The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-04-13

" Through passengers" M. CrandaiIi OF
Plscerville, bound to 6an Felipe, 100 miles
on the" road, the road agent, conductor
and driver. Our team WAS good and we
skimmedOvsr the splendid road 1t The rate
Of seven or eight miles an hour, through.
9 magnificent plain, dotted with large
herds Of cattle, sheep and horses, which
extended With little interruption to the
Colorado Desert, . distance Of near ITO
miles. About 100 miles from L0a Angeles
we came to Tcmeculs, . settlement Of
Puebla Indians, who have made cOnsid-
erable progress 10 the arts Of civilization.
They cultivate the soil, and have herds Of
horses. sheep and cattle. They are said
to be virtuOus, happy and prosperous
community, and seemed to me 10 come
nearly up to the Mexican ranchcros in
their agricultural and social prOgress.
Their apparently prosperous and happy
condition gave me much pleasure, when ]
compared It with the idle and dissOlute
life Of our Fl Dorado county sbOViginees.
Were they only . little Ameicanized
they would occupy an enviable position,
in comparison with many races Of the
human family, who are better known to
the world. Here we took dinner at q
trading post kept By one Nagee, (nO kin
to our friend Sam.) We remained here
an hour, end after our arrival sheep was
brought in from the herd; slaughtered
and dressed, and q portion Of his lOin
served up for dinner! Quick work, that
Magee gave Us . most excellent dinner-
mutton chops. chicken, eggs potatoes,
stewed fruit good biscuits and the best
coffee We had found on the road. We rv-
turned him our thanks. paid him dollar
eaeh, and voted him a-bsUseactOF Of his
race. Great-hearted Mageei prince Of
publicans-lOng may you live to entertain
famished and weary OveFlanders! The
Colorado discretionary $50 miles in
width where We crossed it's vast ex.
panse Of bleak and dijOinted bills and
sterile plains, though not altogether SO
dcsert-like as ! had expected to hnd, yet
gloomy and barren enough to make the
traveller feel wildly the blessings Of tccm-
ing fields and grassy hills. Some parts
Of the desert disclose nothing for miles
but fields and hills Of sand, while other
portions are covered with stunted grease
wood, and even mesquit trees which pro-
duce large crops Of beans--excelent food
for stock, and large heaps Of which, gath.
cred by the Indians may be seen at the
stations Of the Mail Company along here
The stations on the desert are from nine
to sixteen miles apart, and the teams be-
ing good, crossing the desert Is no grea'
feat for the passenger, though stocking Il
is an immense one for the Mail Company
At Indian Wells, one Of the stations on the
desert VIC found . very pretty young
woman, the wife of the station keeper
could not help comparing her situation
with that Of some Of the pampered bul
discontinued wives gilmore favoredregions
They, surrounded with comforts and ever
luxuries, hAwass the Kfs Of their strug
Cling lords With cOmplslnisgs; while thiI
young creature, beautiful ~ the morning
seemed entirely happy to share the pri
vations Of her husband In the wilderness
Trusting. no doubt BY few years Of pri
walton, to accumulate 6 sufncisns iortun,
TO purChasea pleasant uthome in some sunny
spot on the glorious Pacific. On the
second day ailer striking the desert, JUS
IS the glorious san was bursting from th,
Eastern clouds, We reached che Fort Yusnl
station, on the banks Of the Colorado
This stream Is GbOutsOO yards vide here
This Is the head Of steamboat navigation
one Of which craft was hourly sxpected b
arrive RON the GuII OF C4illosnlA W.
crOssed Il 10 ferry bOat, and drove eight
cen miles to Gila City, where We break
tasted. Among other dsEicGciss We ha,
for breakfact CAils OslorodO sad osrn
(red pepper and dried bssf stswsd tOgeth
er 10 about equal quantitiesD HavlnI
eaten nosn'ns sincc noon OF 'ne dAy %
lors'F0ur apPettes were snaFP Sst snd "
'oxur'ated on tne ricn repast On
mexican most looked ai'er MS raPloiy dis
appearing daint'es IN utter aStoNlsnmen'
took ABOARD enough pepper at mat mea
70 seaso" groo Tor regiment ana snal
"eed none 10 my soup for quarter Of
century, should live 90 long. Gila Cit!
Is . miserable adobe village. Inhabited al
most exclusively by AexicapA who wor|
in the gold mines. which yisld about .
90 per day 70 the man. They dry wash
n