The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1853-06-07
Letter From Kit Carson---Route to the Pacific.
South Pass.


The following letter for copy of which we
are indebted 10 the editors Of the Intellig encer,
will considering the source from which it comes,
be read with interest at this time, when the
question of the most eligible Railroad route 10
the Pacific is occupying SO large share of the
public attentions:
SANTAFE. March 81, 1853.
Sir; find the following sentence in a letter
addressed by you to The Santa Fe Gazette:
see writer i'm the New York Tribune, who
processes to have visited Fort Laramie in lS49
and then and there saw Mr.. Kit Carson. quotes
| that gentlemen as in favor of the South Pass.
| l have ventured to doubt tho statement that
Mr.. Carson prefers the route through Utah
and have claimed him IA q friend TO the New
Mexican route. / wish he would write to me
as soon as may be, and give me his opinion,
with oil the testimony which his veluable ex-
perience and sagacity on such subjects can
supply.
You are perfectly right in claiming mo as a
| friend tn the route through New Mexico. /
consider it as far far preferable to the route
through Utah Territory.
| know bnt ono route across tho continent
VIII ch can be travelled winter and summer,
and over remarkably level country, and that
one mus, cross the Rio Grande del Norte with
In so or 60 miles of Santa Fe, and from thence
as direct to the California Mountains as the
nature of the country will allow. Tho pass
known as "Walkers pass" through the Noun
tains is good one, and has no very abrupt
ascents or decens.
There il another pass higher up. which is
nearly if not quite as good as Walkers That
comes i'm somewhere about one of tho "FouI
Creeks" and DIR. Nagle, of Santa Fe, has men
toned 10 me The fact that reliable and intel
llgent man, an old mountaincer. and whose
J statements know are to be depended upon
! having passed from the Vegas of Santa Clara
, and after making his course due was, reached
the Tulare Valley. passing over countr.
which. 10 use his own words you can drive
! ten mule team through anywhere.
There is no manner of doubt that the trai
: from Albuquerque by Zuni, along the hea'
waters of tho stream that run into the Gia
: and then crossing the big river above tho Mo
. hove and so on, is tho easiest road TO be found
Tho only objection that know of is, that
great part Of the country along there Is yer.
barren, in fact so bad that the wolves can't max
n living. and then IL comes into tho Tular Val
{ ley at this very southern extremity, and yo
9 have to run up 300 or 400 miles tn strike III
!, bay of San Francisco-so That fyou could max
t little more northing il would be better.-
: Mr.. Fremont had always expressed wish
s mo 10 examfnc tue country aiOug tno sOutncr
: limit Of the basin, and il his explorations ha
not been stopped, that would have been hi
next enterprise.
II On tho other hand, do consider tho roa
n by tho South Pass as almost impractacablc.-
have no faith IN 1t. The SHOWS lie early an
n late in both the Rocky and Snowy mouotai
!! countries. 1t is easy enough the ascent of tn
|e Snowy mountains going up from tho easter
l. side but on the west t falls right off and IL
like going up ladder to get out ofthe Calfo
O. MIA valleys to tho top of the mountains an.
whore that know of so far north. As % u
10 SHOWS you folks that live in the States kno
at nothing about them.
r. Why, sir, IL SHOWS harder and longer. ar
Il. faster and more oft, high up in those CsIifo
70 mia mountains than perhaps any other pla
IN in Gods world. I am not alone in my opi
ions on the subject about which you bave wr
10 ten 70 mo. Any old mountAineer that kno
Id anything about Il vii ssy that the scuths