Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1865-08-02
HYDE PARK VERMONT, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1865

or rations, or eyes for passing scenery, as
we rolled over the mountains, and passed
the divide between the oceans of America.
We rested proudly on our own prowess
and Che rifles of our escort We had i'm
mense faith in the double. barreled shot
gun Of DeaBross and we created terrible
al arm among some emigrants in our rear
by firing at mark in our 'front.' So we
ate our antelope when we could get it,
and our "mountain chicken" (fried bacon) |
regularly with faith in its undisturbed |,
digestion, and cuddled up each in his own
corner at night for equally reliable sleep.
The canned fruits and vegetables and clean
table-cloths disappeared for time at Vir-
ginia Dale, but the antelope came in to
soften the fall We shot one of the bound
ing beauties Chat is, one of the soldiers
did, as he stopped 500 yards away to
gaze through his limpid eyes in wonder
on our turnout and we found him and
his successors most luscious eating-very
delicate deer tender, melting and digesti-
bic. The antelopes weigh from 60 to so
pounds, are fawn-like in color and appear.
ance, have short, branching horns, and
are plenty at all seasons upon the high
plains and in the mountains of the re-
gion The elk, as large as small COW,
and with horns to feet long, and the
black tailed deer are rarer game; this is
not the season for shooting them and
they cling closer to the mountains. Of
fish we had but few trout were as abun-
dant as fever and ague in Indiana, but al
ways little way off, at the next brook
or station. The soldiers at Fort Halleck
had just made captive cinnamon bear
who strayed down into camp from an ad-
joining mountain and our stage gave q
wide berth to a grizzly bear, who was ta-
king his midnight in the middle Of the
road. The grizzly was the only animal
that our double barrcllcd shot gun was
not up to ana he is, indeed, next to the
Indian, the terror of all hunters We
missed, too, the sage hen, favorite game
of the region, but not Of the season; rab,
bits scented our approach and scooted
away out of sight; the retreat Of the hun
cry, tEievy looking wolf was hastencd by
our balls; ouly the ridiculous little prai-
rie dogs and the funnier and littler squir.
rcls-beautfplly striped with black and
hardly bigger than mouse-sportcd in
our warlikc presence.
The scant, coarse vegetation of the
Plains and of Denver's Leigh borhood grew
green and rich in thought as we came OIL
north and west from Virginia Dale, en-
) tered the Laramie Plains, passed along
J on the snow line, crossed the mountain
f range at Bridger's Pass, and went out up
on the country of the Bitter Creek. The
Desert of the Mountains is far dreariel
Q and more barren tnan, the Desert of tn,
{ Plains That seems redCemable and ha
, its uses; this is only for trying the pa
| tience and taxing the ingenuity of man
: There is very little to redeem the middl
F.. 200 miles of our ride from utter worth
s lessncss in human service. The soil j
! sand so saturated with alkali as to poi
: son its water, and give the earth the appear
: ance in spots, sometimes in large areas, 0
0 a fresh hoar frost or q slight snow. Gras
: is only spasmodic tuft. The sage busl
o is the chief, and almost only vegetation
c coarse wild form of our garden sage
r growing rugged and rough from one t
: three feet high yet mules and cattle d
c sometimes eat it because they must o
: die, and it does make quick, hot fire fo
9 the emigrants' and wagon-drivers' kettl
l but think of savoring your food wit
:, soap and sage tea !; think of putting Coo
+ ley's soap factory and Bigelow's apotheca
:, ry shop into ono room, and that you
e kitchen! Through all this inhosptabl'
n barren region there are no buildings sAy
c the stage stations; no inhabitants BIT
n the stock tender and the station keeper
: an occasional tented wigam of halfbree
c we pass with pity the slow emigrant'
II wagon and the mule train--hot and dust
d and parchcd by night--it is a wond'
n how people can goualives through tn
g. country at the rate of only IL or l5mil'
If a day, and finding food and drink, as the
}. 90. But they do, year by year, Thousand
N