Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1843-04-13
SCENES IN OREGON AND ON TIE
ROCKY MOUNTAINS.

Some interesting sketches and des
crIptIons OF scenes in the far West are
contained in Farnham'S travels book
recently published in New York. Mr..
tarnham left independence, Missouri,
with sixteen men, in May, 1899. From
thence he took the Santa Fe Trail, till
he crossed The Great Arkansas, the Ri.
yer Of the PlaIns.' Thence the party
went up the Arkansas. This is the ex-
treme southwestern corner OF the United
States. Here the west and sublime
heights Of the Rocky Mountains rose be-
lore them, their tops made white and
dreary with eternal SHOWS. From this
they passed the mountains through a
gap, and reached the waters Of the Ore
gon, al Fort Hall. Thence they passed
down the valley OfIhe Columbia.
The following extract is descriptive Of
a series of natural s ida Fountains
which among other objects Of natural
curiosity met~the view of the Travellers:
1.-The Immediate neighborhood Of our
encamPmsnt is one Of the mCst remarka.
Bile In tie Rocky Mountains. The facts
that the trail to Oregon and California
will forever OF necessity, pass within
800 yards Of the place where our camp
ire Is burning that near this spot must
be erected a res.Ing place for the long
INES oil caravans between the harbours
OF the Pacific and The waters Of the Mis-
souri,, would Of themselves interest all
who are Witnessing the irresistible move
ments OF civilization upon the American
continent. But this spot has other ob
lects Of interest: Its Geology and Mi
neralogy,and might we'll say the Chem
Istry Of Il, for there are laboratories and
gases here in the greatest profusion will
ne rea occupy the attention Of the 10
Vers of these sciences.
The Soda Springs, called by the fur ira
ders Beer Springs, are the most remark
able objects of the kind within my knowl-
edge. They are situated in the north
west side Of the river, a few rods below
a grove Of shrub cedars, and about 200
yards from the shore. There are six
groups Of them, or in other words, there
are SIX small hollows sunken about2 leet
below the ground around, of circular
form z or 8 feet in diameter, in which
there arc a number Of fountains sending
up large quantities Of gas and water and
emitting a noise resembling the boiling
Of immense cauldrons. These pools are
usually clear, with a gravelIy bottom. In
some Of them however,grow boys or has.
socks oil coarse grass, among which are
many little wells, where the water bub.
bled so merily hat | was tempted to
drink at one Of them. But as I procee.
ded to do so the suffocating properties
Of the gas instantly drove me from my
purpose.
Alter this rebuff, howeyer, | made ano-
ther attempt at a more open fountain, and
drank with little difficulty. The waters
appeared TO be more highly ~impregnated
with soda and acid than those Of Sarato.
ga; we're extremely pleasant to the taste,
and fumed from the stomach like the so.
da water Of the shops. Some Of them
threw off at least 4 gallons Of gas a Sc.
cond. And although they cast up large
masses Of wafer continually, for which
there appeared no outlet, yet at different
lines Of observation | could perceive no
increase or dlmunitlon Of the ouartuy
visible. There are FIVE or six other
springs in the bank Of the river lust be.
low. whose waters resemble those have
described. One Of them discharges e..
bout 40 gallons a minute.
One fourth NJ a mile down stream
from the Soda Spring, is what is called
The Steamboat Spring. The orifce