New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-13

singing far into the night. How quaint and strange
those evenings wetei without the train rushing
through the darknes the endless plains stretching
away under the stars, no sign OF human habitation
anywhere save at the infrequent stations. Within,
the long, elaborate saloon, sumptuous in the dim
light the swelling music the scent OF flowers, the
little group of friends. tIa e.. sl.ljgI5v5 L2 -
,s Uaus Bal s7s1o sCRNERY9m ,ZlJoL SO s5J-i Or
Idont think that very much Of the journey is in
terestng in the way of spectacle. When we speak
of scenTvn at the East we mean something pie
turesque or grand or beautiful YAnd the greater dis
tances along the Union Pacific Road are simply
novel, and along the Central simply big. From the
North Platte the prairie stretches away, north and
south, scorehed by the August heats, with no far
belts of timber as in Iowa. and white CLEAN OF
water There are dizzy bridges over rayines and
gulches where rivers Of melted snowrOardown with
out warning in the early Spring. But rayine and
gulch shriveed and burnt pits in these torrd
heats. One thinks pityingly of the diggers and
Jewelers. and track-layers who toiled along here
month after month, bringing their ties their nails,
their rails, their tools. almost their iron mine and
lumberforest with them. 1t is impossible TO under
stand how enormous atriumph over physical defeats
is this great Pacific Railroad till has gone
it from end 20 end To me- the scaling Of the mount
aims with all It's grading and blasting and tunnel
slow miserable toll that laid the rails along the hor
rible alkaline desert, its suns smiting it's winds
piercing its cruel dust sowing disease and death.
Three years ago, when we were out at
North Platte, and three miles of track day
were unrolEing themselves toward the West
rosy prophet said TO Mr. DuTant WHO'S the sonl this
undertaking, the material success of to-day is its
body, My dear SIR my dear Sir ut this rate we shall
circumscribe the world in year two. We shall
put grde Of iron and steam round about the earth in
forty days. But my Godp said the soberer builder
"al the way to California and only one rail at
timew have thought Of it SO often on the journey
And while one would stand unbOBneted before the
tremendous energy and purpose that inspired and
completed the venture confess profound respect
for the hard hands and bending backs that laid the
one rail at time. We owe Irishmen and Cinnamon
debt of liberation and patience. There are not in
America Yankee hands to do the work that Yankee
brains devise. What If we stop railing for awhile
at the condemned Irishman and consider whether,
since he was both inevitable and necessary, we have
made quite the wisest use OF him. ... ..,....
see quito plainly that shall never reach Chey-
enne retrospectyely. But our train did, and there
the two missing members of our family were TO join
us the Amiable Cynic and she whom, for her ten
derness and her unwOrldness and her sweet distress
over our small vices we surnamed the Mater Dolo-
rosa. "... - -.-
TERRIBLE DIsAPPOETMEET. ca.
We were rather proud to meet our friends thus
publicly, aside from the claims of natural affection.
For the Cynic Is known as the most elegant, and
well-dressed. and noticeable Of men. while Mrs.
Cynic is fair and fine as Madonna Now we, who had
been in the cars for two days and nights and had I'M
dergone many introductons in a somewhat battered
and WORKOUT state, felt that our hands would be
greatly strengthened by the addition of two per-
fecty -dressed. unimpeachable, distinguished-loOk
ing people. Great our disappointment there
fore to lind, in the crowd of hungry passengers,
miners, up-country people, gamblers and loafers, no
familiar face Turning into the breakfast room our
way was stopped by q misunderstanding crop
headed bandit in gray flannel shirt red tie rough
trousers aud top boots. With him was snn-bnrned
woman swathed in an enormous brown buster, and
crowned with toDping black hat which hid all her
features except pretty but literally blistered nose
We saw il all month in the Parks OF Colorado
had done It had cured her of asthma and him Of
dyspepsia, and brought them to this dreadful con-
dition Of health and horror. Tears came to our re-
lief aud then we introduced them to the Dons of high
degree whom we had met. ] do not think that be-
tween the Missouri and the Sacramento there is a
man Of less dignity than General or Governor. We
did MT meet one. Even the women are thus ennobed
Mrs. Senators. and Mrs. Governors and Mrs.
Generals are pentier than tho most prolific black
berries IL is almost as 6ne as peerage
From Cheyenne through Wyoming, and over the
Utah border You journey across hot plains, the ar
dry the sky shadowess and near the ground covered
with clumps of gray-green sage-bush, and rank,
succulent grass; by-and-by even the grass
giving place 10 great wastes of alkah, the
white dust sitting in through the double
windows, singing ones face and staining
ones hands. At Chicago we had tendery but firmly
hidden adieu TO our compilations, and foresWorn
walls. We looked calmly, therefore, on the ravages
Of the desert sand But it trying to find sickly
odor, as of crcosote pervading us, whenever we
washed hands or face and to discover that hands and
face grew grimy and in proportion to the fire.
ouency of ones additions Afterward we heard that
the women who are native on this coast md to the
manner born smear themselves with camphor ice on
the eve of Journey and abjure water to that
iourney's end. Then they emerge from their emol-
lent casing with skin of nfante softness. 1t sounds
horrible, but if one lived here--"Wo know whatwe
are saws sweet Ophelia, but we know not what We
may be-"
All through those weary miles one is charmed with
the wiud-blown mounds lying leagues away, per-
hans but seeming an arrows flight only. Onthe one
hand stretch long terraces smooth and regular as IL
the gardeners spade had squared them Orembank-
ments Of some unseen fortress fr0wn' nnlsned lor
cannon and impregnable TO attack. Or dlmpllng
hills whole hocks of them settle softly down. little
round baby like things those nearest yon' growing
older and larger, and soberer, az they receue-aS
tbose farthest oh gone out into life on their own
account. and while they had developed had found
q ON the whole serious sort of business They are
all hare of trees or verdure They are only sand.
Rut the skies and the winds have loved them 10
the pung of the gracious winds they have fallen
into attitudes Of uniuaginable loneliness 10 the
,,arm .kies thew look back with pinkpnrple bloom