Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-08-16
GQoreestrr Daily Syn.
GREELEYs OVERLAND TOURNEY.
SOUTH PASS TO BRIDGER.


BIG SANDY, July 6, 1859.
wrote last from the mail company's station
tent IN "Quaking Asp Canon" at the east end
Oh the Oouth Pass, three miles off the direct
and well-beaten road from the Missouri to Sail
Lake, and so to California which was formerly
the road to Oregon as well. But Col Lander.
at the head OF United States exploring and
pioneer party, has just marked and nearly
opened new road through the canon afore-
SAID, which makes northern cutoff, and
strikes the old Oregon trail some fourteen
miles south OF Fort Hall, saving sixty miles on
the Journey to Oregon, and striking through to
California on northerly route, which think
pushes through to the north of Honey Lake.
and thence over the Sierra down one of the
Yuba forks. l cannot, of course, say this is
better than the old route, but it can hardly be
more destitute OF grass, while the naked fact
that 1t divides the travel affords cheering hope
OF mitigation OF the sufferings and hardships
OF the long journey. l missed seeing Col.
Lander, to my regret; but l am sure he is do
ng good work, for which thousands will
have reason to bless him. AT all events, a
great majority of the California; with all the
oregon emigration, is turning off on the new
route, and pray that they may find on it food
for their weary, famished cattle, and a safe
journey to their chosen homes
Though the elevation of the Pass is nearly
oooO 1eet above the ocean level, l never endur-
ea neat exceeding that of yesterday in and
ABOUT the station tent. The sun rose clear,
as 1t almost always does here in summer. soon
dispelling the chill which attends every night
In this region, and by 9 o'clock the heat was
most intense But the afternoon brought
CLOUDS, wind and petty rain-squall, and the
following night was cold enough to still any
mosquitoes but those of the Rocky Mountains
suspect these would sing and bite even with
the mercury at zero.
Toward evening, l climbed the hill on the
east OF the canon, and obtained from its sum
mt wide prospect, but how desolate These
NILS are OF volcanic formation, kind Of coarse
slate, the strata upheaved almost perpendicu-
larly, the surface shattered and shingly, with
veins OF hard quartz running across them
1here is scarcely bushel of soil to each
square rod, and OF course no grass, and little
vegetation of any kind. To the north, saw
ten or twelve miles away, is snow -streaked
range of the Rocky Mountains to the south.
some miles across the Sweetwater are lower
and less barren hills, with some snow banks
and some wood-quaking asp and yellow pine
on their northern slopes. The Sweetwater
headS among the mountains to the north and
northwest. There is a little we'll nawed grass
on Its immediate banks and on those of its trb-
utareS-on the high, rolling land which fills
all beside OF the wide space between the noun
talns north and those south, there is not mule
feed to each acre. Some greasewood at inter
walls, the eternal sagebush and few weeds
with the quaking asp and yellow pine afore-
SAID, and thick tangle of bitter cottonwood
(which is bad caricature of our swamp alderl
thatchlng portions of few of the smaller
streams, comprise the entire vegetation of this
forlorn region.
We started at this morning, came down to
the old Salt Lake. Oregon, and California trail
at the Sweetwater, crossed and left that creek
finally, and traversed slightly rolling country
for seven miles to the "Twin Buttes," two low,
clay topped mounds which mark the point
from which the water runs eastery to the Gulf
OF Mexico and westerly to the Pacific If any
one has pictured to himself the South Pass as
running through some narrow, winding, diff
Gnit ROCKY mif2unttap- fle tSyarHrasS
is the best part of the route from Atchison to
California the clay has here been almost
wholly washed away and carried OH, SO that
the road passes over coarse, heavy, gravelly
sand. usually as compact and smooth as the
hest illustrations of the genius of MacAdam,
I never before traversed forty-fiye miles OF
pufey natural road so faultless as that through
me South Pass which | have Travelled to-day
But this tract should be good for roads, as it
seems absolutely good for nothing else The
natural obstacles to constructing Railroad
through this region are not comparable to
those overcome in the construction OF the Cam
den and Amboy.
Passing the Twin Buttes-the distance be-
tween the mountains on the north and the hills
ON the south being not less than thirty miles,
and thenceforth westward rapidly widening
we run down the side of a dry, shallow water
course some five miles to wet, springy marsh
or morass of fifteen or twenty acres, covered
with poor, coarse grass, in which are found the
so-called "Pacifc Springs" The water is
clear and cold but bad Perhaps the number
of dead cattle, of which the skeletons dot the
marsh, made it so distasteful to me- AT all
events, / could not drink it. This bog is long
and narrow and from its western end issues
a petty brook, which takes its way south
westwardly to the Sandy, Green River, the
Colorado and the Gulf of California. Hence
forth, toward the south and west no hills are
visibe-nothing but sandy, barren PLAIN,
mainly covered with the miserable sagebush.
Twelve miles further on, we crossed DRY
Sandy-not quite dry at this point, but its
thirsty sands would surely drink the last OF 1t
mile or 30 further SOUTH Five miles beyond
this, the old and well-beaten Oregon trail
strikes off to the northwest while our road
bends to the southwest. We are out OF the
South Pass, which many have traversed UNI
consciously, and gone on wondering and IN
ouiring when they should reach it, Seven
miles further brought us to Little Sandy, and
eight more to Big Sandy, wherein is the sta
ton at which, at P. NJ, we (by order,l
stopped for the night. All these creeks appear
to rise in the high mountains many miles
north of us and to run off with constantly dl-
minishing volume together to join the Colora-
do at the south. Neither has a tree OH its
banks that have seen-only few low will
low bushes at long intervals-though l hear
that some Cottonwood is found on this creek
ten miles above. Each has bottom " or
intervale of perhaps four rods in average
width, in which little grass is found, but
next to none on the high sandy plains That
separate them. Drouth and sterility reign
here without rival.
FoRT BRIDGER, Utah, July 8, 1909.
We crossed Big Sandy twice before quit
ting it-once just at the station where the
above was written, and again eighteen miles
further on. Twelve miles more brought us 10
Green Rivera stream here perhaps as large
as the Mohawk at Schenectady or the Hudson
at Waterford. 1t winds with rapid, muddy
current, through a deep, narrow valley, much
of it sandy and barren, but the residue pro
ducing some grass with few large Cotton
woods at intervals, and some worthless brush
es. There are three rope ferries within q
short distance, and two or three tradlngposts
somewhat frequented by Indians OF the SNAKE
tribe. Eighteen miles more of perfect desola
ton brought us to the next mail company
station on Blacks Fork, two large millstreami