The evening Argus., 1867-07-17

prompts the reader IN his inquiries. i shall,
| therefore, quietly pass over the incidents of
travel common to the region of civilization
and, with the consent of the reader, hastily
usher him or her into our camping grounds
at Denver, near the base Of the Rocky
Mountains. And yet, in approaching oar
| camp, ii would be - well to glance at the
which we must pass in our baatyA hight, hat.
we may be the better enabled te, comprehend
the vsstnesssof our country and the distance
Of our present camping ground from the con-
fines of eastern civilization.
Crossing one of the greatest rivers in the
world, we commence journey, at railroad
speed, across the extensive and monotonous
prairies of Iowa, and accomplish in twenty
| four hours that which, but two years ago,
with mules or -horses, would occupy two
| weeks of constant travel. sr. ss.;v
| After humping, humping journey of
three hundred and ffty-one miles, we are
landed upon the banks of the crooked, mud
| dy waters of the Missouri river, upon whose
| surface we must float q distance Of twenty
| two miles. This takes us to the south sioe
of the mouth of the Platte river, Wnere we
| find the small town of Plattsmoutn. So
| This we may consider sne oatskires OF CIV
/ ;l;zat;en. and Il is from this point that most
Il
| nla;ns. in the region of the Platte.
| Here our party had completed the furnish
ing of their outfit, consisting of two well-cov-
cred wagons, drawn by four mules each, and
three ponies---an they were able to buy, ow-
ing to the great demand for them for gov
ernment purposes, in campaigns against the
Indians.
With these, those of our party who were
then present started, upon the 30th of May,
journeying over rolling prairie lands tray-
ersed by small, slightly y-wooded streams,
while occasionally log house, surrounded
by broken ground or a cultivated farm, would
relieve the monotony of the grassy hills, un-
| til the small stream of Salt Creek was reach
ed.. Here the appearance of the country be-
gins to change. We strike out from the val
| ley of the Platte for the purpose of making a
short cut across the country, thereby avoid
! ing the long route which would be necessary
| were we to follow the windings of the river,
which, by referring to the map, we may see
| makes great bend to the north.
| In travelling across this tract of prairie, a
distance of about sixty miles, the traveller
will be surprised at the barrennees of the
country and also the rolling, deceptive ap
| pearance which is presented at the summit
| of every swell of land. Every hill appears to
be the last, from the summit of which we
hope to view the surrounding country upon
every side; yet, as we pass on, anxiously ex-
pecting view into the future rom every ap
/ preaching hill top, we are as often disap
| pointed as our hopes are aroused. We car
look back and, far in the distance, trace the
| windings of the creek we have passed and
the swells of land we have crossed; while
from some points, far in the hazy distance
appears the Platte river, winding its shallow
course to its junction with the Missouri.
After this journey of ninety miles, again
striking the valley of the Platte, we com
mence our long and tedious journey acros,
| its grassy, treeless plains. High bluffs ART
upon the south, and upon the north plough.
the rapid, sandy water of the Platte river.
The land through this valley route seem.
to rise by . succession of plateaus, some
| miles in extent, some of which are scarcel,
noticeable in their rise. Very few streams
cross our path, and most of these are desti
tute of water-offering only fiat, sand,
bed, whereby their course is known.
Passing leisurely along, at the rate o.
twenty or thirty miles a day, we graduall
leave behind US these familiar objects of th'
lower country. The character of the sol
and grass begins to change. Houses arr
seldom seen, and what few ''abodes" ART
found on the road are composed of sod ant
earth. The atmosphere becomes clearer
and antelopes begin to make their appear
ance upon the bluff sides, but bound grace
fully away at our approach.
We pass over fields many miles in extent
where very little is seen but the bright flow
ers of the cactus and, again, the wild sun
flower, the aster, mallow and the poppy NIL
in gay profusion, while from the islands a
I ipfc fba thf I'M
comes laden with the rich perfume of tn
wild rose. Crusts of alkali tip the crests Q
the wagon ruts OF are seen to cover the bed
of some dried ponds. The prairie dog, an
other feature of this western hand, stands up
right, .anxiouslv watching the motions of tn,
passers-by. His low, barren mounds some
time cover the land as far as the eve Cal
reach. r-r--s-.--
Upon arriving at Fort Morgan, or tn
: Junction, as it is sometimes called, we agail
J leave the Platte river, and, taking the shol
cut across the country, renew our former es
perience of rolling prairie and upward pre-
gress, entirely doing away with our forme
conceptions of western prairies.
, We now travel in sight of the snow-cla
, peaks of the mountains, whose shinin
, brightness can be seen for over q hundre
miles away, appearing at first like cloud
low down upon the horizon but as we ar
proach, day after day, they become largel
, sharper, and more mountainous the lowe
ranges become separated from the higher; tn
blue fatness of the mountain side begins t
break into cliffs, peaks, ravines and gullies
: fresh tints and shadows appear to becom
c visible at every step, until at last we sudden
ly come within view of the great city of Den
yer, lying in the valley of the Platte but
mile before us. ..s-..
Here we stand upon the verge of the mid
, die civilization of the United States. q.
!, Upon the eastern border of the city stan
|, our tents and wagons. Before us lies th
great city whose sudden growth astonishe
/; all visitors.
Here we find stores that will rival in bea,
: | ty and fneness of contents those of our gres
Chicago. Fine carriages and fast horse
dash through its busy streets, and richl,,
e dressed ladies and gentlemen, in fine attir,
: pass along its crowded sidewalks. Ant
e owing to the hospitality of our friends, Ha
per and Houseman, we are fully convince
that none of the luxuries decking the table
n of our eastern houses are wanting in tn
Il western town. E.E
$ Owing to the hasty manner in which tn
has been written have omitted many thing
which might interest the reader, one
which, Judging from some of the papers r
y ceiyed here, would be the Indian but