Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-02-14

/ eQOuRH-fQ6 lQluule HOulO De DeIbeI. lrdGefS
and speculatOTs will, of course, push ahead.
The best route is more delicate subject TO
spead of To write of either or all, might Of
fend our neighbors up the river, every one OF
which has the uerV besf starting point Each Of
the Upper Missouri towns have published maps
of the routes, setting forth the advantages OF
each. ALI of them, possibly, have exhibited
their own in the most favorable light, and not
done full Justice to their Aeighbors, at least so
| they say Of each other A pretty fair map has
just beea issued by Berthoud of Leavenwortb,
compiled from Stanbury's, Fremont's, Ewing's
and Bryan's reports, surveys and explorations.
It gives the four main routes, all starting from
Leavenworth; the Northern, or Platte, by Fort
Kearney, $50 miles; Southern or Santa Fe, by
the Arkansas and Bent's Fort, 705 miles the
Central by Fort Riley and the Republican Fork
of Kanses river, 679 miles, and the new Central,
by Fort Riley and the Smoky Hill Fork of
Kansas river, clear along up that stream to the
head of Cherry Creek, SOS miles in length. The
streams on the latter two are mostly bridged
the first two hundred to two hundred and fifty
miles. The Northern, by Fl. Kearney, follows
along the South side of the main trunk of the
Platte from Kearney and up the same side of
South Fork so that it neither crosses the Platte,
Kansas, or any other stream of consequence
The same is true ofthe same route starting from
St. Joseph, Atchison, OF Nebraska City. The
routes ON the north side of the Platte, starting
from Omaha or Council Bluffs, or still further
north, from Sioux City, are quite short-say
600 miles-and good; but they have to cross the
Loup Fork and the main body of the Platte
river, at Fort Kearney. The three most north
ern routes are similar from Kansas City and In
dependence, except that the Kansas river has
to be crossed. This, however, is bridged two
miles fIom Kansas City. The three parties
mentioned above, will start from several points,
but all 60 by Fort KeaTney, and thence up the
Platte. Persons who are in the mines write va
nously regarding the routes. There is doubt
less much to learn yet by all, and better route
| than either may yet be discovered. None Of
those now travelled are direct, neither are they
very bad, like crossing the mountains to Ore
| gon, California, or Salt Lake-no mountains are
to be travcrsed. Nor yet are they so good as
represented by the friends OF each-nOne are so
| free from sand, mud and steep banked streams
none so well supplied with wood and water as
represented; so long as twenty-five years ago,
for instance, no wood could be found for days
about the Forks ofthe Platte, by emigrants.-
Prairie flies will bite cattle, and unusual storms
| will wet your freight and swell small streams
to swimming hight; more buffalo chips than the
| living animal will generally be seen. Still,
thousands of heavily laden OK teams pass year
ly over both the Platte and Santa Fe routes,
and many find the trip one of pleasure, and the
mountain traders for half a century have tray-
ersed them Mr.. BeauYis came with the mail,
from Fort Laramie to St. Joseph in eight days,
travelling by stage as usual night and day
| One advantage this Tonte has; there are mail
stations with blacksmith shops, hay, &C., every
| forty-6ye miles, to the mouth of the South
Platte. With laden wagons, twenty-five to for
| ty days will be required by either route. To
the country Immediately bordering the Missou-
n nVer in Iowa and Nebraska, Of course tie
| Platte route is best-or for parties starting in
the winter, or in summer or fall, the northern
route would be best and probably shortest. A
correspondent of the Pittsburg Gdzette, writes
from the mines, Nov. Goth "If trains start very
early in the spring, let them come the lower
route; but would advise them to wait awhile,
and come the upper route" November I5,
lanes Barker writes to the Brownsville Adrer-
tiser, If you come IN the spring, Slo1ut o-~-Is~a
your teams-there are some Of the worst sand
roads l ever saw" What route he went is
not stated. Capt. Smith, Delegate to the
Kansas Legislature, and elected by the mi
ners, made the trip to Florence, N. T., by
the Platte route, in sixteen days. Several
. | W OOuuCAE oi04Ao III CAklsCcu 4ay y1s
Courtwright writes to Council Bluffs, that ths
mines are only distant 556 miles from that point
From that place, Omaha OF Council Bluffs, it il
1870 milesto Fl. Kearney, with some settlements
and eight streams bridged by Government, leav
ing only two unbridged to cross, viz: Loup Fork
with a ferry,) and Wood river, at Mendoza
which is shallow. Mr. Reed, now at the mines
who went flom the latter place, and who ha
been once over to California, and thrice to Sal
Lake, advises to keep the old Mormon road
North side of the Platte, in preference to tn
military road which he travelled from Fl. Kear
ney, via the South side of the Platte. Mr.. "
Donnel states that he came in by the Soutl
Platte, but will return in the Spnng by the Re
publican fork of the Kansas, or Central route
making the distance less Mr.. O'Donnell frs
went out by the Smoky Hill fork, OF new cen
trail route. Alexander White, an old settler O
Ontario, also gives preference, says an Atohisol
paper, to the Republican fork route. Stream
are bridged out rs miles to Vermillon, and fer
ry at the Big Blue, at its Junction with Vermil
lion Creek; says it is plain. well beaten, an
more wood and grass than by other routes, bein,
less Travelled; he viii 60 BY it in the Spring. :
Edwards writes, "Come the Platte rOute."-
Buesche says, go by Bent's FOEt and the SaBt
Fe road Another writes, ''Iet no one take thi
AsAA1cCAA11
: gians, came BY this route in twenty-five days
leaving the mines October 18th. There seem
to be divide between the Arkansas and Plat.
which will be difficult to cross early in th
spring but, again gold ia said BY some to
, abundant on both tho head waters Of the Kar
sas and of the Platte Our correspondent
J "Kaw," writes rs from Lecompton, Dee SOL
'tlt is generally conceded that the route by u
| Smoky Hill River Valley is not oaly the shOr
: est, but best Settlements extend further
I. that direction than on any other, as there al
continuous settlements TO within three hundFe
miles of the Peak and two hundred and fft
: of the nearest diggings. The town of Sahni
on the Smoky Hill River, is reckoned to
J about two hundred and seventy-five miles frol
, the nearest diggings now worked. 1t is poss
BILE that there may be gold much nearer. Cor
/ can be purchased as far as Salina." Same WI
: ter, Jan 18th, says: "The Kansas LegisIstul
I; propose making Territorial road from Law
:; renee to Pikea Peak. by the Smoky Hill Fork.
On the other hand, Mr. Mccoy, of Kansas Cit,
! an old surveyor in the West, says all other tia
: the two old routes-the Santa Fe and the Plat
b -are impractieable: he prefers the former, ar
I says it is the best natural road on the eontnen
We think, he as well as the rest of Us, has muS
0 to learn, though his present opinion may be Il
, correct one. All the routes will be largely t.
J, veled, none Of them probably very good NJ
. very bad. Each will be considered best in Il
|, eyes of those intereatea in their Eastern term
= nus --rl0 ~ laia1szoir .7o aas .s..---L.