Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-10-24
Utah Scenery.

A letter from Salt Lake City vividly
describes the wonders of Utah. The
writer says:
On Friday last we went into the
great Cottonwood canyon to fish for
trout; but the grand scenery there so
completely Overshadowed the trout
that we paid little attention to the
hook and line. The canyon opens
| into the Wahsatch range, twenty
miles south of Salt Lake City, though
it does not appear, in this clear air of
Utah, to be more than two miles dis
tant-indeed, not more than one. The
ascent into the canyon is precipitous,
and stream half as wide as your
Little river, and with twice as much
water, comes tumbling, roaring and
fOaming down among the rocks from
a small lake ten or twelve miles up in
the mountains. We rode out to the
canyon, and followed it up for six
miles. The gorge is narrow, in some
places hardly twenty feet in width.
On either side rise, almost perpendic-
ularly, the massive rocky walls of the
mountains.
The "Twin Sisters" two mountain
peaks covered with show, are 5000
feet above US. Six miles up this can
yen, we are at least 1900 feet above
Salt Lake City. The wind comes
down the crooked gorge freshly, but
where we stand, the thermometer
could not have varied much from 60
degrees, though the mountain tops
right over our heads are covered with
snow. There we built fire, and
Gen. White, of Missouri, late of the
United States army, whoaccompanied
us, very soon cooked, upon a fiat
stone, a dinner OF bacon and potatoes,
which was relished by our keen ape
tites. Cottonwood grows all along the
streams, and higher up, pines of con-
siderable size are cut. There are sew
eral saw mills near the lake. A rough
road has been built by private enter
prise, and though an empty wagon is
good load for four mules going up,
they come down readily enough with
load of lumber. A toll is gathered
from each wagon of 81 cents each way,
or three hits,p as they call it here
We noticed that in some places the
road had been torn up and recently re.
paired. We asked the mule drivers
how the road was damaged. By a
rain bust" said one. Do you mean a
sudden and severe storm? 'No, it
don't stOrm-the cloud Just busts."
o, said we, the rain bursts from
the clouds, and suddenly pours down
in torrents, flowing across the road,
tearing it up? at don't do no such
thing" said he. "But a cloud Just
settles on the Twin Sisters, then busts,
and the water all comes at once; it
don't rain, or pour, as you call it, but
1t all falls in heap, and last June it
came down and tore up this road in
fifteen minutes, so that it cost $1,000 to
mend it. All in a heap, understand
now, said we. " Yes, and when you
see it coming, you jest get out o. the
way" said he. Bowling, we informed
him that with profound respect for his
long experience and better Judgment,
and due Difference to his kind word Of
caution, we should certainly leave the
track of the " bust" at the earliest op-
poFtgpity, unless there should be some
of Gen. Whites bacon and potatoes
remaining upon the hot stone, in
which case we should stop to clear it
of, "bust or no bust.n
Leaning back upon his dusty cart
wheel, with one eyO closed, he seemed
to be a little puzzled, but finally said,
"Haint got flask of whisky in your
pocket, have you" No, sir! we re-
piled, never carry such thing, it is
so dangerous. cit never hurt me-"
said he; what makes it dangerous?"
The nitro-glycerine, sir-the nitro
glyeerine of which that delightful bev-
erage is mainly composed in these
latter days; it eats holes in the coat
ing of your stomach and through the
coat on your back, and then blows
you out! "Never did nothing o. that
kind to me-" said he; 81 aint afraid
let's try herw We really regretted
that we did not have small jug of the
stuff along, for it was evident that
about half pint would have "teched
the spotn in the bosom Of that hardy
muleteer. When he is ''sealed" it
viii be to keg of old rye, large
enough 10 last him through the 'spir-
it" world. 1t took US ten hours to
visit the canyon and return.