Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1852-09-07
| this place, we ferried our wagons, and swan
our cal,le over the stream.

north side Of the Nebraska, and on Tue Z3d
we arrived at Independence Rock on the
Sweetw ater, a tributary Of the Nebraska,
after travelling from Deer creek abou, eighty
miles. We then continued our journey up
the Sweetwater, crossing it about l3 times,
and, on .heiSlst, we reached the summit Of
the South Pass of the Rocky Mountains, al.
ter travelling from Independence Rock about
1903 miles, and making the distance from 81.
Josephs, Mo-, about 88S miles. f
| would wish here 10 renark, ,that the road
across the South Pass was the besl, at the
time saw it, OF any road thai have ever
seen, far surprising, in my estimation, any
macadamized road
The mountain, on The summit, and on
both sides OF il, and TO great distance. es'
pecially on the eas. side, is composed chiefly
of pebble gravel and sand, and the road, TO
great width, is made smooth by the wheel
Of the vehicle, the hoof Of the animal, and
The sparable of the emigran.'s heel. And,
alhough had read descriptions Of the South
Pass, yet had formed an erroneous opinion
respecting It's appearance. This portion Of
the Rocky Mountains is nearly destitute of
timber, having nothing like fores, thereon,
and The Pass has no gorge.lke appearance,
and when ascending 10 the summit, you can
scarcely perceive ,ha. you are going up hill;
and The very spo. where Fremon. took The
elevation above the level Of the sea, does
no, appear SO high as some oiher places we
had passed over on our journey hilher; and
| If | arm no, mistaken, the South Pass is re.
ported 10 be higher above the level Of the
sea, than any other portion OF the travelled
route, from The Missouri river TO The Pass;
and This report have no mears Of success
fully contradc,ing, as had neither baron.
eler nor any other reliable instrument 10 as
sisl me in determining this matter; but oil /
wish TO say is, ,ha, II this be true, and do
not desire 10 dispute it, The senses. unassst.
ed by the appropriate philosophical instru'
menls, would be ap, 10 convey wrong idea
10 the mind, and thus the person would mos.
likely judge enormously in relation to The
matter, as he frequently does in relation to
other matters, whether of less -or- greater
importance than this subject. And this, by
the way, teaches US an impottan, lesson, as
i, admonishes us that we should be careful
in forming our opinions; for the senses fire.
quenlly mislead. From The summit, you
have beautiful view Of the Wind River
Mountains, 10 the nonheaslward, which are
apparently Of grea. height, and are covered
with perpetual snow.
You can also discern. in the vast distance,
the snow.clad mountains that presen. them.
selves TO the southwest and norlhwes,ward
of you. And as you descend the mountain
westwardly, some thoughts will involunsarily
fiji across The mind OF The rehecling man.
that are very difficult 10 put on paper; and
as this is no part Of The task assigned &c
myself, when | sal down TO give you brief
synopsis Of our journey across the Plains &c
California, shall moi attempt it.
Twill resume. by stating that we proceeded
again on our journey weswardly, abou. %
miles TO the Forks Of the road, which place
we reached on the Isl day Of August, and
| should here remark, that the first wafer
we came TO after crossing The South Pass
was called Pacific SPRING" abou. 81 miles
west from The summit, and this is said TO be
portion Of the head waters of the Colora
do Of The West.
As stated above, we arrived, on the Is, oI
August, at the Forks Of the road. The lef
hand road is generally called the Old Road
and by some, the Mormon Road, and ,he
righ, hand one is new road, and is gener
ally called Subleu's Cu,-off. Here smal
portion Of our company took tho left hand
road, as they were desirous Of going by way
of tho Great Salt Lake, and the greater por
lion Of our company, and ourselves amongs
the number, took the right hand road, and
on The 4th, We arrived al Green river, a dis
tancs Of about So miles from The Forks o
the road. should here remark that w
crossed over desen plain, being a, that tint
destitute Of water, end nearly destitute o
grass, or any other kind Of vegetation.
On the 9th, after crossing Green River
we proceeded on our way, and on the 10Th
we reached Bear River Uhe Bear river tha
emplies inlo Sall Lake), after travelling iron
Green River, distance OF about 67 miles
You, perhaps, may not be aware that hi
river runs nearly north toleraby long dis
lance, or al leas, from the place where ou
road struck it, TO adis,ance Of about seventy
five miles, where it suddenly bends TO III
sou,hwesIward, and after running in that d
reclion, or perhaps nearly south for len
distance, il emptles into The "Grear Sa
Lake."
: On the 1lih, We proceeded norihwardl,
g down The east side Of Bear river to the norl
!, bend Of The same, which we reached on ,h
I 1Rth after ttavaing down said viver aho,