Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-07-08
The Far West.
For the Fayetteville Observer.

NEBRASKA City, Nebraska, June 10th, 1879.
Editor Of the ObSerger.-I
left Ashland, Oregon, on the
18th inst. The California and
Oregon stage CO. charge ten
cents per mile from Ashland to
Redding-at the latter place
passengers take the cars for
Observation-Disclosures by stage
10 miles--distance from Red
ding to Sacramento one hundred
miles total distance from Ash
land to Sacramento go miles,
fare 26 dollars. At Sacrament
Ito l took the cars for Omaha
End class, fare 45 dollars. /
took a boat at Omaha for this
place-from here | am going to
iSt. Louis, thence to Louisville,
thence to Nashville, etc. The
scenery along the U. p. r. r.
is tie finest l ever saw. The
Wei Canon, the Devils Slide
and Finger Rock are objects
of peculiar interest to the tour
list. The Devils Slide consists
OF two long rows of stone sit
uated upon the side Of a rag
ged mOuntain-the stone stands
erect at an angle Of fifty degrees
the rows are eight feet apart
straight as a line and three
hundred yards in length. /
am certain of one thing-Old
Nick tore the seat out Of his
pants when he slid down there.
Laramie city is thriving town
Of thirty-fye hundred inhabit-
ants. The U. 2. r. r. have
six hundred men at work in
their shops in that city. 1t is
also the out-fitting point for the
mines in the Black Hills. The
Platte Valley is a beautiful
country-but farming is not
carried on throughout the whole
valley. One hundred miles
above Omaha the settlements
make their appearance. The
farmers seem to be poor and
the grasshoppers are eating
their crops, which will make
them poorer, or certainly they
will be none the fatter. The
Platte Valley will never be
thickly settled--with never a
tree to enliven the scene and
water being scarce, it is in real
ity a. semi-desert. We saw
vast herds of antelope, and they
peered at us with their curious
eyes as we sped past them at
the rate of forty miles per hour.
Omaha is a thriving place. The
r. Il. makes it lively. There
is more rolling stock or the U.
z. and the G. 2. Il. Roads than
| ever saw. Stcamboating Oh
the Missouri is not profitable
between Omaha and St. Louis.
Rail Roads play thunder with
Fulton's inventions. A few
miles below Omaha [ saw three
dear old friends-Tennesseeans,
whom | had not seen in ten
years--their names are hicko-
~ timber, partridge and gray
squirrel. We met three thou
sand emigrants en- route to Cal
ifor1ia. Poor creatures, I pity
them. Old Californians say
that the golden state is drier
than it has been for twenty
years. Emigrants are going
there at the rate Of ten thousand
per month. They can work for
Chinaman's wages and live Oh
bread and water. There will
be suffering in California next
winter. The grasshoppers are
chewing tobacco near Nebras-
ka city. l saw several at
church this morning. They
looked very sedate and paid
good attention to the sermon,
but whenever the minister grew
eloquent they began to hop and
positively refused to pay for|
their pew. They-the grass
hoppers-are going about like
a roaring lion, seeking whatev-
.er they can swallow. l will
write again at st. Louis. This
is written hurriedly-the boat
whistle is blowing-the bells
are jingling-the cocks are
crowing-babieS are squealing-
uoSS odrhlilS-nen yelllnS-a
thunder storm roaring--the
Missouri river rising, while i
step aboard the boat and go to-
my room to dream of other
scenes in Sou thern climes-of
homes and fricnds--of faded
hopes-now naught but dust
and ashes. All, me! Mr.. editor,
this battle Of life, can we ever
win the victory over temptation
and pleasure? I dream and