The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-01-23

their diet, and taking light, digestive food, and
letting nature have its course till the system be-
come righted, they invariably commenced dosing
with laudanum.
Why, man might as well sew up his mouth
to prevent vomiting or to stop his eyes win
putty because he don't sleep well, as to take lau'
danum to cure disrrhea--don't you think So
Doctor?
would rather risk my life and health on the
Plains. than in any part of the United States in
which | ever travelled Any man who has good
sense and good outfit, and no medicine, may re-
| ly upon good health and a pleasant journey in
crossing the Plains.
Nearly every one who set out this year brought
too much meat People do not eat much salt meat
on the road-that is, if they can get anything
else; 40 pounds TO the man is sufficient, and usu'
ally much less, for wild game is abundant. The
Plains abound with the buffalo, elk, deer, and an
telope and the bear and gillo or wild sheep, are
found in all parts of the Mountains But next
years emigration will have but few difficulties to
encounter as the roads will be better, ferries and
bridges will be established at all the bad cross
ings and there are now trading posts estab-
lished along the whole road at, which supplies OF
all kinds may be procured. Even the Great
Desert will be removed next year, as company
of men have established a rancho on Salmon
Trout river. and undertaken to turn the waters
of that stream across the ffty-mile desert-so
that, instead of emptying into Pyramid Lake,
the Salmon Trout shall fall into the sink OF
Humboldt or Mary's river, which is some two
hundred feet lower. This will require but little
labor as nature has formed the design; and be-
fore spring there will be a continuous line of wa
ter from the Humboldt mountains to the Sierra
Nevadas.
The Mormons who went to the mines last
spring are beginning to come in, and their stories
and their gold have created quite stir here, es-
pecially among the newcomers. They have near
iy all been at work in the new mines on the east
ern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains, and
have been as successful as heart could desire.
Those who went out in March last have brought
home from 81 900 to $4,000 piece: | saw one
man. by the name of Carpenter, who went last
spring, and returned few days ago | asked
WHY be returned so soon and he quietly replied
that his provisions were about to give out and
! that he had as much gold as his mule could pack
and so be thought he had better come home.
saw his pilen 1t looked like about five quarts,
snd ne said it weighed over hundred pounds !;
he valued it at $50 000 But they say the miners
on the western side of the mountains have not
done SO. we'll this season How it is, | do not
kaaa rs 1 have not been oyr. -----.A ~ ~Vrtn
here from 81 to $40 per day. Board is from 81
to SIS per week flour, $50 per barrel and other
kinds are very high, as there is duty, fine, Of
one hundred per cent, ad ualOrem upon the +" crit
ter whenever he is sold in the valley, come in
whatever shape he may. With this exception,
we have perfect free trade. The settlements here
feel the want of nothing so much as railroad,
connecting with the Mississippi and the Pacific.
Such q road would be.a giant undertaking as we
all know but it could be nude, and Il woud pug
me1l-and any road that will pay, ought to be
built
If the road could be completed within FIVE
years from to-day the trade Of Deseret alone
would by that time be more than sufficient to
support it, But unless it could be pushed more
vigorously than the most of public works it would
not be completed so soon as that But, even if it
were completed n0tr, it would yield larger dvi-
deuds than any other road in the Union, as q few
facts will clearly show.
The distance from the Missouri to the Pacific,
as measured by the viameter, Is nearly two thou
| sand miles bat this is the distance over which
/ the wheel actually passes including every unim-
portant crook and every slight inequality in the
road which, in read that has never been work
| ed, amounts to a considerable share OF the dis
lance. The actual distance, in direct line, is
less than one thousand miles-and the track Of a
railroad would probably measure not far from
fifteen hundred miles A road across here would
y
States but, as the most of the grading would be
light, | think that $40 900 per mile would be am
ply sufficient This woad make the road cost
| $50 900 600 | believe the usual estimate by
those acquainted with such works is about
$2j 600 0O0-but say S30000,000 The number
| of persons who have crossed the Plains this year
is about So 600. The number who have gone by
water probably exceeds that, which makes 100000
wbo tcua- a. lA--s.- ss, --.1Iao, srial ~ M
. 4
as have gone, which swells the number to 100000
Now, had there been good road across the
Plains, and had the fare been put down to 5000
nearly all of this travel would have passed on this
road as being cheaper, quicker, and healthier
than any other route Besides this had there
been a road, great many would have gone tc
California who have remained at home. But
surprising only one third Of these had travelled
on this road, which is fifty thousand, The number
rho hare actually crossed the Plains, their fare at
5000 would amount to 100000, or one-third
of the original cost of the road. Besides this,
there is all the trade of the 80, 200 Deseretians,
and all the forts and ports along the road, and
the Oregon, California, and Deseret mails, and
many other incidental sources of profit not emu
mersted This is a very low estimate Of the
profits of the road, and probably far below the
truth | believe that, if the road had been CON-
pleted two years ago, it would have more than
paid for itself by this time. railroad would re-
luire additional military posts to protect it, as
1t would follow the course of the principal rivers,
the valleys of which are generally susceptible of
cultivation, and then, along the line of the road,
would be settled as fast as the road could be built
A road around the southern rim of the Great
Basin, and touching the Mormon settlement at
San Pete valley, would possess some advantages,
| especially that Of climate but road along the
usual route of travel would be quite practicable.
There are hut two points at which there would
be much difficulty in obtaining timber One is
along the Platte below Laramie and the other
along the Humboldt; and timber could be tloated
down either Of these streams in time Of high wa
ter or it could be carried the road, If 1t could
he commenced at the right points.
| have seen coal at four different places along
this road west of the Missouri line - on Bull
| creek, in the Shawnee country on Deer creek,
one hundred miles above Fort Laramie; on Echo
creek, at the eastern base Of the Nobsatch noun
tains; and on the western side of the Humboldt
mountains, about two hundred miles west Of this
place. | saw lead, or galena, on Big Sandy, be-
tween the Kumas and Platte rivers, and also west
| of North Platte, below the mouth Of Sweetwater
Iron is found in various places, gold is found in
small quantities on Goose creek, between this
place and Fort Hall; and the Sweetwater noun
tains contain the finest marble in the world.
saw it there Of every hue and shade, from the
purest white to n perfect jet and ! never saw
any, from any country, Of as fine quality. pre-
sumo t,exiss there in inexhaustible quantities.
This whole region Of country possesses one sim
| gular feature that is not generally known-or, ut
least, it is not generally known that the phenom-
enon is so common. From the mouth OF the Platte
to the Sierra Nevada mountains, large portion
of all the moist land is in dry weather covered
with salt Below Fort Laramie it is generally a
pure chloride of sodium, and appears only in
small quantities, frequently resembling heavy
hoar frost. 1t disappears with every rain, but Is
held in solution by the water in the earth, till
hrnnnht 10 the snrfnne by canillarY attraction and