The hydraulic press., 1859-10-29

ninety miles, for portion of which distance
the soil is good, and in she' hands of Amer
leans would be a perfect paradise. Leaving
the river and Turning our course eastward,
we found the country little more noun
famous, but by dodging through canons we
avoided most of the hills. Water is the
great want of this country, and do not see
how it ever can be supplied. Some of the
stations are forty miles from each other, and
even then water has TO be carried % miles.
At one of the stations, we found the stock
all stolen by the Indians, and one hundred
miles farther, atanother' station, the savages
had, the day before, surrounded the house,
firing SOME two hundred arrows into it, thus
frightening the station keepers while they
tore down the'c corral, took away the mules,
slaughtered the cattle on the ground and left
them. We passed this station in the even
ing, and were warned that an attack would
be made on US from a slough through which
we had to go. Our six shooters and Sharpe's
rife all ready for them, but we passed
quietly through. .0f course we were greatly
disappointed in not having an opportunity
for displaying our fighting qualities. Ante
lope and deer abound in this section, alse
cayotes and prarie dogs. On the f7th, we ar
rived AT Sherman, Texas, and again got
wagons with three seats. The country is
much improved here, and is generally culti-
waited Sixteen miles from Sherman, we
crossed Red River and entered the Indian
Territory. This is a fine country, well
wooded and watered. Forty hours travel
brought us to Fort Smith, in Arkansas. The
country through Arkansas and Missouri is
much more hilly than any other through
which we passed. We saw hardly anything
growing but corn, and portion of that was
quite poor. The !people through there are
lazy-the country shows it, i did not see a
man at work in the whole State. AS we get
north into Missouri, the country looks bet
ter, and has the appearance of better culti-
vation. We arrived at Syracuse, the ter
minus of the Pacific Railroad, in % days and
3 hours from San Francisco. As the cars
had left at nine o'clock, we had to lay over;
and, taking a berth, did some fast sleeping,
| assure you. Next day, l took the cars and
arrived safely at st. Louis in the evening
| Our fare on the whole has been hard-bacon,
bread and coffee includes the whole. No
champagne, no oysters. i got as poor as a
shad at first but gained on the last quarter
and ceme in two pounds heavier than when
| started. The expense was only S35. Two
meals day was all that we wanted of the
kind AT each end of the route the COM
pany use fine American horses; on the
plains--mustangs and mules. learned to
sleep very well in the stage, in a sitting pos
ture. The coaches are designed for passen-
| gers to lie down, by turning down the backs
of the seats, but we were too full to admit
of this. Our trip was some two days longer
than usual, but perhaps it was as wellffor us,
for we got comparatively no DUST getting
mud instead On the whole, consider the
overland mail coach great institution.
am satisfied that the trip can be made regr-
larly in sixteen days, by putting on more
stock and making more stations. A great
many of the stations are now thirty-ive and
forty miles apart. l think less of the coun-
try than when l came through it. But q
small portion of it will ever tempt white
men to settle on it. AS practical route fol
a railroad, 7 think it possesses great advan-
tages. There are really no great impedi-
ments or obstacles, no mountains of any
magnitude, and, as general thing, perfec
plain. i do not think we were required te
walk more than three miles on account O
hills. This seems almost improbable on {
journey of ZOO miles, when it is considered
that we were loaded heavily all the way ovel
the worst part of the road-ha~ing nine ant
ten passengers. One gentleman, sixty years
of age, took passage at Los Angeles AMI
came through without resting still, it is
hard journey; let no man take it for plea
sure. For myself, l am not sorry that
have taken it. have gratifed an old curl
osity to travel over "the plains" Th'
expense of the journey is about two hun
dred dollars from San Francisco to St. Louis