The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1857-07-18
The wesEpacitic R RLsal, lac. ae.


gloom.
The west-Paciic r R.-sals Lake, &c.
From an able article in Putnam's Mag
azine, we extract in somewhat condensed
form few speculations upon the futur
of the Great West. These are termed b,
the writer, foresone conclusions, rather be
yOnd the limits of fancy. The autho
seems inclined to give Salt Lake the pre-
ference as prospective watering place TO
Young America, a second Saratoga for thu
bellies and beaux of the ton, and pleas
ant summer resort for metropolitan NJ. P's
and their families, wishing to avoid tn,
hustle and confusion, the heat and DUST
ness peculiar to great cities. Have W.
not, in Kansas, equal inducements will
the Mormon country for a Western Ma
liant or Saratoga? Big Springs will riva
the latter, at least in picturesque scenery
and healthy atmosphere, if not in the re.
puted medicinal virtue of its waters; and
various other points in the Territory are
far superior to Eastern rural Districts
The writer's ideas, albeit they are some.
what facetiously expressed, of the future
of the mighty West, are based upon some.
thing beyond mere fancy, and altogether
are more than possible, even probable, in
this our wondrous age:
MY friend ThomI son and were sit
ting in our tent door the other evening,
looking out upon the rolling prairie. Ii
was June night, the most immaculate OF
summer. The atmosphere was rare, the
sky high and distant, and, in the absence
OF the moon, i:s surface glittered with
sharp-pointed stars. The prairie, which
had shimmered all day in the heat. now
stretched away darkly as the skv. and
with innumerable fre-flies flashing on if.
became another sky, radiant as the heav-
emily one with stars. We had
been speaking of the Pacific Railroad, of
Salt Lake and of summer travel.
In less than twenty years. he said,
! Saratoga will be nowhere as a fashiona-
bic resort, in comparison with Salt Lake
The idea was novel to me, and the re-
mark closed the conversation. I ponder
ed it far into the night, and at last said
aloud to myself, is it possible?'
Who, who, who-o-o!' remarked an owl
from neighboring thicket. Nay, nay,
. nay owlish judge, Notwithstanding your
summary contempt, we are pleased to con-
slider the question, if only for the sake of
our children. The dust and din
of the city are not to be endured. If we
had been Romans, we should have retired
before the dog star to our villas on the
yellow Tiber, or pushed off to Brundu-
SUM or the Appenine hills. AS it is, we
so to Lake George, to the White Noun
tains, to the Falls Of st. Anthony, or lose
our identity and become No. 40 or 40
and-something at some one of our thou.
sand fashionable resorts. As for myself
| go beyond the Mississippi. 1 am con.
fessedly partial to the unadulterated air of
the prairies, rather than the thrice used
atmosphere of a watering place. On a
windy night prefer the Tapping of tent
canvass to the clatterin: of window shut
ters. 1t is matter of fancy, merely.
The practical reader, who snuffed great
saline manufactures and immense profits
IN the title of our article, thinks we have
wandered widely from the text; but we
beg him to remember that Salt Lake is
yet difficult of access and he will pardon
the fondness which fingers little in the
beaten roads of the Atlantic shore, before
we strike tangent for the Mormon tenn.
pie. Great rivers lie in our wav, and des-
erts; and, as somebody SAYS, the ltfirst fam
ilies-Bruin and red Ismaeln still DISPUTE
our path: The Pacific Railway is not yet
laid. We, who are accustomed tn the
ronghness of camps. and can endure the
sweltering heat of the plains. and the
chill of rocky lodges, can manage the
matter with mules and moccasins: but INV
delicately slippered ladies above Blocker
must wait for the cushioned car. The
rails are yet to be laid, and count the in.
fiuence of those same ladies who are wait.
ing for the cushioned car, and that love
of a watering place. as among the most
potential to effect the great work. When
they know what new arena is awaiting
them, will they ever cease teasing for the
road to take them to it? =
There is point on the Missouri where
the impetuous river makes a detour. leav-
bold bluff on the eastern shore. From
that bluff Nebraska lies level to the eve.
ana, IN the season, one can follow for
miles the broad trail where the white
topped emisrant wagons are winding to-
ward the setting sun. l have stood there
when Jubilant cannon were firing. and
marked how the echoes went booming
ing like thunder down the river curve
and then were flung to the Indian shore
which growled sulIenly and muttered .
discontinued responsible renly of har-
barlsm to the overtures of civilization
and | seemed to see, instead of white
topped wagons, train of steam earr;ages
swinging iudustriously over the Main
bearing aleft its black flag of smoke con, |
quering the ground as it went And 7
seemed to hear, above the roar of the |
food, the shrill scream of the LOCOMOTIVES
piercing the distant plains, which no more /
defiance, but Joined the ringing |
~ OF progress. And the rattling train. |