, 1873-05-11
BEAR RIVER.
Its sufroundings-soda Springs
Old Crater---Phantom Springs
Great Altitude.
Pioneer Wandefers---Camas.--A Dry
-: Indiyidua!---BaIes of Fuss.


dian Paintings :--No11nta1n"tafes -:
From DIR Oen Correspondcnk " 3
> SODA SPRINGS, Idaho. May !, 1873. ;:
One of the finest streams in the United States,
Or the Territories belonging thoreto, is Gear
River. It rises in tho Uintah Mountains, :trav-.
erses great extent Of country,-going north
into Idaho, whero, it; makes big bcnd,-aad
eventually discharges it's waters in the Great
Salt Lake. Near the Big Bend there IS a large
water are several hourishiug Mormon settle-
nents and villages. . :.' "a. -.
TIE rArrEn-DAr 5A1Srs :. :..:s;z:
sppear to hare taken great fancy to this
st1eam,- and hayez* taken up" mitch of tho
farming land, which is susceptible of irrigation.
o. which they rnise some fine crops. They hare
likewise built several meoting-housos in tic get
tle1nent, and installed their Bishops over them
for. be it known. they have an ample supply OF
Dshope. and almost every hamlet can. boast
OF one OF them These Bishops Belong
to the hard-istcd yeo1canrs, nno ase
none at YOUR etrck-up cueses," as a
SAINT fae1incly remarked while ho was
Describing them to me. Some Of them 1'can
turn horseshoe as well as my man in the
.,,ountainB,'' and make an anvil ring again with
their pondcrous blows. They lead in the meet
ings cf the Church people, where they pour out
their eloquenoe like blasts from a Hont buGlc,
end acttlo disputes between the chosen OF Utah.
Tho Mormous ucod some peacenakerB:- for they
sre quite peppery in their natures, aud rerilo
e.:h othcz roundly whenever they think them-
6alEes aggiiesed, ~... ::
At SODA SPRINGS >.''t !:
there are two villages, moderately; we'll peo::
plod These springs hn-o been famous for
ranT q year, and hero IN old times tho noun
t.ineels loved to assemble to quar- their
rate7s They are also known es Beer
Springs, from their foaming propensities, and
fanced RESEMBLANCE in taste to su:all-
beer. Some of the springs contain considerable
iron, being known, in. consequence as chalJhe-
stes Others are. sparkling soda. and pleasant
to the palate. I never could see Why it was nec-
essary to make 30 much fuss over them, nor: why.
sman yas bound to drink 80 much Of the w1ter
Is to nearly cause him to burst. But people in
the mountains think you donot show just ap-
u1eciatiou of them unless you. haye drauk
enough to make yourself almost down sick -
Zone Of my friends drink US much as he could,
when weu-meaning settler pressed him to tako
snother tin-cupful- Turning, in @his wrath, he
exclaimed, "Look . here, stranger I amt no.
Id caskl What do you take me for, any
how?"
Aboye the bend Of, Bear River, wa5 ont on the
plain, Is the perfect
crArER OF An OLD VOLCANO,
the fires from which have been long since ez-
tnct. and the smoke gone forever. It is a circle,
the sides within and without sloping down with
absolute regularity, and forming an immense
arena, For countless ages it has thus slept, its
1,1t,, fhN Tnr n
cantu1ias; and it's hoary crest grim and broken
ty the storms Of FIRE, wind, rain. and snow, that
have beat upcn it. Great clinlets cumDer up
The plain, and lnasses of obaidiau, Or volcanic
glass, glitter amid the ruins. Crags Of lava,
porous and warped, are heaped up here and there,
doing homage to the towering rim, md adding
to the scene of desolation and ruin. The whole
landscape ig sere and scorched, aud Dlackenea,
Is it was left when the huge furnaces beneath
poured out their overwhelming waves OF liquid
ire, and blasted tho earth. From this place Oh.
vast extent OF country which has been
literally destroyed By a volcano, more dreadful
and extensive than any ever KNOWN NO man
ean conceive Of its extent Tor take IN it, 1earta
devastation. Those WHO have seen only green
landscapes and fertile valleys, canuot appreciate
this fearful scene. It is like one Of those
dreadful pictures Of the surface OF the moon,
with au its yawning abysses and fr1ghtful caF-
ems.
some Of the springs have thrown out an i'm
mense deal of stun, which has, in many places,
formed very considerable hillocks. Here, too,
ns. --..- >
-. not SPRINGS >
md the indians come in to them to enjoy them
belyes There is one place at Soda Springs
where steam comes putting out at regular inter:
tils, like that from 'scape-pipe, which II con-
udeted q great curiosity. Taken IS whole, It
fsa singular scene, and, ct one spot near By, the
ea1th ia said to quake and shake sometimes SO
m to send cattle and Indiana flying in terror
eross the country. Subterranean noises arc
lso heard, and the red men believe m evil
t2irit hns the control OF everything hereabout.
Old traDpe1s tell some wonderful stories of what
they hnyo seen and heard in this locality, a1d
inorra than half believe the whole to be really
md truly under the dominion Of enchantment:
It ts refreshing. in this msterialistlc age, to Ind
something that sayors Of romance and, after
nan has been in this region, he more than half
believes the stories himself 49, :
Tho Pacific Railroad crosses Bear River !.
~. At EVANSTON AND AT con1SsE =
both Of which are handsome, growing towns. Il
believe their existence is due wholly to the rail-
road and they are creditable alike to hespeople
snd the road. -.
Ii passing over this country men are apt , to to
judge that fne crops can be rszes1, as tho sou Is
very rich. But the trouble is, the .; =:
T. REASONS ARE TOO SHORT,
The cool weather strangling the growth OF every
thing except the most hardy plants. This is the
Breat drawback to agriculture IN tho hockE
Mourtain region, and no amount Of care and
labor can overcome it. An altitude Of 5000 to
1000 feet ADORE the sea-lcrel has depressing
influence upon vegetation. When farmers come
here, they must take this fact into consideration,
snd all the reports Of surveyor-Generals and
ueologsts cannot change it. In some Of the
nalleya, farmers do pretty well, as they gel. good
faicas Tor their products; but Jack Frost. il 81
nayB lying in watt and, when all things look fair
end bid fair, he steps in and blasts the crops -
{: There il old road leading from the forks OF
treen River to the Bear River Valley which he's
ben in use for many years. It follows some old
Indian trail, and is well worn, and good in set
Eted Teather. This road waa used By the hunt
aa and trappers of formor dayR, and, when the
s3porng parties we're sent out in 1842, 10 aud
Qeaold here xas the ""t'
=, INEVITABLE IMMIGRANT FROM MISSOURI, -:
0aVeEng along with his wife and children, waF..
nas and COVE, on his way to the Far West: 1t
Hshange indeed to think what chances these
People took among the hostile Indians, and with
mat perfect nonchalanco they Travelled ACROSS
ppt ali af- ofYn fra r.