The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-09-02

BAYARD TAYLOR writes from out among the
mountains OF Central City, and his mountain
ride thilher;
| found simple but clean quarters and an
excellent table at Cheneys Hotel, addressed
limited audience, in the evening, and took
the coach for this place yesterday morning at
10 clock. The new road, following Clear
Creek canon, has been made impossible by
floods, and the old road, some miles further
eastward. is now used. |: piarees the hrst
,ange OF the Rucky Mountains by the canon
of a small stream, at the mouth whereof are
four or FIVE hog houses, styled Gate City. The
detile is very narrow, abrupt, and with such
sudden turns that for space the road seems
to disappear every moment. Huge masses
of dark red and purple rock topple on either
side: there is little timber to be seen, but q
profusion of wild gooseberries and currants,
and bush resembling the broom. The bed
of the brook is crowded with young cotton
woods and box elders, in the shade of which
new varieties of wild flowers grow luxuriant.
". | hailed the Alpine harebell as an old
friend, and inhaled the delicious perfume
blown from clnmps of mountain roses. The
wild hop-vine was very abundant, spreading
its arms over the rock, in lieu CT other sup
ports.
After two or three miles the pass became
broader and straighter, and we could look up
10 the crest of mountains. 1t was dismal to
see how much of the pine forests with which
the sleeps were clothed have been wantonly
or carelessly destroyed by FIRE, The rock
now appeared 10 be o KIND of gneiss, gray,
with pale orange ozydations, which gave the
scenery something of the character OF the
Apprentices. did not find, as | expected,
much vegetation. The dry soil, the bare
masses Of rock, the dusty road, and the hot,
cloudless sky overhead, all suggested Sonth-
ern Europe, rather than Switzerland or our
mountain regions of the East,
We followed this canon for some eight or
ten miles, occasionally passing saw mill, or
tayern rancho, patronized by the freighters.
Then we reached Guys Hill, where the road
crosses the divide, and were requested by the
driver to climb to the summit on foot. 1t
was but half mile of rather breathless
walking in the thin air, and we stood upon a
narrow crest, overlooking o deep, pine clad
valley in the heart of the mountains. The
dark SUBMITS ufthe second range rose against
the sky, and only one small snowy peak was
visible Here the forests, although neither
large nor dense, were still untouched, and
multitudes Of silvery aspens were mingled
with the pines.
The descent looked vigorously steep
but our driver, with locked wheels, went
down on trot, passing two OK teams with
wonderful skill. The valley we now entered
was preener and fresher than the first, and
with tolerably level bottom, along which we
bowled to the Michigan House where dinner
awaited US. An excellent meal, at 81 90
The water was unsurpassed in GOODNESS and
agreeable flavor
The road now gradually swerved to the
left, rising to another divide, whence the
splendors of the snowy range burst upon US
Broad wedges of rock and snow; soaring to q
hight of 1900 feet, g,ittered in the cleal
sky, apparently close at hand, although they
were fifteen miles distant Our own eleva.
ton above the sea could not have been less
that 5000 feet. The air was thin, but won
derfully cool, pure and transparent. Ihe
only thing the scene lacked was fresh noun
tain turf-a feature which have not YET
found.
We descended from the crest into deep
glen, the sides Of which were better wooded.
Here and there we passed q arasius-ranche
or saw mill, and the road was filled with
heavy freight teams. Two milss Of rapid dc
canon Of North Clear Creek. Herr com
menced, at once, the indications OF mining.
The PERCEPTIONS sides Of the canon were
frecked with the holes and dirt-piles of ex,
perimental shafts, the swift waters Of the
stream had the hue Of "taiIings,n and pres
entity the smoke from Vie smsat0R works b
be Lyms Company began 70 cloud the purs
mountain sif,@ sts @ 81 tss II
beyond this psiat, which 10 already tAickl,
studded Win Aoeses, end il called Lymniile
: sudden t6rti 81 TIE road discloses aview .
Black Hawk, With it. charming churel
perched snDve ~ SoWa, q ehs extfernssy g
the heAdlAnd which sepsrake Ata1eEE Slacl
from that Of Clesr Creek. WeeAenee snaes
ed bng, noisy, xhlstiy. popuisted r9g
Ths PUT Of steam, he dali hump Of T.