New-York daily tribune., 1849-10-29
THE CALIFORNIA TRAIL.
Coai-seeiBg the Rlephant-t on North
Pktte-Advice TO Emisrsnir, &c. &c.
'"-T"'F1-7fs - y TT IT7lIl-
l30 MiLEs FRoM FoE1 LARAMlE, Aug. = ls49.

100 NfLEs FRoN FoET LARAMIE, Aug. = ls49.
IL several Of my letters, written since croisin 2
the SJuth P.sste, have stated ny impression
that Coal would be io1ad IN this portion Of tie
moantsin.. Many evidences OF this presented
themselves on our route. On the bank OF the
Platte, some 20 or 20 mics y Is. q Laramie, = e
found veritsb.e nine nesrou- enoampnent-this =
vein cropping out Of the blst. Of some ! 70 feet
thick. In our travel since some 40 or 20 niiesl
nearly every abrupt buff shows forth the sane
article, lying inbedded in soft ssn3t.oDe-oitsu-
times there are t1o or three veins, one above the
other, lssy from SIX inches n three feet .bick -
Oar opportunity for getting specimens hss been
very imperfect, and therefore ] have bad % con
tent myself with breaking Oh By hand, or by using
stone 20 knock oil a semp.e Of the o1t-cropPHs e
mineral, and Of course IL csnnC; be expected that
/, wbo pro.sss 70 have little II any particular
knowledge b.: which 70 distiogoish one quality o.
coal from another should be able TO determins Of
whs. Kind II is | succeeded however, at one
point where parts Of the blpf seemed to have
been more recently broken oH, in getting aspect
men, which considered quite a pure and excel
len. coal j. va. too isht for either the btlmen-
ous or anthracite, and TOO hard for the ioFmer-f
broke into squares, aud tie sides broken Oh were
cxceedingly glossy snd hard, 80 that you nj sht
rpoisten the corner Of a white linen handkerchief
and rub il on the newly fractured side without SOL
i.git. On putting gle lump Of 10 on the fire.
found i. cid not burn 50 sO0a as ! expected, bat
. hen vell heated j. burned with q origh. blaze.
and apparently would make q good ire there
were sis n, evidences that IL contained some sal
ph9r, but DOT much.
I have seen coal from England, sud also the
coal from the mines near jefferson City, No. which
/, resembles very much ! do not Know vnat
i It's proper name b0. have hesrd these kinds
called Camel Coal by some That from England
xas called Canal by some-by others kennel
Coal should suppose that It y, OF ali other Coss
the best suited for generating Gds, II might, bow
ever, be all consumed in the operation, and there
fore leave nothing in the shape of coke, which
generally pays the expenses of Us manufacture
iron many Kinds Of BitumooOus Coal
There is one thing perfectly certain, that the
quantity here is entirely ineAhaustihe e. and VEN
,ure the assertion, from the attentive examination
have given IL for the last few days that the quail
ity will be excellent. So FAR ss have seen It,
there is layer Of sandstone above It OF from 20 to
20 feet, and the vei1s, sOIae Of them arc IN. ee.
oae shove another, which have shown themselves
in the exposed escsrpmen's Of the bluffs, some.
times from Is 20 30 feet between them la every
case but one that have seen, out Of near . doz
en) the dip was from 352 10 10 10 the north, OF
little vtstof rorth while the other case was near.
ly west but il is very evident, through oil th.
c1untry that the original deposits o. Nature 10
the theory IS founded IN fact, which asserts thst
these deposites are made upon level bmit have
Deen violently disturbed by extraordinary cause.
Ia fact, this couutry presents, TO my mind, nu
meT0us sad extraordinary chsrsctsristcs worthy
the attention Of every geOlogisi, while the scenic
and b,f. 10 Al
enjoy the highest rational feast Of the mind
ia the studying, CHASING and sketchlns Natur,
snd her productions ss sbe Is seen IN this
romsnting and interesting country. Noting could
DC more easy, safe or pleasant 10 company o
scientific lovers Of romantic aud unexpl0red IA
'ure-geolOg sis, mineralOcists, bOtsDists and
scenic psinteTs-tO form a company ot thCmtevss
and dep-ndsnis properly htted out, in all sbon'
p, syear or two leisureiy spent IN irayersing
these wild mountains, bills, valleys sDd cth ms
their discoveries would vastly interest rs well 40
profit them. aud prove invaluable 10 the county.
la some future letter | may attempt 10 describe
the general OUTFIT aside from the instruments OF
their professions such a company would require
% make them comfortable, without incumbefing
themselves with many things, which al mex.
percnced persons are sure 10 provide before they
'tart on such trip | nave seen part, at least,
q the Elephant, and csD .iye them some useu
suggestions. II You had passed over the iGst ! 50
: :.
ishing proof Of this. IN the vast waste OF valuable
articles which literally suew the ground the " hole
sey-tha' have, before starting, been considered
OF grest valGe and much convenience, are now
seen broadcast on the banks Of this wonderful
river as entirely useless such is the extent o.
this here necessary waste, that il would not pay
Osdiy to send wagons and teams along 20 pck
them up, and carry them back, not exactly 10
" Old Virgins" but 20 the States and there vend
them as old wares. The best wagon would no;
bring 500. Indeed, only yesterday was offered
an excellent one for that sum, with four pair Of
good carriage harness and other hxings' 20
match, but refused. The owner was obliged 20
esvc i on the road. His partners he'd owned
the horses aud the wagon they took il into their
heads TO pack, and leit him on the banks Of
the P!att, 900 miles short Of the Gold Mlaes, with
his wagon and gearing.
A grest amount OF distress and much dssp.
pointmeut has bern occssloned by the formation
Of stock companies. There are only rare instances
where divisioa after division has no. occurred ,
first, one or two, or larger minority. become ob
noxioa, 10 the majority, VINO a. once propose g
division g: course IS msJ0riies rule here. It "a
decided upon and these divisions are nesry a.
ways made more In accordance with misht than
rigtf aud the minority sre told thatit Is H1pson 8
choice-tske Il or leave a. : ,On the majority tai
cut among themselves and a new division Is
again made, sld so 90 Is this process constantly
recaacting the who'o road. One man puts too
much sagar ia his coAee, and his comrades will
not stand IL another will not 90 AID bring pail
OF water when, il is supposed by some. he ought +;
while another pulls too much OF TIE blanket t.
himself tow ard the cool Of the morning, md there
tore be must divide. Ny advice % al mt ont
yourself IN what you are able 10 bear. aud 90 on
yoar own hook snd # you are 4 gentleman you
viii be allowed t. join almost any company suG
# you do not Choose 20 io,n, you can 20 alone.
sad that safely. as Know Instances nov OF SIN
sle Individuals rejoicing On their WAY TO the
Dggins. J. ".
THE MINERAL WfAIrH OF ALlBanA-lt 10
40. generally known ihst the State ot Alabans q
sbouads in cosl. iron and marble. The coal il
mostS bitumluous. The Mo9..e Herald says that
the amount raised this year en- Warrior river will
he gre.,er than ever be;ore over two hundred
at boats have been projected or bull, 10 csry il to
maSket. \ corresPonten. Of that paper says;
Oi the extent and value Of the coal dspos,ss 70 tb
region there eau be doubt Most OF the coal BEDS
hitherto found less n sn four feet in .hekpess-
strata too thin for minipe-but several Of them
four fee; thick and up~zrcs Iaose shove three feet
s7r more numerous stil. I do not that they
iOund m numerous places merely. tg that they are
different strata clesrly dchnct ing s5ove auo.