The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1869-08-14
Correspondence.
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, !
July Goth, 1869. I

before leaving. After remain
ing a few days l was not SO IA
verably impressed with the ap-
pearance of the place as at first
sight, and as | cannot say any
thing very favorably of the
mushroom place and its cosmo-
politian population, of q more
cosmopolitan character, I shall
say nothing.
| left Omaha Saturday morn
ing and arrived at Sacramento,
Wednesday noon, a distance of
1776 miles. At Promontory
Point, 1884 miles from Omaha,
the Union Pacific road con-
meets with the Central Pacific
road of California, 800 miles
from Sacramento. This end
of the road was built by Chi
nese labor. For a distance of
500 miles, from Promontory to
the California line, we cross
what is called the Great Amer
lean Desert, situated in the
Territory of Utah, and the State
of Nevada. 1t is a dry barren
country, unfit for agricultural
or any other purposes. You
see along the route a few little
farms here and there. which
thrive by irrigation. There are,
of course, some fertile valleys
and green hills, and pure water
courses at the foot of the Sierra
Nevada, but these are only
GASES in the continuous Desert
which reaches for 500 miles
which reaches from the Black
Hills across Laramie Plains to
the Washatach Range to the
foot of the Rocky Mountains.
From Omaha to North Platte,
about 300 miles, you behold a
beautiful, picturesque and fer
tile plain, which extends % or
80 miles on either side, and is
splendid for grazing. Two
) hundred miles beyond, on the
eastern boundary of Wyoming
Territory, the streams are more
numerous, prairie ground high,
delightful scenery and cool,
. bracing climate. At Cheyenne,
, SIG miles from, Omaha, the as
cent of the Black Hills begin
the ascent is gradual, but rath-
er dificult-the summit is gain.
} ed at an elevation of 5000 feet
above the level ofthe sea. Al
Sherman, the summit, the de.
scent begins, winding its way
! through the mountain gorges
defending and ascending in 9
Zig-Zag manner, until the level
plain below, on a level with
: Salt Lake is reached, laden
: with lucious fruits and vegeta,
r bles of every kind, and ahoun.
. ding in pure running streams
and abundant fields of waving
, grain.
At Desert, stages connect
; for Salt Lake City, a distance
of25 miles. A few miles beyond
: we have a full view of the Lake
: in fact the train runs along tht
+ edge of it for several miles, anC
actually over a portion of it fol
20 or so yards. The train stop
: ping, we had a taste of the wa
; ter. 1t is very salty; the mud
black and sticky. | would have
sent you some pebbles from tht
shore but could find none OF
curious formation. l also look
ed in vain on the Summit of tn,
Black Hills for relics. I sen,
you a splinter cut from the las
. tie that was laid, May 10th, al
Promontory Point, connectin,
; the Union Pacific with the Cen
? trail Pacific misunderstanding
across the entire continent.
In my next | will endeavo
to give you an inkling of tn,
: beautiful scenery along th,
! route, the delightful views o
the distant snow-capped noun
tains had while thunderin:
through the deep, narrow val
, leys thousands of feet below.
;. Responsibility.