The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-01-25
For the Kenosha Telegraph.
Leaves from Tent Lifc-T.


country, but which yielded good grass. The
grass for many miles had been Of pecu-
liar kind, unknown among US here called
bunch grass 1t grows in lunches like hills
of corn, in the sand. where it appears as
though no vegetation could subsist 1t is
of blush green color and yields flat seed
resembling fax seed, but smaller, which Is
as nutritious as oats, and the horses love it
dearly. The river at that point was broad
rapidly flowing stream, with scarcely any
| bank whatever, which may have heee
owing to the high water The kenosLa
Fond du Lac. Dclevan and onr own cou
panies making over a hundred persons we're
all camped iii a narrow fat, perhaps three
rods wide, running down to tie river on the
west and bounded by high bald bluff on
the east The river was divided 10y an
island, and we crossed it, thus crossing two
rivers making it easier than 1t would have
been if it were all III one The current was
SO stroug and rapid that it took q nuIn!isi
OF men to stretch a rope through it We
had great difficulty III CIR ssing it. We
found the water would flow completely
over the boxes Vi our light wagons. One
of the company had large wagon and we
swung the box by ropes to the top of the
stakes and then carried load after load GO
ing back and forth all day, until all our
goods and provisions we're "Over the river "
Meanwhile we lived in our village of teuts
! Some cooking some washing, some sewing
some shoeing horses. Every interval of rest
was always employed in doing that part
which could not be done while travelling.
! Myself and IA number Of others climbed the
bluff to the east and sketched the camp, the
! island aud tie river. Just at evening ali.
had been transported to the other side, and
we built our village on new site The
next morning saw lis on our way, rejoicing
that the Green River seige was over. But
we had travelled scarcely six miles when
we came to a much deeper and more rapid
river which proved to be the main body of
Green river. This was SO deep that vel
might as well have thought Of fordiug the
Mississippi as it But What was to be done
They took the box of the large wagon
caulked and tarred the seams, built prov
OIL it and launched it III the rapid current
The first time it went with four men in it,
rowing steadily aud strong, it went far
down the rapid swollen current, before they
could force 1t to the opposite shore. An
eager anxious crowd stood on the bauk
watching that little home made bark on
those wild waters trembling for those that
were borne with it-wonderng if thus they
must all pass that river with the food TO
support; the raiment to clothe them through
the remainder of their Journey. If not
then backward they must wend their way
across the swollen river they had just left
and seek some other of the many roads
that lead through the South Pass" 1t was
resolved to cross. So wagons were taken
apart and provisions packed in the smallest
possible compass, and BY the time that was
done night had fallen, and full moon
looked smilingly down shading off the sharp
edges of our disarranged camp and lighting
up the shadows of the huge old forest trees
on the opposite bank. The wind quoted 10
a gentle breeze, and taking advantage Of
tho cain, over and across tla frai In.t upad
until midnight The next day was bright
and still and they succeeded Ia gettin- ev-
erything over, and on the morning OF the
goth the wagons were put together the
horses swan over and we were once more
westward bonnd.
The 2lst we travelled "a miles through
! the most wild and picturesque scenery. The
/ hills were Of a red sand and stone save here
and there spot of the brightest green. We
nooned on high bill at the base of which
ran wild noisy mountain stream, About.
! it were snow capped mountains around it
the dark red and green hills, and showered
over all the golden sunlight
AS we tented OH the hill the yawning
mouth Of a rock girt Canyon opened wide
before us, and as we moved onward we en-
tered it. Long ridges .nted down from
either side those one side tapping over those
on the other Thus completely shutting
out the view ahead. These ridges wound
up into towering mountains. AS we pro
ceeded we found them sometimes two or
/ three rods apart aud we wound around one
on one side, then around one Oh the other,
creeping along upward, upward, sometimes
winding along beside the wild stream, that
dashed its life away among the stones and
masses of pebbles. The sun scarcely could
reach it all the day long, but it dashed just
as bravely on beneath the shadows as it
could have done in the shinmeriug sun
light every hour. Nothing but winters
frosts could still it, Are there not spirits
just as brave No matter how the dark
shadows of adversely loom above them?-
They struggle upward, upward still spend
ing the forces of MUD and body against the
worlds sharp corners, and naught but
deaths chill shall stay them All, they
shall surely find golden sunlight in the here
after! We wound up the Canyon y miles,
then met scout returning who reported no
prospects of getting through it that night
So we camped there close by the stream
o'ershadowed by the mountains
The next morning We heard that a trair
in advance of US 10 miles was blocked in i,
snow. We travelled none that day waiting
to ascertain facts concerning our future
! route, but the next we went through til.
Canyon, up. the mountains aud through tlt
snow. The snow lay along the summit o