Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-06-28
feet high. The view from it is sub.

City, . brisk town, the second in
Importance in Wyoming Territory.
The territorial penitentiary has
been located at this point and $40
900 appropriated for work on it the
present season. Laramie City has
q daily newspaper, tho Sentiael, one
Of the proprietors of which, J. E.
Gates, was formerly connected with
the press Of Northern Iowa, at
Usage. 1t gave us much pleasure
to renew our acquaintance with him.
West Of the town lie the Laramie
Plains, another noted grazing Sec
ton.
The second night of the trip
shuts down upon the party in this
vicinity, and Sunday morning broke
upon the sleepcrs in the comfortable
palace cars, near Bitter Greek sta
ton.
Down Bitter Greek Valley to Green
river, 60 miles, is an alkali desert,
and the most God-forsaken region
on the continent. A narrow, flat
valley, entirely destitute Of vegeta-
ton except scattered clumps of sage
brush and grease wood, a small
stream, black with the alkaline dis
citations of the soil, and a horizon
bounded by low parapet of bare,
yellow rock is the outlines of a pic
ture which has in it all the minor
details Of barrcnness and desola-
ton. But here are Indications OF
oil, and coal veins already opened
and capable of immense production.
We breakfast at Green River, one
of the places which enjoyed mush-
room growth during the building OF
the railroad, but have wilted like
Jonah's gourd. The runs Of the
old adobe buildings tell the tale of
its prosperity and decay. On a
bluff overlooking the station, stands
against the sky rock bearing a
striking resemblance to baronial
castle Of the feudal age, with its
buttresses and parapets and loop
holes apparently carved out Of the
eternal stone. A flagstaff, planted
upon its summit by some adventu-
rous party, heightened, the illu-
sion. Further on, at Church Buttes,
the same chiseling of the elements
appears in the form of the domes
and pinnacles and turrets of an i'm
mcnse cathedral.
CHINESE CHEAP LABOR.
Passing on through region full
ofinterest by reason of the freaks
of NATURES handi work on every
side, we come at last, at the dinner
hour, to Evanston, just halfway
from Omaha to San Francisco; 957
miles from each. 1t is chiefly re-
markable, however, in the estima-
ton Of the editorial party, for pos.
sessing the best railway eating
house between the oceans. Its cook
would grace the kitchen of an En-
peror, or better, President, and
the waitcrs-all Chinamen-are
the very embodiments Of alacrity,
attention and neatness. Mountain
trout are served every day for din
ner and its cuisine abounds with all
the delicacics of the season, served
in the most appetizing style. We
don't know the proprietor, even by
name, bat rs the manager Of the
model hostelry, he deserves to be
immortalized by tho quill point of
every editor Of the party. Passing
ON we soon reach Wahsatch, and
beyond, the head Of Echo Canyon,
and the longest tunnel on the road
ITO feet. Now we decended a steep
grade, with steam shut of,
and all breaks bearing. With q
shrek and q roar the train plunges
down the canyon, which soon mar
rows to q gorge; on the right side a
sheer wall of rock, 500 to 1000 feet
high, and on the left grassy slope
towering toward the clouds. The
spectacle, from the Conservation
car" is awfully sublime and ave-
inspiring. Rushing along we pass
Hanging Rock, the Witches Cave,
the place where the Mormons torti-
fed against Johnson's troops in 1857,
Pulpit Rock, and other places of in
tcrest, and dash out of the canyon
at Echo City. Six miles beyond we
enter the narrows of Weber Canyon
and soon pass a lone pine tree by
the side of the track bearing
board with the inscription, $1,000
mile tree" it being just that dis
lance from Omaha. Four miles be-
yond we come to the Devils Slide,
two parallel strata of rock project
cd vertically out of the side Of the
mountain from so TO 100 feet high,
and forming a passage which is
very we'll described by the above
designation. Dashing down the
canyon with the noisy Weber river
at our side, we encounter the inter-
lacing spurs of the mountain on
either hand. Two of these COM
pletcly barred the passage and are
tunneled. Three miles from tho
mouth Of the canyon we pass in
sight of Devils Gate. n wild and