The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-01-09

IA beautiful landscape burst upon our
view Seen through dark, funnel
shaped canon, the whole end opening
away from the narrow toward the road,
lay the valley, lighted up by the bright
sunlight of magnificent day. 1t was
our farewell to summer. Steadily we
climbed the mountains, they becoming
more and more abrupt; the snow nearer
and nearer; the air more wintry, until
we reached Colfax, about sixty miles
from Sacramento, and nearly four thou
sand feet in elevation Here were sever
al splendid six horse coaches, ready to
convey passengers to the several mining
points in the vicinity, such as Grass
Valley, Tmbuctoo, &c.
Leaving Coliax, we continued to as
cend at speed OF about fifteen miles an
hour, the road at times turning around
sharp peaks of almost right angle, on
bed cut in the solid granite-anon dash
ing through tunnel-out again, with
high peaks towering above the deep can
ons below. One of the most remarkable
of these is named Cape Horn, where a
promontory juts boldly out, givinga view
of the mountains for miles around. The
eye wanders away down among gorges,
1000 or 5000 feet below you, then up
again to tie snow capped summit above.
Turning one of these points, we came
suddenly upon valley, or basis, where
We were astonished to see whole hills APP
parently washed away On enquiring
We found it was fact They were the
Hydraulic mines of Dutch Flat. The
water is carried in sluices for miles along
and around the SUBMITS of the mountains
to reservoir; thence, III a strong iron
pipe about eighteen inches in diameter,
down the perpendicular sides of a canon
to the mines thence through several
hose to the points where needed. The
pressure is regulated by valves and The
force of the stream thrown is SO great
that should one of them strike man, it
would kill him as instantly as if it were
cannon BALL They literally cut down the
hills, washing them into fine dust, from
which the gold is subsequently, separated.
The whole country herea bout is cut up in
this way Still ascending. We came to
to the Down Hill and Gold Run mines,
both OF which are exceedingly profitable,
and worked in similar manner to that
Of Dutch Flat. After leaving Gold Run,
we found great snow banks on either side
OF US, and some on the road. We were
entering the region of perpetual snow.
Here the road is covered at all exposed
points. built Of large pine timbers, cap
able of sustaining a great weight which,
it is hoped, will enable them to keep the
road open in winter. At certain points
it seemed as if whole acres of land had
been swept away by torrents, and We were
informed it was caused by water spouts,
~ -. &C go. c-aquent there, and very
dangerous. They arise from two currents
of air meeting, one warm and one cold.
The cold condcnses the moisture in the
warm, and upon striking some sharp
points in the Sierra, tic whole vo!me of
water is precipitatcd at one point. A
gentleman told us that at one point, when
going up the mountain, before the days
of the railroad, the driver saw one of
these spouts fall, and Immediately drove
up the side OF the mountain to aylold the
torrent, which was sure to follow. Be
hind him was a man with wagon heav-
lily loaded with potatoes, drawn by four
yoke of oxen He had barely time to
escape himself, and after the torrent had
passed there was not veStage left of
either oxen or wagon!
''AL IL o'clock we arrived at Cisco,
ninety five miles from and secea Thousand
four hundred feet aboce, Sacramento.
This IS the present terminus OF the road,
the Summit tunnel, a few miles beyond,
being not yet completed. There are,
however. seven thousand men employed
beyond this point, and several miles of
road are graded beyond the tunnel, The
snow was two feet deep when we arrived
at Cisco, it being quite early in October.
The houses are merely temporary ones
merely boarding houses and small stores
for the use Of railroad employees, stage
and wagon drivers. These were tie
hardest, toughest looking IIsen l ever saw;
rough clothes, slouched hats, pants in
boots, spending all their spare time III
gambling. In every slianty you can see
them at their favorIte game of poker.
saw but two or three women in the place,
and they We're apparently not much bet
ter than tue men, But in Il short time
the place will be among the things that
we're From this point at present, the
overland coaches carrying the United
States mail, and Wells & Fargo Express
start for Virginia City. Salt Lake City,
and the Western terminus of the Union
Pacific railroad, large, sixteen seat ceach- |
es, drawn by six and eight horses, Here,
too, great freight wagon trains also start,
the wagons drawn by twelve, sixteen and
eighteen mules, immense covered affairs,
carrying ten and twelve tons, called prai
RE schooners Long trains Of these
start every few hours, several going to-
gether for mutual protection. 1t is per-
feet astonishing to see the vast amount of
freis ut that is thus transported into the
mountains and to Nevada.
''By the kindness of the conductor we
were permitted to ride three or four miles
further on the locomotive, the extreme
point to which rails are laid. Then tax
ing a stage, we proceeded four miles fur
ther, reaching an elevation Of eleuen
Moasand feet Right above us lowered
CASTLE Peak, the highest summit of the
Serras in this vicinity, over twelve theu-
sand feet high. and impossible to ascend
a little beyond and below is Bonner Lake
a beautiful sheet of water, nesting among
the mountains, calm, cold, and icy in its
appearance; the tall pines growing on its
shore were reflected on its mirror like sur
face with remarkable distnctness. Still
further on is Crystal Lake, with a large
hotel near t,where the wealthy Calfornl-
ans resort in summer time The Rail
road Company has employed MIR. Hart,
a photographer, to take views of the
most interesting points, for distribution
among the bondholders.
We returned to Cisco in time for the
5 0 clock train, and arrived in Sacramen-
to between 10 and / o clock at night, af-
ter having one Of the most delightful tril $
| ever took.
Il cannot help thinking how we navy
people are tossed about A month ago
was among the mountains, without a
thought Of going to sea but here am
within the tropics The sea is calm and
beautiful, and our voyage prosperous !;