The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-11-27

distance A telegre ,h lire, poos oompleted, fol
the noriberiy location Of Omaha cty, haudreds Of
mics from mo terminus OF any railroad, has
TINS far Devsnsa IL ,s Overland r0r,s from
although Il u by Tar the shortest zone hundred and
eighty mtes) 70 Fort Kearney and poan farther we'i
ID Ia much travelled both by emgrants 10 Pixies Peak
and California aud acne used by the annual Mormon
expedition, whose proper stating pom, -, however,
Florence, town come three miles north Of Omaha
The old Mormon trail extends up he North bank Of the
Platte, after reaching the river opposite the FORT,
trains ths Latter Day saints Us their leaders are q
ways avoid Intercourse with Gentle travellers,
the bulk Of whom keep up The soutn BANK ,,
From fort kenrpey the carrying trade 20 the goia ~
atoms follows ira6ktne great military road 10
fort Laameup 20 ihe California or lower and UPPER
crossings Of She south Plato better natural ROAD does
not exst the Unitcd states WITH The e-c-p
ton Of few miles Ia the neisaborhood OF tue orgns ..
the mar PA to into a North and South branch II
runs % through tho river botoms, the soil Of wl.ica
has q largo admtxtn,s OF san and gravei-lnst
enough 10 mako Il hard and free from the pro
racird effects @. raiRs. Although . STEADY accent
takes place fiom The Missouri river 10 the base
o. tae mountains, It u 80 gradual as - remain
lmperceppbe NIL the routes across the Plains and
nowhere more 81 than Platte valley. Mo- single
be fsrded between Bearney and the cross
Dpr--dslance, IRON 100 to 100 miles from the former
Bere tho travel % tho gold regions leaves tho military
read winch continues acress the south to the North
Pet'e eats NJ The forrcr over ancient lndau
path mouth OF Deaver creek, LOT miles vest o.
The upper cfossns From TINS point travel ers can either
lsko ~ q Denver follow the Old track along
tho sonih Platte, past Fremont's Orchard 70 Fort 81
Yap (sn shsnaoncd trading post and thence down the
SUDDEN noulh westerly turn Of the river 10 It's junction
w,h Cherry ceek % both les or which The metropolis
81 gold regions ex'euds The distance over the former
1872 and the latter 22o miles from the upper ford
OF The south Platte.
From within thirty miles or that point TO within forty
Denver frequent desertBat times only few hondrod
yards anu again many lies in width-intervone and
nady ohsirnct the passage Of al vchcles Ine hesvy
freight algs Obliged 10 double team, 10 order
70 act through is sand. which often II s several feoi
thick sandy boll indeed seeus 70 stretch over the
entire length OF The Plans, from mo Upper III souri,
10 Northern Texas bet the 1924 and lo4h de-
RIees of western loaguoe ri least, more or less deep
ssnd prevails within those limits on all the routes
Another common oanfo Of the several overland routes
IL the utter absence timber commencing Of ABOUT loo
degrees ana 30 mtues vest Longitude, and extending 70
tDe west or from 100 40 200 mes Toe b3s DC cac
ess elegantly resaod. tile dried buffalo dung, The
only fuel on those lrceless, for9aken stretches.
During tho lag, two years determined and continued
efforts have bsel naio by he people Of Ieavenworth
and emarants 10 the 90 called Smoky all route,
continuation q the military road to Fort Riley, up tie
fork Of the Kansas river Of Ike name Bat although re-
cent exnoTat have proved the possibility OF jening
good route practically for the heaviest q freight
wagons and certainly more direct than that up
The Platte through that valley, ths very TACT that
I has not been travelled up 10 this tine, aud
dcd miles Of H. has damaged rs rrc,pcsts and viii con
nlo 10 do go uIt the construction OF tho contemplated
Iarood from Ieayenuorth up the Kansas valley 10 Fort
Riley shall have added additional nducencnt for it's
more general Adoption.
The Utah carFyrg trade passes over the esstern
branches OF the Platte to their iarc,on at Fort
kearney Thence tho arcater portion Of II keeps up
the south bank Of the Platte 10 either OF the crossings
after passing which ars the tv1e Of waters
Of forks Of the It's northern one then
follows this TO Fort laramie. The Mormon clemcnt,
as allcady mentioned usually continues It's westerly
course up the north Of tie the point
10th roads then jon and up the south bank Of the
10 the north bank, which keeps through
tho Rattesrakc Mountains until tsirkes the sw.ctvater
Following The through the South Pass itchauge- ts here
ofore ncfhwesterly 10 q south westerly Course across
Green Black ana Bear rivers 70 Fort Brdger and thence
to the different Mormon settlements Ts length Of the
route from eleven hundred 10 twelve hundred and
aity miles, according 70 the location Of the starting
points.
The ROAD good save nary barren, sandy pcts its
western portion. The great number Of orinss from tne
South Platte crossn al tho wsy our hkcsisc obstruct
the progress Of rairs In rainy seasons Wood is com
ra'aiiveiy plentiful hso both the routes = New
Mexico and the Pke's Teak country.
FTeshiers 10 the COLO regions bare all maze Two trips
during tire present aspn each Of which occupied rom
s'xiy 10 seventy five 6svs TO Salt Jake hoGeToT, ouiy
orc trip can DO made each se,son y Is made In from
ono fcrtred n one hundred aad thirty diys.
Tie Indian trade supplied b,ta BY c-rryog moan or
It's own ard the f:cshters 10 New Mckee, P1a's Peak
and Uaa, the principal trading pests bcirg ocasod in
close proximity to tho several roltes 20 ihose regions
Thoe in Inc Upper Missouri country osian their goods by
waer hence are ihc most favored aorg the rchso,s
IoItstion.
rho ta.ly asEmeniing number q mail and ezpress
uors Cbitsa Satcs post ciccs, trading houses stock
ranches, blacksmith shops, Nc On tae route 70 fises
Peak and t'ah has done away, 10 grca. exiont With
the hepcssnos experienced in former dayg w rcghers
and emigranis IN case Of accidents.
u.-lnlIonrlSG LIrE or THE GRs IT PLANS.
Life on The Plains differs much from that IN
ITO settled scosi,us Of the West tho lie Or IN
land naygators nom that .! regular seacarern There
Is indeed 20 much originality and freshness 8, much Of
The romantic ard adventurous Ia the experience Of thoec
that annually make the grea, prarcs the OF their
woer and oys that tho reader ma not be unrratsu for
tho following description Of It's many interesting pea
Sar.t!es.
The axiom that Gin union there Is strength strictly
acted upon by tho overland shier Coasaegaons Of
mutual protection and assistance prevent them from
sending out single wagons They are always combined
INTO trains comprising from dozen 10 man seventy
nvc and at times hundred vehicles twenty dve is,
however, tho number usually composing a train.
The voh,cies sra p,i OF . sniform description. The
timetonore ccn,rvsnces ss mostly IN use consist OF
four wheeled BODY made In the mos, suSsanial manner
ard carrying huge box, n aperng shape, much ike
rsboag sixteen feet tong az the tor anil twelve
,ns bottom four feet wide an Eve feet high Tho whole
srrrosbied by couhe cover Of sheets Of osnatarg,
rest.ns a Succession % bows. rhoee immense
turrs fsceiousiy dcaomiaatcd prairie schooners gro
made TO carry from Eve 70 thousand pounds each
u late smaller kind or vehicle nearly like the ordinary
farmers vas5ns, have been largely employed oplaons
as to Their rsrecy. rrecrabeacs realty dasr among
The rcgLiers.
Tire draft animate 10 most general al thls m1ncnl
nro oven 10 their selection attention H. or courre
pali 70 strength Of body Than purity 81 blood such
stock s prornscrcusly raised in large numbers al
the pTa,rcs q the border Mo 81 . grass fe., aud
unsccrsieroi 10 my knd II shetertvo most essential
qualities while doirg freiehiug service tins raias.
TER work hard sra treatment bad and heacc iHxe
thesi,se horses u Eastern Cite, they 1s.d gp
Two seasons o. tEoy are expected 70 40 through on
tue a7se 9 ine'e they axed up Tor the beef market
Horses 40 scidcai usod or raing heavy loads
across tie llains Nuies, hosever, txsen
sveiy employed, owing TO their great r,vors
q czdvrspoe A. 1ye yoke " cas nc gore
On the frontiers Than pair OF so.l mclcs, only
TIC United state. government fa Tie usnzroraicn u
military storse) AMI The wesoer among toe resasers
that hna Al object In masus qucs trips. sno-i
them.
one fsarn,,er for zach sayor attained - he tran
undcr his charge there yoke q toe pair OF
rnulc. Tor every thoissSd pp,nds ~ freight,
Ircw four 10 ten extra lands further accompany asca