The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-08-03
A Trip to the Pacific.
correspondence OF the Journal.
SAN FRANCISCO, July 10, 1S7

sccnd the western slope. Away to the
south is Pixies Peak, q distance of 1G5
miles; Is miles to the southeast is Longs
Peak both plainly to be seen from the
point. 70 the northeast. 100 miles dis
tant, is Elk Mountain. These are all old
landmarks. From Sherman to Laramie
no steam Is needed as the down grade
| averages about As feet to the mile
Along this point Of the road stone walls
| and snow fences are seen at a short dis
lance from the road, to prevent the snow
from drifting into the deep cuts The
road runs in many places near the Ola
emigrant trail. Laramie plains 4 section
Of country 20 miles wide and 60 miles
long, is = tine grazing country, though
| at an elevation of about 1000 feet II is
| said that cattle fatten faster here, than in
to Utah, through the whole range of the
| Rocky Mountains, there is little to he seen
| but bare mountains and level plains, eX-
| cept the everlasting sage-brush. 1t is
said there are many good grazing valleys
among The mountains, but there are few
! on the line Of the road Coal ahounds
| throughout the greater part of the whole
range of the Rocky Mountains, and can
| be laid down in Omaha cheaper than from
Pennsylvania.
| After entering Utah we came tn high
rocky bluffs. Here an observation chr
was attached to the train, and some go
| persons were seated, while Joe Young
| and some of the ladies took seats upon
the COW catcher Then, on down grade
| through Weber's and Echo Canyons, we
turned and wound our way at the fearful
| speed Of 60 miles an hour, creating such
| a gale of wind that hats and bOnnets Be
came u perfect nuisance. We soon came
to Ogden, where our Salt Lake party left
us. Here the elevation is so much lessen
| ed that the temperature had very much
changed, and all kinds Of grain corn &C.,
seemed to flourish we'll. There are 10
| stations in Utah, some of importance
| about Salt Lake, near which we passed,
| the northern part of the lake being within
sight OF the road. Through the remain
| der Of Utah, and for great distance into
| Nevada, we pass over the great American
| desert, for the most part very level. Soon
| we come to the Humboldt river, in the
| valley of which, for nearly the whole
| len@th of the territory, it runs. This is
| what is called the Alkali region. Most OF
our lips became sore from the effects oi
| the dust which rises from the road. We
| pass As stations in Nevada, some OF which
| are OF more Importance as we approach
| the California line. We cross the Hum
boldt, which is in many places a rapid
stream, many times before it emptics into
what is called ''thc sink" and is lost
Many opinions are given rs to what be-
| comes of the waters OF this river, and the
! most reasonable theory, | think is, that it
| is lost, or taken up by evaporation, rs it
| often oyrrtlows a large territory and again
subsidies. There is very little timber TO
| be seen through all the Humboldt valley.
| We here often see at the different stations,
n few of the Shoshone tribe of Indians
| The males paint their faces put feathers
| in their hats, and in other ways try to
look gay, or | should call it, hideous.
The females are a miserable looking sgt
nj beings, ana como Z" or"ry train +" log
whatever they can get from the passen-
| gers There is no danger, in my opinion,
| to be apprehended from Indians, Us they
tand very much in fear of the fifteen
shooter rifles, with which every train il
| armed, and the baggage masters are sure
| to take great pains to let them know what
| execution can be done with those rifles.
We now come to the Sierra Nevada
Mountains. Here the rocks, trees, &C..
are very different from those OF the Rocky
Mountains. 1t looks az though at some
remote period, there had been a great
| upheaval Of all this part of the country
| kinds of rock and earth. Mines of differ
| ont kinds of one are found through all
this locality. The layers of earth and
stone, which We're evidently formed hori-
zontally in the bed of an ocean are now
| many of them in 4 vertical position-otl
| ers at different angles, lust as they would
| naturally fall after the great uphcay1l.
| We soon come TO the state Of California
! ana pass r2l stations before reaching Slc-
| ramento most Of them important places,
| from the tact that here is the old mining
| district.
| The first place Of note after entering
this state is Truckee, with 2OO0 inhabitants
| We soon reach the summit OF the Sierra
| Nevada Mountains, At an elevation Of
| 10iS feet. Here snow sheds are built for
more than forty miles which almost Who'll
| ly obstruct Il view Of the country.
| | am told that snow never falls more
| than from three to four inches at time
| here, and that these sheds would not De
| needed were it not for the ayalauchc9 Of
snow that come down from the mountains,
and the violent winds that pass over these
mountains and drive all the snow that
| falls into The lowest places. We now do
sccnd at a very rapid rate, and soon come
to section OF very heavy timber, the
trees larger than any | have ever seen.
| We now pass many very important sta
! tons, having been built up by the mining
interests, such places as Dutch Flat with
| 2OOO inhabitants, ColtaX with 500, and
many others which show the lahors of the
| miners in times past, almost the whole
| country having been dug OVER for gold
| Here are the remains OF fumes, bitches,
| dams and all kind Of contrivances to get
| water 10 wash and separate the gold from
the earth or dirt The soil here is of 4
reddish yellow color. and am told there
is very little where gold is not to be found
| to some extent.
We soon pass through portion OF