The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-10-29
ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
DIR. Clark Gapen Describes his
Trip TO California.

rip TO Caltf0rnfas
The following letter written by DR..
Clark Gapen to his father, of this
county, should have appeared in our
columns several weeks ago, but ow-
ing to the negligence of the party in
structed to deliver it to us, it was not
received until this date. The letter
is worth a careful perusal:
MADISON, Wis, July IL, 1881.
Dear Father
1t has been a long time since l have
had time to sit down and deliberately
pen you letter. 1t happened this
afternoon that am. not busy, as l
have recently returned from trip to
the far west, and business has not
yet picked up to its full measure. In
fact many of my patrons have not
yet learned of my return.
AS you may know by this time,
about a month since / started for
California under circumstances very
similar to those under which l went
East last year. An old lady with
money to spare who had been my pa
tient wanted to go home to California
and desired me to accompany her.
1t was so good chance that l would
not resist-all expenses paid and
money in pocket beside. l went.
The trip is no small one can assure
you. So.
TRAVELLED OVER SIX THOUSAND MILES
by rail and stage on my journey
visited the most interesting parts of
California, Nevada, Utah. and Color
ado-spending but very little time
at each place, however, as l was gone
less than a month. The trip going
the first time one goes over the route
Is quite interesting, Notwithstanding
the long stretches of desert one has
to pass through. Altogether 1000 or
1900 miles of desert on the trip. I'm
til you get about 200 miles west of
Omaha the country is as fine for far
ming and grazing as the eye ever
looked upon. AS far as the eye can
reach through Illinois, Iowa and east
ern Nebraska, there spreads out the
most productive and beautiful prai-
ries. At the season we passed through
these were covered with grass and
crops and stock. 1t is wonderful
region. After that is passed grad
ually the grass grows thinner,and the
rains less frequent, until the grass is
SO thin on the soil that it would
hardly appear able to support any
thing. But it is beautiful rolling
prairie country and looks as if it
onght to be of service. And in fact
2 it is: about SO or 100 acres Of it will
pasture steer!
Gradually we 60 up and up almost
imperceptibly, until erase scarcely
grows, but wild flowers of the most
beautiful colors increase. The 3rd
day we pass over the Rocky Noun
tains,
EIGHT THOUSAND FEET ABOVE THE SEA
LEVEL.
Here spreads out grand panorama.
The Colorado mountains many Of the
ranges covered with everlasting snow
can be seen to the south from 100 to
200 miles away. All about u.s. is
barren and great masses of rocks rise
up in solemn grandeur. Then we
follow along deep, gorges, crossing
them sometimes on trestle work hun
dreds of feet high. After while We
begin to descend into the Laramie
plain which is about 100 miles long
and 40 or so miles wide, with snow
mountains on the south and lower
mountain ranges on the north. This
plain is, if anything, more barren
than what we saw before, but looks
as beautiful as an Illinois prairie, and
many thousands of cattle find some
thing to eat there in summer. After
this we enter
THE WYOMING AND UTAH DESERTS,
where nothing but sage brush grows
and where rain scarcely ever falls
for hundreds and hundreds of miles.
This passed we come to the region
occupied by the Mormons, which they
have fertilized a good deal by irriga-
ton, but which is not half SO produc-
tive as we imagine, and yet it is won
derful what they have been able to
accomplish. By irrigating they can
raise vegetables, some wheat, oats
and barley, but the grain crops are
not fine. The country is too far
above the sea level. But. Salt Lake
City is quite place, of $4,000 or 3d.
600 inhabitants, and is well laid out
with many fine stores and residences.
But oh! SO dry when not irrigated.
It will always be an important place.
as it is point Of supply for the rich
mines in the vicinity. The Mormon
Tabernacle and the new temple now
being erected at cost of
TEN MILLION DOLLARS,
together with the tithing houses and
residences of leading Mormons, are
very interesting. But the Gentiles
as they call them are making head
way and the time is not far distant
when the doom of Mormondom will
be sealed. Even now the richer mem
bers are leaving the church, as they
cannot stand the church tax (tithes)
oneztenth their income! They are 4
vile, unprincipled set and ought to be
wiped out. But they are now max
ing many convert among the ignorant
claSses of the old countries and bring