The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-07-13
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
NO. z.
GREELEY. Colorado, June 18th.

prepared by the company TO snow the loca-
ton and quality of their lands, is divided
in sections as follows, from Omaha west
agricultural lands to Kearney 1870 miles,
where an elevation of 1000 feet is attained,
and the edge of the dry region is reached.
This dry region is famous for its nutritious
grasses, which as the elevation increases
improve in fattening qualities.
The climate is more and more given over
to drought till the Rocky Mountains are
entered. The second section is Cease
quently designated as "grazing kinds"
reaching to Laramie plains about fly miles
west of Cheyenne, and three huydred and
eighty from Kearney, where tie "agricul-
tural lands" terminate. At Laramie you
are fairly into the nountaias and the "coal
fields" and iron distrat commence
Cheyenne is elevated 600 feet above tide
level and here the spDwy range is in view.
The greater part ofshe route is what seems
to be a level praiie, so gradual and con-
slant is the risr toward the mountains
The railroad follows the Platte river and
is in the heart of a wide valley almost the
entire wa to Cheyenne, which as valley
howeve,would not be perceptible were it not
for a ange of low bluffs which resemble
perae roll on the prairie in the distance
| ri the elevation reaches 1000 feet above
he sea the country is watered with frequent
rains through the season, and hence it is
styled the agricultural district, tS.elding to
cultivation splendid crops Of corn, wheat,
oats, &c. In this region Of copious show
ers the prairie grass grows as high as a
horses back. AS the plains ascend the
grass grows shorter, dryer, and more nutri-
ticus, till the coal and mineral regions are
reached, 1000 to 5000 feet above tide,
where sage brush is the principal heritage.
AS the dry plains are penetrated the short
buffalo grass appears in tufts, mixed with
great variety of sweet herbs. The deep
green of the grass of the lower and moist
ure regions gradually gives place to pale
blush cast, and the prairie is clothed with
these grasses and herbs from three to ten
inches high, all having a dry tufted, stun
ted appearance, but yielding pastures far
superior to that on the lower plains where
the rank luxuriant growth is higher than
a mans head. The SHOWS and spring rains
start vegetation on the high prairies, afford
ing sufficient nourishment to the grass and
heritage to gain a few inches of growth
before the dry season comes on, which
ripens and cures the grass and herbs where
they stand, affording the most nutritious
pastures in the world. 1t is almost impos-
sible to obtain a proper idea Of this region
of country from written description, it is
so unlike anything that eastern eyes ever
behold. And Notwithstanding the short
growth of vegetation, this land is marvel
ously rich, and where it can he irrigated
produces the heaviest crops Of grain, grass,
vegetables and fruit. Hundreds of thou
sands of acres can never be irrigated and
will always remain the best pasture fields
on the continent.
With the dry region the little prairie
dogs and antelope begin to make their
appearance, and Is miles east of Cheyenne
the prairie is dotted with little mounds of
earth at the mouth of the prairie dog holes.
These dog colonies Or towns are constantly
met with, one colony frequently covering
hundreds of acres. These animals are of a
brownish, dirt color and about the size of
f,1,
their hind legs ON the banks Of their holes
to look at the strange object which breaks
the primitive solitude of their homes as the
train goes laundering and screaming past,
or scamper through the short grass to
reach their subterranean domicil, which
they share with small brown owl and
rattlesnake. Though small animal, they
make quite large hole, which spenetrates
about four feet below the surface, then rum
ming horizontally, the whole town is con-
nected by subterraneous streets or pas
sages.
There is nothing more celebrating than
flying over these high prairies. The air is
so sweet, so pure and full ofnew life, that
the spirit claps its hands and shouts for
very JOY. and fullness of health. A thunder
storm on these vast plains is something
grand and terrible-a " big thing" in the
storm line. Some that over took us while
them in the cars, continued for
several hours, and the lightning, the heavy
crashes of thunder, the black rolling clouds
and reverberations were all on grand and
sublime scale, while the rain came down in
torrents.
Ten miles east of Cheyenne the first snow
shed on the Union Pacific Railroad is en-
tered, dilapidated structure of timbers
framed together on the sides of the road,
strong roof, the whole COM
posing tunnel above ground about
quarter of a mile in length. These sheds
did not serve the purpose for which
they were designed, the fine dry snow sift-
ing through the crevices between the
boards, filled the track, blockading the
road effectually. The snow fences served
a much better purpose than the Sheds
The former are like an ordinary board
fence minus posts, and are placed along the
road parallel with the track where the
grading is below the surface. The fence
is placed thirty or forty yards from the
track, leaning toward it, with an elevation
of about fifty degrees. This fence OBJ
structing the wind forms an eddy, and the
snow, driven through between the boards
falls to the ground forming drift some
distance from the track. The SHOWS of
these high plains are fine and dry, and
pack together, becoming as hard and solid
almost as ice; altogether different from our
low land damp SHOWS. The engine with
snow pillow utterly fails to force the snow
from cut two or three feet deep but glides
over it like passing over smooth ice. Men
with shovels were found the only means of
the snow from the shallow cuts,
which would fill up again in few hours.
SO that repeated shovelings out created
banks on either side of the track as high
rs the tops of the cars, and this was the
which beset the trains on this
and the Den yer roads last winter for weeks.
At Cheyenne, left the L. P. r. r. and