The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-06-20
The Alkaline Dexs Of the west.

A correspondent of the Chicago TTf.
bttne writes of the country west Of
Laramie, on the Pacific Railroad
very miserable and very curious.
Here and there patch OF Buffalo grass
may be seen, but rarely anything ex-
cept sage brush and cactus. The
ground seems incapable of producing
anything else. The banks OF all the
streams glisten with white where the
alkali water has evaporated. Almost
all the small streams here are impreg-
natedwith this alkaIi.as1t renders the
water almost useless for all practical
purposes, but it produces some very
queer effects, Us e-Worlsmen-on the
road and the visitors can testify. II
one drinks much of 1.-THE same effect IL
produced as If strong dose of salts Is
taken. This greatly Disguised the
workmen when they were forced TO
drink 1t. Nor can this water be used
in the engines with any effect; the
steam it makes has no power. The
wafer expands itself in froth and suds,
and it eats and corrodes the boiler.
This has been great source OF annoy
ance, and Is one of the worst obstacles
that the road has tooyercome. Anoth-
err popularity OF this water is the effect
10 produces on the skin of those who
wash In II; It rou9hens the skin OF the
hand, Just as a cold wind chaps 1t In
winter. It also peels the skin from the
face, SO that person who uses this
water has new skin about every seven
days. This is especially the case where
soap Is used In washing. The graders
west of here, where the alkaH in the
water is much stronger, say that when
soap is wanted for clothes, &c, they
put some grease in the alkali
water, stir II up with a stick, and
there is soap. Naturally Il COSTS but
very little, and when freights are re-
duced on the road IL is proposed to sup
ply the whole United States with cheap
and good soap. Unfortunately there Is
no demand 5or that article among the
Indians, and the Great Western soap
Factory can not be started at present.
As is, every man is his own soap
maker. The result of this bad water
has been TO force the Railroad Company
to dig deep wells along the line of the
road. But even this Is not always
the we'll ut Wyoming, hf-
teen miles west of Laramie, is almost
useless on account of the akaI. In
try is almost completely covered with
the low, thick sage brush, useless Tor
except IN soma places where
the wood is so large that IL can be burn
ed. In this region. where the land
happens to be tree from the sage brush, |
It Is often SO impregnated with the
alkali that for two or three inches down |
The earth crumqles and sinks beneath
he feet like ashes. Every now and
hen there are found in this region
lrins of fossils of fish, oysters, CLANS,
&C., thrown up from the bottom OF the
,ea qultea time ago. Some OF these
ish are SO well preserved that the gilt
er of the gold and silver on their
Gales is almost as bright as ever. The
oysters and clans are tremendous in
ize, and would well do for the giants
Il the olden days. Some of the snakes
ire quite large in size, but few of them
IRE perfect. Some OF them are found
in red handsome, with others
10 loose in the earth. Along with
hese are TO found many sea-shells of
'arious kinds. In some cases the fish
will be found split open, and all the
zones perfectly preserved. Some of
hese drifts are on the top OF bluffs,
While others are low down.