The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1877-09-26

plenty Of it, at that He said he guessed
then wouldn't freeze. sat on the COW
catcher, just under the headlight on the
forward part Of the engine, and rode uR-
I'll noon, passing perhaps one hundred
miles. Occasionally we would come to a
herd of cattle on the track, and would
climb around on top of the engine back
Of the smoke stack, so if there was any
cattle to be ditched, didn't wont TO be
with them. had 6ns view Of the
country. Passed harvest fields with three
men on the machine binding the grain
as it was cut, literally taking the gain
from the sickle and binding il in shea,es
before it touched the ground. Here, near
Cheyenne we saw our first emiVrant train
OF wagons. The camp was formed by
standing the wagons in such q position
as to form circle; and the people sleep
in the ring thus formed, protected from
the wind and the stock trsmping around
The wagons were coupled two and two,
and four yoke OF oxen or as many spans
OF mules hitched TO the front wagon. !
asked if the team could not draw more il
all the load were on one wagon instead Of
two, and was told that the reason for
having two wagons was, that often they
got stuck in the sand or mire, and would
have to unload part Of the load which
was often a difficult task. But baving
two wagons, they uncoupled them, len
one wagon and hauled one out. and then
return with his team and take the other
out Another night has come and gone.
and we are now on the summit Of the
Rocky mountains. Sherman is station
on the summit, named in honor of Gen.
Sherman, who was The lallest officer Of
the Army. We are now on the highest
point on to route, S,242 feet above the
level of the sea. One would not know
that he is on a mountain.top, but for the
rarity of the air. As the approach has
been so gradual and over such even
ground, that we can't realize the change
of altitude Again take my seat on
the engine, and have to turn my back TO
get my breath. The winds are high and
so very rare that facing them can't
breathe with comfort. Many who cross
the mountains experience great difficulty
owing to poor lungs not unfrequently
people die in the cars for want of breath,
several in our car were surprised to find
their noses bleeding simply from breath
ing. We have on two engines, as the
grade has been SO heavy, and am on the
forward one. We passed o wagon drawn
by nine spans of Mules. We have pass
ed through Wyoming. and saw nothing
Of noto--nrairiss. rocks and mountains
being the scenery. OF to our left, to the
South, we see the snow-cspped peaks
sticking their heads into the clouds, the
snow gives them a venerable appearance
Oue feature OF this region was the Flat
head Indians that throng the Stations to
beg for bread or curds or ornaments. The
men are rather low Of statue, cOmpactly
built, and their heads uniformly aattened
from the brows upward anu uniformly
back wards. They are dressed in Govern
ment pants or buckskin brooches, with
unusually red flannel shirts, it being their
favorite color, and heavy blankets drawn
about them closely as though it Was cold
weather; now and then one has hat with
long plumes OF feathers in it. The women
are dressed in course cotton frocks, poor
ly made, and no bustles or lscings. They
are about square from their heads to
their ieeL saw several with their pa
pooses tied on their backs. That is, their
child strapped TO board. or encssed in
q bottle-shaped basket, and buckled be-
tween their shoulders, back to back, as q
knspssck 10 carried. Thus the hands
were free to carry other freight l saw q
party OF them playing cards-they sat
around in . circle on q blanket spread
upon the ground. The players would
slam down the cards with as much ear
nestness as blacksmith would strike the
hot iron, and they seemed 10 take no no.
!ice Of the passengers who took advsn-
tage Of stop Of the train to witness an
Indian game oil cards, and the money ly-
ing in the blanket showed that they did
not play for amusement alone, but that
they mean business" The days have
passed and it ID Sunday, and now before l
describe our Sunday, let me stop to say .
word about our party. When l entered
abe car at Omaha, did not know soul
in the long train (ssvsn cars). But l
have already intimsted that the stiff rules
Of society were laid aside, so we soon had
organized new society entirely. and all
our nelghbors were friends, although
strangers to each other. One young lady
has lived in Chicago, and is now going to
San Francisco 10 see her parents, who
have moved there two months ago. One
is the wife Of Presbyterian clergyman
in Carson City (named for Kit Carson).
Nevada, and is on her return from visit
home in the East. One is q resident Of
San Francisco, who went to the Centen-
NAL last year. spent four months in study
ing art in the Exposition, and has been IN
Ne" York City since studying music and
painting she is an interesting character.
Another is a BRIDE on her return from q
trip through Europe. This is the female
portion Of the crew, and IS the male por>
ton predominates, | will describe them
no farther than to say, one was an Epis>
copal clergymay, one Jesuit priest. one
Baptist minister, one q Mormon
priest, and myself representing the Meth
odist church. OF the rest we're both
".Iews and Gentiles," and every point of
the compass Was represented. but all