New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-11-05
FROM TIE PIXIES PEAK. GOLD REGION,
Frcm Own Correspondents
BREcKNRDGZ U.ab, Oct. Is, 1850.

w IN ire DeesepeeI VI UiDckley ~ 70. 3 Express,
upon a trip to the Tarp all and Breckenridge dig
giDes. We crossed the Platte mie above tOwc,
and struck the Bra5ford Ioai, which, like all the
valley thoroIehfaIes, is smooth and excellent.
Mapy flms and rancl es are beng opened along
the river and is tributaries aOd large amount Of
land is a.resdy under Enclosure and cultivation.
In the peculiarly clear atmosphere, the figures OF
men five and six miles away did not appear one
third that distance to the uDpr8 eye. Beyond
the rolling prairie rose the abrupt and rugged noun
tans, some, of a pale, asby hue, dotted by the
pines Nth specks oil deep green, ard others notified
with spots of bright yellow and red, from declduous
shrubs Just touched by the Aufumnal frosts Brad
ford, fourteen miles out at the foot OF the noun
tains is city of one log house. cluster OF curl
GUS granite rocks, it, affords ine scene for
an artist They rise, perpenOcularly, forty or MY
ct like hOary seDtlnels familiar WIN forgotten
years" One Of them, however, looks like some
enormous quadruped, resting upon his Launches,
while another det acts from the poetic effect OF the
group by assuming, at the top, the form OF negros
head. with nose of remarkable prUtuberance.
We toiled YEARLY past the inevitable tollgate up
a zig-zsg hill two miles in ltngtb, and were soon IN
the midst Of the mountains. The clear streams IN
the narrow valleys were fringed with aspens, decked
in the sere and yellow leaf of Autumn. Above
them rose the green, grassy hls the graceful swells
painted in brilliant hues by the breath OF the frost;
then, pine-cOvered mountains of deeper green,
shading miles away Tito dark blue, and hey Ond
all the bold sharp ridge of the highest range In its
dim and hay gray. Some of the first hills, for
thousands of acres, swept away in vast expanse
of dense dark pines interpreted with blush green
frs, tall ard straight arrows and their tops
smooth aud symmetric, ike heads of grain III
wheat field.
Passing two saw-mills, several single manufac
tories, and few struggling log houses, at p. IN,
we stopped for an hour to dine with Boston fam
lily, who nave been rowing about in the West TOR toe
last ten years. An hour after, with pair OF fresh
mules we were again upon the rocky, billy road,
which was lined with scores of dusty, hirsute
miners going down from the diggiugs to winter in
the valley or the States. Very contented aud
happy they looked at the prospect OF once more
getting out of the wilderness into the comforts OF
civilization. The sun disappeared into Brigham
YOune's dOminons, and, after bret twilight, we
had only the stars to guide At 8, we stopped
for the night at the house of genial and gigantic
Kentuckian, where the family had already retired.
The hostess, however, dOnning her hOopess gar
ments under the bea-clOthes, reappeared upon the
domestic stage, to prepare supper OF beef-steak,
muddy coffee and biscuit, in which the saleratus
was visible to the naked eye. But she, with her
" mos" and "yer's," the husband, with his
"whars" and " thars," and the great stone fire.
place, with It's blazing logs, all gave us a cordial
welcomes and we soon climbed up the ladder into
the loft, and fell asleep, thoroughly wearied with
our ride of forty miles.
At O'clOck the next morning We were AGAIN
riding in the crisp air among the great hills of bold,
bare rocks, the yellow pines, and the white stems Of
the aspens -Four miles out we struck the Platte
here less than twenty feet wide though two hundred
miles below it is broader than the Aissouri-and
afterward crossed it five six times during the day.
Hitherto had felt some lingering doubt as to what
is the worst wagon road ia the whole world; but
after iOlting for three hours among the stumps,
rocks, and slOughs attained upon that point the
souls calm sunshine, and the heartfelt joy. pair
Of oxen, turned out from train of wagons, loaded
with goods TO die by the roadside, had also become
satisfied upon the subject.
Winding among enormous, pny mountains, with
icy springs gushing from their sides, we began 70
strike pleasant grassy valleys and plateaus The
middle of the afternoon found us at rancho, near
oval lake of abOuttwele acres, where ice has forme
every night since the LIST of July. The landlord
TRIBUNE subscriber from st. Lawrence County,
New. YoIk-fuInished a savory repast of mountal
sheep, very tender and tOothsOme, somewhat lk
domestic mutton, but with an unmistak able gam
flavor. He gave the express messenger an Orde
for two creature comforts unattanable in that
cinity--a can Of Goshen butter for his table, and
hoop-skilt for his young wife. He was employed
banking his two log houses with earth, up to tn
caves, to keep out the biting cold of Winter.
Our evening road, as at various points during the
day, followed an old Ute" trail; for here, as else
where, the white man learns that the Indian and
the buffalo are "geogTaphers and roadmakers by
instinct" We passed around the eide Of hill and
came suddenly in view of the famed South Park,
spread out at our feet like picture. 1t is tree
less, crescent shaped section of smooth prairie, 40
miles by 10, which has wandered over iato the
mountain Businesses, and is now unable to escape
from their rugged and wriGkled walls. Two little
lakes cleaned like jewels in the expanse OF green
velvet grass, which alternated with great beds of
pale ashy heritage, spotted with clusters Of dead
brown weeds. On the borders, the prairie sloped
I'D very gently into the deepening pine groves of the
surrounding hills which melted away into the bare
seTTated mountains, streaEod with banks of snow.
The faint line OF road Gould be traced across its
whole width to Tdrryal, while three or four ranches
with their haystacks log houses aud great herds of
grazing cattle, the white tents and columns OF smoke
from the genial camp.iires Of emigrauts, and the
long ystas Of pne.irDged yerdure, united to form
quiet pastoral scene, quite unlocked for in the
heart Of the Rocky Mountains. The waning sun
threw over the whole hay, dark blue TINT, giving
the delicious picture a peculiarly dim, dreamy ap-
pehrance, like a mirage upon the desert.
We descended into the park, following road
like O race track. NumberIess white bleaching
heads showed that this m0untaln-garden was once
tie Goleotha Of the bufalOes, and stray animal of
that species was shot here only day two since.
The thick, matted grass retains its nutrtye proper
ties through the entire Winter and the coil is rich,
though at some points Hhitened with alkaline efer-
yescences. One enterprising settler has poughed
small tract but as the elevation must be nearly
eco ieet above sea level and frOsts occur during
every month in the year, the products Of the Park
will b. confined manly to grass and children, both
of which, judging from the huge hayricks aud the
uddy robust babies about the ranches, flourish lux
tl,