Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-10-08
QDglo Statesrrtarr,
Summit Summit of the aaRBQsgkG ,MSRnttqdiplS, Mountains,
Flower G arden 6nd Mountain Scenery
.7TEhe, Renuty ,ef, ID Q 4Snpwi FL owsrs
and Grandeur of the Scene.

Flower G arden 6nd Mountain Scenery
57Ehe, ReRuty Of ~ Q 4snaWi Fl Owsrs
and Grandeur of the Scene.
EFrom a recent Colorado letter by Bayard Taylor
detailing trip across the Rocky MOuntains1
Another quarter. Of an. hopE aud sthe
sleeps fell back In front, leaving a l0Yefy
Alpine EmeadoW,5 5dottdd with CLAMPS OF
pine, the vivid greenof its turf sprinkled
with snowy star-flowers, and brook of icy
crystal winding through it.
| was delighted when Mr. ByerST gave
the word to unsaddle TWAS barelythree-
quarters ot,a mile, he said, ,tothecsummit
OF the Pass-whether we could cross was
SILL doubtful matter--and before attempt
ing it both beasts and men must be fed.
The former were tnrped loose to Craze, at
will, with theifl0ng lhriats dragging after
them; the latter unlocked the cups from
their button-holes, opened the coffee bags,
cut the ham with hunting knives, and par
took Of the biscuits which were not sufl-
GENTLY sad" The water of the brook was
so intensely cold that. il, almost, made, one
! spfeam. Yet Immediately. oEt of and
through it grew clusters of a, flower so
, purely beautiful that we all cried out with
admiration on discovering it. Out of
b ring of broadly Oyate leaves (under the
y water) rose a straight stepi, tMelveSto FfffE;
teen inches in height. crowned at the top
with a cluster OF dark crimson-velvet
flowers, about the size and with the rich
omealy bloom of the poyanthus. 1t is call
ied, here, the ''Alpihe prinifose," but !
, know OF neither cOwslip nor primrose that
will compare with it. Tne ouOr is very
peculiar, resembling that OF Russian leatlI-
er. Here is treasure for our florists s-7I
While we took our lunch and,rested our
bones Mr.. Byers and White discdssed the
passage of the mountains. Directly mi
front of us depression in thefrtcladr ridge
indicated the summit of the Pass, on either
side of which bald, snowy peaks rose con-
siderably above the timber line. White
had crossed the range last week, with a
drove OF twenty-five Government horses
but he had gone considerably to- the north
ward Of the Pass, in order to avoid the
SHOWS. 1t was a question whether we
should reopen the old trail, or follow bis |
example and climb the tigntful looking
steep OH our right to point beyond the !
timber. Being a green hand, [ said moth |
ing, but | felt relieved when the Pass was |
selected, for the SHOWS had been melting
very rapidly, and | was convinced That we |
could falsify the predictions Of our friend. |
The horses were saldled, the mules re-
packed, and we setOut upon the uncertain
adventure. There was snow all aroundus; |; |
SOln6 uTllJS, even, liy OH tue upauOW lDQ
even where it had melted, the soil was elias
tic, treacherous bog that we did not venture
to Tide. On all sides rills came rushing
down., uprooteI trees barred the way, or
pools of black mud had collected. 1t was
impossible to follow the trail, although we
could trace it by the marks of the shovels.
Slowly, in single file, stopping every two
minutes to lean upon our horses necks and
gasp for breath, 'spattered With mud and |
wet with snow water, we iclitn bed through |
the forest, taking heart with the knowledge |
that this was our last hard pull. The trees
rapidly grew thinner the roaring rils be- |
came noiseless threads of water, the snow
drifts oVerlapped each other and must be |
waded, and then-the steep suddealy fiat !
tened and keen. wind blew. over the sum |
nit of the Pass. r........'. o.. ...,o o-
. lt.is sharp crest, with not ten yards be-.
tween the opposite decliyties. Here there
was an open space cecovcredgith bunch grass /
among the fielGs Ofsnow. We were Just at
the limit Of TIMBER little more than H. |
600 feet above the sea level. No general
panorama OF the range il visible but there
are ineloSed views to the east and west.
Behind us a sweep OF. bleak frosty suns
mtts too near (apparenJlyl, too hard and
sharpto be Beautiful. Before us, tar away
over the deeps ofendless dark green forest
a grand Alpinerange, .H7oIa'oT l.lou ,'ij