White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1870-07-21
Correspondence.
(For the Ohief.)

(For the OhieE)
TRrcsrr MfADows. NsvApA. jane q. 1870.
FnssD SoL.:-Sinee ny last. ny time has
been mostly spent in this Valley and the sur.
country. Perhaps kind Of rambling
sketch Of matters and things ont this say may
not be entirely without interest % yoo-
This is one Of the msuy valleys lying TO the
east and near the foothills Of the Sierra Neva-
das. The general features Of most Of them
are so nearly alike, that description Of Que
would do very we'll for all, in most particulars.
They vary somewhat in size. being from one
to eight miles in width. and from five I" forty
miles in length. In some of them, fair crops
Of small grain and potatoes can be raised,
where the.s is plenty Of water for irrigation;
but in general, they are better adapted 70
gars., stock raining. and dsirying. Their gen,
'eral appearance is no. very progressing to
one Who has lived Iong on the prslsies Of Kan-'
sas. The unculiivated portions look too de1
ertike-irocky. sandy, alkaliy, dusty. and
spotted ~i,h Wild cage and other brush.
The mountains on the east are, as . Sule,
barren and rocky-treeless and almost shrub
less-watcr 8 carce- and poor; while those on
the opposite side preseat more cheerful as
pect-are higher, cotered with forests Of pine
AMI other evergsees.. and abound in springs of
pure, cold water. Snother ITO mel fascinating
feature about these mountains. Is ihe.crsuse
that are faund we'll up tSkard the top. They
make splendid shooting. and are next to the
quail or pheasant to eat. know. this from
actual experience. h,ving camped among
the pines" few nights since, and both shot
and ate grouse.
Bet will drop that Subject. for fear of be.
coming eloquent, or poetical, or something Of
that sort. in my prosy letter, and will alight
about two miles lower down, at Reno. a thriv-
ing two, yearold town Of about l 900 inhabit-
ants, situated on the Central Pacific Railroad
and right On th. banks Of TruckA River. liz
the north end of this valley. 1t is compactly
but cheapIy built Of pine, boarded cup and
down." Start little fire in it, and there
would be room. in about fifteen minutes. to
build another town on the same ground Goods
for the various mining towns in the vicinity
are received here. and freighted in wagons to
their destination. AM that form very large
item of the business Of the place.
II you want to see perfection in the way of
q mountain stream. clear, cold. rapid, strong,
reckless, dashins. splashing. having its own
way, and full Of the best Of trout. you can find
it in the Truckee. Two years ago. eleven
men were dros ned in it, trying to float saw
logs down it. That proves part of what have
said about il. Now abont the trout: Yes, I've
eaten them often. Did ever catch any trout
A disciple of Izak's might consider that a
leading question, but can say this much: I
took my gun, one afternoon. and walked along
the banks Of little shallow creek that emp
ties into the Truckee,. and that night had
trout for supper. Some people shoot at them
considerably around here, and the young man
I'm stopping with spears some fine ones occa-
sionally.
l am stopping two miles from the celebrated
Steamboat Springs, at the head Of the valley.
and can see the steam from here plainly.
They consist of huge under ground kettle Of
boiling water. about half mile long. throwing
out steam and hot Aater in about q thousand
places. In walking over the ground, (which
in some places is no ground at all, but rock }
very hollow sound is emitted, suggesting the
idea that there is only thin crust between
you and the Lord only knows how much hot
water. don't pretend to be judge of sweet
smells. but the odor arising from these springs
seems to me exactly like that observed in
washing dirty shotgun
Mining is the business Of this country. and
would not advise any Of my friends to emf
crate to any part Of Nevada have seen, un-
less they want to try their luck in digging for
the precious metals; aAd a. mining is now
carried on here. if they have money enough to
commence with, they have enough to let it
alone.
A visit among the quartz mills is interest
ing, but the noise Of thirty or forty stamps all
humping away together is almost enough to
deafen one not accustomed to il. Ihave look
ed through some Of them. among others. the
English Mill" near Reno, said to work the
difficult ores more successfully than any other
mill in this country. vas shown all the va
rious operations of getting silver out of a
stone, and lastly, about . busheI of silver in
chest, % it came from the strainer-pure with
the exception Of little quicksilver adhering,
which is quickly disposed Of by retoriing. The
Gould l. Curry Mill. at Virginia City, said to
have cost million and half. was not in op-
Grafton when was there.
While in Virginia. met an old friend, VIM.
Bird, (colored haIf,) whom knew in MsssiI-
Ion, Ohio, twenty Eve years ago. and again in
California. eighteen years ago. He was an
independent candidate for Mayor of Virginia
City, at their last election, and received about
800 votes out Of about 900 votes cast.
have known less intelligent men elected to
higher Offices.
expect to 60 to California soon, and stay
ill grape time. at any ate. when you may
hear from me again. H. F. n.
VERY ArrRAcrIvE-There is certsioly
something very attractive in the ladies Of
Germantown--sspeci.lly TO editors.
Louis Dill. the Oldest typo in this region.
informs us that oot Of the pine single men
that have published papsrs in this plscs.