The Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1865-1870, 1868-08-28
Scenery Along the Linz Of the Central
Pacific Railroad.
From the San Francisco Times.
ACROSS THE HUMBOLDT DESERT.

racine b2llfo3d.
From the San Francisco Times.
/. ACROSS THE HUMBOLDT DESERT.
1t is BY no means an easy matter to get to
Ane front from Wadsworth, for it is next to
Impossible to tell at what point any train
leaving the station may stop. There being
put one line of rail, the company are COM
belled to exercise their utmost ingenuity to
Il ccommodate the traffic, and though sidings
fare constructed at intervals of eight miles,
Ill along the road, much precious time is
lost through the lack Of transportation facil-
tiles. However. We succeeded in finding a
rain that was going as far as Brown Sta
Etion, a distance of forty miles from Wads-
worth, and were content to take our chances
NJ getting on to the end of the line from that
point. On leaving Wadsworth the road
raverses few mi lies of the barren and unin-
Eferesting country previously described, and
|khen strikes into the Humboldt desert, which
p forty miles across. However depressing
he sage brush plains may be, they rise
Eeato positive beauty and fertility when con-
TASTED with the desert. Imagine a vast
lain stretching East, West, North and
Youth, almost to the horizon, where on the
light hand range of hills bound the view,
Ind near which the Sink Of Carson is situa-
nd. Notrace Of cultivation. or vegetation Of
fuy kind, meets the eye. Even the hardy
ssage brush refuses to grow upon this sterile |
foil, which is apparently devoted to the
Propagation Of alkali. At intervals along
A,n o,J patFhas NJ alkali
Ehite and shining, and may be easily mis-
AIKEN for pools of water at a short distance.
Il Though the desert pre.ents no features
q natural beauty or interest, il is often the
.tene of remarkable atmo-p heric phepom-
:Sla, some of which we were fortunate enough
y witness. In crossing this section of the
spuntry the Railroad Company has exper-
fnccd much difficulty in procuring water for
he engines. The water Of Humboldt lake,
Hong which the road runs for some five and
|$enty miles, st ixing it near the eastern end
u the deser, is fall of alkal. and it causes the
{bilers to foam so badly that i. is almost
4h2ossiole TO use il. 1t has, therefore, been
l}und necessary to sink artesian wells in
= g neighborhood, though, as in one or two
fperimentS, the engineers struck, first salt
alter, and then hot water, the men on the
3 ad do not place much confidence in this
Ssource, being inclined to believe that Hum
: ldt Desert is too near the Internal regions
supply ANYTHING good in the form of
Alter. In the meantime tank trains are
fpployed TO fetch water from the Truckee,
ID il has been found necessary to discard
Ge Humboldt Lake water altogether, as,
Elen mixed with that Of the Truckee, il ,
Shkes the boilers foam worse than when il
used alone. The water of the Humboldt
Yer, which has now been struck. is com
ratively good. though at the point where
Re line crosses the stream il is not altogeth- 4
4 free from alkai.
BROWNS STATION.
After leaving the desert, which we quit
thout regret, we enter upon country just
shade more pleasant to look upon and
1hvel over, but only shade better. We
We here no lack of alkali, as the white
st which rises in clouds whenever horse
sn or a team is passing, testifies ; but the
kge brush grows again here, and though
~ enough in itself, serves to hide some
at the dreary surface Of the hot, bare
Bin. Presently we arrive at Browns about
miles hey ond Wadssorth, and 221 miles
i'm Sacramento. Browns is small place u
sich has been for many years stage sta
n. The building is Of adobe, and stands -
Sc to the brink of Humboldt Lake. Il
! 81 have been a horribly desolate place
fore the advent of the railroad, but old d
own informed us that he never felt lonely,
pre- being always some one IN the house
N the stages. Our readers will not care
Know how we passed the night al Browns,
i with what difficulty we found a train to
7 E US to the front. Let it suffice to say
"a a night at Browns is an experience to {
*iembar with a shudier in after years. aud
! alkai water is by no means a pleasant o,
Serage. In due time we found ourselves "
/ in on the road, and after some fifteen or
fnty miles through the sage brush plains, {
sich extend for hundreds of miles from the
lert, we arrived at our destination, the end
khe line, some 80 miles from Sacramento. ST
AT THE FRONT. r
As we approached our destination we i
= sed several white tents, in one or two Of
3ch some enterprising sutler had set out Ell
motley wares, just disembarked from the LIE
Sson which stood close at hand, ready to pr
lie his perambulatory store as soon as the
4 advanced. Further on was a camp of III
}namen, who were at this time employed En-
booking their midday meal. All along n
read we're scattered heaps of ties, fish
es, spikes and other material. Still more
be tents, and then numbers of heavy wag-
prairie schooners in fact, which are en- G
ed in hauling the ties, and then a strange
i ing affair which resembles good sized
L -, IL