Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-11-11
NOTES ON CALIFORNIA.


THE RAILROAD RIDE WEST OF SALT LAkE-A
DESPERATE LoCALITY--THE slHRRA AND THE
CALIFORNIA yALLIEs.
SAN FRANCISCO, October 10th.
After forty-eight hours of absence, we returned
to Uintah, from our Salt Lake excursion, and
once more settled ourselves in the "paace cars
with feelings of satisfaction, like those of a re-
turn to home. Westward once morewe reached
Promontory by carly evening, ate our supper, re-
checked baggage, and looked around town.
Promontory is promising city. Perhaps its
most striking feature is supplied by the gamblers,
who ply their vocation In the centre of the main
street, and at night light up their tables, with
liberal illuminations These fellows, l am glad
to say, have the reputation of being lawlcss and
desperate characters, who, with their shoals of
confedcrates, threaten robbery and outrage to
any peaceable citizen who may happen to stroll
around in the unlrcquented localities of the city.
/ say this affords me some qualification, because
| have read about such people, often, and now,
after the danger was altogether over, and we had
taken our seats 10 the cars to resume our Journey
/ found had actually been in the company OF
the real, live, unadulterated gambler, blackleg
desperate, and outlaw; had witnessed his 'little
game !" had seen the deft manipulation of "three
card monte;" had seen the mauGuvres OF the
"stool pigeons to attract greenhorns-s surely he
must be fenrfully green who would bet his money
here-and had stood close by, while the gamblers
breathiugs were doubtless agitatlng small
arsenal of revolvers aud bowie knives In oil his
boots, pockets, and sleeves. Now this is an ex-
perlence; none of your mild sensations but the
real thing. 1t had only been a few days since the
law-abiding citizens of Promontory had attempt
ed to drive out the gang of rufliaps, as has been
done in most of the places along the erallroad, and
In the fight that ensued three were killed, and
several were severely wounded. But the gang
remains, and in the language of a near news
paper. the Elko Independent, ia remonstranc'
"a9anst the hgh-handed or the snsak-thie
"outrages of these vampires is proyocaton fol
'sthe bullet OF the desperate, the knife of tn
"assassin, or the torch of the incendiary."
What do you think of that Fancy the amiabl
md prudent President of the First Nationa
Bank, or the dlgniied chief of the c. r. l. Com
pany in such companionship as the aforesaid
Be prepared to congratulate us all on the courag
with which we strollcd, cool and unconcerned
around the jaws of such roaring lions. What
the man In the menagerie beside as?
But we could not always enjoy so exhilaratnl
an atmosphere as this of Promontory, and afte
an hours stay, We set out once more. Nigt
closed in, and the waters of the Bear river art
of Great Salt Lake could be just faintl
discerned. About midnight, we cross th
boundary line into Nevada, and lea'
Utah behind us. The next day Crhursday
was the least attractive and most trcson
of the trip. During nearly the whole .
il, we were crossing the alkali plains, the nortl
ern sections of the "Grcat American Desert.
This is frightful country.a desert indeed. Notl
ing lives here even the sage brush, whose vita
ity survives the repulse OF Nature, shrinl
into littleness and worlhlessness, which mul
surprise even ITSELF The alkai soil rises In Gu
dust, that sits through every joint of the car vii
dows and DOORS and is drawn at each breath inl
your nostrils and mouth. The sun shone warn
and We really felt uncomiorta6le for good po
ton of the afternoon, We did not suffer, sc
iously; 1t was simply bad enongh to give us Il
Justification for complaint. But II u was thu
to us, in October, In the comfortable new ca
which we occupied, how must II be In summe
and how was 1t TO the hardy adventurers VINO on
crossed these deserts in the stage coaches, or
worse etill-driving their ox-teams
We found supper at Humboldt and were walt
upon by Chinese ntteHdents, whose activity o.
readiness charmed most of their hungry CUES
Twenty five miles west of this point and not
10 the Southwark, the Humboldt river, who
valley we had now been following all day, fin
its 'Sink" In the absorbent plains, and dlsa
pears. The phenomenon of river whese f1t
proceeds for two hundred and fifty miles slnki
thus into the earth Is ono more of the cnrio
manifestations with which Nature delights to
tonish You. In this country.