Worcester daily spy., 1859-06-24
From the New York Tribune.
GREELEYS OVERLAND JOURNEY.
THE AMERICAN DESERT.


little creek entitled Gouler, at least 80 miles
back, and did not see tree and but one bunch
of low shrubs in a dry watercourse throughout
our dreary morning ride, till we came in sight
of the Republican, which has little-a very
little-scrubby cottonwood nested in and along
its bluffs just here, but there is none beside for
miles, save a little lurking in a rayine which
makes down to the river from the north. OF
grass there is little, and that little of miserable
quality--either scanty furze or coarse aka
line sort of rush, less fit for food than physic.
Soil there is none but an inch or so Of inter-
mittent grass-roOt tangle based on what usual
ly seems to be thin stratum of clay, often
washed off SO as to leave nothing but slightly
argicallaceous sand. Along the larger water
courses-this one especally-this sand seems
to be as pure as Sahara can boast.
The dearth of water is fearful. Although
the whole region is deeply scanned and quilted
by INSTRUMENTATION dry, butin rainy wealth
er mill streams-no springs burst from their
steep sides. We have not passed drop of
living water in all our morning ride, and but
a few pailfulls of muddy moisture at the bot
toms of a very few of the tast-drying sloughs
or sunken holes in the beds of dried-up creeks.
Yet there has been much rain here this sea-
son, some of it not long ago. But this is a re-
gion OF sterility and thirst. If utterly unfed,
the grass of season would hardly suffice,
when dry, to nourish prairie fire.
Even the animals have deserted us. No
buffalo have been seen this year within many
miles of us, though their old paths lead occa-
sionaly across this country presume they
pass rapidly through it, as l should urgent
ly advise them to do; not gray wolf has hon
ored us with his company to-day-he prefers
to live where there is something to eat; the
prairie dog also wisely shuns this land of star
walton no animal but the gopher Ia little crea-
ture, between mouse and a ground squirrel)
abounds here and he burrows deep in the
sand and picks up living, l cannot guess
how; while Il few hawks and an occasional prai-
rie wolf (cayota) lives by picking here and
there gopher. They must find him disgust
ingly lean.
would match this station and its surround
lngs against any other scene on the continent for
desolation. From the high prairie over which
we approach it, you overlook a grand sweep
oftreeless desert, through the middle of which
flows the Republican, usually in several
shallow streams separated by sandbars or
islets-its whole volume being far less than
that of the Mohawk at Utica, though it has
drained above this point an area equal to that
of Connecticut. OF the few scrubby cotton
woods lately covering under the bluffs at this
point, mott have been cut for the uses of the
station, though logs Tor its embryo houses are
A broad bed of sand indicates that the volume
of water is sometimes hundred fold its pres
ent amount, though it will doubtless soon be
far less than it now is. Its average depth can
not now exceed six inches. On every hand,
and for many miles above and below, the
country above the bluffs is such as we have
passed over this morning. A dead mUe-bitten
IN the jaw this morning by a rattlesnake-lies
here as II to complete the scene. Off the track
to Pixies Peak, all is dreary, solitude and ST.
lence.
Speaking of rattlesnakes-I hasten to re-
tract the skepticism avowed in former letter
as to the usual and welcome residence of these
venomous serpents in the prairie-dog's burrow.
The evidence of the fact is too direct and re-
liable to be gainsayed. A credible witness
testities that he and others once undertook to
drown out prairie dog in his domicil, and
when sufficient water had been rapidly poured
IN, out came prairie dog, an owl and a rattle
snake all together. In another case a trenen-
dous rain raised creek so that it suddenly
oyertiowed prairie dog town, when the gen
eral stampede of prairie dogs, owls and rattle
sH"Nes as a sight to behold. 1t is Idle TO
attempt holding out against facts so | have
pondered this anomaly until | think | clearly
comprehend it. This case is much like that
OF some newspaper establishments, whose
proprietors, it is said, find it convenient to
keep on their staff "a broth of boy from
Iipperary, standing six feet two in his stock.
lngs and measuring yard or more across the
shoulders, who stands ready, with Elegant
brogue, a twinkle in his eye and hickory sap
ling firmly grasped in his dexter fist, to res
pond TO all choleric, peremptory customers,
who call of morning, hot with wrath and
brstling with cowhide, to demand parley
with the editor. The Cayota is gentleman of
an inquiring, investigating turn, who is an
adept at excavation, and whose fondness for
prairie dog is more ardent than fattering TO
dig one out and digest him would be an easy
task, If he were alone in his den, or with only
the owl as his partner; but when the firm is
known to be prairie dog, rattlesnake & Co., the
Cayota's passion for subterranean researches
is materially cooled. The rattlesnake is to the
concern what the fighting editor is to the jour
nallstlc organizations aforesaid. And thus,
while my faith is enlarged, is my reason salts
fed.
A word now on the antelope. | liked him
when first saw him, days ago; then wished
Tor better acquaintance, which wish has since
been gratiied; and since | dined with him
THAT is, off him) my esteem has rpened into
affection. the many antelopes have seen,
lJudge majority considerably larger than
the deer Of our eastern forests-not so tall nor
(perhaps) so long, but heavier in body, while
III.
lie is the only animal | have seen here that
may justly boast of either grace or beauty.
His flesh is tender and delicate-the choicest
eating | have found i'll Kansas. Shy and fleet
as he is, he is the chief suStenance at this sea-
son OF the Indians out of the present buffalo
range. An old hunter assures me that, with
all his timdty, he is easily taken by the
knowing. To follow him is absurd his scent
Is too keen, his fear too great; but go upon
high prairie, to spot whence you can over
look fifteen or twenty square miles; there
crouch in hollow or in the grass, and hoist
your handkerchief or some red, futtering
scarf on light pole, which you wave gently
and patiently in the air; soon the antelope, if
there be one within sight, perceives the strange
appartion; his curiosity is excited it masters
his caution; he makes toward the strange OBJ
Ject, and keeps drawing nearer ard nearer till
he is within fifteen or twenty rods. The rest
requires no instruction.
STATION 81, June 3, (evening,l 1859.
Since wrote the foregoing, we have travel
ed ninety miles up the south branch of the Re-
publican (Which forks just above station 18)
and have thus pursued course somewhat
south of west In these ninety miles. we
have passed Just two live streams making in
from the South-both together running scarcely
waller enough to turn grindstone. In all that
ninety miles, we have not seen wood enough
to make decent pig-pen. The bottom of the
river is perhaps half a mile i'll average width
the soil in good part clay, and covered with
short thin grass the bluffs are naked sand
heaps; the rock in the rare cases where any is
exposed, an odd conglomerate of petrifed clay
with quartz and some specks that resemble
cornelian. Besides this, some of the bluffs,
where clay oyerlies and is blended, under pc.
culiar circumstances with the sand below, a
sort OF rock seems to be formed or in process
OF formation. Water is obtained from the
apology for river, or by digging in the sand
by its side; in default of wood, corrols (cattle-
pens) are formed at the stations by laying up