The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-10-27
AN OVERLAND JOURNEY.
XXVI
From Salt Lake to Carson Valley.
PLAcERvILLE, July 2l 1859


PLAcERvILLE, July 2l 1859
There are too enisrsnt trails from Salt
Lake City to Carson Valley and the pass
thence into Cali!orDia-the older and
more favored starts porth west from the
Mormon Zion, passes north and vest OF
Salt Lake. crossing Weber and Bear RiT-
ers near their mouths, with several sw all
creeks, and gradually veering west and
south west so as to strike the head spring-
of the Hum bolt, which stream it follows
more than three hundred miles to lts
"siuk," within hundred miles of the
eastern base of the Sisrrs Nevada The
other route leaves the Mormon capital iD
southwcsteTiy direction, touches Lake
Utah on the north, passes west OF that
Lske through Provo. aud thence souther-
ly through Fillmore, the nominal capital
of the Territory, and so down BY Sewer
river and lake uearl y to the southern boun-
dairy of Utah, whence 1t stretches west,
nearly upon the southern rim OF the treat
Basin. on which are the Mountain Mead
ows," where a large emlgrant party FROM
Arkansas vas so atrociously ma-sacred
in 1857. Thence this trail turns north
west to bit the sink OF Carson River (I
can get no tolerabie map of Utah, and the
above may not be cntirel correct, but l.
nearly So 1t will be seen that each of
these routes must necessarily be very cir
cuitous, aud that almost, if not quite,
half the Territory lies between them. So,
last year, Major ChaEpeuing, the contrsc
tor for carrying the Salt Lake aud Cali
fornia Mail, resolved to seek shorter
route mid way between them, which be
partially succeeded 10 establishing. This
route passes Camp Floyd. 43 miles south
Of Salt Lake City, and thence strikes
west south west through 'the Desert so
called. which it penetrstcs- for so miles
or more; thence turning north to
reach and follow the original emigrant
and mail-route down the Humboldt
Even thus, it is soUewbat shorter than
any other travelled route from Salt Lake
to Carson Valley. bur stiil very tortuous,
and at lea-t $50 miles longer than it
should be. Capt. Simpson OF the u. S.
Typographical Corps, has made his way
quite through the desert, on route winch
makes the distaDce only $50 miles from
Camp Floyd to Carson Valley; whereas
it go by the present maiI-route, and
further By any other. Capt Simpson is
nov engaged in further surveys. whereby
be hopes to shorten the distance from
Salt Lake City to Genoa, pear the head
of Carson Valley. to about $50 miles;
and two of Major Cbarpening's superin-
tendents are now examining the new por
ton of this route, intending to recommend
q ttsnsfer of the Mail to it should they
deem it practicable for wagons, and not
bopelessIy destitute of grass aud water.
trast they will find it psssable; mean
time. let me give some account of so much
of it as have travelled, as | am not a.
ware that any is yet extaut.
left Camp Floyd 10 the mail-wsgon
from Salt Lake City, on the morning of
Thursday, July 2ist. pursuing south
west course over low mountain pass
Twenty miles on. We found small brook,
making from the mountains south of Us
across a thirsty plain. which, | prerume.
soon drank it up. The vegetation was
that same eternsl Sagebbsh aud Grease
wood (Arteuisia, / think. is more wide
ly recognized design alton of the plant).
which I am tired of mentioning, but,
which. together or separately, cover two
thirds of all the vast region between the
Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada.
In places, the Sagebush, for miles in ex-
tent, is dead and withering. seemingly
parched up by the all pervading dfouth;
the Grease ood is either harder, or choo-
ses its ground more judieiously; for it is
rarely found dead by acres. There is
some Bunch grass on the sides OF two or
three mountains, but very little of aught
that can be relied on to sustain human or
animal life. The mountaiOs and plains
seem to divide the ground very fairly be-
tween them-tbe soil of both being main
ly a white clay, while the former have
that creased, gullied, washed away ap-
pearaBce, which have repeatedly noticed.
Sometimes they ere Dearly perpendicular
oD one or more sides, like the Buttes fur
ther east; but usually they can be ascen-
ded on any side. and seeD to rise but one
to three thousand feet above the plains
at their bases. These plains appear from
distance to be level as SO many tablesj