The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1853-05-19
Letter from Kit CarsOn--ROute OH the
Pacific.-SOuth Pass.

Acatcr from Att CurSOms"NOute Oh the
Pacific--SOuth Pass.
From St. Louis (Mo) Democrat, April %.
! The following leuer, for copy oI
which we are indebted to the editors o
The Iatelligencer, will, considering the
source from which il comes, be read with
interest at this time, when the question oil
the most eligible Railroad route TO the
Pacific is occupying so large share ol
the public attention:
SANTA FE, March 81, 1853.
SIR, find the following sentence in letter
addressed by you to The Santa Fe Gazette:
] see a writer in The Ne,0 York tribune, who
processes to have visited Fort Laramie in IS49,
and then and there saw Mr. Kit Carson, quotes
that gentleman as in favor OF the South Pass
have ventured TO doubt the statement that
Mr.. Carson prefers the route through Utah,
and have claimed him as friend to the New
Mexican route. / wish he would write to me as
soon as may be, and give me his opinion, with
all the testimony which his valuable experience
and sagacity on such subjects can supply"
You are perfectly right in claiming me
as friend to the route through New
Mexico. | consider it as far, far prefer.
able 10 the route through Utah Territory.
know but one route across the cont.
nent which can be travelled winter and
summer. and over a REMARKABLY level coun
try, and that one must cross The Rio
Grande del Norte within 50 or 60 miles OF
Santa te, and from thence as direc. to the
California Mountains as the nature OF the
country will allow. The pass known as
Nv alker's Pass through The mountains
is good one, and has no very abrupt
ascents or descents. There is another
pass higher up, which is nearly if not
quite as good as w aker's.' That comes
in somewhere about one of the -Four
Greeks, ard DR.. Nagle, of Santa Fe, has
mentioned 10 me the fact that reliable
and intelligent man, an old mountaineer.
aud whose statements ! know are to be
depended upon, having passed from the
Vegas OF Santa Clara, and after making
his course due west, reached the Tulare
Valley, passing over country, which, 10
use his own words, you could drive ten
mule team through anywhere. There is
no manner OF doubt that the trail from
albuquerque by Zuni, along the head wa
lers OF the streams that run into the Gia.
and then crossing the big river about the
'MohaVe,' and SO on, is the easiest road
that can be found. The only objection
that | know of is, that great part OF the
country alorg there is very barren, in
fact so bad that the wolves can't make
living, and then 1t comes into the Tulare
Valley at its very southern extremity, and
you have 10 run up 300 or 400 miles to
strike the bay Of San Francisco--so that
il you could make little more norhing
it would be better. NJ. Fremont had al.
ways expressed wish to me 10 examine
the country along the southern limit OF
the basin, and it mis- explorations had not
been stopped, that would have been his
next enterprise.
On the other hand. do consider the
road by the South Pass as almost i'm
have no faith in it. The
SHOWS lie early and late in both The
Rocky and Snowy mountain countries
1t Is easy ncugh the ascent oil the Snowy
going up from the eastern
side, but on the west It falls right off and
It is like going up ladder to get oul o.
the California valleys TO the top OF the
m untains anywhere that | know Of so
far north. As TO The SHOWS. you folks
that live in the States know nothing about
Ih"m Why, sir, it SHOWS harder and
longer, and laSter and more OF it. high up
N these California mountains than per.
1aps any other place in Gods world
am not alone in my opinions on the sub
ect about which you have wr ten to me
Any old mountaineer thai know anything
about ii will say that the Southern ruulr
through New Mexico is the best.
am, Sir, yours very truly,
e. CARSON.
To VIM. S. ALLEN, Esq #. St. Louis.
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