Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-10-15
AN OVERLAND TRIP TO CALIFORNIA.
Frsn cur spsci. ccrrs.poodsnt-l
NfAn Fl. BEIDefs. uTAHI
Sentember 3. 1854.

On approaching the Rocky mountains, one e1
pect- Alpine scenes; be ~imagines be Is nearing the
airy ranges Of the rild goat and the sheep. the
region Of eternal snow. pine clad mountains. st
whose feet bsbbling brooks. fed by ice cold
springs, leaping over pfecipices, dow over peooly
beds 10 their river homes: but the reality cispels
the illusion Rocks he sees in abundance; but
these are disposed in most places in the same OF
der. aud q description OF one locality s1hices for
Al, With occasional executions. Alter leaving
LARAMIE. a los range Of hills. called the Back
Hills. covered with scattering pine and cedar
trees Of sIinted growth, hank the Platte river
from sixty 70 eighty miles. on one eide or the
other iutting Up TO the very banks OF the river,
and leaving on the opposite shore a narrow strip
OF bottom, With q few scattering cotton vOod
trees on the margin, or on the small islands
Sandstone or limestone p~redOminate, with here
and there huge boulders and 4 sprinkling OF
quartz Nov you toll over rocky bills. where
the in mense travel has worn narrow pass ways
through solid limestone around sharp curves: and
again you are plunged iGto a sandy plain, sur
rounded By a rim, Of circular form. drift sand,
aud gravel and mud IN process Of petFifcation,
worn BIZ tho wind into rough columns, fortresses,
t~enples, and I'll sorts OF fantastic shapes From
this YOU emerge into a narrow VALLEY, sterile and
desolate; and again who'd over rocky hills and
through sandy plains. Sometimes for many
miles the road passes over a smooth haw bed, lar
better than any McAdamised road. The whole
country presents unmistakeable evidences OF vol
canic action. the immediate traces OF which are
covered up in drift sand.
Sage brush and grease wood cover the plains,
and add to their uniformity. The leaves of the
former closely resemble those OF the garden
sage, and is fragrance is not dissimilar. 1, grows
TO the height of from one 10 three feet, with a
crooked, gnarly stock. sometimes four inches Ia
diameter, and rough, ike the Wild grape vine Of
the Ststes
The grease wood gfc.s 20 The sspe height, IS
serubby, bus Is rather ,horny. with green ieasss
ike those Of the spruce pine. Under these
bushes the jack rabbit species OF hare much
larger and feeter than those Of the States-aud
tie sage.hen. a bird of the color OF the sage leaf,
OF the general conformation OF the prairie
chicken. but larger and OF better Favored flesh
End safe covert.
Now aud then, on the distant plains or hill
sdes, a few antelOpes and deer, and an occasion
al elk, stand gazing at ia, but far beyond the iu-
risdictiOn Of our rifles. with no approaches 90
them not commanded by them at long range.
At nigh; troops OF wolves prowl around our
camps. The raven, the crow, the buzzird. the
hawk. AID the whip poor will, with now and then
a dove, yellog hammef, wood pecker, and rice
bIi. are the chief representatives Of the festhered
tribe; but not a note from a 'iorest warbler
gladdens The heart sDd arouses afresh reeo!lec
tons Of the shady groves Of our boyhood homes
Whenever out ofhearing Of the eternal "wo -hos'
Of the ieimsters, and the rushing waters OF the
creeks and fiver-for sll seem hurrying TO a
better country-there IL a ringing ia The ears
from All entire absence Of outside sounds. One
could almost agree with the Irishman II borrow
ing comfort from the sssie notes of the wood
pecker;,' but alas all around is desolation, stsg,
iiity and aridity spread OFT into yastness.
The exceptions to this mesgre description Of a
vast region. seen from TIE road, are few. and for
that reason constitute promiBeR, landmarks, and
figure in every guide-book. Among the number
Is the Red Buttes pronounced "Beutes," and
} supposed TO be a term derived from n mixture OF
Canadian. French and iniisn which is an oval
shaped bluff. of redish color. with jutting rocks
Of basaltic and columnsr fern. IL is a noted
object, and near il il an alkali spring. the water
of which Is of the color aEi strength of the
strongest lye. q single sup being sufficient TO
kill al OK. The ground shout this stream IS
puffed mp ike soda bread, and the grass has a
sickly greenish color. Here aud there the ground
is white with the alkaline deposit. Dead cattle,
in all the stages of decomposition, lie on The
road side, in the river, on its banks, in the
2ulches. on the hill tops, all over the country
70. a mile on either side of the road; and the air
is burdened with a sckeDing stencil.
When you reach Sweetwa,er river the Rattle
snake range of granite hills sets in, snd then you
have some bold and exciting scenery. Some
times a solid rock of granite, 500 feet high, half
q mile in length and 800 or 400 feet in width,
seems cleft from the main chain of hills. and is
separated b. a plain Of ssad. independence
Rock, so called because 4 party of emigrants
celebrated the 4th or July there. ia Of that class,
though not 80 large. Some have compared il "a
a huge elephant. Il ia easily assembled, and il.
eides constitute a Fools Register, wherein
boobies seek TO transmit their unsung names "a
cupied by scout twenty soldiers The buildings
OF the post are constructed of pine logs, "chinkec
and dsubed, y covered with brush and dirt, one
story high. with a fence of pine slabs about then
inclosing half al acre OF ground, with three litil,
pine log huts at three corners, on top of thu
houses, or within the enclosure. for sentrp-
boxes.
Five miles from Independence Rock. Up the
river, the Sweetwstsr. for a quarter OF a mile
passes through a narrow chasm sixty feet vide
walls of solid granite rising ia some places to the
night OF 500 feet. Fremont passed through this
place. IL is called the Devils Gate. and near il
is the grave of a woman or whose "head board
is shis inscriptions:
Here lies the bedy Of Macy Pate"
Some passing wag has added
"who entered Heaven through Ne Devil, Gate"
This granite range continues to within ter
n4Aht' - - ~ 49, ~" 'Lfr. tHffN"
There are evidences Of gold ia lie intervening
ravines and along the river. and = Lieutenant Al
the South Pass post has recently discovered a
lead OF gold on ons vi he tributaries Of the
Sweet0ater, and three c,si oil springs up IT,.
river.
Six miles east of Independence Rock there are
several alksli lakes, one Of which. near the road
side, is covered with a crust Of ssieratUs ~ inch
thick. beautifully crystslizei, composed of sods
aud 4 slight sdmixture Of alum Emigrants use
this s0r baking purposes as they would the soda
Of the shops. Along the road, where it occurs il
an adultersted form. il Is worn into fine dust
and this. Inhaled by the cattle, is supposed to be-
the fruitful source Of the frighlful mslady among
these animals in this region.
The whole country in the vicinity OF the Plat,
ar1 Swestvater rivers from F.. Laramie 20 the
South Pass. and Tor fifty miles ives, Of the Pass
is OF an alkaline character. and over one thou
sand head or cattle have died this season slOna
toe road II tse section OF country so affected
Sometimes tbey are poisoned by drinking aka
line water, and oftener by inhsliDg alkaline dus
in the road Tire mortality among cattle hs.