The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-11-04
agricultural department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
CORRESPONDENTS
Editor Of he Rsgisisr.

EdHOr V fHs NeyislU'
Our fourth day out from Omaha took
us through some Of the most interesting
scenery on the whole route to California.
In passing west we encounter three
principal ranges Of mountains. that have
to be crossed at high elevations. The
first we crossed soon after leaving Chey.
ennc, the highest elevation being S2l2
feet, at Sherman. The second we crossed
the fourth day ont from Omaha, aud the
highest point, at Aspen, is 1888 feet
There is hot much depression between
these two elevations, the lowest being, at
Green River, GAO. Between these two
points, Sherman and Aspen, must be con.
sidered high lands, and although, from
the broken and mountainous nature of
this troct Of about 400 miles, the grades
are shifting, they are not so great as they
are either cast or west Of it. We found
ourselves this morning at Leroy, at one
Of the highest elevations within this tract,
but we soon dropped down some 600 feet
before we reached Piedmont, the next
station, which we were obliged to over
come again before we reached the high.
est elevation Of this range, ut Aspen, the
next station west of Piedmont. Hanrey,
the station next west Of Sherman, is %
feet higher than Aspen, leaving the latter
the third in point of elevation Of all the
stations on the railroad.
This southern pass seems fitted aud
calculated for railroad.
In the morning we were winding up a
steep and circuitous grade to get over the
mountain. and the way was constantly
fenced in by long lines, sometimes three
deep, of a peculiar kind of snow fence,
and further up we were almost as much
of the time passing through long snow
sheds, until We began to descend soop
after we left Aspen, and when we passed
through beautiful valley and the pleas
ant village of Evanstown, by q pure
mountain stream. Here the Vinta
moutains, on the north, meet the Wasatch
mountains, from the south, and passing
between them, we leave Wyoming Ter.
ritory and enter Utah, through the Echo
and Weback canons, and pass out on to
the plains Of Utah, through the Devils
gate, at the lower. We first descended
through Echo canon, the walls of which
are composed of what at a little distance
appears like a solid, rcd rock, making
almost continuous walls, on either side
perpendicular, or sometimes in the form
of large overhaDging mountains. A
nearer view Of this rock shows it to be a
.conglomeri tie composed Of cobblestones
and pebbles, cemented together by the
action Of great heat. The action Of the
elements seem to be slowly disirnegrating
the mass, and it is constantly becoming
detached and rolling down, sometimes 10
single pebbles, often in large masses, and
although at first appearance this rock
would seem to be SO loosely stuck to.
gether that it might be easily separated
by the hands, | found it so solid when
attempted to break piece of it, that it
was with great difficulty | could break
it. and the fracture did not entirely fol-.
low the surface Of the pebbles. but some.
times broke through their solid body, so
strong and hard is the nature Of the ma.
terlal with which they are cemented to.
gether
AS we passed through from Echo, into
Weber canon, the color and nature of
the rock, as well as the scenery, was en-.
-tirely changed. the rocks looking more
like our own Green Mountains, but still
different. The scenery through Weber
canon is grand and beautiful beyond
description, the nature Of the rocks being
different from those in Echo, as it be.
comes decomposed by the slow action Of
the weather, the resulting soil is more
fertile, and wherever there is a nook
among them that has gathered handful
of this soil, there are growing small
shrubs that in places where there are
larger assures, and ravincs, moderate
sized trees. These shrubs and trees add
greatly to the beauty Of these noun.
tains, and as | saw them begin to put
on the gorgeous beauties Of autumn,they
presented scene Of magnificent beauty
it would be hard to effacc, and all this
greatly enhanced by the soft yellow light
of q beautiful Indian summer afternoon,
with which it was our good fortune to be
favored. How often did | wish that the
scene could have been accurately photo.
graphed, that all the admirers Of the
beautiful and grand in nature could be.
hold it, though they might never be able
to behold it in its native home, but al.
though science and art have given so
much, they are not yet able to reproduce
those soft, beautiful colors we saw light.
ing up and pervading these mountains
this beautiful Indian summer afternoon.
10 attempt to describe it would be folly.
As my companion said "it was useless
to talk about it, you could only look and
think Oh, that our friends at home
could only have even taken one look at
the mountains after we had passed out of
them through this gap, as the setting sun
was lighting up every crag, rock and
ravine, and making altogether scene of
such wondrous beauty.
This evening found US at Ogden where
we tarry only an hour, and before dark
we are skirting along the northern end
OF the great Salt Lake, looking across
which there are numerous mountains,
apparently arising out of it on the
southern and western shores. and we end
this letter with this days travel, which
we enjoyed more than any other of the
journey. &C.
Rev. Adirondack Murray IN the Horsa