Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-06-20

absence of animal life. Save the noise incl
Gent to the passing train there is absolutely no
s dSTnd - De heard, and except an occasional
ram through the desert, and which, indeed,
IKE the sweet Spirit il typihes, never forsakes
man any where there is no live thing 20 be seen.
FROM THE soNBRE TO THE CHARMING.
All this is changed, however, after the third
great summit on the line Of the road il passed,
at Aspen, AID the trsin thunders down the
mountsin side into the valley OF Bear river
Here the line Of Mormon settlement begins On
every side signs Of busy life and industry are to
be seen. Green fields greet the eye on every
hand, and hey seem all the greener and more
welcome Tor the desert and desolation one has
passed through. Quiet hamlets and inviting
cottages nestle il the pleasant little vallies
which lie between snow covered mountains
along Be- r and Weber rivers with sun as warm
anu ar a. Clear and pure and grateful as those
Of Switz, rland or northern Italy can ever Ia
AFTER crawling for weary leagues through dust
and alkali, past square mile after square mile of
sage brush and alongside of sluggish streams of
acrid water, Il is like a new life TO 20 rushing
between rocky denles, covered with evergreens
beside Bright and dashing streams OF pure
valleys A. calm and bsautfni a. tb oS sssn ~
pleasanteSt dreams of peaceful and refreshing
sleep. These things, however, shall not attempt
10 descrise; Their beauties have already been
painted, II mistake not, by the editor OF THK
STAR. AT any rate, the task of picturiug them
has been essayed by nearly every person who
has passed over the route, and there is hardly
newspaper or magazine reader i'm the country
who is not already as familiar with the wonders
and beauties Of Weber and Echo canors as NV
poor pen could make him, strive never so hard.
Nevertheless attractive as the latter end of the
journey lie, the tired traveller feels a sense of
relief and deep thankfulness when the train
slows down and finally comes to dead standstill
where all passengers change cars, whether
going On 10 San Francisco or making the detour
to Salt Lake City, over the Utah Central rail-
road.
By RAIL TO THE CITY OF THE SAINTS.
Our course lay in the latter direction, and il
was not long until we had taken our seats i'm the
cars of the Mormon road, and were whirling
down the valley of the Great Salt Lake, toward
the City Of the Saints, which, as most readers
know, lies about thirty-six miles south of the
line Of the Union and Central Pacific railroads.
In the matter Of saving time and avoiding
fatigue and dust, the trip down by rail is a vast
improvement over the rough and tedious ride by
coach which took on a former visit, vet In re-
spect to the true charm of travel and the oppor-
tunity to dwell upon the grand and beautiful
.cenery afforded by the old route, cannot but
change. Ishall never forget,-and I feel sure no
ore can who has ever enjoyed 1.-THE first view Of
the Great Salt Lake with its brown islands
rising out OF the intensely blue waters which one
tain spur that divides the valley Of the Weber
river from that Of the lake proper. In splendor
or extensive scenic effect, in strength and brill
iiancy Of color, and in absolute beauty IL sur
passed All my conceptions of the Bay Of Naples
and Capri, and would have amply compensated
for three times the fatigue and DELAYS of the
rlde oy stage. This Is all lost by making the
trip by rail.
RAILROAD VIEW OF UTAH
The track runs along the level ground nearly
midway between the old stage road, its line of
villages and the edge OF the lake. The present
ride is pleasant enough, through fields purple
and yellow with the flowers Of spring, between
immense herds of horses and cattle, over purling
rivuiets OF melted snow, and along side OF pleas
antly-situated farm houses, carefully cultivated
gardens and fruitful orchards, with the lake and
its volcanic islands on the one side the snow
capped peaks OF the Wahsatch RANGE on the
other, and the Oquirrh and 0naqui ranges in
tee middle and remote distances ahead, but the
G. I'm of looking down at and across Tie great
valley froE, al elevated point of view IL all Z lne.
low aid threatening storm cloud br-i z sloay
the summit OF the O9uirrh range, from which
OCCASIONAL drops of rain were blown iutO the
e.r. in the west the clouds had broken away
md from that quarter the setting sun was D ath-
ing ,he valley and foo hills in a mood Of go! Zen
splendor; while the snowy SUNNI its OF the Wah-
satch mountains rose white and pure "a the
pearly battlements Of Heaven out OF a sea of
amethyst and pink haze midst such surrounds
ngs, and oiled with emotions OF keenes. pie asure
and adm iration, We rolled slowly into Salt Lake
City a few minutes before eight o clock, exactly
five days, or one hundred and twenty hours a. Ger
leaving Washington. X