Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-03-17
lcor.,pouasues Of The State ssaiinell
AN OVERLAND TRIP TO CALIFORNIA,
rhe Trip Across sbe Desert From
sevada-Toit % oads-the Logic OF Ne
vada-Carsop yatiey-The sierra Ne
vadR.
PlAesayrrls. Gu. Nov. IA. 1864.

CITY, the other by Walker Lake. The YH
GINA route is the one used by The Overland Stage
Company. IL has more sand and slkali than the
other and less grss., but 10 travelled most be-
cause il Is the mail route and has more ranches
along H. ANY route from this point 10 Califor-
MA must necessarily cross that belt OF sand which
stretches from Arizona 70 Oregon The Walk
sr's Lake route claiming 70 cross that belt az
is narroEest point, and Il being represented az
having the most grass il. determined to
take. Each route has rs advocates, but pre-
sumo the truth is. 10 the language Of a rough
miner whom questioned on the subject. ANY
road that crosses the desert from here 10 Cali
fofnia Is as near &c IL well can be: and if you
travelled one you would swear il Is the worst; and
50, II you sere TO ravel another, you would
think il the worst
The Walkers Lake route is up the Reese
river. thence throughs canyon by lone. thence
twelve miles across . sandy plain and up can
yon TO Msmeuth, where there are plenty OF III
yer ore, water, grass and fuel. From this point
the road, by easy grades. descends through a
long canyon into the desert proper. Down bali
way 20 the plain ia g clear spring of cool water,
with forests of tall pines and fr trees the
mountain sides. Here is toll house, Whereat
the traveller is required 10 pay for the privilege
OF plunging into q waste OF sand
This road belongs to one Wellington, now
member efthe Nevada Legislature. He obtained
a charter from proper authority for constructing
a road from West Walker river 10 lone and has
beeu grading few Of the canyons, and digging
wells along the route. OF course, when travel
sets in on this route, il will be immensely profit
able 10 the owner. No country on earth is af
hicted With toll rosds as Nevada and California
Ii = favorite dodge out here 70 get charter
90 put up toll gates and charge toll somewhere.
The friends of this road say il ia twenty FIVE
L. "A
out OF the canyon about 9 O'Clock a. IN. and
travelled till 2 o'clock N when We reached
we'll on the roadside. This well ia about one
hundred feet deep. and had few gallons of water
in It. but was so shallow that We could not get
enough 10 water our animals Here We we're to
enter upon the great belt of sand. We com
menced crossing about o'clock p. m snd toiled
ell night. reaching Hot Springs about day break
The inexperienced czu form DO adequate concep
ton of the tolls Of such journey. No water,
no hard place on the road TO rest the weary
beasts. nothing but great waste OF sand all
about Us, with granite mountains in the distancei
st every step horses and males sank well nigh
10 their knees. Often they would stop-in fact
they stopped every few hundred yards, refusing
10 bulge till they had rested to their own liking
then they would Chamber on over sand hillocks.
and into gulches More than once We despaired
OF getting them along. and seriously c0ntempla
trudged along. on foot, 10 lcGter.
We must reach the Hot Springs or ismish
there no alternative. Shall we abandon our
faithful brutes 10 certain death or shall We strug
gle orr IL is question Of time, we San do
without water III daylight; we made the effort
aud were rejoiced with sight of the Springs,
where we made amends for the drouth we bad
endured
Here is a station kept BY young man from
ho hash hath in IN
restore his health aud har be has had diseased
lungs and has had no air his he al where il
ought 10 yegteate He declares that both are
improving: his hair IL springing mp into a luxu-
RANT crop. and his appearance indicates restored
health
The Hot Springs situated on the margin of
an slkali lake. about two miles from the station.
Along the margin of the lake are numerous cold
water springs. some sulphurous, all more or less
impregnated with alkali. These springs flow out
of the craters of little mounds about three feet
high. as If they were srtesian wells, the OF
which flowed out of pump stocks. The lake
covers many thousand acres Of land. and. at
distance, looks az it sheet of water, but il is
simply dry plain, covered with white crust of
alkali. Barren mountains completely invest the
valley, except at the south side. where there is
narrow outlet The mountains are not very high
but are entirely destitute OF vegetation. Sage
brush Is all the show for fuel within twenty Eve
miles, IL shovel while we were st the Springs
on the mountains, completely whitening them,
while ia the valley il rained the difference could
not have been Occasioned by difference of alt
tude, as that was not sufficiently great: it was
probably oceasioned by the heat impaired to the
atmosphere from the Hot Springs, which are
about the composition and temperature of those
near Salt Lake City.
From these springs the route proceeds across
the lake fifteen miles, where there il we'll OF
abundant and excellent water. but no grass and
no fuel except sage brush. Our stock" we're
tIrned out TO browse.
Next day we travelled ter miles through a
barren. sandy. gravelly canyon. with low noun
taine on either side. covered With small black
stones and species of crumbliDg granite, with
here and there. streaks OF green and red down
their sides. Then We descended into a plain
covered with bunch grass. to well, where We
found 10 water, but plenty of anathemas upon
the country by disappointed travellers. scratched
upon the planks of the curling. From here we
proceeded over a range of low hills, down
through narrow canyon. destitute of vegeta
ten. aud seemingly formed of huge heaps Of
sand and gravel, when emerged upon an
open plain. from whence Walkers lake was dis
tinctly visible. Here another belt of sand inter
vened, and though it was six miles, and down
hill To the lake, il took Us twelve hours to make
the trip
Walkers lake is formed by Walkers river.
which empties into il near the road crossing. IL
is about 30 miles long and 10 wide. It's water
rather braekish. The river is about one hundred
feet broad. three feet deep. skirted With cotton
wood and willows, and Astounding in salmon
trout The valley next the river Is fertile aud
covered with grass Here there is an Indian res
srvstion and a collection of q wick-a-ups," Tor
Indian ''shantes'') belonging TO the Pi Utes the
best formed. "sharpest" and most villsinous ln
dams of the Great Basin. Travellers stepping
near this lake are obliged to hire one Of the In
dams 10 take care OF their stock. else they will
steal What they want. Their charges are not
extrsvsgan,. aud may be reg arded ss reasonable
''pasturage."
lhese are the Indians With whom the Calfor
mans and Nevadlans were a. war few years
ago. They proved troublesome customers, and
they were granted favorable terms They in
habit the country from Hambolt river to the
Colorado. and are powerful and warhke They
have a strong resemblance 70 the Mexican Ia
diAns. and their language IS remarkably similar
TO that of these Indians. az admixture OF Spanish
and Indian dialects.
From Walkers lake the road proceeds across
the river. over a bridge. along the margin of the
lake. up long canyon 20 the top Of the highes,
mountain we have vet crossed. About half -sy
~ the grade there is a fine spring OF clear water,
near which Is q toal house. nov unOccupled. IL
is 81 least six miles from the lake. AZ the foot OF
the msunttns, 10 ihe summit, near which there