The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-08-04

Sio"1u VI grass HulCD contrasts strongly
with the surrounding sterility.
AT Beaver Creek, we saw for the
first time in many weary days-for ore
than 200 miles at the least-a cIump OF
low but sturdy Cottonwoods, thirty or
forty 10 number-part of them laid low
+. by the devastating AK, but still giving
hope that the desert was nearly past
And six or seven miles after, just as night
was falling, We came in sight of the Pines,
giving double assurance that the noun
tains were at hand. Pixies Peak, in the
westsouth-west, and Longs Peak in the
west north west--Ohe latter nearly the
direction of Depver)-had stood revealed
| to US bours before by the CLEAN of their
snowy diadems, as the morning sun dis
PEELED the chill mists of the preceding
night; but their majesty was bleak and
rugged one; while the Pines, though but
scattered clumps of the short and scrubby
variety known in New England and the
South as Pitch Pine, lent a grace and
hospitality to the land tcape which only
the weary and way worn who have long
traversed parched and shadeless deserts
can appreciate. They grow here mainly
in steep raviDes, and often show marks of
fire which the baroness of the surround
ing prairies es-sterile as "pine plains, are
apt to be-renders to me mex picable.-
Possibly. the fires that scorched them
were kindled in the leafy carpet spread
beneath them by the trees themselves.
This is but the northern outskirt of the
Pine region, which stretches far south.
through Arkansas and beyond, aud soon
tbickenng into forests and winding to
breadth of some sixty miles. Scattered
as it is, [ could hardly repress shout
on meeting it. And it was pleasure to
see last evening the N any parties of way.
worn gold-seekers encamped beside our
way, after their long journey through a
woodless region, surrounding great, rud-
dy, leaping fires of the dead pitch wood,
and solaeiDg themselves for their long
privation by the amplest allowance Of
blame and warmth. For the climate of
the American desert is terrible. Be the
day ever so hot in the suns unsoftened
glare, the night that follows is sure to be
chill and piercing, drising the musketoes
aud buffalo-gnats to their hiding places
directly after sunset. The fierce prairie
wind searches to the marrow (ice froze a
quarter Of an inch thick on the Plains on
the goth of May), and a shower at this
season is very apt to be accompanied By
hail as well as thunder and ighteDiDg.-
| trust our country has no harsher eli
mate, save high among her grandest
mountains.
From the Bijou to Cherry Creek-some
4O miles can say little OF the country,
save that it is high, rolling prairie, deep .
y cut by several streams, which run
north eastwardly to join the Platte, or
one of the tributaries just named. We
passed it in the night, hurryng on to
reach Denver, and at sunrise this morn
Dg stopped to change mules on the bank
Of Cherry Greek, twelve miles south of
his place (Which is situated at the june
lion of the creek with the south fork of
he Platte.) The "foot hills" of the
Rocky Mountains seemed but few miles
west of US during our rapid ride down
The smooth valley of the Cherry Creek,
" bich has fine belt of Cotto D ood only,
but including trees of i'm uense size-not
ess than three to four feet in diameter.
The soil of the adjacent prairie seems
light and sandy, but we'll grassed, and
likely to yield Oats, Potatoes. &c, but
he elevation hardly less than 5000 feet),
Ind the proximity of the Rocky Noun
aims, whose snow.covered crests, gleam-
ng between and over the foot hills, seem
hardly twenty miles distant, must ever
ender the growth of Corn difficult if not
absolutely impossible. Wheat, under
tand, has been grown fifty to eighty
niles south of this with moderate success.
Still, if the adjacent Gold Mines realize
be sanguine expectations now enter
aimed here, this region will require Mil.
ions on Millions worth of Food from the
ich prairies aud bottoms of Kansas pro-
,er, Nebraska, and Missouri. and We
ball need but the Pacific Railroad to o.
en up most benefcent Home Trade,
nd give the rich valley of the Missouri
nd its immediate tributaries better mar
ets than those of the East.
Aud | fervently trust that the fond
xpectations of these gold seekers, ~how
yer chasteDed, may not be disappointed. ,
'or the sake of the weary, dusty foot sore
thousands | have passed on my rapid
ourDey from civilized Kansas to this
oint, pray that Gold may be found
ere in boundless extent and reasonable
bundance. Throughout the next six l
,eeks, they will be dropping in here, c
undred or more per day, aud / trust
bat they arc not to be sent home di-ap-
ointed, spirit-broken, penniless. If they !
lust recross the great desert with their
ow- owing teams. may they be enabled
} do SO with lighter hearts and heavier :
urses.
For the very mothers who bore them 8
iould hardly recognize their sous now '
bling across the Plains, and struggling
ito this place, bideously hirsute, reck-