Helena 
 stands like a great sentinel across the head of 
 the valley. The land is among the best in the 
 State, and fruit growing extensively and success- 
 fully practiced. 
 
 The climate is well tempered and the season 
 rare when crops fail. This branch is a part of 
 one of the chief routes to the Geysers and other 
 popular resorts. 
 
 The first station north from the Junction is 
 called 
 
 Thompson t from the owner of the ranche 
 and orchard, which will strike the observer as 
 closely related to the perfect arrangement and 
 culture of the farms in Chester or Cumberland 
 Valley of Pennsylvania, and a closer inspection 
 would reveal one of the most convenient and 
 complete farm-houses in the country. Suscol, 
 a landing-place and ferry on the Napa River, is 
 near by. The next station is 4.49 miles farther 
 north, and called 
 
 Napa. A town of great loveliness, with a 
 population of 5,000, set in homes embosomed in 
 fruits and flowers a town not surpassed for 
 beauty of situation in the State, and rivaled by 
 San Jose only. It is at the head of navigation 
 for steamers of light draft on the Napa River, 
 and near it is located the new Branch Insane 
 Asylum, erected at a cost of more than a million 
 of dollars. The public schools rank high, and 
 there are also four colleges and seminaries of 
 high order. The Register is a daily and weekly 
 newspaper, and the Reporter, a weekly. It has 
 two good hotels, the " United States," and The 
 Palace, many stores of high order, and good bank- 
 ing facilities. In no portion of the State is soci- 
 ety more stable and cultivated. The churches 
 are imposing and well attended. The Presbyte- 
 rians have the largest, most convenient and taste- 
 
277 
 
 ful house of worship outside of San Francisco 
 and Oakland, and the Methodists, Baptists and 
 lioinan Catholics have good houses also. Daily 
 stages connect with the morning train for So- 
 noiua. Above Napa, 5.45 miles, is 
 
 Oak Knoll, near which is hidden in a park 
 of evergreen oaks, the pleasant residence of It. B. 
 Woodward, Esq., one of the most enterprising 
 and public-spirited men of California, near which 
 may be seen his orchard, one of the largest and 
 best in the county. 
 
 Yountville is 3.45 miles farther north, a vil- 
 lage with about 300 inhabitants, called after one 
 of the early settlers. Near the depot is a large 
 vinery. On the hill-sides are numerous vineyards, 
 and in the village a Baptist and a Congregational 
 Church. 
 
 St. Helena is a village of about 500 inhab- 
 itants, surrounded with ranches where people of 
 culture live in luxury, and two miles distant 
 are the White Sulphur Springs. Stages for the 
 Springs connect with every train, and for Knox- 
 ville in Lake County, with every morning train 
 from San Francisco. Presbyterians, Baptists, 
 and Methodists have churches here. The valley 
 grows narrower until 
 
 CaltKtoga, is reached, with a population 
 of about 500, and two hotels one the " Hot 
 Springs." 
 
 Here are hot and mud baths, and from Calis- 
 toga are numerous pleasant drives, especially to 
 the Petrified Forest, five miles distant, on the top 
 of the ridge lying toward the ocean, and in a 
 sunken part of the high table-land where there 
 was evidently a lake after trees had attained 
 an enormous growth, and long after this the 
 waters of the lake discharged by some sudden 
 rupture of the surrounding wall. The mountain 
 views, hunting, fishing and other attractions, 
 make Calistoga a popular resort, and the recent 
 discovery of many quicksi 1 ver and silver mines has 
 given a fresh impetus to the business of the town. 
 
 The population is about 700, but varies with 
 the summer freighting to Lake County. Foss's 
 line of stages leaves every morning during the 
 summer for the Geysers, and stages leave daily 
 on arrival of morning train from San Francisco 
 for Bartlett's and other resorts of Lake County, 
 continuing toward San Francisco on the main 
 line. 
 
 Vallejo. The pronunciation of this Spanish 
 word is Val-yay-ho, and the town was named in 
 honor of an old family still residing there. 
 
 Just before approaching the town, the " Or- 
 phans' Home," set upon a hill, and under the 
 auspices of the I. O. Good Templars, attracts at- 
 tention. It is on the left-hand side, and the town 
 on the right. 
 
 At the depot, street-cars connect with all the 
 trains, and carriages to any part of the city may 
 be had for " four bits ; " the " bit " being equiv- 
 alent to the old New York shilling. 
 
 The station for the town is called North 
 Vallejo, to distinguish it from the new town that 
 has grown around the railroad terminus, one mile 
 south. 
 
 Vallejo was for a while the capital of the State. 
 It has now a population of about 5,000, and de- 
 rives much of its business from the United States 
 Navy Yard on Mare Island. 
 
 It has a Methodist, a Presbyterian, a Baptist 
 and a Roman Catholic Church, and South Vallejo 
 has also a Congregational Church. Vallejo \\i\s a 
 stage to Benicia, eight miles, and the steamer 
 Parthenius runs daily to San Francisco, in ad- 
 dition to the steamers that connect twice a day 
 with the trains on the California Pacific Rail- 
 road. 
 
 Its wharves are in deep water, and at them 
 the immense quantities of grain brought from 
 the valleys north, are loaded direct for Liver- 
 pool and other parts. A large elevator the 
 only one tried on the coast, was blown down 
 during a south-east gale. The town has two 
 newspapers, the Chronicle, a weekly, and the 
 Independent, a daily. At 
 
 South Vallejo, 24 miles from San Fran- 
 cisco, passengers are transferred to a steamer, 
 and by it transported to the foot of Market 
 Street, in San Francisco. 
 
 On board the steamer a good meal may be 
 secured, for one dollar coin ; and a trip to San 
 Francisco, for which an hour and a half, or two 
 hours will be necessary, according to steam and 
 tide, will be delightfully occupied with the 
 attractions of the bay and the bordering hills. 
 As the steamer leaves the wharf, the view of the 
 Navy Yard is fine, and when it doubles the island, 
 the straits of Carquinez, through \\hich the 
 Sacramento River empties, are immediately on 
 the left, and when fairly out on the San Pablo 
 Bay. by looking to the north, the town of Vallejo on 
 the hill, and the Navy Yard on the island, appear 
 to be one city. West of Vallejo may be traced 
 the Napa Valley, and farther west, the Sonoma 
 Valley, so famous for its wines, and far off to 
 the north-west the Petaluma Creek, which forms 
 an opening to the Russian River Valley, through 
 which the North Pacific Railroad runs to Clover- 
 dale, and forms a pleasant route to the Geysers. 
 These valleys are parallel to each other but 
 separated by lofty ridges of the Coast Range. 
 
 After making this general survey of the north- 
 ern end of the bay and then having breakfast or 
 dinner, one will be in sight of the western me- 
 tropolis. The city comes into view as the steam- 
 er turns, to the south-east, around a point of land, 
 off which are the "Two Brothers," corresponding 
 to the " Two Sisters " on the west side, and 
 enters the Bay of San Francisco. On one of the 
 Brothers is a light-house of the fifth order, and 
 just below is Red Rock, a bold and pretty land- 
 mark. Off to the right is Mt. Tamalpais, with a 
 shoot for lumber, that looks like a swift road to 
 
278 
 
 travel, and at the foot of the mountain, nestled 
 in a deep little cove, and overlooking the sheltered 
 waters near by, is San Rafael, the home of some 
 merchant princes of San Francisco, and the resort 
 of many invalids, who are seeking a new lease of 
 life in its genial clime. On the point of land just 
 south of San Rafael, is San Quentin, where the 
 State has a large boarding-house and workshop 
 filled with unwilling inmates. 
 
 Farther south-east is Angel Island separated 
 from the promontory of the coast main-land by 
 Raccoon Straits, through which one may look 
 into the Golden Gate. 
 
 The island is a military reservation, fortified 
 strongly on the south and south-west parts, with 
 a road running around the entire island. 
 
 Passing the island, the Golden Gate is directly 
 
 on the right, and Alcatraz, a naval station, mid- 
 way across it, and directly in front, the hills of 
 San Francisco, that ought to have been terraced. 
 On the east, beginning farther north are Berk- 
 ley, with the buildings of the State University; 
 ,and Oakland, the city of residences, and gardens; 
 Alameda, of like character, but of less extent, 
 and more live oaks; and in the bay the Oakland 
 Wharf and Goat Island. 
 
 Never, except during severe winter storms, or 
 the prevalence of heavy fog, is the navigation 
 of the bay unpleasant, and on a calm morning 
 when the waters are placid, the skies Italian, and 
 the mind free from anxious care, the bay from 
 Vallejo to San Francisco will make some of the 
 brightest and most lasting impressions of the 
 Golden State. 
 
 THE CHINESE IN SAN FRANCISCO. 
 
 BY F. E. SHEARER. 
 
 These queer looking people, with loose gar- 
 ments, umbrella hats, or skull-caps, rags for 
 hose, pantaloons made ankle tight by tapes ; 
 wooden shoes, coppery skin, high cheek-bones, 
 almand eyes, half-shaved heads, jet black hair, 
 and dangling pig-tail*, are the hated of the 
 Paddy, the target of hoodlums ; the field of the 
 missionary, the bomb for the politician to ex- 
 plode, and the sinew for capital. They are 
 called the essence of all that is vicious, villairi- 
 ous, and certainly are opinionated. They are 
 everywhere ; even the boys say they cannot throw 
 stones without hitting them, but they are to be 
 best seen in the Chinese quarters of San Fran- 
 cisco, from Pacific Street, the " Barbary Coast," 
 to Sacramento Street, and from Kearney to 
 Stockton, five squares by two, in the heart of 
 the oldest part of the city. 
 
 Although in every block, and near every door, 
 their special quarter is almost like a city of the 
 ''Middle Flowery Kingdom" set right down in 
 our midst. Streets and alleys, and labyrinthian 
 windings, not only such as we tread, are theirs ; 
 but, they live and travel under ground and over 
 roofs, up and down, until the cunning policeman 
 is outwitted in following them; and all their 
 streets and by-ways are swarming with human 
 or inhuman inhabitants, but little less numerous 
 than the rats and the vermin. Cellars and lofts 
 seem equally good for either lodgings, factories, 
 shops, or laundries, and apartments of ordinary 
 height are cut in two with a ladder to ascend to 
 the loft, reminding us of the log-cabin days in 
 the back- woods, or the wild frontier. 
 
 Buildings are made more capacious by rude 
 balconies from the second stories, that almost 
 touch over the narrow passages beneath. The 
 Globe Hotel, corner of Jackson and Dupont 
 Streets, three stories high, with about 60 rooms, 
 
 is inhabited by about 1,500 Celestials, and the 
 heads of the Chinamen in their bunks, must 
 look like the cells of a honey-cornb. Steamship 
 hold, cemetery vault, Roman catacomb, or 
 Egyptian pyramid could hardly be better 
 packed. 
 
 Health. The narrow streets are wide enough 
 for hucksters, wood-piles, chicken-coops, tempo- 
 rary pig-pens, baskets and poles, and all sorts of 
 foul rubbish, and just wide enough for our 
 noses. These streets may center in open courts 
 that reek in filth, or lead one from treading 
 where death-dealing vapors ooze through the 
 loose boards on which he walks, to dwellings, 
 where the floors are easily lifted to secure sewer 
 accommodations in pools or vats beneath ; but 
 with all this, the Chinamen seem to thrive best, 
 and huddle closest where it is darkest and most 
 dismal, and where sunlight never enters. 
 Leprosy is said to exist, but if competent medi- 
 cal authorities have so pronounced any of their 
 loathsome diseases, it is not generally known, or 
 else the leprosy is not of a contagious character. 
 
 There are loathsome diseases among them, and 
 especially among the prostitutes, by which even 
 small boys are infected, but no wide-spread 
 pestilence has ever been known among them, 
 and the death-rate is not excessive. 
 
 Their funeral customs and places of burial 
 make the concealment of the dead far more un- 
 likely than when some victim is chopped to pieces 
 and stowed away a la practices not unknown to 
 American criminals. 
 
 Personal Habits. Inoculation in child- 
 hood is universal, and they seem to come out of 
 their filth as the eel from his skin, with a per- 
 sonal cleanliness that is marvelous, and to most, 
 incredible. So far as the secret of their anoma- 
 lous health and personal cleanliness can be de- 
 
279 
 
 tected, it is in their practice of daily ablution. 
 They bathe as if it were a sacred duty, and in 
 Washington Territory will cut through the 
 winter ice to find the necessary water, and the 
 tooth-brush is a daily companion. 
 
 The cue is regarded with patriotic pride. It 
 and the tonsure were introduced into China in 
 1644, as a mark of acceptance of, and subjection 
 to the Tartar 
 rule, and en- 
 forced by the 
 favor of the 
 courts, to all 
 litigants who 
 wore the cue, 
 and by reject- 
 ing in the lit- 
 erary examina- 
 tions all candi- 
 dates who ap- 
 peared without 
 it, and even by 
 death in some 
 cases, until at 
 length the 
 mark of deris- 
 ion became 
 the badge of 
 honor, and now 
 every Celestial 
 carries this flag 
 of his country, 
 no less dear 
 than his own 
 head. 
 
 It is formed 
 by separating 
 the unshaven 
 hair 011 the 
 crown of the 
 head, three or 
 four inches in 
 diameter, into 
 three strands 
 and braiding 
 with it coarse 
 silk or false 
 hair, until in 
 cases of the am- 
 bitious it 
 reaches to with- 
 in three inches 
 
 SCENE IN ALLEY, CHINESE QUARTERS, SAN FRANCISCO. 
 
 of the ground. Sometimes it is worn for conven- 
 ience in a coil around the head or the neck, but 
 it is a mark of disrespect to have it coiled thus 
 in the presence of superiors more insulting than 
 to enter a Fifth Avenue cathedral or orthodox 
 church and sit with the hat on the head. 
 
 The head of those who can afford it, is shaved 
 once in ten or fifteen days. The razor is triangu- 
 lar in shape, about two inches long, and an inch 
 wide at one end, hollow ground and weighing 
 
 about two ounces. The metal is of such excellent 
 quality that the razors are often bought by 
 Americans for the steel only. 
 
 Tonsorial operations are performed with great 
 skill, and there are delicate instruments for swab- 
 bing the ears, pulling hairs out of the nostrils, 
 and cleaning the eyelids on both under and upper 
 sides. The sign of the barber-shop, is a four- 
 legged frame 
 the legs painted 
 green, and the 
 knobs on top 
 painted red. 
 
 As the cue is 
 the badge of 
 servitude to the 
 present dynasty 
 of China, no 
 one can become 
 an American 
 citizen, or " de- 
 clare his inten- 
 tions" and re- 
 tain this, for it 
 proclaims that 
 in political mat- 
 ters, he is not 
 his own master, 
 but the slave of 
 the Emperor, 
 and hence ap- 
 pears the ab- 
 surdity of those 
 who deny the 
 sincerity of 
 the profession 
 of the Chris- 
 tian religion, 
 made by some 
 Chinamen who 
 retain their 
 cue. An En- 
 glish subject 
 who unites with 
 an American 
 church, is not 
 required or ex- 
 pected for this 
 reason, to re- 
 nounce his al- 
 legiance to the 
 Queen. 
 
 Chinese Quarters. The most interesting 
 objects to be seen in the Chinese quarters are 
 stores, shops, restaurants and temples, or Joss 
 houses, 'and opium smoking places, although 
 some of the tourists visit viler abodes, out of 
 curiosity. 
 
 A visit to the Chinese quarters may be made 
 in daylight or by night, and with or without a 
 policeman. The writer has frequently passed 
 through the alleys and streets of Chinatown with- 
 
280 
 
 out the protection of policemen, and never ex- 
 perienced the least indignity. The only occasion 
 when he failed to receive the strictest courtesy 
 and deference was on intruding upon a company 
 " at rice,'' (when they do not like to be disturb- 
 ed) and introducing a large company of friends, 
 one of whom said he came from New York, when 
 one of the Chinamen grinned from ear to ear, ex- 
 claiming, "You foolee me he Irishman, he 
 Irishman." 
 
 Those desiring the protection of a policeman 
 can secure the services of one by applying to the 
 Chief of Police in the City Hall. Compensation 
 should be made privately. Two dollars and a 
 half is a sufficient fee, but visitors should pay their 
 own admittance to the Chinese theater. 
 
 The Six Companies. It is hard to estimate 
 the birds of a large flock that come and go with 
 spring and fall, and the Chinese are always travel- 
 ing to and from the Celestial Empire, and no 
 census taker, or poll tax gatherer has ever been 
 guilty of the sin of numbering them. Whoever 
 can be caught is squeezed for taxes, and no mat- 
 ter whether he has paid or not, he can pay for 
 some one that can not be caught. The number 
 of the people is variously estimated, but may be 
 given as follows : 
 
 The Ming Yung Company, 
 Hop Wo Company, 
 Kong Chow Company, 
 Yung Wo Company, 
 Sam Yap Company, 
 Yen Wo Company, 
 Scattering, 
 
 Total, 
 
 63,000 
 
 43,000 
 
 13,000 
 
 13,000 
 
 11,000 
 
 6,000 
 
 1,000 
 
 150,000 
 
 Of these 65,000 are in California, and 30,000 in 
 San Francisco. Of the whole number about 50,- 
 000 are women, children and merchants. 
 
 Emigration is carried on through Hong Kong, 
 a British port, the Chinese from the province of 
 Kwangtung going via this port. It is not prob- 
 able that it could be wholly prevented as long as 
 the Chinamen can make money here. 
 
 At the end of the year 1851, not 4,000 had 
 come to America. But the reports of the open 
 country, and plenty of gold, brought 18,000 in 
 1852, and alarmed the Californians, so that the 
 next year only 4,000 came, and the average of 
 arrivals since, has not been 5,000 a year. We 
 have often been told of "passage engaged 
 ahead for thousands,'" that " enough are coming 
 the present year to overrun us," but the prophe- 
 cies are somewhat akin to those of the world's 
 destruction. 
 
 The books of the Custom House, show the ar- 
 rivals since 1868 to have been as follows, but of 
 departures and deaths, there is no reliable record. 
 
 YEAB. 
 
 1868, 
 1869, 
 1870, 
 1871, 
 1872, 
 1873, 
 
 MALE. 
 10,024 
 11,710 
 9,666 
 4,864 
 8,812 
 16,605 
 
 FEMALE. 
 
 256 
 1,540 
 645 
 100 
 565 
 516 
 
 TOTAL. 
 
 10,280 
 13,252 
 10,318 
 4,964 
 9,377 
 17,121 
 
 YEAR. 
 
 1874, 
 1875, 
 
 January, 1876, 
 February, 1876, 
 March, 1876, 
 
 MALE. 
 
 11,743 
 
 18,090 
 
 1.170 
 
 1,197 
 
 1.872 
 
 FEMALE. 
 307 
 
 858 
 7 
 
 
 
 TOTAL. 
 12,950 
 18,448 
 1,177 
 1,197 
 1,872 
 
 95,753 4,296 100,049 
 
 As to the object and power of these companies 
 there is a difference of opinion. Some assert 
 they are about absolute for all purposes of 
 government, importing men and women, making 
 and enforcing contracts for labor and passage, 
 settling disputes, and by means of hired assas- 
 sins killing at their pleasure, any one for whom 
 they choose to offer a reward. 
 
 This and more everything that can be said 
 against them is believed by more than every 
 Irishman, and on the other hand, those who have 
 lived in China, in the service of the American or 
 English government, and missionaries who speak 
 and read the Chinese language, deny to the com- 
 panies any such extent of power or purpose, and 
 the Chinamen universally deny it. 
 
 It is certain that these organizations are pro- 
 tective, that they are practically emigration and 
 aid societies, that they care for the sick, send 
 some of the destitute back to China, settle dis- 
 putes by arbitration, and possess such power that 
 the officials of the companies are sometimes 
 "bound over " for the members to keep the peace, 
 and by an arrangement with the Pacific Mail 
 Steamship Company, prevent the return of 
 any one to China who has not paid his debts, and 
 gather up and return to China the bones of all 
 the dead belonging to the respective companies. 
 They have no criminal power, and if American 
 officials did not co-operate with and encourage 
 the companies they would have much less in- 
 fluence and importance. Previous to coming, 
 Chinamen have often no knowledge of the exist- 
 ence of the companies. A family may accumu- 
 late means to send one of their number, not from 
 Cork, but Hong Kong, and on his arrival he usu- 
 ally allies himself to one of the companies for 
 mutual assistance and protection, and the six 
 companies may also advertise in China to induce 
 some to emigrate. 
 
 Nearly all Chinamen in America are from the 
 province of Kwantung, of which Canton is the 
 principal city, and hence only the Cantonese 
 dialect is spoken here. 
 
 The part of the province from which they come 
 usually determines what company each will join. 
 No fee is exacted for membership or initiation. 
 
 A washing guild, or organization that fixes 
 rates for washing, etc., has often been confound- 
 ed with the Six Companies. It is a trades- 
 union, independent of the companies. Trades- 
 unions are as common in China as in America, 
 and it is not surprising therefore that they fix 
 here the prices of washing, and allow no new 
 wash-house within certain limits of another, and 
 keep wages high enough to secure the most 
 
281 
 
 money, and low enough to sicken the Irishman 
 that competes with them. 
 
 The Women. These are all of the lowest 
 order, excepting perhaps 150 out of the thou- 
 sands here. The manner of dealing with them 
 is like that with Ah Hoe, as follows : 
 
 " An agreement to assist the woman Ah Hoe, 
 because coming from China to San Francisco 
 she became indebted to her mistress for passage. 
 Ah Hoe herself asks Mr. Yee Kwan to advance 
 for her .f 630, for which Ah Hoe distinctly agrees 
 to give her body to Mr. Yee for service as a pros- 
 titute for a term of four years. There shall be 
 no interest on the money. Ah Hoe shall receive 
 no wages. At the expiration of four years Ah 
 Hoe shall be her own master. Mr. Yee Kwan 
 shall not hinder or trouble her. If Ah Hoe runs 
 away before her time is out, her mistress shall 
 find her and return her, and whatever expense is 
 incurred in finding her Ah Hoe shall pay. On 
 this day of the agreement Ah Hoe has received 
 with her own hands f 630. If Ah Hoe shall be 
 sick at any time for more than ten days she 
 shall make up by an extra month of service for 
 every ten days of sickness. Now this agreement 
 has proof. This paper received by Ah Hoe is 
 witness. 
 
 YUXG CUKE, 12th year, 9th month, 14th day. 
 
 In October, 1873", Ah Hoe came to Mr. 
 Gibson's school for protection, saying she had 
 been beaten and ill-treated and gave this con- 
 tract as an evidence that she had been held in 
 slavery. The money she had held in her hands a 
 few seconds, being compelled to pass it immedi- 
 ately over to her employer. She was taken to 
 Hong Kong by her mistress and shipped to this 
 country. 
 
 Tax Paying. In San Francisco 324 per- 
 sons or firms, are assessed for personal property, 
 and the valuation is -1531,300. Of city tax 
 15,012, /. e., .943 of the whole was collected last 
 year, and of the State tax $2,896.59, i. e., .90 of 
 the whole was collected ; a much larger propor- 
 tion than the whole roll will show for other tax- 
 payers. One of the tea-importing firms is as- 
 sessed for personal property at $23,000, and 
 another at $22,500, and six firms at $10,000 or 
 upwards. 
 
 On real estate it is impossible to ascertain the 
 amount of assessment, but it is certain that some 
 of the people are so well pleased with the country as 
 to consider it a desirable home, or else so shrewd 
 in business as not to fear speculations in real 
 estate, in which they often make fortunate turns. 
 
 They never trouble any board of equalization 
 for a reduction of their assessment, and if their 
 assessments are made surprisingly low, may 
 Allah forgive the error for such is not the inten- 
 tion, and strange as it may seem the names of 
 Chinese real estate owners are never found on the 
 delinquent tax-list. Some of the Chinamen are 
 reputed to be worth from $100,000 to $200,000. 
 
 Striking Characteristics. They are -in- 
 dustrious, working early and late, are peaceable, 
 never giving offense in the street. 
 
 They are thievish, and clannish, and have many 
 vices, but they never garrote the belated club- 
 man ; they will lie, but their honesty in deed and 
 word is not a whit below any mercantile class, 
 and their veracity is as good as the average in 
 the same sphere of labor. 
 
 Economy is seen in shrewd bargains, in 
 cheap living, in picking up the gold in the tail- 
 ings that slips through the fingers of the Ameri- 
 can miner, in roasting his pork by the carcass and 
 selling it to save the services of many cooks and 
 the cost of many fires. 
 
 The cobbler pursues his avocation on the street, 
 reminding one of the horseback rider during the 
 war, who was shaken heartily and awakened by 
 a stranger who desired to know what he paid for 
 lodgings. For the cobbler a candle-box will fur- 
 nish a seat, and all his tools and stock in trade 
 be carried about in another small box or basket. 
 
 They can live for about eight or ten cents a 
 day, but the average cost of the working class is 
 about thirty cents. 
 
 Skill in Imitating. They are great imi- 
 tators, and so far as known, do they not 
 furnish a striking illustration of the truth of 
 the theory of natural selection? Do not their 
 caudal appendages and power of imitation show 
 their relation to the monkey, and the link they 
 form in the development of the race ? 
 
 They are servile imitators. The sea captain 
 who had an oil painting injured, and gave it to 
 a Chinese artist to reproduce, was amazed to see 
 the reproduction of the gash, and the Chinese 
 tailor who "followed copy" in making the new 
 coat with a patch on the elbow, needed his 
 ideas enforced with 'blows, yet they never ex- 
 hibit the stupidity of the new coachman, who 
 was sent to grease the carriage, and returned in 
 half an hour, saying he had " greased it all ex- 
 cept the sticks the wheels hang on." They are 
 more than imitators, for the ingenious heathen 
 Chinee can produce more expedients from his 
 fertile brain than Ah Sin aces from his flowing 
 sleeves. In the mountains John will own, 
 drive, and care for his own team of horses, or 
 mules. 
 
 Their value as servants or laborers is largely 
 in this, that they do as they are shown, and 
 have no more opinion of their own, than the 
 miner who replied to his superintendent, when 
 asked " what is this ore worth a ton ? " "I don't 
 know, to me it's worth four dollars a day." 
 
 Power of Control over Their Feelinys, 
 makes their faces as unreadable as marble. 
 They are the least demonstrative of all the na- 
 tionalities represented the very opposite of the 
 Frenchman. They rarely laugh or cry, yet they 
 become excited, have no fear of death, and their 
 Chinese oaths roll from them at a rapid rate. 
 
282 
 
 They often express their. feeling by oaths and 
 curses, to which American profanity, it is to be 
 hoped, will not attain by the next Centennial. 
 They wish their enemies to be chopped into a 
 thousand pieces, that his bowels may rot inch 
 by inch, and in geneal, their frequent oaths are 
 vile, low, and most vulgar, and they use them in 
 the consciousness that the mistress " can't sabee." 
 
 As servants many regard them as a great re- 
 lief to the insolence and visiting so common to 
 the class, and find them as reliable as any others. 
 They are liked and hated in proportion as they 
 are faithful and find kind mistresses. Many 
 have tried them to their disgust, and others 
 would have none but Chinamen. 
 
 Their language gives them no little advantage 
 in publishing their grievances. A kind and cul- 
 tured lady was greatly attached to her China- 
 man, who remained in her kitchen about two 
 years, and then returned to China to visit his 
 relations. 
 
 His successor proved to be a surly and care- 
 less fellow, and was soon discharged. No China- 
 man would then stay for more than a few days 
 or a week, and a " Jap " was engaged but with 
 the same mysterious result. At length some 
 characters in the written language were discover- 
 ed in the dust on the back of the mirror in the 
 dressing bureau, and after they were effaced the 
 trouble ceased ! 
 
 Chinese Business. Among the Chinese are 
 pawnbrokers, money-changers and bankers, 
 watch-makers and jewelers. 
 
 The laundries are on every block, in some of 
 which the work is excellent, and in others miser- 
 able and destructive. 
 
 Their process of sprinkling the clothes by tak- 
 ing a mouthful of water and ejecting it in the 
 form of spray is curious, but a method of sprink- 
 ling that is not surpassed for evenness. 
 
 Rag-pickers, and itinerant peddlers go about 
 with two large baskets on the ends of a bamboo 
 pole, and in this way burdens are Usually carried 
 and often 300 pounds are carried on a ' dog-trot " 
 from ten to twenty miles a day. 
 
 These baskets, loaded with fish, carefully 
 picked in the markets, and vegetables selected 
 with like care, or raised in little suburban gar- 
 dens of their own, or fish and vegetables of the 
 worst, are carried if they suit the customers. 
 Their baskets are at the doors of all the side- 
 streets, and supply provender to those who cry 
 most against cheap labor. 
 
 Chinese Jewelry may be purchased for curi- 
 osity only, but the purchaser may feel easier than 
 in buying a Connecticut clock, for the articles 
 carved in gold and silver are of pure metal 
 the Chinese having not yet learned the intricacies 
 of cheap jewelry. 
 
 Firm names are not subject to change with 
 death or change of partners, but are often per- 
 petuated for centuries. 
 
 Chinese Workmen. Their employments 
 and occupations are, in short, legion. They are 
 adapted best to light, quick work, and engaged 
 much in cigar making, the use of the sewing 
 machine, gardening, mining, picking fruit, etc., 
 but have also proved the most efficient class for 
 building railroads and levees, 
 
 They are used almost exclusively for gathering 
 castor-beans, strawberries and other fruits. As 
 merchants, they prove successful, " cornering " 
 the pea-crop and other markets, and they even 
 charter vessels for the flour, tea and rice trade 
 with China. Thus it is evident that the labpr 
 question wears a serious aspect on its face, but 
 it is like the ocean disturbed most on the surface, 
 and will be settled with some respect to the de- 
 mands of capital, as such questions have always 
 been settled. 
 
 One of the manufacturers engaged in the Mis- 
 sion Woolen Mills, and two other factories says : 
 " We employ about one thousand Chinese. We 
 pay white men wages 200 per cent, higher than 
 that paid to the Chinese. Some of the Chinamen 
 are equal to white men, but most of them 
 earn from 90 cents to $1.20 a day. All the 
 money for Chinese laborers is paid to one man. 
 We started manufacturing with white labor, 
 and three or four years ago came to the con- 
 clusion that we wanted to hire seventy-five 
 white boys, and bought that many machines. 
 The second day the boys went out on an excur- 
 sion in the bay, and did not come back to work 
 imtil the day after. We spoke to them about 
 it, and said it must not happen again. There- 
 upon one of the boys put on his jacket and said 
 to the others, ' Let him go to h 1,' and most of 
 them left the factory. We could not rely on 
 white boys. Afterward I engaged nine girls. 
 One day I went to the factory and found no 
 steam up. I asked ' What's the matter ? ' The 
 foreman said the girls did not come, they are off 
 on a- holiday. They had too many holidays- 
 Christmas, New Year's, Fourth of July, St. 
 Patrick's Day, and many other holidays I never 
 heard of. It went on from bad to worse, and 
 when I found that the girls would rather loaf on 
 the streets than work, I discharged them. I am 
 not in favor of Chinese labor, mind you, but I 
 have found out that white boys and girls of San 
 Francisco cannot be depended upon. If we had 
 no Chinamen, our factories would, in a measure, 
 be hindered in their progress. If we had no 
 manufactories of blankets here articles of that 
 description would be bought in England. Shoes 
 would be bought in Boston, if they were not 
 manufactured here. Our foreman has instruc- 
 tions to give white labor the preference. We 
 have offered inducements to obtain Chinese 
 labor. 
 
 Would it be a good thing to send our raw 
 material East, and have the articles manufac- 
 tured there and sent back to us ? We sell goods 
 
283 
 
 here as cheap as they are sold in the East, and 
 better goods, although white labor in New Eng- 
 land is cheaper than Chinese labor on this coast. 
 The houses that export and sell eastern manu- 
 factured goods would put up the prices of shoes, 
 blankets, etc., if our factories did not keep them 
 down by competition. If our factories were 
 closed, prices would go up at once." 
 
 And a private individual, " Chang Wo," makes 
 a good point in public discussion, when he says, 
 " What for the Americans have us in their 
 houses if we are not clean and steal ? You can 
 see." 
 
 Among them are some hardened criminals, as 
 their implements of murder to be seen in the 
 office of the Chief of Police, or their pawn- 
 broker's shops, will testify, and seventeen per 
 cent, of the convicts at San Quentin are Chinese. 
 On the one hand, it is difficult to convict them, 
 because false witnesses are idle in the market 
 places, but on the other hand, they need no con- 
 viction in the judgment of many, and only a pre- 
 text is sufficient to get them into prison. Guilty 
 American criminals enjoy no fewer chances of 
 escaping justice, but many more. 
 
 Chinese Restaurants and Food. The 
 restaurants are easily distinguished by their 
 gaudy signs of red and gilt, covering the whole 
 front of the building, and the immense round 
 Chinese lanterns suspended from the upper 
 stories. The higher the story, the more elaborate 
 and costly is the rude furniture and the more 
 aristocratic the entertainment ; or like the Palace 
 Hotel, " the high floors are the high-toned." In 
 these high places the merchants dine their friends 
 on a dozen different courses. They have a 
 greater variety of food than the French or any 
 other nation. Some of this is best seen in the 
 provision stores, and some in the restaurants. 
 On Jackson Street, above Dupont, is one of the 
 oldest and best restaurants ; others are on oppo- 
 site sides of Dupont, near Clay. In meats, the 
 Chinese use pork, kid, chickens, and the greatest 
 variety of dried fish, dried oysters, gizzards, 
 shrimps, and ducks. Beef is not a favorite 
 meat, especially in the southern part of China. 
 The legends concerning calamity upon those who 
 eat so serviceable an animal are numerous. 
 
 Ducks are hatched and reared by artificial proc- 
 ess in China, and when dried in the sun and 
 pressed in oil, are an important article of com- 
 merce. Dried duck eggs, sometimes called " salt 
 eggs," being first salted for three days, and then 
 covered or coated with mud and salt, look as if 
 they were coated with glue, and covered with 
 black sand in stucco fashion. The Chinese call 
 them Ham Tan, and sell them at 35 cents a 
 dozen. 
 
 Shrimps are not only dried, but are made into 
 a sauce that looks like an apothecary's ointment. 
 Many Chinamen in Mexico are engaged in catch- 
 ing and salting shrimps. The variety of dried 
 
 and salted fish is almost endless. Meat, fish and 
 vegetables are cut up fine and cooked with 
 rice flour and nut-oil in a variety of cakes, orna- 
 mented in various styles and colors, then sold at 
 street stands and eaten in restaurants, llice 
 flour and nut-oil are used in almost all the 
 articles of pastry. Rice is, of course, the staple 
 article of food, and the taking of a meal is " eat- 
 ing rice." The Chinaman's receptivity for this, 
 like that of the ocean, is never satisfied. He 
 will take a bowl containing it, in the left hand, 
 and by a dexterous use of the chop-sticks will 
 shovel it into his mouth, and swallow it as one 
 fish swallows another, and he seldom fails to re- 
 peat the process less than five or six times. Of 
 teas, only the black is used in the best restau- 
 rants, and this of a superior quality, costing 
 often several dollars a pound. It is never boiled 
 but placed in a small cup with a cover to fit, and 
 boiling water poured in, and then is left to steep 
 in the presence of the guest. Tea is the com- 
 mon beverage, and offered on all occasions. On 
 receiving a call from a stranger, it would be ex- 
 ceedingly ill-mannered not to offer some hot tea 
 the moment after he enters. It is always taken 
 as hot as it can be procured, and without sugar 
 or milk. For keeping it hot they sometimes 
 have a covered basket well-lined with some non- 
 conductor of heat, into which the tea-pot fits, 
 and which will retain the heat for several hours. 
 
 They seldom drink water, and wine is spar- 
 ingly used. At their feasts and on social occa- 
 sions, they are obliged to go through the whole 
 bill of fare, taking a little of whatever is offered. 
 
 The long, white, tapering Chinese radish, like 
 our own winter radish, few will mistake, unless 
 they are first cut up and boiled in oil. 
 
 One of the most delicate vegetables they call 
 the water-chestnut, a reddish brown bulb, about 
 as large as an Italian chestnut, and resembling 
 the Indian turnip. They are pared or shaved 
 with but little waste and great rapidity. 
 
 The Chinese turnip will not be readily recog- 
 nized, except by its faint odor. It is oval, but 
 quite irregular in shape. 
 
 The bean is a great favorite, and of it there 
 are many varieties, some exceedingly small. 
 Bean sprouts are sold in all the vegetable stores, 
 and bean curd is a staple article of food. One 
 might mistake it for corn-starch or milk curd. 
 It is prepared by grinding the bean and boiling 
 the meal. The soft, yellow-covered cakes on the 
 stands in the street, are only bean curd. 
 
 Colt's-foot candy is not an article of food, but 
 that which resembles it, is only the bean, cooked 
 and drawn out into sticks, like candy ; and the 
 long, thin, dried string-beans, one would say, 
 are not beans at all, but yellow blossoms to be 
 cooked in soup with lean pork. Besides aspara- 
 gus, lettuce, celery and our common articles, 
 mustard leaves, large and small, are much used 
 for " greens." 
 
284 
 
 Pumpkins and squashes, such as the " Melican 
 man " eats, and does not eat, and sweet potatoes, 
 dried and prepared as potato-rice ; and yams, 
 with fibres somewhat resembling those adhering 
 to the cocoa-nut shell, are always seen about the 
 stores. 
 
 Bamboo is cut into pieces about six inches in 
 length, split and preserved in brine, and cooked 
 with meat. 
 
 Dried olives, black, and like a three-cornered 
 piece of dried plum, are kept in earthen jars, 
 and cooked with meat. The abalone, a shell-fish, 
 is dried and exported to China. A sea-weed that 
 resembles the pulp of peaches, dried like peach- 
 leather, is a curious article of food, and may be as 
 good as the bird's-nests. The greasy sausages 
 are not attractive, though evidently much sought 
 after. 
 
 In the great variety of preserved fruits, some 
 are food fit for Americans. The ginger root is 
 well known, and not less pleasant are the lemon, 
 sliced citron, small oranges, water-melons, olives, 
 persimmons, and frozen sugar. 
 
 Of nuts there are many, some for cooking, and 
 some for eating. The white nut is like a small 
 almond, with a thin shell and kernel, and is used 
 for pastry. 
 
 At the street corners are little packages of 
 brown paper,with slices of cocoa-nut,mingled with 
 the curious beetle nut, and the whole is daubed 
 with some red paste, made out of lime juice and 
 colored by the dust of the street and some 
 foreign pinkish earth. 
 
 One of the most palatable nuts is the " Lai 
 Che," rougher than the cup of an acorn; the 
 meat of which is black and sweet, and the seeds 
 of which, though hard, contain a delicate kernel. 
 The pea-nut is found on all the stands, but the 
 American product is far superior to the Chinese. 
 
 Water-melon seeds are eaten raw, and used in 
 cooking. With all the variety of edibles from 
 China, of which only a few of the most striking 
 and common have been named, and with the 
 new dishes adopted in this country, it may be 
 hard for the Celestial to arrange his bill of fare, 
 but they find rice economical, and they love it 
 dearly ; yet when the palate of one was tested by 
 asking him, " Of all things to eat, what would 
 you rather have ? " He reflected for a time and 
 replied deliberately, but with emphasis of tone, 
 " Well, me likee best a nice piece of hog-meat." 
 
 Temples. These are to be found in almost 
 every town containing a few hundred Chinamen, 
 but the most elaborate are in San Francisco. 
 
 No effort is made to present an attractive ex- 
 terior, although more money is expended by 
 Chinamen in proportion to their means upon 
 their temples than Americans spend upon their 
 churches. 
 
 The temples are not under the control of the 
 six companies, or in any way connected with 
 them, nor does the relations of any one to his 
 
 company affect his place, or time of worship- 
 ing. The chief temples are 
 
 1. On Clay Street, opposite the south-west 
 corner of the Plaza, in the building in which 
 the Hop Wo Company has its head-quarters, 
 and for this reason sometimes distinguished as 
 the Hop Wo Temple. 
 
 2. The Dupont Street Temple, with entrance 
 from Dupont near Jackson, and also from Jack- 
 son near Dupont, neither of which can be found 
 or would be willingly entered when found by 
 a stranger. It is reached by ascending rickety 
 stairs to the third story. 
 
 3. The Pine Street Temple, entrance just 
 above Kearney, in the building of the Kong 
 Chow Asylum. 
 
 4. The Brooklyn Place Temple, off Sacramento 
 Street near Stockton. 
 
 5. The Jackson Street Temple, on the north 
 side of Jackson, near Stockton. 
 
 The most popular among the Chinese is the 
 one on Brooklyn Place, but it is small, retired, 
 with only one god, and not attractive to tourists. 
 
 The most desirable to visit are the first two 
 mentioned. The Clay Street is the newest, 
 most elaborate and expensive, but the Dupont 
 Street contains about four times as many gods 
 as any other. 
 
 The temple on Jackson Street is devoted to 
 the worship of 
 
 Ma Chu, the goddess of sailors, and her 
 two assistants, on either side of her. She has 
 had various high-sounding titles bestowed upon 
 her, the most common of which is " Tin Han" 
 the Heavenly Queen, and to her the boatmen cry 
 often, in piteous tones, " Grandmother Ma 
 Chu ! " " Grandmother Ma Chu ! " 
 
 This goddess was the daughter of a sea-faring 
 man, whose sons followed the father's uncertain 
 and stormy life. While weaving one day she 
 fell asleep and her weary head rested on her 
 loom, where she saw, in a dream, her father and 
 two brothers and their respective junks, periled 
 in a terrific storm. She agonized to rescue them 
 from danger, and seized her brothers' junks, one 
 in each hand, and her father's in her mouth. As 
 she dragged them to the shore, she heard her 
 mother's voice calling, and, with dutiful spirit, 
 but great forgetfulness of her father's danger, 
 she opened her mouth to answer, and awoke 
 from her dream ; but in a few days tidings came 
 of a dreadful storm and the loss of the father's 
 junk and the safety of the brothers. Her dream 
 has given her more honor than Pharaoh's gave 
 Joseph, and the Virgin Mary has no loftier titles. 
 Thank offerings are made to her by boatmen, 
 after every deliverance from peril. One of her 
 assistants is " Favorable-wind-ear," and the 
 other, " Thousand-mile-eye." 
 
 The temple on Pine Street is devoted to Kwan 
 Tai, the god of war. It is in the building of 
 the Kong Chow Asylum, and has connected with 
 
286 
 
 it a room for ancestral worship. The asylum 
 has a large hall for the public meetings of the 
 company. 
 
 The stranger in San Francisco will visit the 
 temples on Clay Street and Dupont Street, if 
 no others. The Clay Street has taken away some 
 of the tinsel that formerly adorned the one on Du- 
 pont Street, and is the most elaborate, having 
 cost about $ 30,000, and is dedicated to the worship 
 of Kwan Tai, and this same god occupies the 
 central place in the Dupont Street Temple. 
 
 He is the most popular of all the gods, and is 
 always red-faced, with a long, black beard. 
 
 On the walls of every temple and about the 
 entrances are seen red placards the records of 
 the gifts made for establishing and supporting it. 
 The " Heathen Chinee," unlike the American 
 Christians, who always give their alms in secret, 
 connect merit and worship with these gifts, some- 
 times burning incense before the names of the 
 donors, while an attending priest offers prayers 
 for blessings on them. 
 
 In the Clay Street Temple is an elaborate piece 
 of gilt, carved wood, representing mythology and 
 history. It cost about $3,000, and is enclosed in 
 glass, covered with wire. Other pieces of carv- 
 ing, similar in character, are suspended about 
 the room ; but the significance of them is as 
 mysterious as the ponderous classics of Confu- 
 cius and Mencius. 
 
 Richly embroidered silk banners all hand- 
 wrought, are ready to be carried in front of or 
 over the idol when he goes out in procession on 
 festal days. Spears are used at the same time 
 for his protection, and flags carried to declare 
 his authority. 
 
 From the ceiling are suspended tablets with 
 mottoes inscribed upon them, and some are 
 placed vertically on the inner or outer walls, 
 and the door-posts. 
 
 Some of the temporary ones contain good 
 mottoes ; others are thank-offerings. One of the 
 latter, richly embroidered and fringed, (now in 
 'the Clay Street Temple,) is a thank-offering of 
 Doctor Lai Po Tai, and has four Chinese char- 
 acters, to wit : " Shing, Shan, Mo, Keung," i. ., 
 " the gods whose holy age is perpetual." 
 
 This doctor has amassed a fortune, by con- 
 summate skill in the grossest quackery, and 
 without performing any wonderful cures, has 
 tried his hand on many rich and noble ones, and 
 among them even a noted professional of an 
 eastern city, who proved in his experience the 
 truth of the familiar adage, " never too old to 
 learn." 
 
 The doctor lighted a match in his room, when 
 it was filled with gas, and as a consequence had 
 to secure himself the skill of American physi- 
 cians; he barely escaped death, and then com- 
 memorated his recovery by this thank-offering, 
 placed originally in the Dupont Street, but subse- 
 quently removed to the Clay Street Temple. 
 
 i The neatest of the temples or Josh Houses is 
 the Clay Street, but all ai'e dirty, dingy and 
 doleful. A heaven of such character, would be 
 desirable to no civilized people, and the temples 
 impress one concerning the religious taste of the 
 Chinese, as an ignorant and irreverent hater of 
 the Jews seemed to be impressed, when he re- 
 marked to a friend, " And you tell me that the 
 Jews were the chosen people God's peculiar peo- 
 ple? I think it showed a very poor taste on 
 God's part." 
 
 The ornamentation is of the cheapest, most 
 miserable tinsel, gay and gaudy, smoked and 
 begrimed with dirt, and the air laden with a 
 nauseating odor of incense from grateful sandal- 
 wood, mingled with the deadly fumes of the 
 opium pipe, and the horrible smell of oil lamps 
 and many-colored vegetable tallow candles. 
 
 Spread out before the gods there is usually 
 roast chicken and pig, sweetmeats or cakes, and 
 always vessels or libations of tea, and a burning 
 lamp. Every one will be likely to wonder how 
 the gods dispose of all the food, and why the 
 constant and large supply of tea does not weaken 
 the nerves, but the gods consume only the imma- 
 terial and essential parts of the offering, after 
 which the meats, fruits, pyramids of cakes, the 
 vermicelli of-rice flour and other articles are car- 
 ried home to be eaten by the offerers. 
 
 The gods are always enthroned in an alcove, 
 out of which their hideously extorted and repul- 
 sively daubed faces look with fiendish malignity 
 or silly unmeaningness. 
 
 The bell is a fixture of every temple, and also 
 the drum, the former curious with dragon orna- 
 mentations, and the latter with stout raw-hide 
 and huge copper rivets. Their purpose is easily 
 guessed, for sometimes these gods are " asleep," 
 or " on a journey." There is also a box placed 
 on a high stand, and carefully closed, containing 
 the great seal, and which ought to be a better 
 possession, than Alladin's lamp. 
 
 An oven is also a common fixture to accommo- 
 date in the burning of mock-money, or mock- 
 clothing, or any representation, the reality of 
 which the gods receive through the power of 
 fire. 
 
 There are no set times for worship, except feast 
 and festival days, such as the birthdays of the 
 gods. 
 
 The calendar which determines these days is 
 very abstruse, and no logarithms, differential, or 
 integral calculus would make it intelligible. 
 They have " big months " and " little months " 
 of 30 or 29 days, and this year, 1876, has 13 
 months ; i. e., a sort of leap-year, with two, fifth 
 months. 
 
 On festival days huge paper images of the gods 
 are made and carried in processions through the 
 streets, and then allowed to remain in the temple 
 for a season. 
 
 The artificial flowers are generally renewed 
 
287 
 
 once a year ; in fact, in no other nation, is there 
 a more general change so many new leaves 
 turned over, as in the Chinese New Year. 
 
 Large urns and pewter and brass vessels of 
 shapes and styles that the gods are supposed to 
 appreciate, are used for burning sandal-wood 
 sticks or incense. 
 
 There is the greatest irreverence and confu- 
 sion in their worship one never paying regard 
 to the devotions of another. In one quarter of 
 the room some may jabber while others are 
 throwing the ka-pue, or shaking the bamboo 
 splints, or consulting the spirits, or prostrating 
 themselves to the earth. 
 
 Peacock feathers, which are "flower," "green," 
 " one-eyed," " two-eyed," or " three-eyed," and 
 used as marks of honor, and designate ranks 
 like epaulets in the army, and the sinuosities of 
 the " dragon," " the greatest benefactor of man- 
 kind," " the protecting deity of the empire" and 
 the " national coat of arms," are used wherever 
 possible. 
 
 One dragon, called the true dragon, is Jive-claw- 
 ed, and this one the emperor appropriates to him- 
 self, and the whole of it is never visible in one 
 picture if the head is visible the tail is out of 
 sight. It has scales but no ears, yet has two 
 horns, through which it is said to hear. 
 
 Mode of Worshiping and Consulting 
 the Gods. On entering the temple, the wor- 
 shiper makes the " Kow-Tow," striking the floor 
 with his head three times. 
 
 In consulting the gods, the ka-pue, or divining 
 sticks are used, and also bamboo slips. 
 
 The ka-pue are pieces of wood six or eight 
 inches long, and shaped like the half of a split 
 bean. One is held in each hand, they are then 
 placed together, and while bowing let fall to the 
 ground. If both flat surfaces rest on the ground, 
 "bad luck to ye;" both flat surfaces upward 
 mean indifference, or equivalent to " cocked " 
 dice ; and when one flat and one rounded surface 
 rest on the ground, the favor of the god is assured. 
 
 Sometimes the worshiper holds a bunch of 
 small incense sticks in his hand, while he pros- 
 trates himself, and whenever the first effort is 
 not successful, " the best out of three," and even 
 the " best out of three times three," or further 
 trial will answer as well. 
 
 The bamboo slips are contained in tin or 
 bamboo canisters, about a foot high, and three 
 inches in diameter. They are kept by the priest 
 in charge of the temple, but whose services do 
 not seem at all necessary for the ordinary 
 worshiper. On each slip are numbers or char- 
 acters corresponding to slips of paper, which 
 contain directions or answers like boots and 
 shoes, " ready-made and warranted to fit." 
 After bowing thrice, the worshiper kneels, and 
 shakes the slips till one falls to the floor. The 
 approval of the god is sought on this lot, and the 
 process must be repeated till a favorable answer 
 
 is obtained. Sometimes the deity does not 
 know the circumstances of the case, and must 
 be informed thereof by burning paper that eon- 
 tains the necessary information. Sometimes he 
 must be propitiated by offerings of mock-money, 
 white or yellow, (silver or gold) and sometimes 
 by food. 
 
 The priest receives a fee for the slip of paper 
 in his charge, and he is sometimes employed to 
 write letters, and sometimes his services as a 
 medium must be had. For this latter, he stands 
 at a table, on which is a slight covering of sand, 
 and there repeats his incantations until he at- 
 tains the clairvoyant or mediumistic state, and 
 then he writes with a stick, under direction of the 
 spirits, what is intelligible to no one else, but 
 what he never fails to interpret. 
 
 Kwan Tai is the deity of the Clay Street and 
 the central figure in the Dupont Street Josh 
 House. He is a great favoi-ite. " Chinaman he 
 likee him heap muchee, and he likee Chinaman 
 too." 
 
 Small images of him are sometimes seen in 
 stores and dwellings. He is the Mars of the 
 Flowery Kingdom a "Military Sage," and is 
 worshiped for success in contests of almost every 
 character, and grows in favor from year to year. 
 He was a distinguished officer who flourish- 
 ed in the later Han dynasty, and was promi- 
 nent in the wars which then agitated the three 
 States. 
 
 In the Dupont Street Temple, there are other 
 deities, two of which will be easily recog- 
 nized : Wah Tah, the god of medicine, who 
 holds in his left hand the well-coated pill, and 
 who is consulted for diseases of all sorts, and 
 Tsoi Pak Shing Kioun, the god of wealth, who 
 holds a bar of bullion. He is the patron deity 
 of merchants, and all receivers of moneys, and, 
 around his cabinet or throne, are pasted many 
 mottoes or charms, such as " Protect us with 
 Heaven's chief wealth." 
 
 Other deities here are Nam Hai Hung Shing 
 Tai, the god of fire, or " the Fiery Ruler of the 
 Southern Regions ; " the local god of Canton, a 
 " Great and Holy King." 
 
 Yun Ten Tin is the god of the sombre 
 Heavens, able to prevent conflagrations, and 
 eating vegetables only. 
 
 In the room on the east side of the main room, 
 is the Goddess of Mercy held in great venera- 
 tion by married women. She is especially 
 worshiped on the first and fifteenth of every 
 month. The god of the Southern Mountain, or 
 local god of Canton, is much worshiped. 
 
 In the many gods, there is a great variety, and 
 some confusion ; but the Chinamen think they 
 have great advantage over our religion. They 
 have gods in the temple, and gods at home, and 
 one of the heathen remarked to an American who 
 reviled his polytheism : 
 
 " Chinaman religion heap better Melican man's. 
 
288 
 
 You go chu'rch Sunday little while : you come home, 
 and allee week you lie and steal, and do heap 
 muchee bad thing*. Chinaman, he got gods at 
 home, see him allee time, Chinaman must be always 
 good." 
 
 In the rear of the temple, there is a room for 
 the sale of incense, and other articles used in 
 worship, the profit of which goes to the priest. 
 The candles are all of vegetable tallow, made 
 from seeds or kernels, which grow in clusters on 
 the tallow-tree. Beef tallow would be offensive to 
 the gods, for the ox and buffalo are animals of 
 merit, and the odor of burning animal fat, 
 would be repugnant to the nostrils of the 
 deities. 
 
 Gamblinff. In this they have an advantage 
 over our own race, in a god of gambling, a 
 dilapidated, seedy individual, with cue coiled 
 around the head, and a gambling card in his 
 hair, and also in worshiping the tiger, grasping 
 in his mouth or paws a large cash. " His Ex- 
 cellency, the Grasping Cash Tiger," is usually 
 pictured on wood or paper, and is sometimes 
 winged, like pictures of another, " His Excellency 
 the Devil.' 
 
 The Chinese are fond of gambling, and have 
 invented many methods of playing for money. 
 
 Their dens in the business quarter are many, 
 always with a ivhile sign, and usually far back 
 with a sentinel at the entrance from the street, to 
 give the alarm of an approaching officer, or to 
 turn away the "white foreign devils" who may 
 have too great a thirst for knowledge. Some- 
 times as many as three doors and sentinels 
 must be passed. 
 
 There is many an " Ah Sin " who can flatter, 
 shame, threaten and lead on his victim. In 
 China both gambling and lotteries are unlawful; 
 but it is easy to bribe officials there, and here 
 the Chinese practice these same old arts. Any 
 and everything will be gambled away, from their 
 money to their shoes they gamble with bamboo 
 slips, all held as if for drawing lots, and giving 
 the cash to the only one which, when drawn, has 
 a string attached to it, with defective poetry, in 
 which the missing word is to be guessed ; and 
 with a revolving pointer, with cards, dice, and 
 dominoes, but the most popular of all the games 
 is that of " Fan Tan," usually contracted into 
 " Tan," a game foreign to the Chinese, and 
 the origin of which is more mysterious than 
 that of chess, but which means " spread out 
 money." 
 
 As only Chinamen are admitted in San Fran- 
 cisco to the sacred precincts of these resorts, the 
 game can not be seen except by special favor. In 
 some interior towns the Chinese are not unwil- 
 ling to admit visitors. It is somewhat similar to 
 the popular American game of faro, but so much 
 simpler in all the appurtenances of the play, that 
 when a lucky raid of the police is made through 
 the quickly barred doors and winding passages, 
 
 the only implements left are a table, a few chairs, 
 an empty bowl and a pile of beans. 
 
 The game is played on a table, around which 
 the players sit. The sides of the table, or, of a . 
 board, which lies upon a table are numbered, 
 "one," "two," "three," and "four." Cash, 
 a round Chinese coin, with a square hole 
 in the center, worth one-tenth of a cent, 
 were formerly used, but as the seizure of 
 money is evidence of gambling, they now use 
 beans instead of cash. A large pile of them is 
 laid on the table and covered wholly, or in part, 
 by an inverted bowl, and the betting commences 
 on either " one," " two," " three," or " four." 
 The money may be laid on the sides correspond- 
 ing to the numbers, or as is now generally 
 practised, papers having the amount of the re- 
 spective bets, written on them, are placed on 
 the table instead of the coin. 
 
 The cover is then removed, and the beans are 
 drawn away, four at a time, and the side of the 
 table wins, according to the remainder, one, two, 
 three, or nothing. Sometimes the bet is taken 
 on the corners, dividing the chances of two sides. 
 The keeper of the house receives a percentage of 
 all the money paid, varying, it is said, from three 
 to nine per cent. 
 
 There are nearly two hundred of these gam- 
 bling houses in the city, and they furnish a rich 
 living to the policemen, who levy black-mail on 
 them, varying, it is said, from five to twenty dol- 
 lars a week. 
 
 The Theatres. There are two on opposite 
 sides of Jackson Street, just below Dupont. The 
 most popular is the oldest, the " Chinese Royal," 
 on the north side of the street. The entrance to 
 this is through a long passage, about five feet 
 wide, lined with the tables of fruit and cake 
 venders. 
 
 The auditorium has a parquette, that seats 
 about 600 and a gallery for about 250; a 
 smaller gallery for about 50 Chinese women, 
 and two private boxes, void of all comfort from 
 cushions, curtains or cleanliness, but elevated 
 and roomy enough for six persons, near the 
 stage and offering the only chances for securing 
 reserved seats. 
 
 The price of admission varies with time of 
 entrance. Early in the evening, " barbarians " 
 are charged four bits, but the Celestials find open 
 doors to the front or best seats, for two bits. 
 After ten o'clock, the Melican man can secure an 
 entrance for two bits, and anyone going at this 
 hour can see all he desires before the end is an- 
 nounced. The best parts of the play are seldom 
 reached before 11 o'clock, and the play kept up 
 often until 2 or 3 o'clock. For a private box, 
 $2.50 is charged. 
 
 There are no stage-curtains, no flies, or shift- 
 ing scenes, no decorations of any kind, simply a 
 platform, at the rear of which the orchestra sits, 
 and on either side of the musicians, is a door for 
 
289 
 
 INTERIOR OF CHINESE THEATRE. 
 
 ingress or exit. As the deception is perfectly 
 apparent, when one falls in war or passion, and 
 is not carried off the stage, nor hidden behind 
 the drop, but rises and trots away, there is a 
 decided feeling that the whole thing is " too 
 thin " for long enjoyment. 
 
 The acting is as rude as all the surroundings, 
 yet it is often true to Chinese life. During 
 the play of a comedy, the whole audience has 
 been convulsed with laughter, over and over 
 again, almost without cessation, suddenly break- 
 ing out in loud exclamations ; but usually their 
 faces are unmoved, except as they munch the 
 pea-nuts, sugar-cane, etc., peddled throughout 
 the room, or as they sink into dreamy contem- 
 plation, under the satisfying influence of a 
 pure Havana of their own make. 
 
 The costumes are a marvel of gaudiness, but 
 devoid of all elegance. The plays are nearly all 
 of historic character, rebels plotting for pos- 
 session of the government, sometimes seated on 
 the throne ; messengers sent out to negotiate ; 
 and encounters between the rival factions. 
 
 Sometimes a love plot is enacted when the old 
 man and old woman torture and rack the girl, 
 
 19 
 
 and the miser is apt to appear with his bag of 
 gold to be stolen or wrested from him over his 
 dead body. 
 
 In nearly every play there are acrobatic feats 
 of a truly creditable character. The actors 
 whirl and double up and turn somersaults, till 
 the modern gymnast is quite put to shame. 
 
 There is no great variety of performers no 
 " stars " on the stage, but some plays draw more 
 than others; and what is most striking, there are 
 no female performers. Men dressed as women 
 talk in a sing-song tone, and falsetto voice. The 
 deception in this respect is greater than any 
 other, and foreigners would go away fully con- 
 vinced, that they had listened to female perform- 
 ers and heard attempts to sing, unless told to the 
 contrary. 
 
 The music is simply horrible. While the men 
 in the audience and the orchestra sit with hats 
 on, the orchestra may have their coats off, work- 
 ing away like blacksmiths on the loud cymbals, 
 triangles, guitar, fiddles, gongs and wind, instru- 
 ments, keeping up an incessant din scarcely less 
 than infernal. 
 
 But the Chinese enjoy their theatre, and for 
 
290 
 
 interesting plays, or at intervals of a few months, 
 when a new play begins, the house will be 
 crowded. In China, a company of actors is fre- 
 quently hired to play at home. 
 
 Funerals and Honoring the Dead. 
 The funerals are conducted with great pomp. 
 The corpse is sometimes placed on the side- 
 walk, with a roast hog, and innumerable other 
 dishes of cooked food near it, when hired mourn- 
 ers with white sheets about them, and two or 
 three priests as masters of ceremony, and an 
 orchestra of their hideous music, keep up for 
 hours such unearthly sounds as ought to 
 frighten away all evil spirits. 
 
 The wagon-load of food precedes the corpse 
 to the grave, and from it is strewn " cash," on 
 paper to open an easy passage to the " happy 
 hunting grounds " of the other world. 
 
 Ancestral Worship is the most common 
 of all worship among the Chinese. Tablets 
 may be seen in stores, dwellings and rooms con- 
 nected with temples. Its origin is shrouded 
 in mystery. One account derives it from an at- 
 tendant to a prince about 350 B. C. The prince 
 while traveling, was about to perish from hun- 
 ger, when he cut a piece of flesh from his thigh, 
 and had it cooked for his master, and perished 
 soon after. When the prince found the corpse 
 of the devoted servant, he was moved to tears, 
 and erected a tablet to his memory, and made 
 daily offerings of incense before it. Other 
 absurd stories of filial devotion are told for the 
 same purpose. 
 
 The ancestral tablet of families, varies from 
 two to three inches in width, and 12 to 18 in 
 height, and some are cheap and others costly. 
 There are usually three pieces of wood, one a 
 pedestal and two uprights, but sometimes only 
 two pieces are used. One of the upright pieces 
 projects forward over the other from one to three 
 inches. 
 
 One tablet can honor only one individual, and 
 is worshiped for from three to five generations. 
 To the spirit of ancestors a sacrifice of meats, 
 vegetables, fruits, etc., is often made with mag- 
 nificence and pomp, and the annual worship of 
 ancestral dead at their tombs, is of national ob- 
 servance, and occurs usually in April, and 
 always 106 days after the winter solstice. 
 
 The offerings are more plentiful than the 
 meats at a barbecue in the Far South, carcasses 
 of swine, ducks, chickens, wagon-loads of all sorts 
 of food and cups of tea, 'are deposited at the 
 graves; fire-crackers continually exploded, and 
 mock money and mock clothing freely consumed. 
 All kneel and bow in turn at the grave, from the 
 highest to the lowest. 
 
 As in the case of the gods, the dead consume 
 the immaterial and essential elements, and leave 
 the coarse parts for the living. Unlike the' gods, 
 the dead consume ducks. " Idol no likee duck, 
 likee pork, chicken, fruits." 
 
 New Year is the great season for social 
 pleasure the universal holiday. All work 
 ceases for the day, for a week or two weeks ; and 
 the stores are never closed except at this season ; 
 and the prosperity and standing of firms is meas- 
 ured by the length of time the store is shut. In 
 China, stores are sometimes closed for two or three 
 months. Every one makes New Year's calls, and 
 gives himself up to enjoyment, and before New 
 Year all debts must be paid, and accounts ad- 
 justed. 
 
 The Method of Calculating and Count- 
 ing is very rapid, and may be seen in any store. 
 Counters are strung like beads on wires and 
 framed, and astonishing results reached with 
 these before " the barbarian " has written down 
 his figures. For writing they use rice-paper, 
 India ink and camel's-hair pencils. 
 
 Opium Smoking is a common practice. 
 Restaurants, the Clay Street and Dupont Street 
 Temples, many stores and shops have the low 
 tables or hard lounges on which the smokers re- 
 cline. 
 
 A block serves for a pillow. The opium, pipe, 
 lamp and a five-inch steel needle are all that is 
 necessary to bind the victim in fatal fascination. 
 The poisonous drug is boiled into a thick jelly- 
 like mass, and with the needle a small portion is 
 scraped from the vessel containing it, rolled into 
 a pill on the end of the needle, and placed in the 
 flame until it swells like a soap-bubble, half an 
 inch in diameter. 
 
 The pipe has an inverted bowl with a flat, cir- 
 cular top, two inches in diameter, in the center 
 of which is a small opening, in which the heated 
 paste is placed, and as the smoker reclines on 
 his side he places the pipe to the flame and takes 
 two or three short whiffs, removes the pipe, and 
 lies back motionless, while the smoke is blown 
 slowly through his pallid nostrils. He repeats 
 the process till he falls back in a state of silly 
 stupefaction, alike pitiable and disgusting. Once 
 formed, the habit is never given up, and only 
 three or five years will wreck the strongest 
 constitution and noblest manhood. 
 
 Exaggerated stories are told of visits to these 
 dens by youth and women of American descent, 
 for indulging in this vice, but they are rare and 
 only by the lowest classes of the women. 
 
 Why Americans do not Speah the 
 Chinese Language. There is no alphabet, 
 and the characters used are variously estimated 
 at from 25,000 to 80,000. 
 
 There is one written language, but twenty or 
 more dialects, as the natives have twenty or more 
 ways of pronouncing the numerals 1, 2 and 3, 
 which are alike to the eye of the Frenchman and 
 German. 
 
 The dialects may also be written. And each 
 of the numerous characters may have a widely 
 different meaning by the slightest change of tone 
 or inflection. 
 
291 
 
 A teacher, with some knowledge of the lan- 
 guage, was instructing the class in Bible truth 
 and endeavoring to tell the interesting story of 
 Samson slaying a lion with the jaw-bone of an 
 ass, and perceived a strange look on the scholars' 
 faces, and found that the slightest error of in- 
 flection had made the story run " he killed the 
 lion with the jaw-bone of a louse." 
 
 To convert them to Christianity is a difficult 
 work, for many reasons. Besides the barrier of 
 a language that is almost impossible to acquire, 
 many of the characters express inadequately the 
 ideas of the Christian religion, and the Chinese 
 often form erroneous opinions concerning it, 
 from other sources. One was questioned, and 
 replied as follows : 
 
 Q. " Joke, do you know God? " 
 
 A. " God ? No No sabee," (Shaking his 
 head and wearing a vacant look.) 
 
 Q. " God, Melican man's Josh you no sabcc 
 GodT' 
 
 A. "No, me no sabee God." 
 
 Q. " You sabee Jesus Christ 1 " 
 
 A. " Yes, me sabee him, Jesus Christ. Duffy 
 call him cows." 
 
 The Chinese Missions. An eminent Jesuit 
 has said, as quoted in The Monitor : " These 
 pagans, these vicious, these immoral creatures 
 are incapable of rising to the virtue that is 
 inculcated by the religion of Jesus Christ, the 
 World's Redeemer and the Catholics make no 
 attempt to instruct them in true devotion to the 
 Virgin or the church. 
 
 The oldest and largest mission is that of the 
 Presbyterians, at the corner of Sacramento and 
 Stockton Streets, where an evening school is held 
 daily except Sunday, when religious services and 
 Sunday School are held. Two Americans who 
 speak the Cantonese dialect, Rev. Dr. Loomis and 
 John G. Kerr, M. D., their wives, six other Ameri- 
 cans and three Chinese assistants, are connected 
 with this mission and its out stations in Sacra- 
 mento and San Jose. Besides the school there is 
 a home for Chinese women, to which the superin- 
 tendent and a band of Christian women seek to 
 gather the unfortunate and degraded for instruc- 
 tions in sewing, embroidery, other useful occu- 
 pations and moral reform. 
 
 There is a church connected with the Presby- 
 terian Mission of 63 members, and another with 
 the Methodist Mission of 35 members and a 
 Chinese Young Men's Christian Association of 
 all the churches, numbering nearly two hundred 
 members, and a thousand have renounced idola- 
 try. 
 
 Rev. Ira M. Condit and wife, connected with 
 this mission for several years, have opened a new 
 and promising mission at Los Angeles. 
 
 The Methodist Mission is on Washington 
 Street, above Stockton, and efficiently managed 
 under the zealous superintendency of Rev. Otis 
 Gibson, formerly a missionary at Fuchu. This 
 
 has a branch at San Jose, schools and home for 
 women, and several assistants like the mission 
 before described. 
 
 On the west side of ; ' The Plaza " opposite the 
 City Hall, are the head-quarters of the Amer- 
 ican Missionary Association, connected with 
 which are several schools in Oakland, Santa 
 Barbara, and other parts of the State. 
 
 The Baptists have also a flourishing mission 
 on Washington Street, near Dupont, and many 
 of the churches have Sunday Schools for the 
 Chinese, as Doctor Stone's, Mr. Hemphill's, Mr. 
 Fiske's, Doctor Lathrop's, and others in San 
 Francisco ; and Doctor McLean's and Doctor 
 Eell's of Oakland. 
 
 A specimen of their amusing attempts at 
 English, is given herewith, as found at the en- 
 trance to an alley or court on Sacramento Street, 
 just below Stockton : 
 
 TUCK 
 MAKE 
 
 LIVE JN THE LAHE 
 
 The meaning is, Lee Tuck makes cages, and 
 his workshop is at No. or room 16, in the alley 
 or court, and it can be reached without climbing 
 long flights of rickety stairs, and this being his 
 dwelling also, he is at home at all times. 
 
 Whether they are more successful in making 
 poetry, the reader may determine, from the fol- 
 lowing, which has been attributed to one of 
 their scholars, but perhaps erroneously, viz : 
 
 " How doth the little busy bee, 
 Delight to bark and bite, 
 And gather honey all the day, 
 And eat it up at night." 
 
 It is even doubtful whether it has been de- 
 rived in any way from Confucius, or any of 
 their classics. 
 
 Instances are told of their honesty to an extent 
 that is exceedingly rare among American Chris- 
 tians, as of one who in purchasing a knife select- 
 ed one at a dollar and a half, instead of one at 
 half a dollar, and received a dollar too much in 
 change, and discovered the error only after he 
 reached his home. The next day he walked back 
 three miles to return the money ! 
 
:3!!,i,{ H.'jifi-.. 
 
293 
 
 HOW TO REACH IT. 
 
 By Prof. F. V. Harden, U. 8. Geological Survey. 
 
 THE Yellowstone Park is the grandest pleasure 
 ground arid resort for wonderful scenery on the 
 American Continent, and doubtless the time is 
 not far distant, when Pacific tourists will make 
 it one of their most interesting pleasure trips. 
 The word park, naturally brings to the mind 
 of the reader, visions of the park as he finds it 
 in our eastern cities, or in foreign capitals ; with 
 its beautiful drives, and its well kept walks, and 
 neatly trimmed grass-plats. In imagination he 
 sees the usual sign-board ; with rules and regula- 
 tions, and the warning, "keep off the grass." 
 He sees them in imagination alone ; for in the 
 Yellowstone National Park, roads are few and 
 far between. Animals untamed, sufficient to 
 furnish innumerable zoological gardens, wander 
 at will through the dense pine forests, or bask 
 in the sunlight in beautiful grassy openings, 
 whose surfaces are perfect flower gardens, re- 
 splendent with hues that rival the rainbow. 
 
 Elk, deer, antelope, and smaller game, are 
 found in profusion; and all the streams and 
 lakes abound in fish ; large and delicious trout ; 
 making the park a paradise for the hunter and 
 sportsman. 
 
 To the artist, and lover of nature, are pre- 
 sented combinations of beauty in grand pan- 
 oramas and magnificent landscapes, that are 
 seldom equaled elsewhere. Snow-capped mount- 
 ains tower grandly above the valley, seeming to 
 pierce the clouds ; while at their feet are streams, 
 that now plunge into the depths of dark and 
 profound canons, and anon emerge into lovely 
 meadow-like valleys through which they wind 
 in graceful curves; often expanding into noble 
 lakes with pine fringed shores, or breaking into 
 picturesque falls and rapids. 
 
 To the student of science, few portions of the 
 globe present more that is calculated to instruct 
 or entertain. Strange phenomena are abundant. 
 
 In the crevices of rocks, which are the result of 
 volcanic action, are found almost all the known 
 varieties of hot springs and geysers. Geysers 
 like those of Iceland are here seen on a grander 
 scale. The wonderful " Te Tarata " Spring of 
 New Zealand, has its rival in the Mammoth Hot 
 Springs of Gardiner's River; while the mud 
 springs and mud geysers of Java have their rep- 
 resentatives. Sulphur and steam vents, that 
 are usually found in similar regions, are nu- 
 merous. 
 
 Captains Lewis and Clarke, in their explora- 
 tion of the head waters of the Missouri, in 1805, 
 seem to have heard nothing of the marvels at the 
 sources of the Madison and Yellowstone. They 
 placed Yellowstone Lake on their map, as a large 
 body of water, having in all probability, derived 
 their information from the Indians. 
 
 In later years, however, there began to be 
 rumors of burning plains, boiling springs, vol- 
 canoes that ejected water and mud ; great lakes, 
 and other wonders. The imagination was freely 
 drawn upon, and most astounding tales were 
 told, of petrified forests, peopled with petrified 
 Indians ; and animals turned to stone. Streams 
 were said to flow so rapidly over their rocky 
 beds, that the water became heated. 
 
 In 1859, Colonel Raynolds, of the United 
 States Corps of Engineers, passed entirely 
 around the Yellowstone Basin. He intended 
 going to the head of the Yellowstone, and down 
 the river, and across to the three forks of the 
 Missouri, but was unable to carry out his plans. 
 In 1869/a party under Cook and Folsom, visited 
 Yellowstone Lake and the Geyser Basins of the 
 Madison, but no report of their trip was pub- 
 lished. 
 
 The first trustworthy accounts given of the re- 
 gion, were the result of an expedition led by 
 General Washburn, the Surveyor-General of 
 
294 
 
 Montana, and escorted by a small body of U. S. 
 Cavalry, under Lieut. G. C. Doane, in 1870. 
 They spent about a month in the interesting 
 localities on the Yellowstone and Madison Riv- 
 ers, and Mr. -N. P. Langford made the results of 
 the exploration known to the world, in two ar- 
 ticles published in the second volume of Scrib- 
 ner's Magazine. Lieutenant Doane also made a 
 report to the War Department, which was pub- 
 lished by the government. (Ex. Doc., No. 51, 
 41st Congress). 
 
 In 1871, a large and thoroughly organized party 
 made a systematic survey, under the auspices of 
 the Department of the Interior, conducted by Dr. 
 Hayden, United States Geologist. He was accom- 
 panied, also, by a small party, under Brevet Col. 
 John W. Barlow, Chief Engineer of the Mili- 
 tary Department of the Missouri, who was sent 
 out by General Sheridan. 
 
 Through the accurate and detailed reports of 
 that exploration, the wonders of the Yellowstone 
 became widely known, both at home and abroad. 
 
 In February, 1872, the Congress of the United 
 States passed an act reserving an area of about 
 3,400 square miles, in the north-western corner 
 of Wyoming Territory, and intruding partially 
 upon Montana, withdrawing it from settlement, 
 occupancy, or sale, under the laws of the United 
 States ; dedicating and setting it apart as a pub- 
 lic Park, or pleasuring ground, for the benefit 
 and enjoyment of the people. 
 
 It extends from the 44th to the 45th parallel 
 of latitude, and from the 110th meridian to a 
 short distance beyond the lllth. Its general 
 elevation is high ; averaging about 6,000 feet ; or 
 nearly the height of Mount Washington, in the 
 White Mountains. The Mountain Ranges have 
 a general elevation from 9,000 to 10,000 feet 
 above sea level, although many sharp and rug- 
 ged peaks rise considerably above this. The 
 country is so elevated that it could scarcely ever 
 be available for agricultural purposes. The win- 
 ter extends far into the spring, and it is no un- 
 usual thing to find snow covering September's 
 flowers. 
 
 During July and August the weather is de- 
 lightful ; the thermometer rarely, if ever, rising 
 higher than 70 Fahrenheit. In the early morn- 
 ing, however, it often records 26 ; and some- 
 times falls as low as 10 or 12. The air is so 
 dry and invigorating that the cold is not felt as 
 much as higher temperatures are, in the moister 
 eastern climate. 
 
 Near the north-east corner of the Park, heads 
 Clarke's Fork, of the Yellowstone. From the 
 south-west, Snake River, or Lewis' Fork of the 
 Columbia, starts toward the Pacific ; while on 
 the western side, the Madison and Gallatin 
 Rivers, two of the three- branches that unite to 
 form the Missouri, have their origin. 
 
 We can climb a low ridge and see the water 
 flowing beneath our feet ; the streams on one side 
 
 destined to mingle with the mighty Pacific, and, 
 perhaps, to lave the shores of China and Japan ; 
 while those on the other, flow down the Missouri 
 and Mississippi Rivers, to be lost eventually in 
 I the great Atlantic. Who knows but that drops 
 of water, starting here in opposite directions, 
 may some day meet on an opposite quarter of 
 the globe? 
 
 The largest mass of water in the Park is the 
 Yellowstone Lake, which lies near the south- 
 eastern corner of the Park, from the upper part 
 of which the Yellowstone River flows in a north- 
 erly direction, and after a course of 1,300 miles, 
 reaches the Missouri, having descended about 
 7,000 feet. Thus we have here the heads, or 
 sources, of two of the largest rivers of the Conti- 
 nent, rising in close proximity to each other. 
 The divides, or water-sheds between them, are 
 comparatively low, and sometimes it is difficult 
 to say in which direction the water flows ; 
 whether to the Pacific, or to the Atlantic. 
 
 Routes to the National Park. There 
 are several routes to the wonder-land of the Na- 
 tional Park. The first, which is the most practi- 
 cable, the pleasantest, and the one in common 
 use. is the following, via Ogden : 
 
 Ogden, Utah, is reached from the East via the 
 Union Pacific Railroad, and connecting lines, 
 and from the West by the Central Pacific Rail- 
 road. 
 
 From Ogden, take the Utah Northern Railroad 
 to Franklin in Idaho Territory, whence there 
 is a stage line to Virginia City and Bozeman. 
 The tourist has the choice of starting from either 
 of these places, at both of which a complete out- 
 fit of supplies, animals and guides may be ob- 
 tained. 
 
 From Bozeman, the route is up the Yellow- 
 stone River and across to the Geyser Basins, and 
 thence by way of the Madison River to Virginia 
 City. This is the route that will be followed in 
 the description. There is a wagon road from 
 Bozeman to the Mammoth Hot Springs, where 
 there is said to be a hotel. 
 
 From Virginia City there is the choice of two 
 roads, one of which is to cross to the Madison 
 and follow the trail up the river through the 
 Second Canon to the Geyser Basins. The best, 
 however, is to follow the wagon road which is 
 completed to the Upper Geyser Basin. It leaves 
 the south-eastern limit of Virginia City, and 
 strikes the Madison near Wigwam Creek, where 
 it crosses the river and follows it to a point just 
 above the crossing of Lawrence Creek. Here it 
 recrosses and closely follows the river to Drift- 
 wood or Big Bend, three miles below the Second 
 Canon. It then leaves the Madison Valley and 
 crosses through Raynolds' Pass to Henry's Lake, 
 the head water of Henry's Fork of Snake River. 
 
 From Sawtelle's Ranche, on the lake, the road 
 follows the east shore of the lake for three miles 
 in a southerly direction, when it turns to the 
 
295 
 
 north-east and passes through Tyghee or Targee 
 Pass and down Beaver Dam Creek, over the 
 South Fork of the Madison, and strikes the 
 mouth of the Fire Hole Canon, 16 miles below 
 the Lower Geyser Basin. It then follows the 
 river closely, crossing twice before reaching the 
 basin. 
 
 From the basins, the route is either via Mud 
 Volcanoes, Shoshone Lake, or Yellowstone Lake, 
 to the Yellowstone and Bozeman. About a 
 month ought to be allowed for the round trip. 
 
 A second route, and one which shortens the 
 stage ride, is to purchase an outfit at Salt Lake, 
 or Ogden, and send it ahead to Market Lake, in 
 Snake River Valley, joining it via the railroad 
 to Franklin and stage line to Market Lake. 
 This saves about 230 miles of staging. It is 
 about 100 miles by a pack train trail from 
 Market Lake to Henry's Lake from which point 
 the Virginia City wagon road is followed to the 
 " Geyser Basins." 
 
 Another route from Market Lake, which is 
 long and somewhat out of the way, but more in- 
 teresting, as it gives an opportunity to visit 
 Mount Hayden and passes some magnificent 
 scenery, is to travel with a pack train up Pierre's 
 River, across Teton Pass, and up the main Snake 
 River to Shoshone Lake, whence the other points 
 of interest in the Park are readily reached. This 
 is one of the routes followed by the Hayden 
 Geological Survey in 1872. 
 
 Third. Camp Brown is a military post about 
 120 miles from Rawlins Springs Station on the 
 Union Pacific Railroad, with which it is con- 
 nected by a stage road. The trail from Camp 
 Brown to Yellowstone Lake is said to be easy 
 and the distance only about 140 miles. It crosses 
 the mountains at the head of the Upper Yellow- 
 stone River, which stream it follows to the lake. 
 
 Captain Jones, in 1873, surveyed a route from 
 Point of Rocks Station, on the Union Pacific 
 Railroad, via Camp Brown, the Wind River 
 Valley, and the head of Wind River to the Yel- 
 lowstone. He claims that it saves 482 miles in 
 reaching Yellowstone Lake. The great draw- 
 back is that it is often unsafe on account of 
 Indians, and very much obstructed by fallen 
 timber. 
 
 Fourth. There is the Missouri River route. 
 The river is navigable as far as Fort Benton 
 until late in the summer, and thence 140 miles 
 of staging will take us to Helena, 118 miles from 
 Bozeman. 
 
 From Bismark, the present terminus of the 
 Northern Pacific Railroad, a trip of ten or fifteen 
 days, will bring the traveler to Fort Benton. It 
 will be a tedious journey, however, over the 
 " bad lands " of Dakotah. 
 
 Another plan is to disembark at the mouth of 
 the Mussel Shell River, and having ordered 
 horses to be in readiness, to take the wagon trail 
 to the Crow Indian Agency at the Big Bend of 
 
 the Yellowstone. This would give 150 miles of 
 land travel through a prairie country abounding 
 in antelope and buffalo, and sometimes Indians. 
 
 The National Park may also be visited from 
 the British Possessions, and also by a road which 
 follows the Hell Gate and Bitter Root Rivers 
 from the west, from Walla Walla. 
 
 Otitfitting. A few words about outfitting 
 may be useful. 
 
 It is scarcely worth while to take wagons, as 
 they can be taken over only a portion of the 
 route, while a pack train may be taken any- 
 where. The latter is therefore preferable, and 
 for it a saddle animal apiece, and two pack 
 mules for every three persons, will be sufficient, 
 if too many delicacies are not carried. A better 
 allowance is one pack mule for every member of 
 the party. Two packers and a cook will be re- 
 quired. One of the former ought to be well ac- 
 quainted with the country, so as to act also in the 
 capacity of guide. A hunter will also be a 
 good addition to the party. Such men can easily 
 be found at Bozeman and Virginia City. 
 
 Thick woolen clothing, stout boots, and broad- 
 brimmed hats should be worn. Tents, plenty 
 of blankets, and hunting and fishing tackle 
 should not be neglected. In the way of provis- 
 ions, substantials are in order ; $25 per man, for a 
 month's trip, will be a liberal allowance. Pack 
 and saddle animals can be procured at Bozeman 
 or Virginia City, for from $ 60 to $125 apiece. 
 
 The following tables of distances, are com- 
 piled principally from the reports of the United 
 States Geological Survey : 
 
 Ogden, Utah, to Franklin, Idaho, by rail, 80} miles. 
 
 Franklin to Virginia City, Montana, (stage), 317 miles. 
 Virginia City to Bozeman, (stage), 66 miles. 
 
 Franklin to Market Lake. Snake River Valley, 152 miles. 
 Point of Rocks Station, Union Pacific Railroad 
 to Yellowstone Lake, by Captain Jones' route, 289 miles. 
 
 BOZEMAN TO GEYSER BASINS, via YELLOWSTONE RIVER. 
 
 Bozeman, miles. 
 
 Fort Ellis, 3 miles. 
 
 Divide between Spring and Trail Creeks, 16 miles. 
 
 Boteler's Ranche on Yellowstone River, 39 miles. 
 
 Foot of Second Canon of the Yellowstone, 52 miles. 
 
 Devil's Slide at Cinnabar Mountain, 60 miles. 
 
 Bridge near mouth of Gardiner's River, 68 miles. 
 
 Cache Valley, the mouth of East Fork of Yel- 
 lowstone, 84 miles. 
 
 Crossing of Tower Creek, 88 miles. 
 
 Divide on spur from Mount Washburn, 94 miles. 
 
 Crossing of Cascade Creek, 108 miles. 
 
 Mud Volcanoes, HT miles. 
 
 Yellowstone Lake at head of River, 124 miles. 
 
 Head of Yellowstone River, to Hot Springs on 
 
 South-west arm of Lake, 15 miles. 
 
 Hot Springs to Upper Geyser Basin, 15 miles. 
 
 Mud Volcanoes to Lower Geyser Basin, 24 miles. 
 
 Bridge near mouth of Gardiner's River, to 
 
 Mammpth Hot Springs, 4 miles. 
 
 MARKET LAKE TO YELLOWSTONE LAKE. 
 
 Market Lake, 
 Henry's Lake, 
 Tyghee Pass, 
 Gibbon's Fork, 
 Lower Geyser Basin, 
 Upper Geyser Basin, 
 Divide, 
 
 miles. 
 100 miles. 
 110 miles. 
 133 miles. 
 140 miles. 
 148 miles. 
 158 miles. 
 
296 
 
 Shosbone Geyser Basin, 
 
 Lewis Lake, 
 
 Hot Springs, Yellowstone Lake, 
 
 162 miles. 
 172 miles. 
 
 180 miles. 
 
 VIRGINIA CITY TO YELLOWSTONE LAKE, via WAGOK ROAD 
 TO GEYSER BASINS. 
 
 Virginia City, miles. 
 Madison River, half mile from Wigwam Creek, 14 miles. 
 
 Driftwood or Big Bend of Madison, 42 miles. 
 
 Henry's Lake, 60 miles. 
 
 Tyghee Pass, 63 miles. 
 
 Gibbons' Fork, 86 miles. 
 
 Lower Geyser Basin, 93 miles. 
 
 Upper Geyser Basin, 101 miles. 
 
 Yellowstone Lake, 116 miles. 
 
 The Yellowstone Vattey. Starting from 
 Bozeman, or Fort Ellis, three miles from the 
 former place, and one of the most important 
 military posts in the West, protecting, as it does, 
 the rich agricultural Gallatin Valley from the 
 incursions of the Indians, we follow up a small 
 branch of the East Gallatin, through a pictur- 
 esque canon, in which the road crosses and re- 
 crosses the stream many times, in the seven 
 miles of its length. 
 
 From the head of this creek we cross a low 
 saddle to Trail Creek, down which we proceed to 
 the valley of the Yellowstone. Long before we 
 reach it our eyes are greeted with the summits of 
 one of the most symmetrical and remarkable 
 ranges to be seen in the West; the Snowy Yel- 
 lowstone Range, standing on the eastern side of 
 the river. Sharp, jagged peaks and pyramidal 
 masses stand out boldly against the sky, their 
 snow-crowned heads glittering in the sunlight. 
 
 As we come into the valley, the first view is 
 grand and picturesque. The vista extends for 
 thirty miles along the river ; on the opposite side 
 the mountains rise magnificently. Emigrant 
 Peak, 10,629 feet above sea level and nearly 
 6,000 feet above the valley, stands at the 
 head of the range, and from its melting snows 
 are fed numerous streams that water the hills 
 and plains, sloping to the river. 
 
 About 40 miles from Bozeman we reach Bo- 
 teler's llanche. For a long time, the Boteler 
 brothers were the pioneers of civilization in this 
 region, and they have, with true liberality, en- 
 tertained numerous parties on their way to the 
 springs and lake. 
 
 From Boteler's to the Second Canon, a distance 
 of about 10 miles, the road keeps on the west 
 side of the river, skirting the base of low vol- 
 canic hills. 
 
 The Second Canon stands at the head of the 
 valley we have just described. It is a gorge less 
 than a mile in length, cut in granitic rocks, which 
 rise precipitously on either side for a thousand 
 feet or more. The road here iz really hewn from 
 the rock. The river, of a beautiful green color, 
 rushes furiously through the narrow pass, broken 
 into foam-capped waves by the rocks, which seem 
 to dispute its right of way. One of the most 
 agreeable features of the canon, and one rJso 
 which is not confined to it, is the abundance of 
 
 trout waiting to be drawn from its pools and 
 eddies. 
 
 Above the canon the valley widens, and we 
 pass over a sage brush covered bottom for about 
 ten miles, to the next point of interest, the 
 "Devil's Slide," at Cinnabar Mountain. This 
 curious freak of nature is somewhat like the 
 Slide in Weber Canon, on the Union Pacific 
 Railroad, but is on a much larger scale. Two 
 parallel walls of rock, each 50 feet wide and 300 
 feet high, extend from the summit of the mount- 
 ain to its base. They are separated about 150 
 feet ; the rock between, and on both sides, hav- 
 ing been removed by erosion. Their sides are as 
 even as if worked with line and plumb. On 
 either side of the main slide are smaller ones, 
 and in one, is a bright red band, 20 feet wide, 
 extending from the top to the bottom, about 
 1,500 feet. From this red band of clay, which 
 was mistaken for cinnabar, was given the name 
 Cinnabar Mountain. The earlier explorers of 
 these regions, the mountaineers and trappers, 
 were evidently impressed with the novelty of the 
 phenomena, and seem to have dedicated many of 
 the localities with satanic names, which from 
 their fitness, are not likely to be superseded. 
 Thus we have " Devil's Slide ; " " Hell Roaring 
 River;" "Fire-Hole Prairie ;"" Devil's Glen," 
 etc. 
 
 Above Cinnabar Mountain the valley is more 
 broken ; and we cross several ridges, strewn 
 with boulders of dark volcanic rocks, obsidian 
 chips, and beautiful specimens of chalcedony 
 and semi-opal. 
 
 Six miles above the slide, we come to the foot 
 of the Third Canon, where the Yellowstone is 
 joined by Gardiner's River, or Warm Spring 
 Creek, as it was originally called. Here we 
 leave the river to visit one of the crowning won- 
 ders of the region. 
 
 The Mammoth White Mountain Hot 
 Springs. This group of springs, is one of the 
 most remarkable within the limits of the Na- 
 tional Park, and as far as is known, has not its 
 equal in grandeur in the world. The Te Tarata 
 Spring of New Zealand, is the nearest approach 
 to it in appearance, but the formation is of 
 a different character; the Gardiner's River 
 Springs depositing calcareous material, while 
 that in New Zealand is siliceous, like the deposits 
 in the geyser region of Iceland, and in our own 
 geyser basins, at the head of the Madison. The 
 exploring party of 1870, did not discover these 
 springs, and the Hayden Exploring Expedition . 
 of 1871, was the first organized party that ever 
 visited them. 
 
 Leaving the Yellowstone, we keep some 300 
 or 400 feet above the level of the river for a 
 couple of miles, passing several small lakes, 
 when we descend to the bank of Gardiner's 
 River, on the eastern side of which is a high 
 bluff of cretaceous sandstones capped with a 
 
297 
 
 MTS. HAYDEN AND MOKAN. 
 
 layer of volcanic rock. On the edge of the 
 stream, we pass over a hard, calcareous crust, 
 in which we find several wann springs. At one 
 point we pass a considerable stream of hot water, 
 revealed by the clouds of steam rising from 
 it, flowing from beneath the crust into the river. 
 Turning to the right, we ascend the hill, made 
 of the same calcareous deposit, which gives forth 
 
 a hollow sound beneath the tread of our horses. 
 This jiill must have been the scene of active 
 springs ages ago. Xow, however, the deposit 
 has crumbled, and is overgrown with pines. 
 The springs once were much more numerous 
 and far more active than at present. 
 
 Ascending the hill, and turning to the left, we 
 come suddenly upon the marvelous scene. Be- 
 
298 
 
 fore us stands one of the finest of nature's archi- 
 tectural efforts, in a mass of snowy white de- 
 posits, 200 feet high. It has the appearance of 
 some grand cascade that has been suddenly ar- 
 rested in its descent, and frozen. The springs 
 are arranged on a series of terraces, that rise one 
 above the other like steps. There are fourteen 
 of these terraces with active springs, and others 
 in which they are extinct. 
 
 The deposits extend from the level of Gar- 
 diner's River, to the head of a gorge 1,000 feet 
 higher, a distance of over 5,000 feet. The 
 area occupied by it, including the extinct basins, 
 is about three square miles. 
 
 The lowest terrace is flat, and its basins are 
 very shallow and destitute of water. From their 
 midst rises the " Liberty Cap," a conical mass 
 about 50 feet high, composed of calcareous 
 sediment. The principal springs are contained 
 in the mass extending from the second to the 
 twelfth terraces, inclusive. Here the basins are 
 most perfect, surrounded with beautiful scal- 
 loped edges. The water falls from the upper 
 basins to the lower, becoming cooler as it de- 
 scends, so that water of almost any temperature 
 may be found in which to bathe. At the head 
 of the gulch are several mounds, in which there 
 are miniature geysers. The springs are changing 
 from year to year ; dying out in some places, and 
 breaking out in others. 
 
 Toward the head of Gardiner's River are 
 several beautiful cascades, and the scenery in 
 the vicinity of the springs is varied and beauti- 
 ful. We must wend our way up the river in 
 search of new wonders. We can follow either of 
 two trails ; one up the Yellowstone River, and 
 the other up Gardiner's River. Both trails 
 eventually unite, and lead us to the mouth of 
 the East Fork of the Yellowstone, about 20 
 miles from Gardiner's River. A trip up the East 
 Fork will repay the tourist. The scenery is 
 grand beyond description. At the extreme 
 sources is a chaotic mass of peaks, from the 
 water-shed between the East Fork, and Clarke's 
 Fork. We pass by the cone of an extinct 
 geyser, and Amethyst Mountain, on whose sum- 
 mit may be found beautiful amethyst crystals 
 imbedded in volcanic rocks. 
 
 Tower Creek and Falls. Tower Creek 
 is about three miles above the bridge that crosses 
 the Yellowstone, near the mouth of the East 
 Fork. The trail keeps on the west side of the 
 river, and reaches the creek a short distance 
 above the fall, which is one of the most pictur- 
 esque in the Park. Tower Creek is a swift 
 mountain torrent, which, breaking into rapids, 
 suddenly dashes over a ledge of rock and falls 
 in one clean sweep 156 feet, to a rounded basin, 
 cut from the solid rock, and then hurries on 
 through a short canon, to join the Yellowstone. 
 The rocks about the fall have been so eroded as 
 to leave tower-like masses, from 50 to 100 feet 
 
 high. Two of them stand on either side, at the 
 edge of the fall, like huge giants. Let us ascend 
 one. Hold on tightly, and look down. The 
 edge of the fall is full 100 feet below, and the 
 foot 156 feet farther. There are a few unim- 
 portant sulphur springs on the river, and oppo- 
 site the falls are Column Rocks, exposed in a 
 bluff 346 feet high. There are three rows of 
 basaltic columns from 15 to 30 feet high ; the 
 beds between are infiltrated with sulphur, giving 
 them a bright yellow color. A short distance 
 above the mouth of Tower Creek, is the lower 
 end of the " Grand Canon " of the Yellowstone, 
 and the trail now leaves the river to pass around 
 the western base of Mount Washburn. This is 
 one of the highest peaks in the neighborhood, 
 rising 10,388 feet above sea level. An hour's ride 
 will take the traveler to its summit, from which 
 a view of the country in every direction is com- 
 manded, which well repays one the tedious climb. 
 At the foot of the mountain, on the south-east- 
 ern side, is a group of mud and sulphur springs 
 which have been called the " Hell Broth Springs." 
 To reach them, the best way is to camp a little 
 more than a mile from the top of the range, on 
 a small stream which is followed for about a 
 mile. A plain trail leads from the springs to the 
 falls of the Yellowstone, which will be our next 
 stopping place. The best camping places are on 
 Cascade Creek, about 18 miles from Tower 
 Creek. This small stream is parallel to the Yel- 
 lowstone for the greater part of its course, al- 
 though flowing in the opposite direction, a little 
 over a mile from the river. It soon turns at 
 right angles and joins the river about midway 
 between the Upper and Lower Falls. Just be- 
 fore it reaches the main stream it passes through 
 a deep and gloomy gorge, where it breaks into a 
 cascade of exceeding beauty called " Crystal 
 Falls." Its height is 129 feet. The water first 
 falls but five feet, and then down it goes fifteen 
 feet, falling into a beautiful rounded basin in 
 which the clear water is perfectly placid. From 
 this basin the final leap over the rocky ledges is 
 taken. 
 
 Flls of the Yellowstone and Grand 
 Canon. No language can do justice to the 
 wonderful grandeur and beauty of the Grand 
 Canon. In some respects it is the greatest won- 
 der of all. 
 
 It is a gorge carved by the river in volcanic 
 rocks, to a depth increasing from nearly a thou- 
 sand feet to over two thousand. Its length is 
 about thirty miles. The walls are inclined from 
 45 a to 80, and in many places become vertical. 
 They are eroded into towers, spires, and min- 
 arets. The striking feature of the remarkable 
 view is the brilliancy of the colors. The pure 
 whites of the decomposing feldspar are mingled 
 with sulphur yellows, and streaked with bands of 
 bright red, colored with iron. Dense pine forests 
 extend to the edge of the canon. At the bottom 
 
299 
 
 of the chasm is the river, 
 boiling and surging as 
 it goes. The descent to 
 the edge is best accom- 
 plished on the eastern 
 side. Reaching the bot- 
 tom, we hear nothing save 
 the distant thunder of 
 the fall and the roaring 
 of the water as the furi- 
 ously agitated waves dash 
 against the solid rock 
 at our feet, seeming to pro- 
 test against their impris- 
 onment. At the top, the 
 tall pines form a green 
 margin to the rocky 
 walls. 
 
 On the right side near 
 the verge of the wall, 
 is a collection of springs, 
 mostly mud springs, in 
 which the mud is of vary- 
 ing consistency. 
 
 At the head of the 
 canon, are the Lower or 
 Great Falls of the Yellow- 
 stone. Long before we 
 reach the brink, we hear 
 the suppressed roar, 
 resembling distant thun- 
 der. The best views are 
 obtained from a point 
 on the canon wall, a 
 quarter of a mile far- 
 ther down, and from the 
 brink of the precipice 
 over which the river 
 plunges. Let us approach 
 and look over. Down, 
 down goes the whirl- 
 ing mass, writhing and 
 battling with the rocks, 
 against which it dashes 
 with a noise like the dis- 
 charge of heavy artillery. Here and there, a 
 resisting rock is met, and the water rebounds, 
 broken into myriads of drops, which throw 
 back to us the sunlight resolved into its primi- 
 tive colors. The bottom reached, the column 
 breaks into an immense cloud of spray, whose 
 moisture nourishes the vegetation on the walls 
 near the fall. The river, before it pours over 
 the edge, narrows to about a hundred feet. 
 The height of the fall has been variously 
 given. The measurement with a line in 1870, 
 gave 350 feet as" the result. Triangulation from 
 a base line on the edge of the canon, by the 
 Geological Survey in 1872, made it 397 feet, 
 and a barometrical measurement in 1873, by 
 Captain Jones, made it 328.7 feet. 
 
 The Upper Falls are about a quarter of a mile 
 
 ASCENDING THE GLACIKKS <> 
 
300 
 
 LOWER FALLS OF THE YELLOWSTONE. 
 
 above the Lower Falls. Between them, the 
 river is in a canon whose depth is from 100 to 
 300 feet. Near the Lower Falls it is a succes- 
 sion of rapids. The two falls are very unlike, 
 but equally interesting, the Upper perhaps not 
 possessing as much of grandeur as the Lower. 
 The height of the former is 140 feet. The river 
 
 above is broken into rapids, and, reaching the 
 edge, the entire volume of water seems to be 
 hurled off the precipice with terrific force, so 
 that the mass is broken into most beautiful 
 snow-white drops, presenting, at a distance, the 
 appearance of snowy foam. Midway in its 
 descent a ledge of rock is met with, which car- 
 
301 
 
 ries it away from the vertical base of the preci- 
 pice. The water has worn a circular basin in 
 the hard rock. From any point, the view is 
 striking and picturesque. What it lacks in sub- 
 limity is compensated for by its beauty. 
 
 Crater Hills and Mud Volcanoes. 
 Leaving the falls, the trail leads us up the river, 
 and soon brings us out into a level prairie 
 country, through which the Yellowstone flows 
 peacefully between low, verdant banks, and over 
 pebbly bottoms, or treacherous quicksands, 
 giving no intimation of its struggles below. 
 We seem to have left everything terrific and 
 diabolic behind us. Stopping to drink at a 
 beautiful looking creek, we find it impregnated 
 with alum. This is Alum Creek, which has its 
 source in the springs about Crater Hills, six 
 miles above the falls. The best camping place 
 will be found three miles farther on, at Mud 
 Volcanoes, from which point the springs in this 
 part of the valley can be visited. They are 
 found on both sides of the river. At the head of 
 some of the branches of Warm Spring Creek, are 
 sulphur and mud springs, and on the eastern side 
 of the river, numerous mud springs are found. 
 
 Crossing Alum Creek, we soon find ourselves 
 at Crater Hills, two high conical white hills, 
 about 200 feet high, around the base of which 
 are hot springs and steam jets. One of the 
 latter is called the " Locomotive Jet " from the 
 noise made by the escaping steam. The princi- 
 pal spring is the "Boiling Sulphur Spring." 
 It is about 12 feet in diameter, and encircled by 
 a beautifully encrusted collar-like rim. The 
 water is constantly agitated, rising from three to 
 four feet above the basin like some huge caldron. 
 Crossing through a narrow belt of timber, a 
 short distance east of this spring, we come upon 
 a group of active mud and sulphur springs, all 
 tasting strongly of alum. The noise made by 
 the boiling mud, the scream of the steam jets, the 
 plop-plop of the smaller mud-pots, the puffing 
 and throbbing of the larger ones, and the sul- 
 phurous odors that fill the air, combined with 
 the treacherous nature of the ground beneath 
 us, give rise to feelings that are difficult to 
 analyze. 
 
 At Mud Volcanoes, we find new wonders in 
 the "Devil's Caldron," "The Grotto," "The 
 Mud Geyser," and a host of smaller springs. 
 
 The presence of the "Caldron," is made 
 known by the immense column of steam, which 
 is continually rising from it. It is on the side 
 of a low hill. The steam generally obscures the 
 view of the seething mass of blackish mud, 
 which is 20 feet below the surface. The trees 
 all about the crater, are coated with mud which 
 it is supposed has been ejected during an erup- 
 tion of this mud geyser. It does not boil with 
 an impulse like most of the mud springs, but 
 with a constant roar that shakes the ground 
 and may be heard at a considerable distance. 
 
 About 200 yards from the " Caldron " at the 
 head of the rivulet, which drains the group of 
 springs, is the " Grotto." It is a sort of cave in 
 the rock. The orifice is about 15 feet high, and 
 slopes gradually inward for about 20 feet. 
 From this cavern at regular intervals of a few 
 seconds, there bursts forth a mass of steam, with 
 a pulsation that causes the earth to throb, while 
 a small stream, clear as crystal, but absurdly 
 disproportionate to the amount of noise, flows 
 from the mouth of the cavern. The steam is so 
 hot, that only when the breeze wafts it aside, 
 can we look into the opening. 
 
 The " Muddy Geyser " has a funnel-shaped 
 basin, 60 feet in diameter, which is in the midst 
 of a basin measuring 200 feet by 150 feet with 
 sloping sides of clay and sand. The flow takes 
 place at intervals of from four to six hours, last- 
 ing from twelve to sixteen minutes each. The 
 water, mingled with mud, rises gradually until 
 the basin is filled to the level of the brim, when 
 a slight bubbling commences near the center. 
 
 Suddenly it is thrown into violent confusion, 
 and an irregular mass of lead colored mud and 
 water is thrown into the air with irregular pul- 
 sations. The height attained is 15 to 40 feet. 
 At the end of the eruption the water sinks into 
 the funnel-shaped orifice, to go through the same 
 operation in a few hours. 
 
 From Mud Volcanoes we can go either to the 
 Geyser Basins of Fire Hole River, or to Yellow- 
 stone Lake. To the former, the distance is about 
 19 miles and to the latter, only a little over 
 seven miles. A trail is found on both sides of 
 the river and late in the season the river is easily 
 forded. The trail on the eastern side will lead 
 us to Pelican Creek, Steamboat Point, and Brim- 
 stone Basin on the eastern side of the lake, from 
 which we can go around the southern bays to the 
 Hot Springs, on the south-west arm of the lake, 
 to which the trail on the western side of the 
 river will also lead us. There are several in- 
 teresting Mud Springs, opposite Mud Volcanoes, 
 on the east side of the Yellowstone. 
 
 Yellowstone Lake. This beautiful sheet 
 of water is more than twenty miles in length 
 and fifteen in width. Its form has not inaptly 
 been compared to that of an outspread hand 
 the northern or main body representing the 
 palm, while the south-western bay represents the 
 thumb considerably swollen, the other bays cor- 
 responding to the fingers, two being small, and 
 the others disproportionately large. 
 
 The elevation of the lake, from measurements 
 made by the United States Geological Survey, 
 is 7,427/feet above sea level. Its depth is from 
 one and a half to fifty fathoms. Its shore line 
 measures over three hundred miles, presenting 
 some of the loveliest shore lines, especially at 
 Mary's Bay on the east side, south of Steamboat 
 Point. Here, also, is Diamond Beach,' a broad 
 and level sand beach extending for five miles. 
 
302 
 
 The sand is composed of particles of obsidian 
 (volcanic glass) quartz, and chalcedonies that 
 sparkle in the sunlight. 
 
 The western side of the lake is covered with 
 pine forests, as is the southern end, where also 
 there are many lakelets, and considerable marshy 
 ground. There are no high mountains in this 
 direction, low, broad hills forming the water-shed 
 between the lake and the sources of Snake 
 River. One can cross almost anywhere to the 
 Shoshone Geyser Basin. The eastern side of 
 the lake is also well wooded, but more broken by 
 small open prairies. The country on this side 
 soon rises into a grand mountain range from 
 which numerous volcanic peaks rise. Prominent 
 among them are Mts. Stevenson and Doane. 
 The interesting localities of the lake on the 
 eastern side are " Brimstone Basin," " Steam 
 Point " and " Steamboat Springs, " " Turbid 
 Lake " and the Springs of Pelican Creek and 
 Sulphur Hills. On the south-western arm also, 
 
 characteristic, notwithstanding the name. The 
 period of greatest activity of all the springs here 
 is past, and they are gradually dying out. 
 
 The spi'ings on the shore of the south-western 
 arm of the lake, occupy an area of about three 
 miles in length, and half a mile in width. There 
 are no geysers. Some of the springs are found 
 in conical, siliceous mounds, rising from the 
 water of the lake near the shore. One of these 
 is named the " Fish Pot," from the fact that 
 while standing on its crater, one may extend his 
 fishing-rod, catch trout, and turning, may cook 
 them in the spring. About four hundred yards 
 from the shore is a basin of boiling, pink-colored 
 mud with conical mud craters, from which the 
 mud is ejected. There are also a number of cleai-, 
 flowing springs of hot water, and numerous 
 springs of boiling, muddy water varying in color 
 from white to dark yellow. 
 
 The next point of interest after Yellowstone 
 Lake is the Geyser Region of Fire Hole River, or 
 
 YELLOWSTONE LAKE. 
 
 is an interesting group of springs. " Brimstone 
 Basin " is south-east of Steam Point, and marks 
 the seat of once active springs, evidenced by the 
 deposits. The stream flowing through them is 
 strongly impregnated with alum. At Steam 
 Point, besides the springs, are several steam jets. 
 From one the steam escapes with a noise resem- 
 bling that made by the escape of steam from a 
 large steamboat. Others resemble the escape 
 of steam from the cylinders of a locomotive. 
 Springs are found on the shore of the lake be- 
 tween Steam Point and Pelican Creek and along 
 the course of the latter stream. At Turbid 
 Lake, two miles east of the lake and back of 
 Steam Point, the springs are mud springs and 
 sulphur vents. The water of the lake itself is 
 made turbid by the springs in its midst and on 
 the shores. Sulphur Hills are between Pelican 
 Creek and the Yellowstone. Sulphur is not 
 
 the Upper Madison. From the group of springs, 
 a trail, striking nearly due west, will bring us 
 to the head of the " Upper Geyser Basin," a dis- 
 tance of about fifteen miles. We may also keep 
 more to the south and visit the geysers of Sho- 
 shone Lake, on the way, or we may return to 
 Mud Volcanoes and cross to the East Fork of 
 Fire Hole River, and visit the "Lower Geyser 
 Basin " first, which is, perhaps, the- best course, 
 as the springs of the Lower Basin will seem less 
 interesting after the greater wonders of the 
 Upper Basin have been seen. 
 
 Geyser Basins of Fire ITofe River. 
 The geyser basins of the Upper Madison in- 
 clude, altogether, about seventy-five square miles. 
 In this area are thousands of springs and gey- 
 sers, ranging in temperature from the boiling 
 point to cold. Their description would occupy 
 the space of a volume. Only the salient features 
 
303 
 
 can be given here. The springs are divisible 
 into three classes : 1st. True geysers which are 
 agitated at stated intervals, and from which the 
 water is projected. 2d. Those which are con- 
 stantly agitated or always boiling. They rarely 
 have eruptions ; most of the mud springs can 
 also be included under this division. 3d. Those 
 which are always tranquil. In the latter, the 
 water is generally of a lower temperature, and 
 has a beautiful blue color, or often a green tint 
 like that of the beryl. In springs of the very 
 lowest temperatures there is often a low form of 
 gelatinous vegetable growth. 
 
 Some of the springs of the Lower Basin merit 
 the title of small lakes. They are divided on 
 the maps into eight groups. The first is on the 
 East Fork; the second is about a mile farther 
 to the south, and the third, fourth, and fifth 
 groups still farther south on the east side of the 
 basin. In the third group are the Fountain 
 Geyser, and the Mud Puffs, both worthy a visit. 
 In the fifth group is the Architectural Geyser, 
 probably the most powerful in the " Lower 
 Basin." 
 
 The sixth gi'oup is on the main river above the 
 mouth of Fairy Fall Creek, the seventh is on the 
 latter stream, and the eighth on Sentinel Creek, 
 a stream joining the Fire Hole below Fairy Fall 
 Creek. There are but about half a dozen real 
 geysers in the Lower Basin, but craters are seen 
 which must once have been active spouters. The 
 deposits are siliceous, as is the case with the Up- 
 per Basin. There are many places where the 
 springs are extinct, nothing remaining save the 
 glaring white sediment. The scalloped rims ex- 
 tending out over the water, like cakes of ice, and 
 the corrugated sides of the basins are exceedingly 
 beautiful. Before leaving the Lower Basin, we 
 must visit Fairy Falls, a very pretty miniature 
 cascade at the head of Fairy Fall Creek. From 
 the mouth of the latter creek, to the mouth of 
 Iron Spring Creek, which marks the lower bound- 
 ary of the Upper Basin, the distance is five 
 miles in an air line. About midway are the Half- 
 way Springs. The principal one is a huge cal- 
 dron, 250 feet in diameter, with walls about 20 
 feet high. It is in constant agitation, giving off 
 clouds of steam. On one side, the wall is broken 
 down, and thence the surplus water flows into 
 the river, through numerous channels whose beds 
 are lined with scarlet, yellow, and green, which 
 contrast boldly with the white siliceous sinter 
 surrounding the spring. Farther back from the 
 river, on a slight eminence, is an almost circular 
 spring, 150 feet in diameter. 
 
 The journey from one basin to the other is 
 suggestive of the infernal regions. The trail 
 keeps near the river, which is warm, fed as it is 
 by so many hot streams. The ground sounds 
 hollow under foot. We wind in and out among 
 holes from which steam and sulphurous odors 
 escape, past great yawning caverns and cisterns 
 
 of bubbling, seething water and mud. The air 
 is full of strange noises, and we feel as though 
 we were on dangerous ground, through which 
 we may break at any moment and descend to 
 flames beneath. Again we pass pools of trans- 
 lucent water, in whose azure depths we can not 
 see the bottom of the siliceous basins. 
 
 We also cross boiling streams which flow over 
 hard beds colored green, yellow, and red, from 
 the deposition of mineral ingredients by the 
 evaporation of the water. 
 
 Upper Geyser Basin. The Upper Geyser 
 Basin has been called the Great Basin, because 
 it contains the principal geysers. It is about 
 two miles long, and will probably average half 
 a mile in width. The best view is obtained 
 from the crater of " Old Faithful," at the upper 
 end. Through the Lower Basin the course of 
 the river is almost due north, while in the upper, 
 it flows west of north. Its banks are made of 
 geyserite, the siliceous deposit of the springs, 
 which is literally honeycombed with springs, pools 
 and geysers, that are constantly gurgling, spit- 
 ting, steaming, roaring, and exploding. To de- 
 scribe all the geysers would require more space 
 than can be spared, and I will therefore refer 
 only to the principal ones, hoping the reader will 
 take the trip and see the wonders of the Yellow- 
 stone for himself, which is really the only way 
 in which they can be appreciated, for any de- 
 scription must always fall short of the reality. 
 Entering the Upper Basin from the north, we 
 pass a series of rapids at the upper end of which 
 we enter the gateway, as it were, guarded by two 
 sentinel geysers, one on either side of the river ; 
 that on the left being the most active. 
 
 Following the river for about two hundred and 
 fifty yards, we reach the " Fan Geyser," where 
 there are several orifices from which the water 
 radiates, the streams crossing each other and 
 producing a fan-shaped eruption. A short dis- 
 tance above, on the opposite side of the river, is 
 the " Grotto Geyser " which is easily recognized 
 by the peculiar form of its crater, from which it 
 takes its name. There are two orifices, the 
 principal one being in the larger and more irreg- 
 ular mound, which is eight feet high, while the 
 smaller one is only four feet high. The inter- 
 val between its eruptions is unknown. It throws 
 a column of water and steam from 40 to 60 feet 
 above its crater. Several hundred yards farther 
 back from the river, south-west from the " Grotto," 
 are the " Pyramid," " Punch Bowl," " Bath Tub," 
 and " Black Sand " Geysers. 
 
 The " Giant " is about 400 feet south-east of 
 the "Grotto." It has a rough, cone-like crater, 
 ten feet high, with one side broken down. The 
 orifice from which the water is expelled is about 
 five feet in diameter. This curious crater is near 
 the river's edge, on a platform of deposit measur- 
 ing 342 yards in circumference. It has seldom 
 been seen in eruption. Langford gives the 
 
SCENES IN THE YELLOWSTONE PARK. 
 1. Jupiter's Baths and Soda Mountain. 2. Valley of the Yellowstone. 
 
305 
 
 height as 140 feet in 1870. It was also seen in 
 action in 1874, but the height was not measured. 
 Following up the river on the south-west side, 
 we next stop at the " Castle." It is a cone, ris- 
 ing a little over 11 feet above an irregular plat- 
 form of sinter, that measures 75 by 100 feet, and 
 is three feet high. The orifice of the geyser 
 tube is three feet in diameter, and circular, and 
 its throat is lined with large orange-colored 
 globular masses. In 1870, its eruption threw a 
 column of water 140 feet above its crater, con- 
 tinuing three hours. In 1872, the maximum 
 height observed was 93 feet and the duration 
 fifteen minutes, after which steam escaped with 
 a pulsating movement, the whole display lasting 
 about an hour and twenty minutes. In 1874, 
 the same succession of water and steam was 
 noticed, the former lasting twenty minutes, and 
 attaining an estimated height of 250 feet, and 
 the latter lasting about forty minutes longer. 
 The noise of the eruption is indescribable. Im- 
 agine a gigantic pot with a thunder-storm in its 
 stomach, and to the noises of elemental war, add 
 the shrieking of steam pipes and you will have 
 a faint idea of it. After the eruption, the ex- 
 hausted geyser sinks into complete repose. 
 
 Near the " Castle " is a beautiful blue hot 
 spring, which has been given the fanciful name of 
 " Circes Voudoir." The water is perfectly trans- 
 parent, and so intensely blue that you involun- 
 tarily plunge your hand in to see if it is water. 
 The basin is of pure white silica, looking like 
 marble. It is about 20 feet in diameter, and has 
 a beautiful and regular scalloped margin. The 
 white basin slopes to a funnel-shaped opening 
 which is 40 feet deep, and here the water is in- 
 tensely blue, its temperature 180 Fahrenheit. 
 
 " Old Faithful," standing at the head of the 
 valley, is so named from the regularity of its 
 spouting. Its mouth is six feet by two, in a 
 siliceous mound that rises 11 feet above the gen- 
 eral level. On this mound are small basins 
 whose edges are ornamented with bead-like silica. 
 The eruptions commence with a few abortive 
 attempts, followed by a rapid succession of jets 
 which soon reach the maximum, and then sub- 
 side, only steam escaping from the orifice. The 
 average interval between the eruptions observed 
 in 1872, was one hour, two and three-quarter 
 minutes, and the average duration four minutes, 
 fifty-three seconds. As observed by Captain 
 Jones' party in 1873, the interval was fifty- 
 six minutes and forty seconds, and the dura- 
 tion four minutes and thirty-three and one-half 
 seconds. The height of the column was esti- 
 mated at nearly 150 feet. The greatest height 
 measured in 1872, out of seventeen eruptions, 
 was 130 feet. The " Bee Hive " is on the op- 
 posite side of the river, nearly due north of " Old 
 Faithful," and about 300 yards distant. It is 
 near the river and readily recognized by its 
 cone three feet high, and about three feet in 
 20 
 
 diameter. From this cone the water is pro- 
 jected with great force in a steady stream. The 
 column is fan shaped. No water falls back, but 
 it seems to be all resolved into vapor. The 
 length of the eruptions is from four to fifteen 
 minutes, and the interval unknown. The col- 
 umn rises from 100 to 250 feet. 
 
 Two hundred yards back of the Bee Hive, is 
 the " Giantess," which has a large basin 23 by 32 
 feet. It is on the summit of a gently sloping 
 siliceous mound. Its eruptions are very irregu- 
 lar. They last from 8 to 18 minutes. The only 
 eruption measured in 1872, was 69 feet. An 
 immense mass of water was thrown up. Other 
 estimates have given the height as 60, 200, 
 and 250 feet. 
 
 Farther down the river and opposite the 
 castle, from which it is distant 460 yards, is the 
 " Grand Geyser." One would scarcely take it 
 for an important geyser, unless he witnessed one 
 of its spoutings ; for, unlike the others, it has no 
 raised crater. Its basin which is 52 feet in 
 diameter, is depressed a foot below the general 
 level. The mouth of the geyser tube in the cen- 
 ter, measures four feet by two feet, and from this, 
 about once in 24 hours, a column is thrown to the 
 height of from 175 feet to 250 feet. The eruption 
 generally consists of three periods, after each of 
 which the water sinks completely out of sight. 
 Near the " Grand " are the " Saw Mill " and the 
 " Turban." The latter is only a few feet from 
 the " Grand," and will be known by the globular 
 masses that look like huge squashes, and are 
 easily seen lining the sides and bottom of the 
 crater when the water has di:r>peared from the 
 basin. The eruptions are unimportant. Still 
 farther down the river, and nearly opposite the 
 "Grotto," is the "Riverside" which brings us 
 back nearly to the place we started. A visit to 
 Iron Spring Creek, is well worth taking. Near 
 its mouth, on the north side, is the " Soda 
 Geysers " group. 
 
 Fair camps are easily found in the " Lower 
 | Geyser Basin." 
 
 In the " Upper Basin," a good camp for a 
 small party is in a grove near the " Castle." An- 
 other is found about a quarter of a mile 
 higher up. 
 
 The trail to the " Shoshone Geyser Basin " leads 
 up the Fire Hole River, and a short distance 
 above the " Upper Basin," we pass a fall 60 feet 
 high, that is worthy a visit from all who would 
 see the beauties as well as the wonders of the 
 region. It somewhat resembles the Middle Fall 
 at Trenton, New York. Above the falls, the 
 trail cro/sses the river to avoid swampy ground, 
 and keeps on the bounding ridge of hills on the 
 west. The narrow valley expands, and we soon 
 enter a third geyser basin with several groups of 
 springs, and one geyser called the " Solitary." 
 It has a dome-shaped mound, 15 feet in diam- 
 eter and 11 to 14 feet high, covered with elegant 
 
306 
 
 pearly bead-work, and 
 striped vertically with 
 bands of white, dark green, 
 brownish black, and vari- 
 ous shades of orange and 
 yellow, the white being ordinary geyserite, while 
 the other colors are purely vegetable. 
 
 In the top of the mound are several openings, 
 the larger about three inches in diameter, from 
 which a stream of water is thrown 20 to 50 feet 
 and even to 70 feet, mostly in drops, with much 
 steam. The amount of water is small, yet is 
 erupted with great force, reminding one of the 
 eruptions of the " Castle." The spouting is at 
 
 intervals of about two 
 hours. The elevation of 
 this " Upper Basin," is 
 
 7,770 feet, while that of the Upper Geyser Basin, 
 proper, is from 7,800 to 7,400. On a small 
 stream coming into the basin from the west, 
 about a quarter of a mile from the river, is 
 a fine cascade 130 feet high. The river rises 
 in a small lake to which the name Madison 
 Lake is given. From here the trail runs 
 due east to Shoshone Lake, which is one of 
 the sources of Snake River, giving origin to the 
 main stream. From the " Upper Geyser Basin " 
 to Madison Lake, is about ten miles, and from 
 this lake to the Shoshone Geysers, the distance 
 is about four miles. The trail is not very good, 
 there being considerable fallen timber through 
 the region to be traversed. 
 
 Mount Blackmore. This mountain, pre- 
 vious to 1872, was practically unnamed and un- 
 known. It is situated in the heart of the Rocky 
 Mountains, in Montana Territory, and at its 
 base are the sources of the Gallatin River, which, 
 
307 
 
 with the Jefferson and Madison Rivers, help 
 form the mighty Missouri. 
 
 It was discovered by the Hayden Exploration 
 Party of 1872, and received its name under the 
 
 PALACE BUTTE. 
 
 following circumstances : While camped at 
 Fort Ellis, and making preparations for the ex- 
 plorations of the famous Yellowstone Expedition, 
 the party was joined by Mr. William Blackmore, 
 of London, one of Eng- 
 land's scientific men. With 
 him came his wife, who was 
 anxious to see some of the 
 beauties and wonders of 
 our famous Yellowstone 
 National Park. The 
 fatigue and hardships of 
 the journey from Corinne 
 to Bozeman, 600 miles of 
 staging, proved too much. 
 On arrival at Bozeman, she 
 was taken ill, and after a 
 sickness of but two days, 
 she died. Her grave lies at 
 the foot of a mountain 
 range, from which there 
 rises a grand peak, stand- 
 ing up like a huge monu- 
 ment to her memory. To 
 this peak the party gave the 
 name of Mt. Blackmore. 
 The height above the sea is 
 10,134 feet. The ascent is 
 exceedingly difficult, and 
 required over four days 
 by the party who succeed- 
 ed, and the scene from 
 the summit is inexpress- 
 ibly grand, and the field 
 of vision is immense. 
 Here a bird's-eye view is 
 gained of the Gallatin 
 River for over 40 miles of 
 its course ; in the distance 
 is the Missouri. Next are 
 the Jefferson and Madison 
 Rivers, and southward 
 is a country whose ap- 
 pearance is rough be- 
 yond imagination. Peak 
 upon peak looms up against 
 the horizon the Snowy 
 Range of the Yellowstone, 
 with its high points, and 
 the Madison Range with 
 its numerous peak-capped 
 summits. Nearly at the 
 summit of Mt. Blackmore 
 is the crater of an extinct 
 volcano, and the peak itself 
 is composed of black basalt 
 and a brick-red lava. On 
 the western and northern 
 sides there is an almost 
 perpendicular w a J J , too 
 steep to hold any snow, in 
 lodgment. 
 
308 
 
 Palace Butte. In ascending Mt. Black- 
 more, the Hay den Party passed through a lovely 
 little park about a quarter of a mile in length, 
 and almost oval in shape, bordered on all sides 
 by a line of grand old trees, whose symmetry 
 would have graced the finest artificial park in 
 the world. Back of these trees, on the east, ris- 
 ing to the height of over 3,000 feet above us, 
 stood an almost blank wall of volcanic rock, the 
 prevailing tint of which was a somber black, re- 
 lieved here and there with streaks of red and 
 green, as though it had been painted. This wall 
 was surmounted by dome and spire-like points of 
 rock, in whose crevices lay deep banks of snow. 
 On the western side of the park, across the creek, 
 was a second wall similar in character to the 
 first. The effects of the weather had given curi- 
 ous architectural resemblances. It did not re- 
 quire a very vivid imagination to trace castles 
 and fortress walls on the face of the wall. At 
 the head of the park stands a monument-like 
 pile of rocks, to which we gave the name of 
 Palace Butte, and the park we call Palace Park. 
 The butte rises in an almost dome-shaped mass 
 from a blank wall, on whose sides we can distin- 
 guish narrow, silver-like lines, reaching from the 
 top down, until they are hidden behind the trees. 
 These, we afterward discovered, are waterfalls 
 fed by the snows above. Without any visible 
 means of support, they seem to cling to the rock 
 for protection. The scene as we came into the 
 park was so strikingly grand, that we could not 
 restrain our exclamations, and it was some time 
 before we became composed enough to arrange 
 our camp 
 
 Shoshone Lake Geysers. In beauty the 
 springs of the Shoshone Basin, are probably un- 
 surpassed although the geysers are less active 
 than those of the Fire Hole. 
 
 They are at the extreme western end of the 
 western arm of the lake, on Shoshone Creek, up 
 which they extend for about half a mile on both 
 sides. 
 
 The most important geyser is the " Union 
 Geyser," so called because it combines the vari- 
 ous forms of geyseric action. It has three 
 vents, each of which has built up a small cone. 
 Its eruptions are irregular, the height being from 
 70 to 92 feet. Its location is on the east side of 
 the creek, opposite Quick Run. One hundred 
 yards up the stream on the same side, at the 
 point of a hill, are the " Minute Man " and the 
 " Shield Geyser." The former has a beautifully 
 beaded crater four feet high, and its jets reach 
 an altitude of from 30 to 40 feet. The shield 
 has an ornamented mound with a shield-shaped 
 opening. Between these geysers is the " Rosette 
 Spring " in whose shallow waters are thin leaved 
 rosette-shaped masses. A rocky knoll intervenes 
 between this and the " Bulging Spring." From 
 the latter, large bubbles of steam escape with a 
 sound like that of liquid pouring from the bung 
 
 of an overturned barrel. Forty feet beyond, is 
 the " Soap Kettle " in which dirty colored water 
 is boiling, covered with foam, looking like dirty 
 soapsuds. Still farther on are the " Black Sul- 
 phur Geyser," "The Twins," "The Little 
 Giant," " The Iron Conch," " The Coral Pool," 
 and a host of smaller springs, the description of 
 which would be but a repetition of those already 
 given. 
 
 Hot springs are found also on Lewis Lake 
 and Heart Lake, south-east of Shoshone Lake, 
 and also doubtless in many localities yet un- 
 discovered. 
 
 From the region just described, we can retrace 
 our steps to the Lower Fire Hole Geyser Basin 
 from whence we can either follow down the 
 Madison on the Virginia City Route, or return 
 to Bozeman ; or, we can follow the Snake River 
 passing Jackson's Lake, and the grand scenery 
 of the Teton Mountains, and take the trail to 
 Fort Hall, or crossing through Teton Pass, 
 
 fo to the same place via Pierres River and 
 nake River. 
 
 HEIGHTS ATTAINED BY THE ERUPTIONS OF THE PRINCI- 
 PAL GEYSERS IN FIKE HOLE BASINS, YELLOWSTONE 
 NATIONAL PARK. 
 
 NAME OF OEYSEB. AUTHORITY. 1 
 
 Fountain, in Lower Basin, Hayden, 1871, 
 
 Architectural, in Lower Basin,Hayden, 1871, 
 
 Old Faithfnl, Upper Basin, Hayden, 1871, 
 
 Old Faithful, Upper Basin. 
 
 Old Faithful, Upper Basin, 
 
 Old Faithful, Upper Basin, 
 
 Old Faithful, Upper Basin, 
 
 Giantess, Upper Basin, 
 
 Giantess, Upper Basin, 
 
 Giantess. Upper Basin, 
 
 Bee Hive, Upper Basin, 
 
 Bee Hive, Upper Basin, 
 
 Bee Hive, Upper Basin, 
 
 Castle, Upper Basin, 
 
 Castle, Upper Basin, 
 
 Castle, Upper Basin, 
 
 Castle, Upper Basin, 
 
 Castle, Upper Basin, 
 
 Grand, Upper Basin, 
 
 Grand, Upper Basin, 
 
 Grand, Upper Basin, 
 
 Turban, Upper Basin, 
 
 Turban, Upper Basin, 
 
 Giant, Upper Basin, 
 Grotto, Upper Basin, 
 Grotto, Upper Basin, 
 Grotto, Upper Basin, 
 
 AUTHORITY. HEIGHT IM FEET. 
 
 30 to 60 
 60 to 80 
 100 to 150 
 *132 
 150 
 150 
 
 100 to 150 
 250 
 *39 
 100 
 *219 
 
 100 to 150 
 100 
 50 
 
 10 to 15 
 *93 
 30 
 250 
 200 
 *173 
 200 
 *25 
 30 
 140 
 60 
 *41 
 25 
 
 Hayden, 1872, 
 Norton, 1872, 
 Comstock, 1873, 
 Dunraven, 1874, 
 Langford, 1870, 
 Hayden, 1872, 
 Norton, 1872, 
 Langford, 1870, 
 Hayden, 1872, 
 Norton, 1872. 
 Langford, 1870, 
 Hayden, 1871, 
 Hayden, 1872, 
 Comstock, 1873, 
 Dunraven, 1874, 
 Hayden. 1871, 
 Hayden, 1872, 
 Comstock, 1873, 
 Hayden, 1872, 
 Comstock, 1873, 
 Langford, 1870, 
 Langford, 1870, 
 Hayden, 1872, 
 Comstock, 1873, 
 
 * Measured by triangulation, the others are estimated. 
 
 ELEVATIONS IN THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. 
 
 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. 
 
 Mammoth White Mountain Hot Springs, 6,278 to 7,035 
 M ud Volcanoes. 7,756 to 7,800 
 Crater Hills' Springs, 7,828 to 7,979 
 Sulphur Springs on divide between Yellow- 
 stone and East Fork of Fire Hole River, 8,246 
 Lower Geyser Basin, 7,250 to 7,350 
 Upper Geyser Basin, 7,300 to 7,400 
 Third Geyser Basin, 7,772 
 Shoshone Lake, Geyser Basin, 7,900 
 
 LAKES. 
 
 Yellowstone Lake, 
 Shoshone Lake, 
 Lewis Lake, 
 Madison Lake, 
 Henry's Lake, 
 
 7,788 
 7,870 
 7,750 
 8,301 
 6,443 
 
309 
 
 MOUNTAIN PEAKS. 
 
 FEET ABOVE SEA LBVEL. 
 
 Mount Hayden, 13,833 
 
 Mount Washburn, 10,388 
 
 Mount Sheridan, 10,343 
 
 Mount Blackmore. 10,134 
 
 Mount Delano (Yellowstone Valley), 10,200 
 
 Mount Doaue, 10,118 
 
 Klectnc Peak, 10,992 
 
 Emigrant Peak, 10,629 
 
 Red Mountain, south of Yellowstone Lake, 9,806 
 
 Lookout Hill, north of Shoshone Lake, 8,257 
 
 Old Baldy, near Virginia City, 9,711 
 
 PASSES AND DIVIDES. 
 
 Teton Pass, 8,464 
 
 Tyghee Pass, 7,063 
 Reynold's Pass, Henry's Lake north to Madison River, 6,911 
 
 Divide, Yellowstone and Gallatin, on road from Fort 
 
 Ellis to Boteler's Ranche, 5,721 
 
 Divide on Mount Washburn where trail crosses, 9,155 
 
 Divide between Yellowstone and Madison, on trail 
 
 from Mud Volcanoes and Geyser Basins, 8,164 
 
 Divide between Madison and Shoshone Lakes, 8,717 
 
 Divide between Yellowstone and Lewis Lakes, 8,024 
 Togwater Pass, (Upper Yellowstone to Wind River,) 9,621 
 
 ANALYSIS OF DEPOSIT FROM THE HOT SPRINGS OF GARD- 
 INER'S RIVER. 
 
 Water and volatile matters, 
 
 Lime, 
 
 Silica, 
 
 Ferric Oxide, 
 
 Alumina, 
 
 Soda and Magnesia, traces. 
 
 32.10 per cent. 
 67.70 per cent. 
 
 3.32 per cent. 
 
 3.62 per cent. 
 
 3.31 per cent. 
 
 10,5.05 
 
 ANALYSIS OF GEYSERITE FROM LOWER GEYSER BASIN. 
 
 Water, etc., 9.00 per cent. 
 
 Silica, 88.60 per cent. 
 
 Alumina and Iron, 1.60 per cent. 
 
 Lime, 0.95 per cent. 
 
 Magnesia, Soda, Potash and Lithia, traces. 
 
 100.15 
 
 ANALYSIS OF PINK MUD FROM MUD PUFFS IN LOWER 
 GEYSER BASIN. 
 
 Water, 8.65 per cent. 
 
 Silica, 44.61 per cent. 
 
 Alumina, 45.09 per cent. 
 
 Magnesia, 2.66 per cent. 
 
 Iron, 1.86 per cent. 
 Lime and Soda, traces. 
 
 102.87 
 
 ANALYSIS OF GEYSERITE FROM UPPER GEYSER BASIN. 
 
 Water, 13.42 per cent. 
 
 Silica, 79.56 per cent. 
 
 Lime, 1.54 per cent. 
 
 Alumina, 0.46 per cent. 
 
 Magnesia, 1.78 per cent. 
 
 Iron, Chlorine and Soda, traces. 
 
 96.76 
 
 ANALYSIS OF GEYSERITE FROM SHOSHONE LAKE, GEY- 
 SER BASIN. 
 
 13.00 per cent. 
 76.80 per cent. 
 
 9.46 per cent. 
 
 1.80 per cent. 
 
 Water, 
 
 Silica, 
 
 Alumina, 
 
 Lime, 
 
 Iron, Magnesia and Soda, traces. 
 
 101.06 
 
 The analyses given above are from the Reports 
 of the Hayden U. S. Geological Survey of the 
 Territories. 
 
 Great Soda Mountain and Jupiter's 
 Bath in the Yellowstone Keg ion. This 
 natural curiosity is thus described by an artist 
 who accompanied the Yellowstone Exploring Ex- 
 pedition of Doane and Washburn. It is one of 
 the most wonderful institutions the world can 
 afford : 
 
 "On the second day out from Boteler's Ranche 
 thirty-three miles we diverge from the rocky 
 trail on the Yellowstone, and after passing a 
 short way up a creek called ' Gardiner's River,' 
 we were led by an old mountaineer up quite a 
 steep mountain. 
 
 " Near its summit an immense boiling spring 
 spouts out, by a number of mouths and pools, 
 the water of which, as it flows, precipitates its 
 soda, sulphur and carbonate of lime into a suc- 
 cession of beautiful terraces and natural bath- 
 tubs, and like the coral insect, builds perpetually 
 upon itself, until we have before us a hill of 
 snowy soda and carbonate of lime, which is from 
 300 to 500 feet in height, and covers at least 50 
 acres. The water is of a deep cerulean blue, 
 and the temperature averages 160 degrees. The 
 process of precipitation is very rapid, and one 
 can fairly see it deposited in beautiful strands, 
 crystals and geodes. The elevation is a little 
 more than 6,000 feet above the sea. No more 
 beautiful contrast in the world of light and color 
 can be found for the artist, than in this spot 
 which is surrounded by dark, rugged mountains, 
 and shades of yellow, white, amber, pink and 
 russet on the spring-hill itself." 
 

 INDEX. 
 
 PAOK. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 FAOB. 
 
 Overland Travel. 
 
 Shelton, 31 
 
 Laramie Peak, 87 
 
 Kaysville, 132 
 
 Hints and Comforts, 10 
 
 Sidney, 56 
 
 Laramie Plains, 83 
 
 Kelton, 167 
 
 Palace Car Life, 8 
 
 Silver Creek, 28 
 
 Latham, 97 
 
 Lake, 166 
 
 Railroad Routes, 12 
 
 South Platte River, 39 
 
 Lawrence, 100 
 
 Lake Point, 149 
 
 Sleeping Car Expenses. 13 
 
 Stevenson, 33 
 
 Leroy, 107 
 
 Lehi, 142 
 
 Preparations Westward 
 Trip, 18 
 
 Summit Siding, 19 
 Summit Springs, 49 
 
 Lookout, 90 
 Marston, 104 
 
 Little Cotton wood, 141 
 Lucin, 172 
 
 Union Pacific R. R. 
 
 Benefits, 6 
 
 Valley, 20 
 Warren, 38 
 
 Medicine Bow, 91 
 Medicine Bow M't'ns, 88 
 
 Matlin, 172 
 Millstone Point, 147 
 
 Discouragements. 7 
 
 Waterloo, 20 
 
 Millis, 111 
 
 Monument, 166 
 
 Fast Building, 8 
 History, 5 
 
 Willow Island, 87 
 Wood River, 31 
 
 Miser, 90 
 Otto, 81 
 
 Mormon Fortifications, 117 
 Ogden, 1L'6 
 
 Progress, 7 
 
 NEBRASKA. 
 
 Adams, 60 
 
 COLORADO. 
 
 Denver, 75 
 Denver & Rio Grande 
 Railroad, 75 
 
 Percy, 93 
 Piedmont. 107 
 Pine Bluffs, 60 
 Point of Rocks, 99 
 
 Ogden Canon, 128 
 Ombey, 172 
 One Thousand Mile 
 Tree, 124 
 
 Ames, 25 
 Alda, 31 
 Alkali, 46 
 Antelope, 58 
 Barton, 47 
 Big Spring, 47 
 Brady Island, 38 
 Bridge, M issouri River, 18 
 Brownson, 68 
 Brule, 47 
 Bennett, 58 
 Bushnell, 60 
 Chapman, 28 
 Chappell, 56 
 Clark, 28 
 Col ton, 56 
 Columbus, 26 
 
 Denver Pacific R. R., 73 
 Evans, 75 
 Garden of the Gods, 77 
 Grand Canon, Ark., 77 
 Gray's Peak, 77 
 Greeley, 73 
 Life in Colorado, 77 
 Manitou Springs, 75 
 Mtn. Holy Cross, 79 
 Notes to Tourists, 75 
 Pleasure Resorts, 78 
 WYOMING. 
 Agate, 97 
 Archer, 61 
 Aspen, 108 
 Atkins, 60 
 
 Powder River Country, 81 
 Rawlins, 9.> 
 Red Buttes, 84 
 Red Desert, 97 
 Rock Creek, 90 
 Rock Springs, 100 
 Salt Wells, 99 
 Separation, 
 Sherman, 
 Simpson, 93 
 Skull Rocks, 83 
 Soda Springs, 109 
 Stock Statistics, 
 Summit, 96 
 St: Mary's, 94 
 Sweetwater River, 103 
 Table Rock, 97 
 
 Parley's Park, 122 
 Pay son, 143 
 Peterson, 125 
 Pleasant Grove, 142 
 Promontory, 164 
 Provo, 142 
 Pulpit Rock, 119 
 Quarry, 163 
 Rocks Echo and We- 
 ber Canons, 122, 124 
 Rozel, 166 
 Salt Lake, 155 
 Salt Lake City, 132, 134 
 Sandy, 141 
 Santaguin, 143 
 Seco, 167 
 Sentinel Rock, 117 
 
 Coyote, 37 
 Cozad, 37 
 Dexter, 46 
 Elkhorn, 20 
 Elm Creek, 33 
 Fremont, 23 
 Gannett, 38 
 
 Baxter, 100 
 Bear River City, 110 
 Bitter Creek, 97 
 Black Buttes, >99 
 Black Hills, Wyoming, 88 
 Bridger, 107 
 Bryan, 104 
 
 Thaver, 99 
 Tie Siding, 83 
 Tipton, 97 
 Tongue River Country, 81 
 Tracy. 60 
 Utntah Mountains, 105 
 Wnlcott. 94 
 
 Shoshone Falls, Ki8 
 Spanish Fork, 143 
 Springs, Salt Lake 
 City, 135, 136 
 Springville, 142 
 Steamboat Rock, 117 
 Terrace, 172 
 
 Gibbon, 32 
 
 Buford, 81 
 
 Washakie, 97 
 
 Uintah, 126 
 
 Gilmore, 19 
 Grand Island, 29 
 
 Burns, CO 
 Carbon, 93 
 
 Wilcox, 90 
 Wind River Mountains, 87 
 
 Utah Central R. R M 131 
 Utah Lake, 147 
 
 Jackson, 28 
 Josselyn, 33 
 Julesburg, 47 
 Julesburg Incidents, 47 
 Kearny, 32 
 Kearny Junction, 32 
 Lockwood, 29 
 Lodge Pole, 66 
 Lone Tree, 28 
 McPherson, 38 
 Millard, 19 
 
 Carter, 107 
 Cheyenne, 64 
 Chugwater Valley, 91 
 Church Buttes, 105 
 Cotno, 90 
 Cooper's Lake, 90 
 Creston, 96 
 Dale Creek Bridge, 82 
 Dana, 93 
 Devil's Gate, Sweet- 
 water, 110 
 
 Wyoming, 90 
 UTAH. 
 
 American Fork, 142 
 American Fork Canon, 143 
 Black Rock, 149 
 Blue Creek, 163 
 Blonneville, 162 
 Bovine, 172 
 Brigham, 162 
 Bromley Cathedral, 119 
 
 Utah Southern R. R., 140 
 Utah Territory. 129 
 Utah Western'R. R., 147 
 Wahsatch, 113 
 Weber, 325 
 Weber Quarry, 125 
 Weber River, 120 
 Witches. The 119 
 Wood's Cross, 132 
 York, 143 
 
 Nichols. 46 
 North Bend, 25 
 North Platte River, 39 
 North Platte, 41 
 
 Egbert, 60 
 Evanston, 111 
 Fillmore, 96 
 Fort Steele, 94 
 
 Castle Rock, 116 
 Centerville, 132 
 City of Rocks, 170 
 Coalville, 120 
 
 Idaho Territory. 
 
 Boise City, 171 
 Boise Valley, 171 
 Rattlesnake Station, 171 
 
 O'Fallon's, 46 
 Ogalalla, 46 
 Omaha, 15 
 Omaha Business, 17 
 Overton, 33 
 Papillion, 19 
 Plum Creek, 33 
 Potter . 68 
 Ri>'hland, 25 
 Riverside, 21 
 Rogers, 25 
 Roscoe, 46 
 Schuyler, 25 
 
 Granger, 105 
 Granite Canon, 81 
 Green River, 100 
 Grennville, 95 
 Hallville, 99 
 Hampton, 107 
 Harney, 84 
 Hazard. 81 
 Hilliard, 108 
 Hillsdale, 60 
 Howell, 90 
 Independence Rock, 110 
 Laramie. 84 
 
 Corinne, 162 
 Deer Creek, 145 
 Desert, Great, 157 
 Devil's Gate, 126 
 Devil'9 Slide, 124 
 Draperville, 141 
 Echo Canon, 1 15 
 Echo, 119 
 Farmington, 132 
 Gardening, Irrigation, 139 
 Half- Way House, 150 
 Hanging Rock, 117 
 Hot Springs, 129 
 
 Silver City, 171 
 Snake River, 171 
 
 MILITARY POSTS. 
 
 Camp Carlin, 
 Fort Laramie, 79 
 Fort Sanders, 
 Fort Reno, 
 Fort Casper, 
 Fort Fetterman, 79 
 
 NEVADA. 
 
 Argenta. 186 
 Austin. 186 
 
 (junction, 141 
 
 

 INDEX. 
 
 PAGE. PAOE. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 FAOB. 
 
 Battle Mountain, 186 
 
 Toano, 173 
 
 Napa, 276 
 
 Giant's Club. 102 
 
 Beowawe, 185 
 
 Trout in Lake Tahoe, 218 
 
 Napa Junction, 276 
 
 Great Plains and 
 
 Big Bonanza Mine, 211 
 
 Truckee River, 202 
 
 Napa Soda Springs, 271 
 
 Desert, 188 
 
 Bishop's, 176 
 
 Tulasco, 176 
 
 Napa Valley, 276 
 
 Great Railroad Wed- 
 
 Bronco, 224 
 
 Tule, 190 
 
 Nevada, 240 
 
 ding, 164 
 
 Brown's, 198 
 
 Two Mile, 199 
 
 NewAlmaden Quick- 
 
 Green River Rocks, 103 
 
 Brown's. 207 
 
 Virginia & Truckee R.R., 207 
 
 silver Mines, 269 
 
 Hailstorms, 60 
 
 Brunswick, 208 
 
 Verdi, 224 
 
 Newcastle, 243 
 
 Health Cheyenne, 66 
 
 Carlin, 180 
 
 Virginia City, 209 
 
 New England Mills, 241 
 
 Heat, 250 
 
 Carson City, 208 
 
 Vista, 204 
 
 Niles, 258 
 
 Iliff Cattle King, 52 
 
 Carson Sink, 214 
 
 Wadsworth, 200 
 
 Oak Knoll, 277 
 
 Indians. Astonished 64 
 
 Chicken Soup Spring, 177 
 
 Walker Lake, 214 
 
 Oakland, 259 
 
 Indian Burial Tree, 88 
 
 Clark's, 204 
 
 Washoe City, 207 
 
 Oakland Point , 261 
 
 Indian Prayer, 64 
 
 Clover Valley, 175 
 
 Wells, Humboldt, 174 
 
 Pacific Congress Springs, 27 1 
 
 Indian Trade, 62 
 
 Cluro, 182 
 
 White Plains, 198 
 
 Penryn, 243 
 
 Invalids, Advice to 44 
 
 Coin, 189 
 
 Winnemucca, 191 
 
 Pescadero, 270 ' Invalids, Hints to 274 
 
 Cornucopia Mines, 178 
 
 Winnemucca Lake, 202 
 
 Petrified Forest, 273 | Last Spike, 164 
 
 Dead Man's Spring, 174 
 
 Yank's, 217 
 
 Pino, 243 ! Letters, 204 
 
 Deeth, 176 
 
 
 Pleasanton, 257 
 
 Long's Peak, 61 
 
 Desert, 199 
 
 C ALIFORN IA. 
 
 Pleasure Resorts of 
 
 Maiden's Grave, 
 
 Elko, 177 
 
 Alta, 233 
 
 California, 271 
 
 Mormon Church, 
 
 Emerald Bay, 217 
 
 Altamont, 257 
 
 Proctor's. 225 
 
 Mormon Courtesies, 153 
 
 Empire, 208 
 
 Antelope, 244 
 
 Prosser Creek, 224 
 
 Mormon Religion, 
 
 Essex, 224 
 
 Arcade, 244 
 
 Rocklin, 243 
 
 Mormon Social Life, 150 
 
 Franktown, 207 
 
 Auburn, 241 
 
 Railroad Works Sacra- 
 
 Mountain on Fire, 113 
 
 Glenbrook, 216 
 
 Bantas, 255 
 
 mento, 244 
 
 Oasis in the Desert, 194 
 
 Golconda, 190 
 
 Batavia, 276 
 
 Sacramento, 246 
 
 "Off to the Mines," 237 
 
 Gold Hill, 208 
 
 Bay of San Francisco, 261 
 
 Sacramento Capitol, 246 
 
 Pike's Peak or Bust, 21 
 
 Granite Point, 198 
 
 Beet Sugar, 247 
 
 San Francisco, 262 
 
 Piutes, Customs, 192 
 
 Great Nevada Flume, 219 
 
 Big Trees Calaveras, 250 
 
 San Joaquin Bridge, 255 
 
 Piutes, Burial Dead, 189 
 
 Halleck, 176 
 
 Blue Canon, 233 
 
 San Joaquin Valley, 252 
 
 Piutes.Catch Fish, 189 
 
 Hot Springs, 199 
 
 Boca, 224 
 
 San Jose, 269 
 
 Placer Mining, 235 
 
 Humboldt, 194 
 
 Bridgeport, 276 
 
 San Leandro, 259 
 
 Platte Valley, 23 
 
 Humboldt Lake, 201 
 
 Brighton, 249 
 
 Santa Cruz, 269 
 
 Poker, a Chinese Idea 
 
 Humboldt River, 202 
 
 Brooklyn, 259 
 
 Secret Town, 240 
 
 of, 239 
 
 Humboldt Sink, 214 
 
 California Pacific R. R., 275 
 
 Shady Run, 233 
 
 Pony Express, 42 
 
 Independence, 174 
 
 Calistoga, 277 
 
 Snow Sheds, 227 
 
 Prairie Dogs, 52 
 
 Iron Point, 190 
 
 Cannon's, 276 
 
 Snow Storm at Truckee, 226 
 
 Prairie Fires, 21 
 
 Lake Tahoe, 216 
 
 Cape Horn, 239 
 
 Soda Springs Station, 230 
 
 Prairie Hens. Shooting 24 
 
 Lake Tahoe Stage 
 
 Cape Horn Mills, 239 
 
 South Vallejo, 277 
 
 Precious Stones, 66 
 
 Routes, 214 
 
 Cascade, 230 
 
 Starvation Camp, 228 
 
 Rabbit Drives, 199 
 
 Lake View, 208 
 
 Castle, 249 
 
 St. Helena, 277 
 
 Rabbit Robes, 200 
 
 Lookout, 208 
 
 China Ranche, 233 
 
 Stockton, 250 
 
 Race, Curious 93 
 
 Loray, 173 
 
 Cisco, 231 
 
 Strong's Canon, 228 
 
 Rainbows, 72 
 
 Lovelock's, 197 
 
 Cliff House, 271 
 
 Suisun City, 276 
 
 Rough Times, Chey- 
 
 Lumber, 219 
 
 Climate, 270 
 
 Summit, 228 
 
 enne, 65 
 
 Mammoth Cave, 173 
 
 Clipper Gap, 241 
 
 Summit Valley, 230 
 
 Scientific Explora- 
 
 Merrimac, 208 
 
 Colfax, 240 
 
 Sunol, 257 
 
 tions. 106 
 
 Mill City, 193 
 
 Creston, 276 
 
 Sutter Creek, 249 
 
 Sheep Raising, 84 
 
 Mill Station, 208 
 
 Davisville, 275 
 
 Tamarack, 231 
 
 Skillful Cookery, 237 
 
 Mines of Virginia City, 210 
 
 Decoto, 258 
 
 Thompson, 276 
 
 Sporting. 142 
 
 Mirage, 198 
 
 Dixon, 276 
 
 Truckee, 225 
 
 Sporting, 112 
 
 Moleen, 180 
 
 Dutch Flat, 235 
 
 Vallejo, 277 
 
 Stock Raising, 39 
 
 Montello, 173 
 
 Elk Grove, 249 
 
 Woodward's Garden, 271 
 
 Stock Raising, 65 
 
 Moore's, 174 
 
 Ellis, 255 
 
 Yosemite Routes, 253 
 
 Successful Farming, 31 
 
 Morgan, 208 
 
 Elmira. 276 
 
 Yountville, 277 
 
 Sunset Scenes, 
 
 Mount Davidson, 210 
 Mound House, 208 
 
 Emigrant Gap, 233 
 Excursions, 267 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 The Devil. Firing off 206 
 Thunder Storm, 71 
 
 Ore Lewis Mine, 187 
 
 Fail-field, 276 
 
 Ah Ching's Theology, 205 
 
 Tit for Tat, 205 
 
 Oreana, 197 
 
 Florin, 249 
 
 Alexis' Buffalo Hunt, 37 
 
 Tree Planting, 31 
 
 Osino, 177 
 
 Foster, 276 
 
 Alfalfa, 253 
 
 Tule land, 275 
 
 Otego, 174 
 
 Gait, 249 
 
 Battle with Indi- 
 
 Vigilance Committee 
 
 Palisade, 182 
 
 Geysers, 269, 273 
 
 ans, 3337, 49 
 
 Incident, 196 
 
 Peko, 176 
 
 Gold Run, 237 
 
 Black Hills. The 6872 
 
 Windmills, 87 
 
 Pequop, 174 
 
 Grass Valley, 240 Brown's Hole, 102 
 
 Yellowstone Park, 293 
 
 Piute, 189 
 Pyramid Lake, 202 
 
 Great American Canon, 240 Buffaloes, 62 
 Haywards, 258 Buffalo Grass, 46 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Raspberry, 193 
 
 Insane Asylums, 250 Buffalo Robes, 26 
 
 Agnes Park. 69 
 
 Reno. 205 
 
 lone City, 249 Bullwhackers, 55 
 
 American Fork Canon, 144 
 
 Rose Creek, 193 
 
 Jackson, 249 Cattle Kings, 185 
 
 American Fork ( six 
 
 Rowlands, 217 
 
 Junction, 243 Central Pacific R. R. 
 
 scenes). 146 
 
 Ruby Range, 176 
 
 Kidd's Lakes, 230 Discouragement. 159 Ames Oakes, Portrait 
 
 Rye Patch, 196 
 
 Lathrop, 252 Capital, 161 Anderson Valley, 
 
 Salvia. 204 
 Scales, 208 
 
 Litton Seltzer Springs, 273 
 Livermore, 257 
 
 Expenses, 160 Bank, California 
 Chimney Rock, 42 Battlement Rocks, 118 
 
 Silver, 208 
 
 Lockford, 249 
 
 Chinese in San Fran- Bear River Valley, 232 
 
 Shoshone, 185 
 
 Lodi, 249 
 
 cisco, 278 Bierstadt, Albert, Por- 
 
 Shoshone Indian Village, 182 
 
 Lorenzo, 258 
 
 Chinese Workmen, 115 
 
 trait 30 
 
 Sinks of Nevada Basin, 214 
 
 McConnell's, 249 
 
 Cloud Effects, 57 
 
 Big Trees (six scenes;, 251 
 
 Steamboat Springs, 207 
 
 Medway, 255 
 
 CcalMine. 113 Black Hills (five scenes), 67 
 
 Stone House, 189 
 
 Melrose, 259 
 
 Colorado Plains, 58 Black Rock. 
 
 Sulphur Mines, 195 
 
 Merced, 253 
 
 Coyotes, 59 Bloomer Cut, 
 
 Sutro Tunnel, 210 
 
 Mineral Springs, 271 
 
 Curious Names, 205 Blue Canon, 
 
 Tahoe City, 218 
 
 Mokelumne Hill, 249 
 
 Curiosities, Indians 91 Brigh am Young's Fam- 
 
 Tecoma, 172 
 Thousand Spring Valley, 176 
 
 Moonlight Scenery of 
 the Sierras, 240 
 
 Flaming Gorge. 103 ily Residence, 
 Game Black Hills, 72 Brigham Young's Office, 136 
 
 

 INDEX. 
 
 PAOK. 
 Brigham Young's New 
 
 FADE, 
 Golden Gate, 266 
 
 PAGE. 
 Mt. Blackmore, 306 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Shooting Ducks, 45 
 
 Residence, 139 
 
 Good Bye, 19 
 
 Mts. Hayden and Mor- 
 
 Shoshone Falls. 168171 
 
 Bromley's Cathedral, 114 
 
 Gould, Jay, Portrait 22 
 
 an, 297 
 
 Shoshone Indian Vil- 
 
 Buildings San Fraiiuis- 
 
 Grand Duke Alexis' 
 
 Needle Rocks, 118 
 
 lage, 162 
 
 co (five views). 264 
 
 Buffalo Hunt, 38 
 
 Oakland Avenue, 245 
 
 Sierras, Scenery 231 
 
 Bullvvhaeker of the 
 
 Gray's Peak, 63 
 
 Oakland Garden, 245 
 
 Sign Mormon Stores, 137 
 
 Plains, 55 
 
 Great Eastern, Echo 
 
 Oak Knoll, 272 
 
 Silver Palace-Car of 
 
 Busted, 21 
 
 Canon, 114 
 
 Oakland Piazza Vines, 245 
 
 C. P. R. R., 161 
 
 Cape Horn ( three 
 
 Great Railroad Wed- 
 
 Ogden, 127 
 
 Skull Rocks. 82 
 
 views), 238 
 
 ding, 165 
 
 Ogdon Canon Nar- 
 
 Snow Sheds, Union Pa- 
 
 Castle Peak, 231 
 
 Great Salt Lake, 154 
 
 rows, 129 
 
 cific Railroad, 108 
 
 Castle Rock, Echo Ca- 
 
 Green Bluffs, 234 
 
 Old Mill, Am. Fork 
 
 Snow Sheds, Central 
 
 non, 114 
 
 Green Kiver ( three 
 
 Canon, 148 
 
 Pacific Raili oad, 224 
 
 Castle Rock, Green 
 
 scenes), 98 
 
 Omaha. Scenes in (five 
 
 Snow >heds Gallery, 225 
 
 River, 100 
 
 Green River, West 
 
 views), 14 
 
 Snow Slide Mountains, 141 
 
 Central Pacific Rail- 
 
 Bank, 102 
 
 Overland Stage, Indi- 
 
 St reet Scene, San Fran- 
 
 road, Representative 
 
 Hanging Rock, Echo 
 
 an Attack, 43 
 
 cisco, 270 
 
 Men, 158 
 
 Canon, 114 
 
 Palace Butte. 307 
 
 Summits of the Sier- 
 
 Chimney Rock, 42 
 
 Hayden, Prof. F. V., 
 
 Palace-Car Life, 2 
 
 ras, 221 
 
 China Ranche, 232 
 
 Portrait 30 
 
 Palisades of the Hum- 
 
 The Pacific Tourist, 15 
 
 Chinese Theatre, Inte- 
 
 Hoodlums, 265 
 
 buldt, 183 
 
 Thousand Mile Tree, 125 
 
 rior 289 
 
 Humboldt Canon, 184 
 
 Pappoose Scene, 195 
 
 Truckee River ( six 
 
 Chinese Temple, 285 
 
 Humboldt Desert (six 
 
 Pawnee Chief in Full 
 
 scenes*. 203 
 
 Chinese Quarters, 279 
 
 scenes). 181 
 
 Dress, 51 
 
 Tunnel No. 3, Weber 
 
 Church Buttes, 105 
 
 Humboldt River, 181 
 
 Petrified Fish Cut, 102 
 
 Canon. 127 
 
 Cliff House, 2(56 
 
 Humboldt Sink, 181 
 
 Piute Indians, 181 
 
 Tunnel, Strong's Canon, 227 
 
 Cold Stream, 234 
 
 Humboldt Station, 193 
 
 Platte River, near Fort 
 
 Twin Sisters, 101 
 
 Coyotes. 59 
 
 Hunting Prairie Hens, 25 
 
 Steele, 95 
 
 Ute Squaw and Pap- 
 
 Ouster, Gen., Portrait 30 
 
 Independence Itock, HO 
 
 Pony Express, 43 
 
 poose. 163 
 
 Dale Creek Bridge, 83 
 
 [ndian Burial Tree, 88 
 
 Pony Express Saluting 
 
 Uintah Mountains, 80 
 
 Deer Race with Train, 94 
 
 Indian Costumes, 50 
 
 the Telegraph, 44 
 
 Virginia City, Nevada, 209 
 
 Deeth Mountain Scene, 181 
 
 Indian Tent Scene, 27 
 
 Pony Express Station, 43 
 
 Vision Golden Country, 242 
 
 Desert, Great Ameri- 
 
 Jupiter's Baths, 304 
 
 Powell, Major J. W., 
 
 Wadsworth, 181 
 
 can. 181 
 
 Lake Angeliue, 230 
 
 Portrait, 30 
 
 Weber Canon. Heights, 127 
 
 D jvil's Gate, 127 
 
 Lake Esther, 212 
 
 Prairie Dog City, 53 
 
 Wheeler, Lieut., Por- 
 
 Devil's Gate on Sweet- 
 
 Lake Lai, 112 
 
 Prairie on Fire, 20 
 
 trait 30 
 
 wat->r, 111 
 
 Lake Scene near Gold 
 
 Prospect Hill, 234 
 
 Wilhelmina Pass, 130 
 
 Devil's Slide, 126 
 
 Hill, 40 
 
 Prospect Hill, 232 
 
 Williams' Canon, 74 
 
 Devil's Tower, 72 
 
 Lake Tahoe, 215 
 
 Pulpit Rock, 119, 120 
 
 Windmill at Laramie, 87 
 
 Dillon. Sidney, Portrait 22 
 
 Laramie Plains, Morn- 
 
 Pyramid Lake, 201 
 
 Winnemucca, Indian 
 
 Donner Lake, 234 
 
 ing, 86 
 
 Representative Men 
 
 Chief, 191 
 
 Donner Lake, 229 
 
 Lightning Scene, 71 
 
 Union Pacific Rail- 
 
 Winter Forest Scene, 
 
 Durant. T. C . Portrait 22 
 
 Little Blue Canon, 234 
 
 road, 22 
 
 Sierras, 206 
 
 Echo Canon Cliffs, 123 
 
 Long's Peak, 61 
 
 Residence D. O. Mills, 245 
 
 Witches Bottles, 118 
 
 Kcho Canon Mouth, 121 
 
 Mary's Lake, 226 
 
 Rock Cut near Aspen, 109 
 
 Witches Rocks, 118 
 
 Emigrant Gap Ridge, 232 
 
 Medicine Bow Mtns, 89 
 
 Ruby Range, 179 
 
 Woodward's Gardens, 268 
 
 Eminent Explorers and 
 
 Men of California, Por- 
 
 Salt'Lake City, 133137 
 
 Yellowstone Gejsers 
 
 Artists. 30 
 
 traits 249 
 
 Salt Lake at Monu- 
 
 (five views). 292 
 
 Egyptian Tombs, 118 
 Fountain, Hillside Gar- 
 
 Missouri River Bridge, 14 
 Monument Point, 167 
 
 ment Point, 167 
 San Francisco Harbor 
 
 Yellowstone Lake, 302 
 Yellowstone, Lower 
 
 den, 245 
 
 Monument Rock, 122 
 
 (four viows). 266 
 
 Falls, 300 
 
 Fremont, Gen. .Portrait 30 
 
 Moore's Lake, 312 
 
 San Francisco View, 260 
 
 Yellowstone Park 
 
 Gardens and Groves, 245 
 
 Moran Thomas, Por- 
 
 San Francisco Mint. 263 
 
 Scenes, 304 
 
 Garden of the Gods, 76 
 
 trait 30 
 
 Scott. Thomas A., Por- 
 
 Yellowstone Vallev, 304 
 
 Giant's Club, 103 
 
 Mormon Tabernacle, 138 
 
 trait 22 
 
 Yosemite, Biidal Veil. 254 
 
 Giant's Gap. 236 
 
 Mormon Temple, 135 
 
 Secret Town Trestle- 
 
 Yosemite, Mirror Lake, 254 
 
 Giant's Ten, Pot, 103 
 
 Mormons (nine por- 
 
 Work. 239 
 
 Yosemite, Vernal Falls, 256 
 
 Gilbert's Peak. 80 
 
 traits), 151 
 
 Sentinel Rock, 117 
 
 
 
 Glaciers, Mt. Hayden, 299 
 
 Mtn. of the Holy Cross, 78 
 
 Shady Run, 234 
 
 Total No, 256 
 
 ADDITIONAL INDEX. 
 
 Atlantic City, 104 
 
 Camp Brown, 104 
 
 Napa Soda Springs, 271 
 
 Petrified Forest, 273 
 
 Artesian Wells, 115 
 
 Gey.-ers. 273 
 
 Pacific Congress Springs, 271 
 
 South Pass City, 104 
 
 Camp Stambough, 104 
 
 Miner's Delight, 104 
 
 Paso Kobles, 271 
 
 White Sulphur Springs, 273 
 
HO! FOR CALIFORNIA II I 
 
 Salubrious Climate, Fertile Soil, Large Labor Betutns* 
 
 NO SEVERE WINTERS, 
 NO LOST TIME, NO BLIGHT OR INSECT PESTS. 
 
 Daily Trains from Boston, New Yort, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicap, Si Louis, 
 Omaha and Intermediate Points, for San Francisco. 
 
 Choice from Nearly Every Variety of Farming, Fruit, Grazing, 
 
 and Timber JLands. 
 
 The Central Pacific Railroad 60, 
 
 Now offer, in sections, adjacent to their Railroad lines in CALIFORNIA, NEVADA and UTAH, a larg^ body of Land, 
 most of which is well adapted to cultivation, and olfer unequaled advantages for settlement or investment. 
 
 IN CALIFORNIA the lands lying on each side of the main line of the Central Pacific Railroad extend from the 
 navigable waters of the Sacramento, above the Bay of San Francisco, across the broadest and most populous portion of 
 tt.e Sacramento Valley ami both slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They are diversified in soil, climate and con- 
 
 strawberrins. small fruits and garden vegetables generally, and for the ea with which they can be grown to dimensions 
 and perfection unattainable elsewhere. The lands in this belt, purchased of the Company, have resulted in gratifying 
 success to tho settlers. Wheat can safely lie in the field till threshed and shipped, and the fruit trees and vines are not 
 troubled by ineects or blight. 
 
 Along the CALIFORNIA and OREGON BRANCH, in the rerowned Valley of the Sacramento, extending 
 from the center to the northern boundary of the Slate, the Company also offer a choice selection, with the same general 
 characteristics. This valley is at present the seat of the most successful culture of small grains (wheat, barley, oats, etc.) 
 in the country, and also offers unrivaled facilities for extensive and profitable sheep and stock grazing. The whole 'com- 
 prises some of the Best Land in California. 
 
 IN NEVADA the main line of the Central Pacific Railroad orcupips the Truckee and Hnmboldt Valleyc, the largest 
 and best settled in the State, at a short distance from numerous and important mining regions, whose yield of the 
 precious metals is estimated at from fifteen to twenty million dollars annually. The lands of the Company are FO situ- 
 a^etl as to command these markets for their produce. Large herds of cattle are maintained with little or no trouble in 
 the Hmnbolilt Vallev and the valleys which join it. Wherever the proper cultivation has been applied, these lands have 
 yielded good crops of fruits, cereal* and esculents. 
 
 IN ITTAH, in the great Salt Lake and contiguous valleys, where the Mormons have so successfully demonstrated 
 the fertility of the soil and the healthf ulness of the climate, the Company have also good land. 
 
 Title, Patent direct from the United States Government* 
 
 These lands will be sold in quantities and on terms to suit. Immigrants, colonists and capitalists, who desire to 
 acquire indestructible real property, certain to advance in value, will be benefited by an examination. Pamphlets, maps, 
 etc., will be furnished by application to 
 
 B. B. REIDIDIlXrGK 
 Land Commissioner Central Pacific R. It. Co. 
 
 Railroad Buildings, Cor. Fourth & Townsend Sts., SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. 
 
CHOICE OF 9,000 000 ACRES 
 
 -OF- 
 
 Agricultural, Grazing, Vineyard, and 
 
 Timber Lands, 
 
 -IN- 
 
 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, 
 
 SITUATED BETWEEN 
 
 San Francisco, Los Angeles and Fort Yuma, 
 
 ALONG THE ROUTE OF 
 
 WHO OFFER TO INTENDING SETTLERS AND OTHERS 
 
 A variety of Lands adjacent to their Lines of Railroad in the Southern part 
 
 of California, now nearly completed, between San Francisco Bay and 
 
 the Colorado River, in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus, 
 
 Merced, Fresno, San Benito, Monterey, Tulare, San Luis 
 
 Obispo, Kern, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San 
 
 Bernardino and San Biego Counties, 
 Embracing Nearly Every Variety of Soil, Climate and Crops* 
 
 All kinds of Cereals are raised with ease; also, Cotton, Tobacco, Hemp, and other Vege- 
 
 table Fibres, besides Fruits of all kinds, including choice Grapes, Oranges, Lemons, 
 
 Figs, Walnuts, Almonds, Olives, Castor Beans, &c. Wine making, Orchard- 
 
 ing, Bee Culture, and other branches are successfully carried on. 
 
 HANDSOME PROFITS ARE BEING REALIZED FROM THE MANAGEMENT OF 
 CULTIVATED OR STOCK FARMS, 
 
 And population is rapidly crowding to these newly-opened lands. Price, from $1.00 to 
 $10.00 per acre, according to location. 
 
 further information in regard to lands and means of access, &.C., apply to Jerome Madden, 
 the Land Agent of the Company. 
 
 SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD LAND OFFICE, 
 
 Corner of Fourth and Townsend Streets, 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, 
 

 
 m 
 
 
 Idaho, Oregon, and Washington Territory, 
 
 IN" COlSTlSTKCTIOlSr "WITH THE 
 
 Union and Central Pacific Railroads. 
 
 Coaches leave KELTON, Utah, on the CENTRAL PACIFIC RAILROAD, DAII>T, at 6.00 A. M., for all points 
 in Idaho Territory, Washington Territory, and Oregon, among which are 
 
 UNION, OREGON. 
 
 LA GRANGE, 
 
 UMATILLA, 
 
 DALLES CITY, 
 
 PORTLAND, 
 
 WALLA WALLA, ' 
 
 e quick ns is consistent with safety and com- 
 I>ESIRABI,K ROUTE, affording tlio trav- 
 TICKETS can be purchased at Omaha and 
 
 SNAKE RIVER MINES, IDAHO. 
 
 BOISE CITY, 
 
 SILVER CITY, 
 
 ELDORADO, OREGON. 
 
 CANYON CITY, 
 
 BAKER CITY, 
 
 New and elegant Concord Coaches, fine stock, and careful drivers. Tim 
 fort. This is Ihc SHORTEST, QUICKEST, CHEAPEST, and MOST 
 
 eler views of some of the finest scenery on iho Pacific slope. THROUGH 
 Eastern Cities to all points on this Company's route. 
 
 WILLIAM B. MORRIS, 
 
 S. S. HUNTLEY, 
 
 Gen'I Sup't, Boise City, Idaho. 
 
 Gen'l Manager, Boise City, Idaho. 
 
The Big Horn and "Wind River Country 
 
 IS RELA-CHEli BY THE 
 
 SWEETWATER STAGE LINE. 
 
 
 DAILY STAGES connect with the UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD at GREEN RIVER, thence via 
 
 Pacific Springs, South Pass City, Atlantic City, Camp Stambaugh, 
 Miners Delight, Sander City, Camp Brown. 
 
 A, E. BRADBURY, S. S. HUISTTLEY, 
 
 Supt-, Green River, Wy. Ter. 
 
 General Manager. 
 
WILL FIND OFFICES OF THE 
 
 mmt 
 
 At the following Stations on the PACIFIC RAILROAD, at a short distance 
 
 from the Depots. Ask for the WESTERN UNION, and 
 
 look out for the Blue and White Sign. 
 
 Omaha, 
 Papillion, 
 Fremont. 
 North Bend, 
 Schuyler, 
 Columbus, 
 Central City, 
 Grand Island, 
 Kearny Junction, 
 North Platte, 
 Ogalalla, 
 Sidney, 
 Bennett, 
 
 Cheyenne, 
 Laramie, 
 Carbon, 
 Ft. Steele, 
 Kawlins, 
 Bitter Creek, 
 Rock Springs, 
 Green River, 
 Carter, 
 Ililliards, 
 Evanston, 
 Echo, 
 
 Weber, 
 
 Ogden, 
 
 Corinne, 
 
 Kelton, 
 
 Tecoma, 
 
 Toano, 
 
 Wells, 
 
 Elko, 
 
 Palisade, 
 
 Battle Mount, 
 
 Winnemucca, 
 
 Oreana, 
 
 Wadsworth, 
 
 Reno, 
 
 Boca, 
 
 Truckee, 
 
 Cisco, 
 
 Emigrant Gap, 
 
 Gold Run, 
 
 Coif ax, 
 
 Auburn, 
 
 Rocklin, 
 
 Rosevelle Junction, 
 
 Sacramento. 
 
 THE WIRES OF 1 
 
 Reach a larger number of Places, than those of any 
 other Company in the World. 
 
 BY THIS T^INE TH A.N BY 
 
 OTHER. 
 
JPJ1 
 
 i 
 
 STEAMSHIP COMPANY, 
 
 JAPAN AND CHINA, 
 
 Leave Wharf, Corner First and Brannan Streets, San Francisco, 
 EVERY 24 DAYS, AT NOON, 
 
 YOKOHA-MA- AND 
 
 CONNECTING AT YOKOHAMA WITH 
 
 Steamers of the Mitsu Bishl Steamship Co. for Shanghae. 
 
 TICKETS. 
 
 Cabin Plans on Exhibition and Passage Tickets for sale at 
 
 4= ISTew Montgomery St. 5 San Francisco. 
 
 CEO. H. BRADRURY, T. H. GOODMAN, 
 
 President. G-en'l Pass. Agent. 
 
 9> 
 
 UeweleF 
 
 w 
 
 NOVELTIES OF NATIVE PRODUCTIONS, 
 
 SURE TO INTEREST ALL. 
 
 BEAUTIFUL WORKMANSHIP, 
 
 SALT LAKE CITY and CHEYENNE, WYO. 
 
TX3ZE3 
 
 It is eligibly situated on Main Street, Salt Lake City, in close proximity to the Tabernacle, 
 Temple, Museum, Theater, etc., and commands a magnificent view of the mountain ranges, the 
 valley and other scenery. This Hotel is 4 stories high, Brick, with 132 Rooms, built expressly 
 for Hotel Purposes, and furnished and finished in elegant style. It possesses all the modern 
 improvements, such as hot and cold baths, barber shop and billiard tables. For the conven- 
 ience of commercial men, nice sampling rooms are provided. The House has lately been 
 thoroughly renovated and refitted. I have also in course of construction a new 
 
 -MAKING THIS- 
 
 The Most Complete Hotel between 
 
 is noted for its Excellencies, and here are found all Game Fruits and Fish in their Season. 
 The Proprietor gives his personal attention to the wants and comforts of his guests. 
 Carriages with experienced drivers furnished at all times. 
 
 To Tourists and Strangers visiting the City, I furnish a good Guide, free, who 
 show them all Points of Interest in the City. 
 
 TRAVELERS WILL HERE FIND ALL THE COMFORTS AND CONVENIENCES OF HOME, AFTER 
 THEIR TEDIOUS JOURNEY OVER THE PLAINS. 
 
 Proprietor. 
 
MODERN LUXURY ON THE RAIL ! 
 
 THE MAGNIFICENT 
 
 FOUND ON THE 
 
 HOCK ISLAND HOUTE 
 
 BETWEEN 
 
 CHICAGO AND OMAHA, 
 
 WERE BUILT, EQUIPPED, AND ARE RUN BY THE 
 
 Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R. Co., 
 
 Furnishing their patrons with the most excellent MEALS, from full Bill of Fare, for 73 Cents. 
 
 U^F" All Meals on the Great Overland Express Trains are furnished in these Cars, and yon have ample time to enjoy 
 them without lear of "being left." 
 
 If you do not desire a full meal, a RESTAURANT in same Car supplies everything desirable except Hot Meats, for a 
 stated price per plate. 
 
 PASSENGERS WILL BEAR IN MIND 
 
 Tlint these are not the commonly called Hotel Cars, used as kitchen, dining room and bedroom, with all the attendant bad 
 odors combined, and in which only a favored few are served. 
 
 We recognize the fact that the patrons of our line with small means, and those not occupying apartments in our Sleep- 
 ing Cars, are entitled to the equal privilege of a good meal. 
 
 (J3F" These Cars are made absolutely FHEE FROM DUST by using the Winchell Ventilator. 
 
 The Company have built a full complement of PALACE. DRAWING-ROOM and SLEEPING-CARS, which for ex- 
 ternal beauty and interior arrangements for the comfort, convenience and luxury of passengers, are unexcelled, if equaled, 
 by any other Cars of the kind in the world. 
 
 Through Tickets for Sale at all Principal Railway Offices in the United States and Canada. 
 DEPOT, HEAD OF LA SALLE STREET. 
 
 M. SMITH, 
 
 Gen'l Passenger Agent. 
 
 .A. 
 
 Gen'l Superintendent. 
 
THE 
 
 p, wrlmijtmi mtd 
 
 Safe, Quick and Popular Route 
 
 -TO ALL POINTS IN- 
 
 jiowa, 
 
 The Burlington Eoute is universally acknowledged to be the Favorite for 
 
 Omaha, Salt Lake and San Francisco. 
 
 SAFE Because it has the heaviest Iron, the best ballasted Road-Bed, and the most perfect 
 Track and Equipment of any road in the West. This is a sufficient guarantee to the 
 passenger for his safety. 
 
 QUICK Because its reputation for having its Trains always on Time, speak the fact that 
 good management is combined with its excellent construction and equipment, thus in- 
 suring Quick and reliable time. 
 
 POPULAR Because its equipment of Day Coaches, of PULLMAN'S DINING CARS (run only 
 on this line), and of PULLMAN'S i6-WHEEL SLEEPING CARS (the largest and most luxu- 
 rious in the world), cannot be surpassed, if even equaled, by any in the whole country. 
 
 INDEED The popular verdict has pronounced this to be the 
 
 .A. 
 
 -WILL 
 
 IT TO IBIS so 
 
 When buying Tickets, be sure they read VIA Chicago, Burlington and Quincy R. R. To be had at all Ticket Offices 
 East and West. 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO, CHICAGO, 
 
 4 New Montgomery Street. 59 Clark Street. 
 
 NEW YOEK, 
 
 817 Broadway. 
 
 BOSTON, 
 
 222 Washington St. 
 
 H. P. STAJTWOOD, Gen'l Ag't. JAS. WALLACE, Ag't. E. P. RIPLEY, General Eastern Agent. 
 
 D. W. HITCHCOCK, Gen'l Western Pass'r Ag't, Chicago, 111. 
 
OF THE 
 
 -VIA 
 
 Omaha, and Sidney, or Cheyenne! 
 
 -- 
 
 The Union Pacific R. R. 
 
 OFFERS THE QUICKEST, SAFEST, AND MOST RELIABLE ROUTE 
 
 TO THE NEW ELDORA.DO. 
 
 Jgp= By it you avoid the SNOWS of the FAR NORTH, the BAD LANDS of Eastern and Northern Dakota, and the 
 dangers and delays of Missouri river navigation. By it you secure all rail transportation to Sydney or Cheyenne, from 
 wliicli points fast Stage Lines convey you to the Hills over" good Government Roads, and under the protection of the Mili- 
 tary stationed along the route. 
 
 These are the ONLY LINES running STAGES into the Hills. These are the Routes by which nine-tenths of the 
 people now in the Hills have gone there. These Routes are used EXCLUSIVELY by business men and others from the 
 Hills returning to the States for the purchase of goods etc. These are the only Routes along which Telegraph Lines to the 
 Hills have been constructed. The only Routes over which Government Mails are carried. The only Routes open the whole 
 year. The only Routes having Stage Stations, Supply Depots, Wood, Water and Grass along their whole length. 
 
 .A.LL TIKE; a- OLID 
 
 ( amounting to millions \ which has been shipped from the Hills, has come by these Routes, they being the only ones by 
 which it could be SAFELY transported. These are the only Routes that offer First Class Transportation through to the 
 Hills. With good Roads and Weather, the Stage trip can be made in 
 
 These Routes are the QUICKEST, SAFEST, BEST, and taking into account SPEED, COMFORT and SAFETY, they 
 are 
 
 BY FAR THE CHEAPEST! 
 
 5EF= Through Tickets and the Reduced Through Rates, via either Sidney or Cheyenne, can ONL.Y BE SECURED 
 by buying Tickets via OMAHA and the 
 
 PACIFIC RAILROAD. 
 
 Parties not ticketed via Omaha must pay local Stage Fare from Sidney or Cheyenne. 
 83T" For further information call at or address the Company's offices, 
 
 60 Clark Street, Chicago. 287 Broadway, N. T., or 
 THOS. L. KIM BALL, 
 
 G-en'l Passenger and Ticket Agent, Omaha,Neb.