Worcester daily spy., 1872-06-15

chase it, thus far. Planting forest treesEo
boring artesian wells may meet the want. |
so, here are millions of acres that win riYa
Illinois and Wisconsin in their annual produc
! tions. Long-headed men have full faith that tha
time is not far distant. Experiments on a small
scale show that these alkali plains-known OIL
the earlier biographies as the "Great America,
desert'-have future farms and gardens il
them, if there is sufficient moisture to dissoly
the alkali, sprout the seeds and nourish tn,
roots. At present they are as useless as an asl
heap for agriculture. Cattle and sheep grazing
is the emily employment which pays certain and
handsome profits. The Kansas Pacific railway
and other parties in Kansas are trying the ex-
pertinent of planting forest trees with some in
dications of final success. The ingenuity and
progress of the nineteenth century will not stop
until they conquer nature in this barren waste
dotting it with towns and cities and spreading
over this immense area Towering gardens and
profitable farms If Yankees can coin fortunes
out of New England granite and ice, they surely
will from these sterile plains.
The first bold and striking scenery is that OF
the palisades in the Wasatch range of noun
tains, beyond the Rocky range. The road winds
between almost continuous rows of nearly per-
pendicular bluffs on both sides, rising to a thou
sand feet in height in many places. 1t is a nat
ural cut or pass through the mountains similar
TO those farther west, near Ogden, called
echo" and "Weber" canyons. The road
through each is nearly straight, curved, appa-
rently, expressly for this transcontinenta rail
way. Through the palisades and canyons in
pleasant weather there are always some pasSen-
gers glad to take a front seat on the cowcatcher
to obtain the best views of the charming scene
ry Among them on this trip was Worcester
gentleman, engaged in trade not far from the
ground floor of the Spy office. For about fifty
miles he boWled along on the cow-fender as
smoothly as a marble, and came off with a
countenance glowing with enjoyment at the
novel transportation. In five days and nights
OF continuous journeying we are on the sum-
mits of the Sierras, amid snow sheds and snow
banks, and the tall and stately redwoOds and
pines of the mountains.
Though Just coming, the day previous, from
the sunny valleys where fruit trees were in full
bloom, yet here the winters snow lay piled in
layers and drifts from two to forty feet deep At
Truckee, which was reached in early morning,
the frost was white on the depot platform, and
the ground stiffened with cold A few miles
farther and breakfast is ready on the very tip
top of the peaks, at Il station properly named
the Summit" Close by the dining hall is a
snow bank thirty feet high; but on our
well laden table are strawberries, cherries,
and new potatoes from the valley of the Sacra-
mento, which we shall be in before noOn-in
three hours rail ride down the western slopes
of the Serras. Marvellous change! Passen-
gers stare and comment with wonder and de-
light, and begin to realize the romantic fctons
of the Arabian nights and Adaddn's lamp.
Having experienced it once before, we
enjoyed hugely the enjoyment of the
others who were on their pioneer trip
to the strange and peculiar shore-the
land of contrasts and establishments. We can.
not describe, only indicate the sights and expe-
rences. No pen or pencil can illustrate them.
Only the eyesI andthe senses can understand.
This wild and weird passage, in an elegant pal
ace car, amid CLASSY lakes, embOsomed between
towering peaks; tumbing, foaming torrents and
cascades; trees that dwarf to pigmieS the tall
pines of Maine; SUBMITS beside which Mount
Washington is but a hillOck; along the very
edge of precipices, whose feet are down in the
distant wales three thousand feet away; foli-
age that bewitches by its novelty and strange
beauty, perennial in its freshness, whether
among the ice of the mountains or the verdure
nf thp a SLV IN hot ~
eye sees farther than the strongest telescope can
discern in an eastern atmosphere; these and
others combine to render this rail journey worth
crossing oceans and continents to experience.
For over two hundred miles-as far as from
Boston to Albany-the views are such as | have
intimated The world cannot furnish a parallel.
If Europe had it there would be no limit to its
praises. And yer, we 20 to Switzerland for
scenery. Nonsense! visit the Sierras, and see
what Europe has not Three early Calilornians
prospected this railroad and built it, Hopkins of
Massachusetts, Huntington of Connecticut, and
Stanford of New York. The most difficult por
ton was the passage of "Cape Horn" where
no course is passable except around the summit
| of a cloud-piercing peak that juts boldly out
! into the canyon. The track is built along its
very rim, making an elbow curve. AT this
point the train is stopped, and passengers alght
| to obtain view. The sight dazzles and stag
| gers as they gaze into the abyss below. Some
toss heavy stones down the side to see if they can
hear them strike. But no sound comes to tell
where they fell, or whether they struck at ALL
So great is the distance that no echo returns.
j. f. NJ.