New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-06-14
TO THE PACIFIC.
NOTES FROM OUR NEW FIELD OF TRAVEL
NO. III.
SALT LAKE VALLEY.


at the corners the north side and as the bed i'S
these masses of rock become higher and boder until
they series Of the grandest paapets ana towers
There is usually open prospect car attached 10 the
train at Wasatch in order that travellers may have an
unimpeded view OF the scenery; but, as the CLOUDS
threatened rain did not have this advantage re
manned the platform, however, and saw as muoh aS
possible
Al Castle Rock which is great, pnnaced mass some
800 feet in hight the most lofty and picturesque lor'
tons commence The northern side of the canon Is con,
tnuay cut by lateral ravnes, which split the rocky Wa
into a thousand shapes-pyramids spires arches ana
sheer forelands which sometimes hang thousand 1et
over the track II is succession of surprises Inc spocA
tor too near and passes too rapidly TO fuy ieei ne
magnitude and variety Of the FORMS hence IL dhcut
"a make comparison between this and other celebrated
passes II is not as awful and threatening either the
Via Mala or she gorge Of Condo among the Alps, ana
The impedments which the railroad has overcome are
nowhere serious Its great charm is that OF constant ana
astonishing change
After l6 miles OF this inspiring scenery we reach
Echo City, at the junction of the canon with Weber
Valley have descended to an elevation OF $3.50
feet The valley mile or two broad extends to the
sOuthward between parallel sandy ranges OF the
Wasatch and pile of ofer snow, far away, fills up the
vista II is like a vale Of Switzerland, and the scattered
houses and green fields Of the Mormons, which are first
seen at this point complete the resemblance 1t is
great delight the eye to see once more the VIVID
emerald of wheat the light green Of cottonwood groves
white blossoms OF DOAtlucI, anu tuc gay VI
upins wild sunfowers and larkspurs on all sides Echo
CITY is a lively place OF 1000 inhabitants. Looking up
the valley other villages in the distance and are
told that the Mormon settlements extend 80 miles further
e. the southwark.
The road now enters Weber Canon which follows for
80 miles, descending about lOO feet in that distance 1t
is only enough at two three points to be called
"caon" for the greater part Of the way 1t is rather
an open valley already made human and cheerful by
farming. The little adobe houses Of the Mormons with
their young orchards their patches of irrigated wheat
and barley and their herds cropping the luxursnt wild
grass begin to give life to the rugged scenery The track
through this gorge required considerable labor and
pense but presents great engineering difficulties The
first object OF special interest after leaving Echo CITY, Is
the Thousand Mile Tree" tall solitary pine, standing
beside road; it just 1000 miles from Omaha, and
from San Francisco. little further, on the opposite
side of the pass is the Devils Sidetwo parallel walls
OF vertical rock only few feet in thickness and nearly
in hight which up the slope of the mountain from
base to summit.
laundering along over bridges through deep cuts and
under the great perpendicular cliffs at last reach the
Devils Gate where the of the mountains nterlock
and the old sageroad cut in the face of dangerous
prccipices above the roaring waters. The railroad
makes straight cut through rocky cape, and suddenly
emerges into the Valley of Salt Lake The Wasatch
Mountains fall back either hand and form snow
capped emccle behind us; other ranges, beyond the
lake (which is still nvisble) appear in 'front.' seventy to
hundred miles dstant and we presently find ourselves
upon broad verdnt plain with the houses and gardens
of Ogden before
to only ZOO feet above the sealevel is into
fun Summer All the trees are covered with foliage,
and potatoes out of the ground, roses are bios
somng and strawberries ripe. Ogden is the present
junction Of the Union and Central Pacific Roads, and the
passenger-except those in the hotel trans-change
cars Thus far the Atlantic interests have been pre-
dominant, in newspapers, money and manners but now
there Ia mixture OF the Pacific element. You hear the
occasional jingle of silver find the Sacramento and San
Francisco papers, enjoy fresh California sa"nn eS
hear people talking OF wnre rIne, Idaho, Washoe and
San Diego.
The westward bound travellers rush to good
berths in the yellow Central then having an hour
or spare they take supper in the eating house at
tached 10 the station AT the offices Of the two roads,
all is hustle and confusion; baggage and mails trans
ferred crowd Of bewldercd individuals set in the
right path, and finally the new train moves away for the
Humboldt River and the Sierra Nevada. A dozen or
more, OF whom one take tickets for salt Lake City,
aud get into new, neat car labeled Utah Central
r." We first back up to the town Of Ogden, which is
about half mile of, lying the base Of magnh-
cent sweep OF mountains. The place was founded
twenty years by the MOrmOns and has, even now,
but small Gentle population. II has hotel and news
paper and is beginning thrive the overland travel
There is TO be railroad station, understand,
few miles TO the westward One both the companies
Intend erecting grand hotel with gardens, stables,
boats Salt Lake. and all other Injuries which Summer
idlers demand This is certainly the finest location on
the whole route for such purpose.
As we moved southwark from ogden, heading for Salt
Lake City sc miles distant threw open the window and
watched the features of the wonderful valley The
scenery entirely changed since leaving Weber Canon
could nothing the interior Of Asia Minor,
Of those great tabeands Of Cappadocia where there
salt akes alkaline incrusatiOns detached snowy ranges
and irrigated haryests, here Westward, the lake
shOne the light Of the evening sum- Fremont and Ante
lope Islands, with their mountanpeaks broke the CLASSY
cxpanse the distance filed with snowy peaks. and
all the "ast landscape seemed lonely and hfeless in its
grandeur
On the the other SIDE however there unbroken
belt OF settlement. The sides Of the Wasach Mountains
barren, but their bases clothed with fields,
and every that issued from the clOven ravines
was wealth to broad stretch of soil There
several villages spread out by the circumstance
that each house has its little garden and orchard,
that they seemed amazingly large. The adobe dwellings
with their gray color looked neat and pleasant and
the agriculture the most thorough and careful had
since crossing the Aneghanies.
The plague Of grasshOppers however is now upon the
land The railroad tracks, the platforms and buildings
ogden covered with myriads Of these insects and
many the wheat fields already bare if moth
ing had been For years the MormOns have
fought this enemy but ii seems almost impossible 70 de-
wise an eectua remedy. The suggestion drive
dense flock Of sheep the ground, and trampe the
swarms the earth The harvests this year viii be
nearly total failure in many parts of Utah. 1t is
mournfu t. how the industry and patience and
thrift Of the people turned TO nOught by this
At pass the southeastern OF Salt Lake
the railroad track running for short distance beside the
water The light evening breeze makes ripple on the
heavy fluid which stretches far away, with a clear
metallic The lake is constantly increasing in size
having risen fourteen feet during the last nine
Whether this is due to the greater rainfall accompanying
the cultivation Of the EARTH or is periodic occurrence
nff no saw