National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-10-28
WHGELER'S EXPEDITION.

a,I tootbills Of the mountainous eastern, r
,o,,hern md southeastern portions OF tue d
Territory, IL rich In grass, fuel and agricul-
tutni lands; In game and In fsh, where thcfe
arc streams. with q charming climate ana
beautiful scenery--thc country, par ercti.
lsnct, OF the farmer, stock.rhiser, INNER, anu
of the world.
Tho fourth division embraces the plateau
and mountains Of the cast and northeast. The
rroat Colorado plateau, 1,Voo or o,VVO icet
above sca level, and its continuation south oil
Inc White mountains, the latter, especially,
region unsurpassed 10 tho ohi.eu o'aus III
iural grazing, and timber reconsideration
more nj length In my letter OF September y
As these regions are still almost entirely
unknown, no data can DO procured TO snow
the degree OF cold and amount Of snowfall OF
winter, but believe that for farming pu,
poses there il no drawback, especially IN tne
plateau from which the White mountains
rsc, which arc plentifnlly, watered whllo the
Colorado plateau Ia very mcngery shPPhe"
In this respect. 49,,
For winter grazing these region, are 100
high, though even this statement auinnS ~. q,
doubt, while for summer, spring anu i''
grazing they cannot he cxcelled anywhere.
"A 10 sylvia, for bulding and fuel purposes,
Won nnd below 1900 feet above sea level none
except mcsault aud cottonwood In the nvcr
bottoms. Tho former cannot be eNcclleu LOT
fuel; the latter is Of INV niue NHuc io' "hs
thing but shade
Retwcen three and six thousand feet above
sea level the cedar, live oak AMI juniper luf-
nish abundant fuel and fencing material, but
nrc worthless for building purposes. AZ six
thousand feet the pine, oak and ash regions
commences. Emerging, then, from the noun
famous regions we had been exploring for
The six previous weeks, We found ourselves In
the valley Of the ella, and In the second
climatic division.
What change had come over the spirit OF
our dream Everywhere cacti OF innnmr,r.
able varieties, from two inches to nifty feet ~
height; ccreus gigautcus. attaining often the
latter size, looking like q huge table FORK nsh-
hook cactus Spanish bayonct &c: mesquite
bushes, the representation OF dc,olation'
,rreascwood with Its email. bcantiinl lcnvcr,
Int pungCnt taste aud aromatic odor, making
lis very grccnncss rcpulslyc; and palo verde,
"A small shrub. three to seven feet hlgh, q
cross npparcntly between the cedar tree and
sage bush. Many OF the cactus plantation'
tcelncd with the rlrcncd fruit. the tunis
which looked luscious and tempting enough
This fruit hos the shape and size OF an aver
agc pear, has q line, deep rcd color an'
sweet taste, like 0g. -, =.
All OF our party rcyclcd IN the luxury L
their utmost capacity. Not !. however, lvl
in October, 1871, while crossing the Colorado
plateau. We we're two days without water
aud using tunls as substitute, ate TOO man,
Of them, and became very III. The frult Y
covered with very fuc. almost imperccpilblt
needles, aud the tortures they inlet upot
the inexperienced members OF tho party are
mdicrOus. One has unwariy seated hlmscl
upon a cactus, aud calls for the services o
the surgeon to extract its prongs from yer,
sensitive parts. Another, who has longingl.
razed upon but for q losg time warily re
sisted, the attractions OF the luscious fruit,
frantic from the tortures inflicted by the I'm
needles, which envelope Its pnlpy dimension
far nd
At the close Of last years expedition, Will
iourneying from the Colorado river TO III
disbanding place-St. George, Souther
Utah-we cncamped one night In a rcgio
whose surface was everywhere covered WI
small cacti. Dinner was not ready unit
long after dark, and, having dispatched
we, US usual, gathered round the camp-h
to smoke pipe and listen to the usual cam
fire talk. Mr.. -, the representative OF 4
biography, having filled and lit his pipe, toe
4 few steps backward and seated himself
the ground, when he startled us by eSclaif
Ing In an agonlZed tone; "Gott In himme
what Is dis under me 7" But learning tha
after all, the damage done was not yren
added, with an air VI relief: "What bles
ing Il Is dat | have two pair of breeches on
The bottom of the ella Is covered lux
riously with grass, willows, cottonwood al
mcsduit, and contains some very venomol
rcptiles-thc rattlesnakc, the ella monst
inl the centipcdc, the latter attaining som
times q length Of eight inches. The al
monster Ia described US reptile with u
head of u rattlcsnakC, forked tongue al
broad, black nostrils, and the body Of
lizard, often one and half feet long. !
poison chow secreted have not learned)
rs fatal us that OF the rattlcsnake, chick,
httcn In the wing dying In five seconds. I'll
creature cannot he numerous, as during o.
sojourn on the Gila We were not fortuna
enough to see one. Immediately after reac
ing the river we saw aud killed two rattl
snakes-one Of unusual length and dime
sions, measuring forty.six inches from he
TO tail and five and half inches round q
body.
This calls up "reminiscences Of Californl
and as the narrative will give some idea
the drawbacks encountered even In th
country of milk and honey by the tillcr
the soil, Ihope to he pardoned for the folio
Ing depression; Five years ago | locat
myself In the San Bcrnardino mountains
southern California for 'ranching' p'
poses. ] fell upon evil times; the year prov
"dry" one; the supplies OF grass beca
exhausted: corn and barley crops wither
for want Of rain; every expenditure OF tin
labor, care and money threatened To he
loss, hut in canon through which a
mountain stream flowed had some thl
acres OF rich land, IN the proceeds of viii
(potatocs chiefly. aud the mountains allud
10 produce tho finest potatoes In the cou
try) had counted to utilize my other loss
Now, lie 1t known, California abounds "
two species Of animals, both living und
ground, which are always u source Of i
and annoyance, often Of utter ruin, TO
farmer and orchardlst, especially In thin
populated districts, for about the middle
June, when all spontaneous vegetation dl
all the pests OF the kind mentioned wit
the radius Of q mile favor him with III
patronage.
So Il was with me. BY carefully irrlgati
the three acres q growth of strong VII
augured the most favorable results VIII
suddenly I noticed whole rows of pOtG
vines withercd, and looking for eau
found that the gopher had cut the roe
and eaten the infant Murphlcs. \ campal
of vigorous poisoning, shooting and trappi
was of no avail. Row after row wither
and dropped, until finally harvest OF o
thousand five hundred pounds OF potatoes
warded my labors, where more than ten tin
tina, amount had been confidently looked 4
This was the second time that the gopher,
sOciatcd the first time with the ground SOU
REL" had proven to me destructive enemy
The section of California IN question Is
Tested by rattlesnakcs, which, 1t found In
rocky locality, are invariably of the sal
color as the rocks, so that you often step
most upon them before you become aware
their presence; Yet there Is no instance
record In that section of human bel
having been bitten by one.
Like every one else was in the habit
killing every rattlesnakc saw; and one d
descending from the bench" TO the beaut
little opening In the canon, rs was passi
II huge black rock, u rattlesnake Of the sal
color and of huge dimensions, gave a sha
rattle, and almost simultaneously made
spring at me. l.eaping backwards nimbly
caught up some rocks and threw them at t
reptile, which GndGayored first to fright
me on by the impetuosity Of its attacks, III
TO escape across the trail making three
iOur most determined darts at me; but
noticed that 1t could only leap half the lenl
Of its body, and that tho other half was pa
iyzed from heavy load In Its belly. At ]
made II lucky hit, and proceeding 10 ma
post norton examination, found that
snake had Just, in intimate alliance with 1
swallowed u gopher. Then the fable, of
quoted In illustration Of the falseness of
serpent, OF the traveller releasing q sna
from under = stone and being bitten by II
gratitude, REQUIRED to me, and fOrci
.6rought home TO my saddeucd mind the trl
that, In our vanity and blindness, We exp
from the brute creation qualities of forte
ancc and generosity which VIC are far fr
exercising toward them.
The valley Of the ella Is here about 81
feet above sea level, aud a mile broad;
foothills and mountain range which incl