Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-06-11

Mountain ranges which, covered all over with the
winter and have upon their tops in summer sends down
so water and cool clear and good And this Is the
generally the Wahsach Mountains and Las Vegas de
Santa CLARA distance of hvs hundred mules ron the
head Of Del Nore Wagons nov travel this route TO
California, and done it, In the 1887 two families
named Slower Pope with their wagons and two Next
cans, went from Taos that way.
Col Fremont looking for the Pass IN the
winter of 1852 and enough to have seen it, il
had been hid by the tapping OF he mountains when his
guide led him of the mountains instead of keeping up
the valley which he wished to do and which would have
taken him through 1t the worst winter for
could travel all the time IN the valleys and
was below him the waters of the Arkansas the time,
acting as guide Col Beae who after the Apache
Indians with detachment or dragons and we heard OF him
the Pueblo lie high Hard Scrabble and got
corn crossed into the valley Of San Luis and got
corn the GreenOrn Pueblo the San Carlos creek about
fifty sixty miles below him. and heard that he had passed
along supposed that he had gone safe through and knew
better till he got back to Taos, when told him how
had been 10 the place he looking for We passed with
dragons through the Pass Ell sangre de Christie blood of
Christi and got through and that the dead of win
ter, and greatest snowwe ever had.
There way also the get the waters of
the Great Colorado 1t by Ben Fort by the Pueblo and
Hard Scrabble lat all which places and vegetables
rased and by Williams fishery and the head Of the river
leaving the THREE PAnKs the north Horsemen and stock
go that way Maxwell of Taos drove between four
five thousand head sheep and cattle summer
tending TO take them TO California but went to the Great Salt
Lake, and sold them there
7 wagon go from Missouri to California through
the Coochatope Pass without crossing mountain bat the
Sierra Blanca land there have tie choice of three good
passe and without crossing any swamp large river and
nearly on straight line all the only bearing little
south And supplies Of grain and cattle be had from the
Puebo the Upper Arkansas and also from the Mexcans
the valley Of ST. Louis and also from the Mormons at 0
San JOSE and at their settlement the Ncoet river and at
Las Vegas de Santa Clara.
have been from New Mexico to California four times
namely, the way guided Col Cook the way guided Capt
Sgreaves and the Salinas route, and the Abuu
Of these four the guided Capt Sitgrcaves is, in
formed Mr. Seward the best and shortest from Santa Fe
Albuquerque but from places further north, and especially
from Missouri the Pass best and shortest and
has most water wood and good land it. and has
that when there much trail by Abiquiu people
from Taos go that have already aad The snow In
in that country dry and the moccasns that do
get damp or wet.
being asked by Col state the best way from
Missouri to California, Start the people now do
going New Mexico from the frontier of the State
Independence, and for travelling 70 through
the praires up towards Bents Fort and up the Huerano
the Pass I'll sangre de Chrsto then out by the ope
Pass following trail the great Spanish trail The eate
travel would be to start from the point but follow
kanas river valley for the sake of the wood and when that
gives ont to the Arkansas which far off and level
between and follow that up The prairie is the way
in the SUMMER but travelling must have the
OF woods and timber against storms every thing
that tell can show and would undertake to guide party
safe through with wagons now ANTOINE IERorffy9
WASHINGTON CRY, MARCH |, 1858.
Letter from COL Fremont 10 tie Railroad Coaveaton Apra
To Messrs. B. GERHARD and Others Committee &c
GENTLEMEN: 1t would have given me great pleasure 10
have been able to accept your kind Invitation and to have
met the Interesting Mississippi and Pacific Railroad Conven
me to and leave other mode of showing nv
sense OF your attention. and manestihg the interest take in
the great object which assemblies this than
tribute so far as can TO the Of information which win
be laid beforei In dng this regret that the state Of nv
health does net permit the labor necessary give the
distances and baromerca elevations along the route which
shall offer for consideration shut have caused ske
Teton rudey skeched and which, exhibiting the pro
minent features of the country and general direction Of The
line will be found sufficiently and accurate TO ustrae
what have to say
Many lines of exploration through the wilderness country
10 he
siyey satisfied that the region Of country living be-
tween the Ssth and seth parallels Of latitude offer singular
facilities and extraordinary comparative advantages for the
construction Of the proposed road.
propose therefore, to occupy your attention solely with
this line for the clear understanding of which it will aid to
keep under the eye accompanying ap upon which tb
unbroken red lines intended show regions which
they traverse have been already explored while the broken
nation $500
The counrto be rayerscd by the proposed road exhibits
but two great featurestho praes reaching to about the
one hundred and fifth degree or longitude and the mountains
with which is brsng from that point shores of the
Pacific Some years travel among these mountains
during which occupied principally in searching for com
yenient passes and good lines of gradually
led comprehend their structure and 10 understand that
among this extended Of there nowhere to
be found great continuous range having unbroken crest
where only TO be found in the small
depressions Of the summit line
Throughout this Of country stretching in each
way about seventeen degrees all these apparently
ranges composed of heightened blocks mountains Sc
parae and detached of greater length according 10
the magnitude Of the chain they possessing
s hole and prominent peaks, and lying parallel
to each other but not usually to the general direction
the range but in many lying it, spring
ing suddenly from the general level Of the country some
times rising into bare and rocky SUBMITS Of great height they
leave openings through tie range but little above this
level, and by which they be passed without climbing
mountain Generally, these openings wooded yaleys
where the mountain springs from either side collect together
forming often the branches some mighty stream
Aggreg together way they 20 on to form the great
chains of the Rocky mountains and Sierra Nevada well Ms
the smaller and secondary which occupy nteryen
ing space. With the gradu discovery this system be-
al mt 1vnrfI
easy construction Of railroad this rugged region As
this popularity of the country forms basis OF my nforna
ton desire TO state clearly at the outset order that
may be more readily understood in proceeding show that
this continent can be crossed from the Mississippi 10 the Pa
cihc, without climbing mountain on the very line which
national consideration would require TO connect the
great Valley OF the West with the Pacific ocean.
In describing the belt Of country through which the road
should pass IL will be found convenient 10 divide the entire
line into three partsthe EASTERN reaching from the mouth
Of the Kansas TO the head ofhe Del Nortc the middle from
the head Of the Del Norte to the rim Of the Great Basn
the western from the rim Of the Great Basin to he ocean
Beginning the thirty parallel of latitude at the
mouth OF the Kansas the road would along the valley
OF mat river three four hundred miles
beautiful and wooded country Of great fertility Of soil well
adapted settlement and cultivation From the uppe waters
of the Kansas falling easily over into the valley Of the Ar
kansas the road strikes that river about hundred miles be-
low the foot Of the mountains continuing up 1t only TO the
mouth Of the Huerfano river Prom this point the prairie
plains sweep directly up to the mountains which dominate
them high lands do the The Hueano Il one of the
upper branches Of the Arkansas and following line Of this
stream the road would here enter country nty
beautiful tmbered, having many valleys Of great
fertility; having mild and beautiful climate wing
out the valley country short winters which spend their force
in the elevated regions Of the mountains The range noun
tans in which this finds its head springs dsn guish
cd by having its SUBMITS almost constantly enveol
clouds OF which IL obtains the name Of ser.
Mazda, Wet Mountain This chain is remarkable among
Rocky mountain for the singular grandeur Of It's