The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-12-21

DEAR FATHER aud FRIENDS IL left
White Cloud, Kansas, and arrived at
Omaha, Nebraska, on the 9th July and
purchased an emigrant ticket and board
ed the train. The cars were loaded with
emigrants from various parts of the
world, many Chinese from New York,
bound to San Francisco, where they In
tended to embark for the Celestial EN-
pire. I was awakened from my first
nights slumbers by the conductor call
Ing out Schuyler. This town contains
about 800 Inhabitants, and from appear
ances Is growing very rapidly. The
country around Is beautiful, level, and
rich, 1t is 80 level that you can not see
the end of IL. We travelled for two days
along the plain of the Platte Valley,
which affords excellent pasturage, thou
sands and thousands of cattle were feed
ing on the sweet grass afBng the track.
On the morning Of the third day we
crossed the line into Wyoming Terri
tory, which for days ride Is but u
continuation of the same plain, slightly
rising to the westward. Leaving this
we entered the bluffs and foot hills of
the Rocky Mountains. This scenery
was little more interesting, the rocks
are all shapes, some of them look like
immense petrified giants of antiquity,
they resemble the human form so much.
Some resemble large animals. l saw
one which resembled the Sphinx, while
others appeared like statues disfigured
by the tooth of time. All this time we
were gradually rising and when we
reached Cheyenne we were over 5000
feet above sea level. The air here Is
fresh and pure and It requires more exer-
ton to breathe than on the plains below.
Leaving Cheyenne we began to ascend
more rapidly, for it now required three
engines to pull us to Sherman, the
highest point in the Rockies, 1858 feet
above sea level. From this point we
could see for hundreds of miles any way
we might look, to the south were lofty
peaks covered with snow, to the north,
plainly in view, were the Black Hills, to
the east are stretched plains, and to the
west are hills. After detatching two of
the engines we began to descend, and in
few hours we were out on the great
plains of Wyoming Territory, in about
day we entered the Norman State, and
in an other day we were on the banks of
Great Salt Lake. The banks of this
lake are as white as snow, and men were
employed gathering the salt and sacking
1t. Before reaching the lake however L
saw Pulpit Rock, on which Brigham
Young stood when he preached his first
sermon in Utah to his followers. This
is indeed a beautiful country, very pro-
ductive and rich. After leaving this
place in few hours we rolled up to the
source of the Humbolt river, along
whose banks we journeyed to where it
mysteriously disappeared. Near here
are the famous wells of the Humbolt,
which are great curiosity. They ex-
tend for miles around and are numerous.
10 m akAs af t,n C. A. e
feet in diameter, while the ground is
only few inches In thickness, inter-
woven with tough roots of erase, under
lying this is vast sheet of water. The
cattle on the plains come to these wells
to drink and never return, for as soon as
they get within few feet of the water
their feet sink through the thin crust
and they are unable to extricate them
selves. The ground around the wells is
full of dead cattle with their feet stick
ing into the water. Soon after leaving
this place we began to ascend the Sierra
Nevadas. Here lies the most varied and
beautiful scenery along the whole route,
lofty mountains with snow capped peaks
towering far up into the air, and deep
ravines that make one dizzy to look at.
The construction of this road across the
Sierras, in my judgment, is one of the
greatest triumphs of engineering skill of
the century. Here are built bridges
from peak to peak, and tunnels through
of solid rock. This road is
covered for forty miles with snow sheds
to protect it from the snow storms which
are SO prevalent on these mountains.
The famous Donner Lake lies among
these mountains at a distance of 500 feet
below the track of the road 1t is sur
rounded on all sides by lofty mountains
covered with straight and lofty pines.
Descending, we swung around Cape
Horn, a place where If the engine should
jump the track 1t would be precipitated
400 feet on the rocks below. When we
passed this point went out on the
platform, it seemed like flying through
the air. In short time we came to
Gold Run, named SO because of the
immense quantities of gold found here,
whole mountains have been washed
away by miners In search of the precious
metal. In short time we arrived at
Boswell Junction where / changed cars
for the north, and pretty soon the con-
ductor called out, Chicoi 1 was seated
at the window. Brother John was
outside but did not recognize
me until l stepped from the car and took
him by the hand. 1t was indeed joy-
lul meeting to us both, not having seen
each other since Sc left Bloomfield eight
years ago. He is tout and healthy now,
though he evidently has seen some hard
times In the west He is strictly tenn
perate in his habits, does not touch
alcoholic drinks, eats moderately, and
selects his food with care. We are both
employed as clerks at the Union Hotel,
he works at night, while / am on day
turn. He receives $75 per month, and
1 $50. The work is not very hard, i
like 1t very well. Wishing health and
happiness to all, remain as ever,
Yours affectionately,