, 1873-10-27
An Irregular Observation-Disclosures
hIon---An Old Trading
Fort.
Forced Growth Of the Far Vest.
Deserted Towns and
Villages.
Fires in the Mountains rs. Dirt.
Roofs.

The Rrc1t panic IN tho States eecmB 10 nave
overwhelmed everything, aud no othor subject
appenrs worth writing or talking about. Up
here in the mountains, whore wo have no banks
and worry little money, 1t makes no sort Of differ
enco, and wo getting on az well as usual, hay-
Ing door and antelope meat in plenty, and living
in as quiet and unostontatiouB n manner as Our
forofathors did o hundred Yoara ago. Whom
hunter Inns a good buckekin suit, good horse,
and trustworthy rilo, ho zoos llttlo else to care
for, unless ho is marrying man, in Which event
ho finds spouse amid tho ausky boautiea Of tho
forost who arc mover 10th to Join thoir dcstt-
MES with those OF tho stalwart white hunters.
They roam about as FREQ as air, unmindful
whether railroads aro built or not, md caring
ever 80 littlo whether the National Banks will bo
able to weather the storm which seomB to be
surrounding thon1.
This is the Henaon for shooting ducks and
geese and auch "amall dee1," and, Judging
from Bomo game-bags have aeon emptiod, sev-
eral Of my friends havo beon remarkably fortu-
nate. The creeks and heads Of streams that ere
sheltered from tho high winds absolutely swarm
with them. aud it requires no great skill to Hhoot
them. This kind Of game is most welcome
change from tho dict one has been oatiug all
summer, and all hands relish 1t HEARTILY. Old
hunters do not, IS q general thing, 'tgo much
on " the flesh Of birds or fishes, but think tho
only true food for mankind Is deer and elk meat.
Perhaps they aro right, but mallard ducks, woll
it is q novor-eeasiug wondor to 500 teao hunters
Which ' Ills flls the rasnos IS "a and go4goa'
and, after having been. out two days,
ss5n ao~n with rh s eo ts and sane5s nsS%ass ss sssa Sasa
hunters would be apt to brag about such feat
as this, as they would clearly have right to !;
but the old hunter, with bis yellow wolf-skin
tho greatest coolnese, and ready, aftor DO has
unloaded his pack-mulc, to again start out, feel
ing full confidence that he can return aguin in
two or three daya with creator amount Of meat
than ever.
In this region we have como Of
THE MOST T1lY1Ed STORMS
OF wind, Hanl and gravel hnyo ever witnessed;
80 powerful arc 1lnny OF them that d man can
make no hendway against thom, and is obliged
to seek such shelter aB lie Gun find until the
storm ia over. The small gravel sailing about in
the air cuts PERSONS face like knifo, md it is
out Of the question to SEQ ten feet before
you. It is nota single blast, but good. honest
blow that continues twelve hours at lonst and
sometimes two dayB. It behooves nun in these
times to look out for falling chimnoys and tim
bcrs, mud keep aB far away from their influence
as possible. Besides this, everything gets
THOROUGHLY DRIED OUT,
and 1t is impossible to keep anything moist
enough to do any good. Some 1nouiltainecrs try
to keep their clay we'll mointonod, but do not
when inbibing their favorite drink, which is
whisky. It is really surprising to SEQ how
thoroughly seasoned everything beco1nes and
wagons which have been brought into the coun-
lleas great earo ia talson to Keep them vol
braced together. This is particularly true with
regard to wagon-w1cels, tho tire first falling
OIL. and tue fellocs rapidly following.
Some time SINCE, I met
A a1ouNTA1NEEn
who had won for himself no euviablo reputation
on account Of tho Irregularities Of Lis youth.
A more garTuous individual have scarcely over
met with, and withal bis descriptions Of men and
things wore so quaint and original that no man
could help laughing at them. On one occasion
ho had boon surprised near his own house by
party Of Indians, who fred upon and severely
wounded him. Ho was shot through the upper
Part of his broast, or, moro property, through
the right shoulder, and tho pain ho experienced
khorefrom was very Severe indeed.
He told mo he ran and lid under Homc low
t' tS'ush.es where it Was all 10 could do to orawl,
quenched tho blood.
II jist rammcd tho hole full OF dirt, mud kept
Ills reply. "a man does not know what ho can
stand till he tries. NY frame WAS in good con-
dltion ut that time, aH had had but mighty littlo
to cat for several days. Willie was under that
ouhll, 4UH U1t tu0uhuG hDOut u p0Ou square
meal; md thought, abont pork, for pork is
mighty good, provided 4 man won't gorge him
self on It. You know enough pork is enough"
Saaof Eaaa he, "ala an alters oppose mans gory"
I could not gainbay this Judgment Of tho
mountnneer, who; to tell tho truth, did not look
al It he lad been overfed for many long day.
Frequently I met this man, and his fund Of
stancess) unreliable. Ho was m old Toxan, and
rllmor had 1t that in his youth he had known
more about Laltto the Pirate than was absolllto-
" necessary for his good name: Ho had lived
said that several Of tho leading families Of TINT
town are descended from mon who soryed under
Lafltte.
On the Mexican frontier
IT Will. NOT DO
to inquire too closely into mans antecelents,
nor into his ancestry. Every man works for
himself there, and, ii The reports Of the Com
mlssoners are correct, many Of them have
cattle a1e concerned This romara vii 1. apply to to
the American as well as to tho Mexican Eopula-
ton; the Americans on that frontier being rs
far removed from being saints al it iH possible
for person to imagine.
Lately, wll.o mah4ng a trip woll to the wcyt-
ward, the party I WIS With canlo upon tho
remains OF an old fort, or trading house, which
mas been abandoned MANY ycalp, Tho truces Of
an old stockade wero still yBlblo. and a great
denl OF the stone-work OF tho house. In former
timos thora were
MANY OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS
scattered oyor tho Wcstern country, some of
them being quito extensive. and, In their day,
great places Of resort for tho IndiauH aud trap
pers. II am not much mistaken, tile tfapporg
nnd ns hunters lI had much more PLEASANT
Of the country, with ali Of tier % eo.cal]ed
improvements aud convonioncos There
is a.grasping after something beyond the roach
ct those now living. hore, aud All eyidout desire
to DO what cannot bo dono. In other words, 1t
is impossible, to make good farming lands out Of
the black rocks on tho hountain-tops, or to raise
props in thia e!ovated region. The minora! ro-
Hources, too, arc very limited, with tho exception,
perllaps, OF coal. and it is difficult Tor any class
OF men excapt Indians and hunters to make a
fair living horo. All talk about tho growth OF
the Rocky Mountain chain OF Territories
III HoA1f.
There are no lasting Improvements being malo,
and the effort to force growth where ono could
not spring up naturally las rehultod In wide
Bproad financial ruin.
It requires peculiar kind Of man to mako