The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-07-29
AN OVERLAND TRIP TO OREGON.

AN OVERLAND TRIP TO OREGON.
Twelve miles further on we cross
Bear river on ricketty bridge. ascend
long grade, and get our finest view
of Great Salt Lake with its light blue
waters glittering in the sun. Promon-
tory Mountain to our right rising high
above the other bluffs II miles distant
and Monument Point a solid rock
looming up out Of the bosom of the
lake some half mile from shore, and in
shape an irregular cone. Hereis poin-
ted out far away in the lake the place
where the old emigrant road of 1850
used to be; the lake has bce1 stea div
rising of late years, and has gained
some 9 feet in highth since 1860. AS
the lands about its margin are very
low, a rise of foot or two often invol-
yes the submersion of considerable
tracts, and there are several Mormon
farms near Spring Bay, whose dimen-
sions have already become seriously
contracted, and which are threatened
with certain destruction # the lake
continues to rise. Many theories have
been put forth to account for this, and
the most natural explanation l hav C
heard is that the fall of rain and snow
has been very much in excess of the
evaporation of late years. A few mild
winters and hot summers would soon
reduce the lake to its old proportions,
! understand the water of the lake is
gradually altering its composition and
becoming less dense by reason of the
great volume of fresh water being con-
stantly poured into it by the mountain
streams We passed Promontory Nonu-
tain at 5 p. m. The summit of this
mountain is the place which was des-
ignated by Congress as the meeting of
the Union and Central Roads. Hun
dreds of laborers we're at wor on its
sides and summit, blasting, rock cut
ting, and grading, and the grim old
mountain looking down as if in con-
tempt, at the puny creatures at work
on its sides, and as if 70 say go on with
your incessant labor night and day.
blast me, cut me, thrust your picks in
to my sides, work, dig, delve as you
will, you puny little things, you will
have to die, sooner or later. 1 shall
live on and on after you and your en-
ployees are dead and buried. One
mile beyond Promontory Mountain,
aud directly north of and opposite
Monument Point We came to the east
ern end of the Central Pacific. AS the
track had only been brought up to
that point, a few hours before there
were no buildings of any kind except
the boarding ears for the laborers and
these had been attached to construc.
ton train which had gone back west
some fifty miles to Desert Point for
ties and they were not expected back
before s p. Iii. Therefore we were
| iepos tied together with all our travel
ing effects under pine tree at the
western base at Promontory Mountain,
and near the eastern edge of the Great
American Desert that stretches in one
vast waste from here to the eastern
base of the Hum boldt mountains and
near Elko, 200 miles west Upon ar.
irving here we found that the Other
stages had preceded US, and that al
the passengers had arrived Here a
the end of the track was sight not of
ten seen, and never to be forgotten
The white tents of the Chinese ia
borers dotting and nearly covering tn,
western slope of the mountains hun
dreds Of workmen Of all nations anC
tongues; grading, digging, depositin;
ties" and laying iron. In laying tn
track a large hand-car is used, abou
Is feet long, and with 6 wheels; OIL
each side of this, and on each end ar
two loops made of chains, dozen rail
on each side are slipped into thes
loops, crank is turned, this throw
the loops forward, and slides out tw
rails, one on each side. These are ia
ken and spiked to the ties by anothe
gang of men, the car is then shove,
on to the next length, and the Sam