Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1873-08-09
rHE eHEAr AmEnICAs pEsEnr
rhe ssosts pos Omaha 90 ssis Lake.

The Route pos omaha 90 ssis Lake
From Tonhsts letter In y. Times
There is but one express or mail train
q day from Omaha. There is therefore
but 100 90 175 miles Of running by day
light alter leaving Omaha, aud during
the entire afternoon the trains 90 direct
~ towards the setting sun, over the fer
tile prairie, almost dead level, its vast
expanse stretching out like the ocean
the horizen straight, unbroken line,
and in some Of the varying atmospheric
aud sky effects hardly TO be distinguish.
ed from the horizon at sea. a0sse 'ia
When one goes 10 sleep at night Of
the first day from Omaha, the best ara
BILE land on the whole journey haseb
seen.
The Improvisation, Grand Island, is on
the verge of 'rhe Great American Des-
ert" OF the maps Of fifteen to twenty
years ago. The train has entered the
raInless-realm, where droutb and aridity
hold indisputable sway. This is the
great fact, the fact gigantic in proper
'l)hs When considered IN its economical
aspect and its Importance to the Amer
lean nation. 1li7
A correct impression Of what one. win
see In a journey across the plains and OF
what one will realize who makes IL for
the first time,may be given in few words.
One leaves the Omaha and the Miss.
/ our1 river at noon, There is half a day
riding through fat, fertile prairie, in
which many thriving settlements have
been planted. One retires to the berth
OF the sleeping-car just as the furtherest
border of fertility has been reached
On looking out the next morning the
train is moving up the Valley of the
| North Platte, with the river to the
south, shallow, lazy, undetermined
looking stream, listlessly moving back
towards the Missouri, and low range; of
grassy hills, hardly high enough to be
allied hills skirting a near horizon to
the north.
The vegetation is scant, and is, for
the most part, thin, short kind of grass
that Stems just ready to die. The coun-
try grows more barren in appearance
during the whole day, but maintains the
same general characteristics. The Platte
is left and the plains become slightly
! more rolling, narrowing the view and
bringing the horizon nearer 10 the eye
The grades become heavier and the
country more rolling after leaving
Cheyenne, and during the afternoon the
highest point on the Pacific Road
Sherman, is reached and passed, and OF G
would never dream of being on the
highest mountain range of North Ameri
ca, and really more than 5000 fse
above the sea, but for the information
of the guide-books or the time tables Of
the road. Before. night the Laramie
Plain which is greener and more fertil
izing looking than Platte Valley, bu
4 really worthless except for stock raising
passed, and the train has entered /
more desolate country than any yet seen
Nothing grows but sage brush, and evel
it looks disgusted with its habitation.-
1t attains but feeble, stunted growth
One has before this caught severa
| glimpses of the snow-covered Rock,
Mountain submits, many miles distan
and snow peaks are seen more. or les
frequently during the remainder of tn
! journey.
The country is still but little broken
Perhaps rather rugged would convey al
impression of the surface. The tracl
winds among low earth hills, worn int
curious forms by the action of wind an
fros, and sun on the peculiar soil c
which they are composed. This end
/, the second day. There is another nigh
and in the morning the passenger lool
, out still on the sage-brush desert an
curious low hills. us.t2 @tst -9
For few miles near Green River st;
ton there is some interesting scenery
the hills becoming more prominent, an
; the forms more curious and beautiful
! Church Buttes, so-called, give still ne
forms of the same general character an
-tructure as those at Green river. BIZ
u otherwise dull monotonous barrenne
continues till two O'clock in the afte
h noon, when soon after leaving Wasatcl
n the train enters the beginning of I'll
e Echo Canon, and the remainder of Il
{ the trip to Ogden, about seventy mile
h is made pleasant and exciting b
e striking, weird and oftimes beautif'
/ scenery. The road advertises that q
d observation car will be attached to Il
|. train while passing through this seen
J. ry. But it is not done, and has not be'
r, for some time, though still it is adye
tised.
d Most persons, I think, will be disa
g. pointed with the scenery of Echo Ca
g on, thoughi it is really grand and bea
81 tifun Owing 70 some optical delusio
probobly the elearness of the atms
d phere, and the consequent distinctns
d with which details of form and col
(, can be distinguished in the distance,
L. we'll as the homogeneous structure
T. TIE rock precipices thousaLd fl
20 do not impress one at first as very hig
y and it seemed to me that many cot
I'd try highway of New England woul
q among higher hills and under loft
n cliffs. The scenery, keNiagara disa
lr. nointinp at first. but it increases in ma