Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1867-07-24

mothers hearts would leap with joy coul
: they find even such rude mark to dis
: tinguish the sleeping place of her darlin
: son. who gave bis life In the late war !
Passing this place five miles. we arriv
at Solomon City, situated one and bal
mile above the mouth of the river of t.
, same name. II is a fertile valley. bu
with little timber. and this little 0
cotton wood. In Vermont you would con
slider it worthless Here we are oblige,
to use it although it warps so badly tba
it will twist out of q mans hands Will
he is mailing it The village consists o
about fifty buildings; Eve stores. one no
tel and eight "saloons " Here We crossed
the Solomon River. and found salt work
erected and worked by a company from
New Bedford with capital of one hun
bred and fifty thousand dollars. Thei
we'll is now $50 feet deep. and is still 60
ing down. They get Is per cent. salt
Here the valley is 80 miles wide-almos'
a dead level. One year ago there was
not house here: now | can count many
from almost any point.
We crossed the Saline River, nine miles
from Solomon River. and came to what is
called the Saline Bottom, aud six miles
from the crossing we came to the town Of
Salina, built between the Smoky and Sal
inc rivers. The rivers run for Is miles in
a parallel about three miles apart. The
town was founded about six years ago,
hut did not amount to much until the u
P. R. R. got under way, and when the
road gets much farther on it will fall
back to its original nothingness. 1t is
now great resort for the planners.
You Gao find here all kinds of strange men:
"Buil-whackcrs." "Mule whackers." and
guess, some bush whackers." Negroes
Indians and Mexicaps. 1t is also the re
sort of military men. and especially of the
scouts employed by the different Generals
in command of the Indian Department.
The town has about 800 inha bitants, Is
stores, q saloons or whiskey shops
and 4 hotels This is the last of civiiza.
tion for to-day, but tomorrow it moves
on.
We follow up tho river about 2 miles.
and there tako straight shoot across the
country. passing over barren waste of
sand hills. and squeezing through a mar.
row dehle we arrive at Spring Creek, the
present terminus of the r R.
Government has here built q small
store house and large platform, for the
purpose Of landing military stores and
lumber designed for points West We re-
NAMED here until the goth of June, when
We received seven transport wagons and
eft Spring Creek, for Fort Harker. pass.
ng over country good for nothing ex
'ept as q range for cattle. We arrived at
darker. the I'd day from Spring Creek
This Fort was originally Ellsworth. The
,ame and the site has been changed.
there are 800 men employed here. build.
ng stone buildings for government. Here
70 were allowed an escort of eleven sol.
|iers.--Americaps Of African descent--to
lefcnd us until we should reach Fort
Dodge. We are now fairly on the Plains.
We find enough timber for camp use. no.
ouch more. We cross the Smoky and
each the Arkansas River and camp Oh
'lum Creek, Is miles from Harker. Trav-
ling over high, sandy plain in hot
ay, is not just like Peach Orchard
ou may be sure. On the 81 night. we
amped on Cow Creek. Some Of the boys
rent out hunting and brought in an An
elope. "0ld Long JIM" as we call him.
anne in and told us to look out for our
har." as he had setn some Indians. The
amp was soon in fighting trim. but in
tead of seeing the Indians, we saw a
,uch more welcome sight--a company Of
ur own cavalry, who quietly went into
amp on the opposite side of the creek.
'ext day We arrived at Fort Zarah. Oh
Walnut creek. This fort was erected du
ing the late war. aud is mad, of sods. I
he post is to be moved eight miles fur.
her up the creek. We were two days in
citing to Larncd, and here we were
bligcd to remain two days. on account Of
no high water. We crossed the Pawuce
ork Of the Arkansas and were ordered to
ait for heavier escort, as the savagcs
ere said to be very troublesome between I
armed and Dodge. Next morning we re.
lived an addition of twenty men to the !
'cort, and proceeded. and made about u
yenty eight miles march and encountered /
. Indians We are safely arrived at
ort Dodge, where we can MUNICH our hard
ok. upon this glorious 4,h. under the
BAR old ensign. and feel prouder than ev.
:. in the enjoyment Of our American cit. ,