The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1865-09-07
To BE CONTINUED.
Platte River.

The main Platte is beautiful! stream with
its islands covered with pyramids "f foliage
rising from its dusky waters like something
bright and beautiful folded in the arms of an
In dian maid. 1t seems neat dwelling place for
the indian, and it's dusky tide and moaning muir
muir, speak pla.ntively to the heart of the dusky
tribes of the wilderness, and their mourniul fate!
Platte River ! in naming it one almost sees ii.
II wae characteristic name, sounding must
cal and deep--like the river itsaif Others
may Gail it Nebraska but give me the old name
love it far better than the new. Ii is formed
by two rivers called the North and South Forks
which unite about eighty miles above Fort
Ke arney and now in one broad deep river, In
the vi cinity of Fort Kearney we first saw An
telopes. The first intimation we would have
of their presence VIC would see them Jump out
of the tail grass or some slight hollow, and
bound away until they seemed to think they
were out Of our reach then turn around and
look .teadily at ue. They are beautiful crea-
lures of pale yellow brown with greyieh white
bellies Their hair is between three aud foul
inches long, soft and yielding to the touch, but
coarse and grows very thck-and instead Of
| lying down as on other animals stands GU
straight and is even as Il varnsh brush.
! They ere very sly and the most experienced
hunters find great difficulty in getting goot
shot at them. Their flesh is delicious-sweet
tender and juicy. Buffalo steak is not as good
being tougher and c0arser grained We pas led
among indian encampments. They were usu-
ally on the banks of a clear stream near tim
Der of some kind
| Usually the indians were off hunting and the
squaws and paPooses were sQGattoI on The
ground wrapped in their blankets
! They come around to sell us beautiful bead
moccA1ins and other articles Their wigwama
were round at the bottoms running 20 a point a.
the top. They wee made of skins stretched
over poles
We passed many prairie-Log cities in the
Platte valley. These praire-dogs are about the
size of small puppy, and of yellow color.
They burrow holes il The ground to live in,
and owls and bats live with them, They live
in large companies, each family it would seem
having house by itself. When coming towards
them there would usually be one dog at leas
sitting on the hills of dirt thrown up near the
mouth of its hole, and as you approached they
would dive quickly down gu; g. sight. 1t is
very difficult to get them on that account
About two hundred and sixteen miles above
/ Fort Kearney we came 10 what are called Gas
tic Rocks. Coming from The north they look
like vast ruins OF IS me oid castle But passing
on the south side OF them, westward between
them and the river they looked ike three al
most perfectly formed castles O'ho had the
turrots and towers Of oden times, the seconL
was square with nos aud then a projection, aad
fiat roof, and the third waa an old rambling
building with many projections and towers and
the iarges OF them all. They were formed OF
sand aud whitish clay called mari, dried hard
The rain washes them away, they may some
times have been many feet higher and und3ubt-
Iy they were. They may sometimes have been
great unshapen masses OF earth, but the wind
and rain rounded them into beauty aud romance
and made them look as though ayes ago, some
old baron had gathered his retauers in its vast
halls, and drank his gine there with his friends
aplace where love and beauty had cousregased:
loves low tones had been heard, or passion
stormy words vung through its vide chambers,
and echoed through It's towers Years hence
the rains will possibly have washed their sands
into the plains below, and thus they. like all
other things or beings, but God, will yield TO
the weight and wear of years.
THIsTLEDOWE