Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-10-12
Editorial Correspondence Q: the STAR

Editorial Correspondence q. the STAR
"ESD OF THE TRACK"
Near Green RtreT, L. T., Sept. 81, 1865.
We have succeeded IN chasing down the fu-
gaeious 4" End Of the Track. after a race OF S2O
miles from Omaha-that il, the end OF the track
for to-day, for tomorrow it will be I've miles
from here, and so on, until winter puts tenn
pOrary check upon the track-laying.
Up the Black Hills.
The most interesting portion of the trip is
mat passing over the Black HIlls;-called the
-blaek HIS" from the dark green foliage of
The pines and balsam frs covering them in
patches TO their SUBMITS. We left CHEYENNE
AT $40 yesterday morning, taking slow .sca .
bose train" in order that we might cross the
Black Hillside highest point on the Union
Pacrhc Railroad by daylight. On our way
TO t1ke the cars we passed the stone founda-
tons OF the magnificent Cheyenne HOTEL"
started by that brilliant crack-skun, George
Francis Train. The stOnemason who laid the
four daton has n OF got his money, and the no.
tel Will probably nev.r see any higher but the
Railrcad Company are putting up a fine hotel
near by. ET .ftE RI
Our freight train, limited 20 eir,' miles per
hour, end stopping al every telegraph post
was Just the thing Tor Cur purpose: and we
made the most Of it by mounrfns TO the ROOF OF
the train, position, by the way, aaording a
much wider range OF view than a ride upon
the cow-catcher or engine. From Omaha to
Cheyenne We had been mounting a grade of
about eleven feet TO the mule aud - Cheyenne
had attained height 6,tHo feet above the sea
Now we exchanged our wood burner for a
coal-harning enstUe Which tugged US mp the
Black Hills on q - ide of o. feet TO the mile for
portion or the thirty miles Of the ascent.
Thus we reach Sherman, the summit station,
and are told that we are at the hIgae~t poiat
uaYeTsed BY the road in It's course from the
Auanue slope ~ the Paciic-s,2f2 feet above
TIE sea We are 2-0OJ feet above Mount Wash
ington, 1,7OU feet above the pass or the Simp-
len. and go feet above the pass of the Great
-. Bernard. II seems simply impossible that
We are 81 this Alpine height. Though It is the
last Of September the vegetatiOn-the coarse
grassland wild flowers shooting out am ong the
stones, appears Ola br.ght green, untou ched by
the trcsti while on Mount Washington yegeta.
ton CEASES at point 3,0OD feet lower than we
stand, and IN the Alps, eternal snow prevails
~ 4 point g thousand feet below Us. The as
cent Of ~ feet to tne mile from Buford to Sher-
man, though sharp, does not begin 10 compare
with the ascent from Piedmont to Altarnont, on
the Baltimore and Ohio R:Ilrod, where for Il
miles the grade is lie feet 10 the mile. The
truth is, that any person coming 20 the railroad
crossing OF the mountains with the expectation
OF finding any Alpine scenery of the pe-pen-
oleular description displayed, tor instance, in
Leutzes picture OF the migrants crossing the
Rocky Mountains, will be disappointed The
ascent is so gradual up the valley OF the Platte
and over the table lands to Cheyenne, that no
hint is given to the traveller that he is going nm
THIS wonderful inclined plane of $40 miles that
takes the road TO :he eliminating point OF Its
course win scarce a cutting that a pillow
90 r,+r
Away 10 the southwest, however, appear the
crests Of the Snowy Range, Longs Peak, and
Medicine Bow, clad in perpetual snow, and
giving hint to the spectator that the true Al.
pine style of mountain scenery is to be found i'm
thatdHecton. But these Mountain Monarchs,
rising TO nearly three times the height OF Mount
washington, are softened down in outline by
their distance and fail to convey the idea that
they belong TO the same mountain system as
TINS great mountain pass which opens its wide
gates TO make natural high way for the trade
o. the world.
The Blar Hills, sometimes called the Lara
nile Mountains, are western range of the main
chain Of the Rocky Mountains, and this pass
Is known as the Chey enEe Pass. Coal aboupds
mere, and It would appear that silver ore has ,
been developed, as in passing through the
granite cutting westward Of Sherman we
up to mark the ''clsins'' OF parties who had
prospected veins. One OF these was styled the
Empire Lode" The rounded, prairie like
nils OF the pass are bounded north and south
BY rugged peaks and groups of rough hills
marked on the west slope OF the Black Hills by
wild eanons, pronounced canyons)
One admires tie engineering skill by which
The line CT grad nts have been worked out
through and over tuese win-rows OF hills 10
achieve the pass Se az so low grsde: and il il
d curious fact hat the engineers discovered
more favorable pas ses in several instances than
had been fouId % those great ..path hnders''
the buffaloes or by the Indians or the emf
grants who have traverse1 he mountains in
such mum oers and for so long period. At the
Summit We got rough dinner, (of which raw
onions, Of immense size and strength, were a
notable CONSTITUENCY at a ca DIN called .'UncIe
Johns" In sight OF our window as we dinsi
was mass OF rough granite, called aReeds
Rock," the lookout station at the Summir: and
an ardent Republican, was perched upon the
top engaged in lette ring the names of ssGran,
and Collar" IN Characters so big that all who
run over the Pacific Road cannot fail to read
Leaving the summit 10 descend the western
slope Of the Black Hills, a pretty long line of
cutting through tough granitIe rock OF a red
color Il entered upon, showing thar after ALL
there was something NOR than bows NAV in
making a Path for the iron horse over thu
mountains. We now descend rapidly towards
the Pacific coast without steam ana with the
brakes set Seven miles west of Sherman we
cross Dale Creek-a pretty stre.n. said 70
abound N speckled brook trOus but NOT dshad
extensively yet except by the noble rs1 man
over truss bridge LIS feet above the erasx
This bridge, the most important one va baxa
met since leaving the North Platte, Is a a.
veilbuiit structure equal ~ the very hes. bs.t
Ct cur Eastern roads.
Proceeding toward the Laramie plains tho
country assumes remarkable appearance As
i; the Titans had been al WORK here, buiiiIn-
fortresses, monuments, and stately structures
OF grand scale. In some instances immense
bOuldeTs were Planted upon columnar masses
Of stone on so slight poise that seeInin ely
,CU-h would SD them crashing down the
lcou.-.a.n side. At one point, masses of reddish
49, d tone varied by outeroppings o. limestone
o. urh, shades, flesh, straw, red, blue, pax
and ash-white. had every appearance OF a
tajely city with palaces, domes aud monu-
ments OF Tilanic build. .O;AsE stra.l Of the
same stone took the regular outlines Cf some
:. gaItic fortress, such rs might have played
a part in the var OF Heaven against tn boss
la BY Satan. Suitcd % such surrounding IS
little Lake Como, a weird looking sheet %
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