The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1866-02-21

w. SS,,.rSD - ,1N."6 o"oN. snos 'iV W
tween Jalesburgh aud Denver. 0n.the
one,hand We had heightened, and more
difficult road, which little more time
would fully overcome, while on the other
we would have been compelled to make
our way, if at all, through hordes Of hos.
tilesavages, which naturally enough call
ed up all sorts Of ugly visions Of reekiug
scslping knives and divers and sundry
hideOus amusemauts in which Indian
monsters are wont to ind ulge themselves
at the expense Of their unhappy victims
So, though we sometimes felt vexed
while trudging through the great sand
drifts of which I have spoken, or anx,
iOusly watching our loaded wagons drop
ping heavily from rock to rock down the
steep declivities Of the Cherokee trail, we
were much inclined TO blame our stars,
rather than the military gentlemen afore.
said, whose experimenting care, as we
supposed, was every day shielding us
against irruptions Of hostile sayages.-
Further on, all this singular care for our
safety with ths>methOde by which it was
exercised, fully explained itself as day
after day we came to the almost innumer-
able ferries and bridges that we're scatter
ed, at short intervals, along six or eight
hundred miles Of our route, and learned
they were owned by General Connor and
Ben Hollaway, proprietor fthe Overland
Stage line. Tolls and ferriages ranged
all the way from ten cents to Eve dollars
per wagon, and when you come to con
slider that not less than ten thousand Of
them were compelled to pass over that
road, your will see that the Indian dodge
put money in the Generals purse. say
"dodge," but by that do not mean that
there was no danger from Indians, but
only that. there was no less on the road we
were compelled to travel, than by the
Sweetwater route, which is several hun.
dred miles shorter, and in all respects,
Infinitely better. To be sure, there were
some few soldiers scattered here and there
along the road we came, but probably not
more than Que to every mile, SO that,
manifestly, they were Of no avail in pro.
tecting travel. The truth is, that emi.
grafton had to protect itself, and that
could have been done more easily and
perfectly on line so much shorter. as
the Swcetwater route cortainl y is.
Besides the hindrances I have men.
toned, may add that from the North
Platte to Green river distance of per.
haps two hundred miles, 10 a most desc
late and barren waste, with but little
grass and scarcely any water fit to use
This stretch includes the dreaded valley
of Bitter creek, which, IN its utter steril.
ty, its deep alkaline dust which passing
trains set aaoat in almost binding and
sitting clouds, and its scarcity of water,
tho little there is in the stream stand.
ing in poisonous pools or running laziy
In a " sEhSIIl y and almost imperceptible cur,
rsnt,-forms an almost impossible barrier
to travel. On this part Of the road have
seen many oxen staggering under their
burdens from sheer exhaustion and some
goaded on till they fell dead in the yoke.
Most OF the stock reaches this side in
wretched order, but recruit rapidly on
tho abundent grass and excellent water
OF Blacks and Hams Forks of Green
river. Too much cannot be said in favor
Of the road up Hams Fork. It keeps
the valley nearly all the way until leay.
ing it altogether, and but. seldom passes
over the monntain,spurs, a few of which
jot down to the margin of the river. The
water of the stream is clear and cold and
dashes along in quite swift CURRENT
The grass of this valley is unsurpassed
in the mountains for quantity and quail.
ty. 10 reach this, however, by way Of
Bitter creek, is paying more than it is
worth. rt
Those of your readers who have passed
over the Sublette road will remember the
last, long and dangerous mountain cross.
ing before reaching Soda Spiings. This
is now done away with, some enterprising
Mormon having, by q good deal of work,
carried the read around, instead of over
the mountain, Thi, Improvement is the
means of saving a great deal Of time and
labor. ,ei'i. i''..''1 ~
As this letter is to be wholly devoted
to roads, | may say that probably the best
and shortest route from the States to this
Territory, is from Sioux City and by con-
vergent lines, from other places on the
Missouri, up the Niobrara river, and,
leaving that, across the country, nearly