The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-09-29
AN OVERLAND JOURNEY
VIV
From Bridger to Salt Lake.


SALT LAKE CITY. Utah, July IL, 1859
Fort Brideer, whence my last was sent
may be regarded as the terminus in thi
direction of the great American Desert
Not that the intervening country is fer
tile or productive, for it is neither; but al
Bridger its character visibly changes. -
The bills We here approach are thinly
covered with struggling growth of low
scraggy Cedar; the Sagetush continues
even into this valley, but it is no longer
universal and almost alone; Grass is m ore
frequent and far more abundant; Black S
Fork. which, few miles below, runs
whitish with the clay-wash of the desert,
is here clear, sparkling mountain tor
rent, divided into half dozen streams
BY the fat, pebbly islets Oh which the lit
tie village-or rather post is located;
while, twelve miles up its course, an i'm
provement Of 500 acres, begun some years
since by the Mormons, has this season
been put under cultivation, with fattering
prospects. Oats, Barley, Potatoes, Peas,
&C., arc the crops sought; and the enter
prisiug growers have contracts for the
supply of Fort Bridgcr at prices which
will insure them liberal return in case
they realize even moderate yield. This
may seem a small matter; but [ doubt
that there are, in all, 500 acres more un-
der cultivation in go 600 square miles
or more lying between the forks of the
Platte on the east, the Salt Lake Basin
on the west, the settlements Of New Mex
leo on the south, and the Yellow Stone on
the north Yet 10 this radius are incu-
ded several military posts at which every
bushei of Grain consumed costs an aver
age of SIS, while Potatoes and other edible
Roots would con u and Dealy as good pri-
ces, could they be had There are herds
men at intervals throughout all this re-
gion who have each their hundreds OF
heads of Cattle, but who hardly know the
taste of potato or iurnip, who have DeV-
er planted nor sowed an acre. and never
coute plated the possibility of growing
an apple or cherry, though they expect
to live aud die 10 this region. trust,
therefore, that the Fort Bridger enterprise
will succeed, and that it will ineite to like
experiments in the vicinity of each will
derness post. The present enormous cost
of our Military service in this immense
desert may thus be slightly compensated
by proving the great desert not absolute
ly worthless. and creating basis OF CIV
ilizatiou for its rude, noma adic, lswless, but
hardy, bold, and energetic pioneers.
From Fort Bridger (naued after an
Indian trader who FIRST settled here; then
settled as an outpost and relief station by
the Mormons when they began TO people
this valley, but abandoned by them On
the approach, late in 81, of the Army, by
which it has since been held) the Salt
Lake trail rises over high, broad ridge,
then descends very steep, rocky, diff
cult bill to Big Muddy, a branch of Blacks
Fork, where-l2 miles from Bridger-is
the Mail Company's station, at which We
had expected to spend the night. But
the next drive is 90 miles, and our Dew
conductor wisely decided to cut piece
off last evening, as the road to the other
end was hazardous in dark night. So
we moved on q little after suudoWD, ri
sing over another broad ridge, and, after
narrowly escaping az upset in gully
dug 10 the trail BY that days violent
shower, camped Is miles Oh, s'little after
ii p. N. The sky was densely clouded;
the moon nearly down; it was raining
little and blowing more, as we lay down
to rest, most of US under the sullen sky.
An hour or more thereafter, our mules
(Which were siuply tied in pairs BY long
ropes and thus turned out to graze) were
somehow disturbed, and our stage-men
challenged and stood ready to repel the
supposed depredatOr. he proved, howey.
er, to be friend, travelling on mule-back
from Bridger to this place. who had wan
dered of the trail in the deep darkness,
perhaps been carried among our animals
by the fondDess of bis own for congenial
society; so all was soon right, and the
new conner unsaddled, pulled off his bian-
kets, and was soon coucbed among U.s.
At daylight, we we're all astir, and drove
down to Bear River, ooly three or four
miles distant for breakfast.
We halted before crossing. beside what
is here called grocery, the only struc-
ture on that side of the river being
blacksmiths shop consisting, believe,
of a bellows and anvil under the open sky,
to which some part Of our rigging was