The Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1865-1870, 1868-08-27

4
| away to where the Washoe hills rear thei
gray altitude in somber solitude, and bearing
no trace of vegetation other than the dustI
| blue sage brush, whose monotOnous punches
alone hide the sterile sands. Sage brush t.
| the right, sage brush to the left, sage brusf
| to the front, sage brush to the roar. Lane
and rocks and sage brush and water make W
the landscape. The river it is true, still roll:
beside the road, but it is the only moving fea
ture in the desolate. No hut of workman
no ranch of farmer, no browsing cattle, nc
! cultivated fields; nothing but the burning
sun and the burn ing sand; the slowly rolling
river, reft of its every beauty, and the dis
tant, barren hills. Through such region
we pass on, none too quickly, though the en-
gineer should pile every available pound OF
fuel upon the engine fires, and arrive pre-
sently at Reno. distant from Sacramento l54
miles, and $50 feet above the tide level.
RENO.
Reno is situated in the middle Of fright
full plain, d. Stitute Of any feature of beauty
or picturesQuPness. 1t is one OF those
mushroom towns that seem to spring up in
a single night, like Aladin's Palace, and
from the nature of its elements its sudden
evanishment would be scarcely matter
for surprise. In the language Of its inhabi-
tants, it is ''quite a place" and If 1t lacks
exuberant vitality. Its streets are composed
q! frame buildings, knocked together for the
most part hastely though they were ac-
compartments to a travelling circus. 1t has
more than a fair proportion of groggerles,
and dancc-houseS; and it drives a very lively
business III the gambling way. Its popula-
ton comprises an immoderate share cf
g sports, from the Suave and high toned
gambler, aiIily lounging in show white trow-
a2rs and coat, and spo,es<, delcately plated
shirt front, with oad-brimmed Panama
hat and fragraf, csaT, TO the diSreputable
and hangdog locking sharper, beneath whose
short ami fravcd coat tails the muzzle of
revolver protrudt> threateningly, and whose
fierce eyes and bloated face proclaim that he
is either ready to take drink or to cut
throat. Women, whose CAV dresses are not
needed to designate their shameful business,
stroll through the sandy streets with an
abandon which is only to be met with in such
semi-civilized places Piute Indians loaf
a bout, accompanied By their heavy and de-
graded locking squaw>, who carry their
juvenile membranes packed neatly in small
parcels and slung upon their broad backs,
whence thew can form their own opinions of
socict:. Expressmen hurry up and down in
the brui!ing sun. and fling packages, trunks
and bnxes about, with feverl-h energy, and
the engines and trains of the Company glide !
hack aud forth up N the siIingS in apparent
y mex ricahle confusion, while the station
master SCREAMS himself hparse, and pers-
pires himself thin. Thfre is no such thing
as rest To be had in Reno. The tavern .
keepnrs do not think it worth their while to /
provide anything like decent sleeping accom- !
mediation fer travellers, for nobody comes ,
here save to make money, and when a man
IS bent upnn business, what does it signify .
where he sleeps: So people rush into Reno !
aud gobble up whatever fuel in the shape Of
meals they can get; and never grumble, and
drink bad whisky without a IuUrmpr; and .
loze on chairs, or make their bones ache by !
wing on boards, and rush away again, b. raj! |
)r stage, and Reno cares nothing, but swelt-
.rs on in the br0iling sun, while all the day
he sharp tapping Of hammers and grating
# saws accompanies the erection of new
buildings and all the might the fddles GO,
md the g!asscs clink. and the general hurry
md hustle is brought to a climax now and
hen by a lively shooting ARRAY. Somebody,
,orhaps, is killed or manned in the row.
Vel, it is only "Four-Gce Dick" or Jack
he Sweater" or somebody else with a nick
aTne that has taken the place of patrony
mic. Only some adventurPr, not too partl-
Mar as 10 the character OF his ventures,
Tho has "pegged OUT It may be that,
Ouple OF thousand mics away, some weary
cart is waiting anxiously for news Of him,
r that some home IS being prepared for his
anticipated return. No matter Busy Reno
as no concern with the fate, present, past or
lture of any one Of her motley population.
he is on the railroad, and has a ''big
hing B" and she is bent upon making her
lie with what speed she can command; and
he pace OF Reno is by no means conteInp
bic.
TO wADSWORTH.
Away from Reno, and out lin into the .
age brush, past long line of low hills and
ITO another dreary plain-a plain so nonot-
nous and hot, SO sandy and silent. that
ut for the deeply di~pirited Truckee, rolling !
melancholy sulienness at our left, We might
come the victims Of hypochondIia. few
ranges i'll the line Of road are pleasant, even
luugh it be only from sand and sage brush
red ROCK and burnt clay, the variety Is i
;reeable. But there are not many such
tangas. and after thirty miles OF misery we
Up at Wadswortn, which is the furthest sta
IN to which. as yet, passenger trains have
zen run. Wadsworth is 49, miles from
lcramento, and il never could have had al
,istence but for the railroad. Whether it
louid have had one at all, may be disputed.
r it is the ugliest place On the whole line.
consists Of three streets of wooden houses,
tilt on the circumference of a circle. II has I
-4y.,