The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-07-31
ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
LBailey in Danbnry News. !

AT Corinne, the second station, be-
yond Ogden, we found the circus had
pitched its tents, and people who never
like to be late, and who never can look
upon clcus without a feeling of awe,
were already clustered about the can
vas waiting for the ticket agent and
Monday.
Corinne is purely GENTLE. No Nor
mon runs the risk of the judgment that
is sure to descend on Corinne, and 50
the place is wholly given to the unre-
generate and their evil devices. There
is not much room for anything else. Co
rinne smacks Of the plains 1t is sandy,
new, business-like, and comparatively
unshaded. No Mormon had anything
to do with building that place.
At PromOntOry was formerly the
junction Of the Union Pacific and Cen
tral Pacific roads. Here in 1869 were
the parade and pomp incidental to the
completion of gigantic enterprise, and
perfectly appropriate on this occasion.
The last tie laid was marvel of en-
bellished log, and the last spike was of
pure gold. 1t was dark when we reached
Promontory. got off the cars to com
mune with the hallowcd associations of
the spot, and to look for that spike.
1t was not so dark but that ! could
make out the layof the country. There
was not a house to obstruct the view.
The faint sound of nothing was heard,
and heard distinctly | was disap-
pointed. Promontory, which, for a
day was the most conspicuous place in
America, was now deserted wilder
ness if you know what that is-a mere
wooding station. There was nothing
more to be seen of the country. We
were still ascending, but almost imper-
ceptibly, and everybody looked up to
the heavens, because there were more
life aud animation there than on the
earth about them.
The next morning we awokc to face
the plains again. And all that day the
only relief to the eye from the interim
nablc sand and sage, and low, mcom-
Portable hills, was Humboldt canon,
where some of the most singular rock
formations on the line are seen. The
stations on the road are about ten miles
apart, MS near rs can remember with
the memorandum in the other coat and
an absurdly insane foreman dancing
around for copy. When you have seen
one of them you are heartily thankful
they don't occur oftener.
There is nothing about them to re-
mind you Of the east. They stand out
boldly on the plain. There is not tree
about them. The only evidence of re-
fined cultivation is an occasional hoop
skirt or pair of patent leather boots.
The main street faces the depot. In
many instances it is the only street.
The business places are one story and
two stories in height, with gable roof
and square front. Liquor saloons with
intoxicating names, and boarding-houses
with equally high-sounding titles pre-
dominate. Some of the houses are
built of rough boards, others of canvas,
others again of sods, with the floor I'M
der ground, and once in a while there is
brick structure.
Liquor is freely drank by the masses,
but little or no drunkenness was per-
ceived. 1t is so all through the great
west. Boston cannot show as clean n
police record as San Francisco. If /
had the time | should analyze this pro-
position, and show you why it is thus,
but / never shall have time, thank
Heaven.
In ON one place, five Of eight business
places, all the village boasted, were
liquor saloons. Cheyenne has nine
hundred population, and II saloon for
every nine inhabitants.
There is that unfinished aspect in ev-
cry hamlet; that dreary, monotonous
roll and hump to the hills, that indie
scribable barrenness of soil that makes
the trip too tedious for language to de-
fine.
All that day the sun baked down on
the alkali and sand, all that day the
sand and alkali inflicted as much dam
age to the sun ~ it could, and content
edly made up the balance on us. The
air was close, however well the car was
ventilated. The sand sifted in and