The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1869-04-01

a tourney overland to the States eastward, we
. have derived information concerning the char'
! acter of the route by stage and railroad and
other matters incident to the trip across the
continent
From Baltimore Mr.. Keys took the Baltl'
J more and Ohio railroad, connecting with other
lines, for Omaha, while Mr.. Bowman took the
Northern Central via Cincinnati; but the az
grerate rate of fare for the whole distance
was about the same on each hne-$5O In
greenbacks. On their visit to St. Joseph, Mo-,
thew met Mr.. J. w. Wood. and from that
point to Omaha and thence on to Bear River,
on this side of Salt Lake, they all Travelled In
company-Mr. Wood having his wife along,
who was for the first time making the trip to
the Pacific slope.
They left Omaha Feb. 24th upon the posi-
tive assurance of the Agent of the Union Pa
citic Railroad Company stationed there that
the snow blockade was raised and the route
open all the way to Wahsatch, the western
terminus-the fare to which point was S72 80
|
brought the train, of three passenger cars and
half dozen freight cars, to Cheyenne. There
the passengers were detained eight days on
account of the snow blockade which reached
from Laramie City, So miles from Cheyenne,
to point about 80 miles westward During
their detention at Cheyenne the passengers
obtained fair accommodations at 81 per day
On the ninth day they were taken by the ears
to Laramie City and beyond that point travel
was impcded by snow. Another detention Of
six days occurred.
At Laramie City the passengers were sub
iected TO vile usage and wretched hotel accom-
modatons The Railroad House, owned by
the Company. was the only place in which
lodgings could be- obtained, aud a charge OF
So per day for bed and board, or 81 per day
for bed alone. was rxtortcd. The table was
miserably provided-only bread, bad butter,
poor potatoes and elk or antelope, first roast
ed or strwcd, and then served in hash until ii
WAS all eaten, with tea and cJhre unit 10
drink. And while the charge of - per day
was rXtnrtcd from the passengers for THIS kind
Of daily living, the railroad employees, Who
were similarly cared for, paid only 81 per day.
The l.aram" Division of the railroad is un-
der the chargr of Superintendent Campbell.
and this prr,on behaved most s.,amctuiIy to-
had engaged sleeping cars or brr,hs in those
cars,-somc wiki their wives. or sisters or
other lady relatives in company Were de-
privcd Of these engaged sleeping accommodate
tions. by the orders of this man Campbell
aud their apartments or bcrihs We're given
over I" railroad employees, or roadside friends
of the Superintendent. and in some instances
10 the abandoned women whom the railroad
officers had with them on the road.
On the seventh day of detention at Laramie
City, again the cars were enabled Ia proceed. ,
aud in run Of thlrty-six hours they reached
passengers i'll all. The road
over this part of the route is very poorly
built and in some places the rails and ties ac-
tualIy rested on frozen earth Jumps or bare
IN' -A'' lu'h'S 'NIhis put tht arc I
rarely reported
From Wahsatch to Ogden the track was
down. but was not yet ready for the trains
cars, however, passed over it.
and by the kindness of Mr. Caseman, the rail-
road Conductor, the party were taken on to
Ogden, 80 miles, in one day and in very COM
Portable manner, for which they were charged +
the very reasonable fare Of s. so currency.
From Ogden to Bear River, 40 miles. Leach
4 Brown have Il stage line which connects at
the latter point with John Hailey's great mail
line from Salt Lake City to the Dalles in Ore
yon. But because of an attempt made by the
propretOrs OF that line to extort excessive
fare from them, the party hired private con-
'eyance and made the trip in very comfortable
manner in one days ride c
At Bear River the party rested for four I
lays at the very cOmmodious and finely furn-
shed large stone house of Ben Hampton, who
OWNS and keeps the Stage station there There t
hey enjoyed good shooting-wild geese, ducks,
prairie chickens md sage hens,-and fishing
If trout and white fish. Nicely furnished
lpartments, feather beds, IN excellent table.
md general good cheer were provided to the ::
,uests, and Mrs. Hampton We'd with her hus. !!
'and in every effort to please them oil. !, :
John Hailey's Agent, Mr.. Mccoy, also used
very exertion on his part to make the travel.
ng accommodations by stage from Bear River
inward as comfortable as possible, and the 0