The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-08-09
COREINNE, Aug. z, I0OJ'

View OF salt Lake, DC.
CoREINNE, Aug. 2, 1869.
Since our last, written from Omaha,
we have seen the Far West; have
travelled over the line Of the greatest
railroad ever constructed, and have
lived one month in the most flourish
ing town on its line.
at precisely $40 A. NJ, July 7th,
we left the ambitious little town OF
Omaha. During the first hours OF
travel nothing Of startling interest
transpired, though there was much to
attract and interest a questioning
mind. Frontierism filed up the view
from every point of the compass; the
towns we're few and far between, and
where they did occur were of the
most fimsy character imaginable.
After the first hundred miles
travel, but few frame buildings
greeted our view, the towns being
made up principally of canvass, the
Sibly tent prevailing. In many places
where the hills offered protection we
would discover little dug OUTS,
with curtains for doors, and In each
one of them would live ten or a dozen
men.
Fremont, forty-six miles from Oma
ha. is the first town Of any size at
which we stopped. 1t is the junction
Of the Sioux City branch of the
Union Pacific Railroad, and IS, by
rail. forty miles nearer to Chicago
than Omaha is. At first view this
seems a little strange, but a glance at
the geography of the country Will
reveal that it is true. The line from
here to a point on the Chicago and
Northwestern Railroad, known as the
Missouri Valley junction, runs nearly
straight east across the arms of q
large Y while Omaha is on the lowest
point of the same. The scenery here
Is striking. The broad and beautiful
Platte River sweeps lazily around to
the south In its course, while north
of the town a beautiful valley five
miles in extent, level and fertile in
the highest degree, is spread out like
a panorama before the travellers
view
AT Columbus, thirty miles from this
point, we found a h0urishlng settle
ment, supported by a fine farming
country, which is being rapidly set
tied, mostly by Europeans. Twenty
miles northwest of here is situated
the PaWnee Reservation. From Oma-
ha to this point, and even one hun.
bred miles further West, can be found
the choicest farming lands-equal to
the very best lands Ia Indiana. Tim
Der is scarce, but good spring and
running water in abundance. The
soil is deep black loan, aud very
productive. The climate is about the
same as in Indiana, having its sudden
changes, yet not unhealthy for all
that. Homesteads may be entered
at any time and the best farming lands
are lying idle, waiting for industrious
occupants. Fruit-growing is a sue
cess, and all that is now wanted Is the
immigration Of good farmers to make
Nebraska one among the best agrieul-
tural States in the West. Coal, lime
salt, and good building rock can be
found in abundance.
At Cheyenne, we found the S kele-
ton of what had once been a large
and fourishing town. The popula-
ton at present, by actual count, is
1865, fearful falling OF from thai
of half a year ago. The only trade
that the town seems to enjoy is with
Fort Russell and an occasional
outfit for SweetWater. This point is
$500 feet above the level of the sea,
The Pacific Road approaches the
town In an inclined plane, 500 miles
in length. The Rocky Mountains
are reached soon after leaving Chey-
enne, and their ascent is commenced
climbing rapidly, and soon entering
on Grand Pass through the Rocky
Mountains, 200 miles wide and SOC
miles long, having an average eleva-
ton of 1000 feet, almost totally destI-
tute of vegetable life, with good water
only at intervals of a hundred miles
or so, where the Laramie, Platte,
Green and Bear Rivers cross it, but
Astounding in good, combustible coal.
Here the scenery is grand. The
most novel and beautiful of all
as seen from the cars, is that of the
snow capped mountains first distinct
ly visible here. Longs Peak " is the
highest, being over IA 1000 feet above
the level of the sea. The mountain
appears to be about three miles dis
tant, but Is one hundred and fifty
miles by actual measurement.
The Black Hills present many at.
TRADITIONS to an admirer of the holder
grander beauties of nature, and pretty
nearly every visitor to these parts is
an anxious and excited seeker after
moss agates, a species of silicious
formation that has been wonderfully
and beautifully figured and flowers
through the united agencies of iron
solutions penetrating it, and then be-
coming exposed to the action of the
air, going through a sun and wind
drying process, after the wa
tiers aof some river-b bed OF
lake had eVaporated. Some of these
moss agates-are very tastefully inlaid
with exact limitations of vines, cedar
1rnlta, pine trees, hedges trains 81
- CARS stars, figures and almost every
imaginable drawing. The aeates
found along thaline Of the Union
Pacific Railroad are of four different
colors, partaking.of the names of tbe
pla&e8Where found, as follows. The
cheyenne Brown Agate, !" g GRANGE
Water Agate, nc Church Butte l5ie6t
Blue Agaeex and the "SWeetvateT
Agate, TIE two latter are the most
valuable. : The most extensive agate
beds are found in the vicinity Of
Church Buttes and Granger, distant
= shout $50 miles from Omaha. These
beds are about fifty yards wide and
nearly one1hundred yards long, bel ng
isolated from each other at distances
OF. from one to two miles.
- zaR4nie, 572 miles from Omaha, is
situated+on the Big Laramie River
and is the-base of supplies for The
division repair shops, and is of con.
siderable importance on account d