The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-09-08
AN OVERLAND JOURNEY.
XVI.
Editorial Correspondence Of the Tribune.
FROM DENVER TO LARAMIE.

Editorial Correspondence Of the Tribune
FROM DENVER TO LARAMIE.
Fort LARAMIE, June 27, 1859.
l left Denver at p. m, on Tuesday
the 2lst inst There are two roads thence
to this point: that usually preferred fol-
lows down the east fork of the South
Platte some forty miles, crossing tb bat riv'
er near St. Vrain's Fort. thus avoiding
several rapid and difficult creeks, and
crossing Cache-le Poudre near its mouth
where, like nearly all these streams, 1t is
broader and shallower than where it issues
from the Rocky Mountains My guide b ad
expected to take this route till the last mo-
neut, when be learned that the South
Platte was entirely too high to be forded
near St. Vrain's Fort, or aDyWhere else,
aud that there was no ferryboat for two
hundred miles below Denver, SO he bad
no choice bat to take the upper or noun
tain route. So We crossed the Platte dl-
rectly at Denver, and Clear Creek some
three or four miles below the road to
Gregory's Diggings By bad. difficult
ford, embeIished By some half dozen
deep. ugly "sloughs' in the bottom on Ell
tbcr side. the creek being so high that
the bottom was flooded in part, and very
mirey. We pushed on ten miles further,
and camped for the night opposite "BOul-
der City," log hamlet of some thirty
habitstions. covering the entrance to
Boulder Difginss," twelve miles west
ward in the mountains. Here We found
four wagons. two of them with horse teams
each conveying the luggage of four or FIVE
men, who, having taken look at this
gold region, had decided to push on for
California, aiDly, | believe, through what
j, known as the Cherokee TRAIL" which
forms the shortest route from Denver to
Salt Lake. | was strongly tempted at
ID. to join one cf these parties and 60
through this pass-had stood firmly on
beth feet. | think should have done it,
saving distance, bat losing tine. We all
camped for the night beside small brook,
the ripping OF whose waters over its peb-
bly, bed fell soothingly oD the drowsy ear.
| bad the wagon to myself for bed
chamber, while my three companions
spread their buffalo skins and blankets
on the grass. aud bad the vault of beav
cn for their ceiling. The night was cool
and breezy; our mules were picketed on
the grass at short distance; our supper
of fried pork and pilot-tread had not sur
feited Us; and We slept quietly till the first
~ dau rhan s,io oH
~ harnessed, and We left our fellow cam
pers still torpid, pushing on fifteen miles,
and crossing two deep, swift. ep-bank-
streams (St. Vraiu's Fork aud branch
of Thompson's Creek before stopping for
feed and breakfast. After resting two
hours, We harnessed up, and made TWEEN
t. miles more before stopping. at the
crossing of the other fork of Thoupson's
Greek, for dinner. Here we found car
avan moving from Missouri to California,
which reminded ue of the days of A.
traham and Lot. 1t comprised six or
seven heavy wagons. maioly drawn by
oxen, with light travelling carriage and
pair of horses conveying the patriarch s
family, some two or three hundred head
of cows, steers and young cattle, with
three or four young men on horseback,
driving and keeping the herd. Girls
were milking. women cooking or washing,
children playing-iu short, here was the
material for very fair settlement or
quite an imposing Kansas city. They
hitched up aud moved on before US, bat
we very soon overlook and passed them.
There are scores of such caravans now on
the various roads to California. many of
which will see very hard times ere they
reach Carson Valley. and some still bar
der before they get fairly acros the Sier-
ra Nevada. Many of them are behind
time; the feed--for much of the way
scanty at best-bas been devoured by the
cattle ahead of them. the drouth for
bids the growth of more until September,
in which month snow begins to fall heav.
lily on the Sierra Nevada. And it will
not tend to rouse their Tagging spirits to
meet-as sm we'll assured they must
similar caravans Of people who, having
5ried California to their satisfaction, are
moving back to Missouri again. Was .
here eser such another vagrant, restless. {
iscontented people, pretending to be civ
liked, as ours Is
-PashiDg on steadily over reasona- !
bly, level country. though crossed by ma {
~ deep and steep. banked dry guIlies, and I