Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1870-06-03
DOttings by the Way.
Correspondence Of tic Kco'sec Com7er.
VIRGINIA. City, MONTANA TER, }
Nav 5th. 1870

May 5th, 1870.
DEAR COURIER: We arrived at this place,
IL o'clock, a. m, this morning Left Co.
rinne, Utah Territory, at o'clock, a. n,., on
=! instant-distancc, $50 miles. Paid stage
fare, SG0, aud for each meal, after the first
station on the road, paid $l.50, and for the
ilrst and best, at Bear River Bridge, paid 81.
Jhis station is twenty miles from Corinno.-
From this place TO Mulad, the capital of Onr.
da County, Idaho distant about fifty miles
from Corinnc--tho Mormon settlements are
very numerous, along tho Bear River valley
and several canyon valleys we pass The
town has about 600 Inhabitants, most of them
OF the "Joscphitc' persuasion, and their be-.
lief is in all the Mormon doctrines, except
polygamy-prctty good saints, then, for our
atmosphere, eh The lands we don't call
good, by any means, and the evidences of
thrift, pleasure and happiness don't strike us
very powerfully. Their lands have to be ir-
rlgatcd to raise even their most important crop,
which is the carrot; their wood is obtained
from the snow capped mountains surrounding
them, being chiefly the dwarf cedar; their
houses, if that can be called their name, arc
either made from these cedars or stone, or
dug in the ground They present the appear.
ancc OF dirt cabins, are all daubcd, and cov-
cred with stone and clay-polcs being first
laid ovor to support the covering, and, gene.
rally, don't leak till after the rain ceases, or
the snow begins to melt, matter of no in.
convenience to the inhabitants, it seems, as
they then can find it pleasant outside.
We are now Ill tho Basin of tho Rocky
Mountains and Salt Lake. The waters from
this region and to the Summit, o few miles
beyond Nlalad, run into Salt Lake. After
crossing the Summit, we enter tho valley Of
the Shoshone or Snake River We find no
farms now. Whe mountains near us, all along
the route, arc covered with snow from one
to three feet deep; but, in the valley, ycgcta.
tion is springing up. We crossed tic Ruddv
and Portneuss Greeks, stopping at stage sta.
tions, Root Hog Camp and kobber's Roost-
the namo of the latter is taken from the many
robberies committed near by this secluded
spot, by tho "Road Agents." and then secret.
ing themselves in the mountains along the
Portnouss We GROSS Ross Fork and Snake
River, and just here, is tho "snaLo and Ban
mock Indian Reservation" and said to bc tho
best part of Idaho We see many of the
"noble red men, around they are, and al
ways have been, the friend of the whites, and
arc farming little and hunting "much."-
SEQ the elk, moose, white and black tailed
deer, antelope, wolves, wolverines, bear, and
any other kind of skin or pcltry you want
to amongst them. Just before we passed
along the Swectwater country, in Wyoming
Territory, some Of these Indiaus, in conjunc-
ton with the whites, killed seven of the Ar
rapahoc tribe, amongst them chief of said
tribe, called "Back Bear" The Arrapahoo
tribc are trcacherous, and had killed some
miners near Sweetwatcr valley Tho Snakes
and Arrapahoes arc encmcs-the latter OBJ
ject to tho former hunting in their country
and killing their "cows," as they call the
Buffalo.
We crossed the Snake River at Taylor's
at Eagle Rock Station. Travelling up SAID
river about twelve miles, we ascend tho
Range of Mountains, and travel, for twenty
miles, to Sand Hole Station. The country
very rocky, and tho mountains we find moi
n,snamed. Some dwarf timber along, ant
the sage brush here tho largest we have seer
eight or ten feet high. Had supper o.
this place the landlord informed us that h,
hauled most Of his wood twenty miles. N,
farms along here--not vcstigc Of vegotasio,
NOT garden or patch not ssnce in al
this region, except few poles asoNnd th.
eorrals or cattle lots. Leaving ,hks ssayion
We soon enter Pleasana Valley, NeiAx DOM,