Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1882-06-16
Original Sketthes.
ACROSS THE PLAINS.
by REYNOLDS 8. PATTERSON.

WlthOut thc nelp OF even an ordinary
school atlas To guide me as to the order
of the rivers, mountains, objects of es-
pecial interest, &o., successfully reached,
passed by and over by us, and without
any idea Of the time Of go reaching them,
except ms proportional with the full pc
riod of the trip, viz: six months, or as
referred to the especial date of the 4th
of July. when we reached tho Great
South Pass in the Rocky Mountains, l
shall continue this narrative in the order
my poor memory brings things forward,
and if any great mistakes are made as to
localities and times the reader can refer
them TO that wonted excuse of all great
authors. an "error of the brain rather
than of the heart"
We are now approaching Fort Lara
mie, and are within few days of over
taking our cattle train, and also leaving
behind us the vast, unobstructed stretch
es of prairie lands proper, and entering
upon grounds which though in some
places still green, and furnishing ample
grass for horses, mules and COWS, and i,
except now and then, u good route of
travel, still on either hand the eye met
with distractions Of hills, rough, rocky
and tree-bearing, and even isolated peaks
of mountains. sometimes snow. capped
all rising percoptibly with each day.
progress, and the scenery becoming (even
down the pleasant, level valley of the
noted Sweet Water rivcr) more and more
prophetic of hardships " be endured by
us, compared with which any as yet gone
through were but pastimes of comfort
and pleasure.
We had already crossed the south fork
Of the Platte, u very dangerous under
taking, AZ the river was very full from
the melting of snow in the mountains,
and because of the very quick changing
nature of the channel, the bottom being
quicksand, and rolled and tossed by the
current, 30 that within few hours the
channel would shift from ono bank TO the
other. A good deal of stock was lost
here By the emigrants our little party,
however, got across SMELLY
have as yet said nothing about it,
but still think that before reaching Lar
annie we passed over considerable Of what
term sage land" If not before this
we certainly. passed over vast districts Of
it on the subsequent part Of the trip. -
This ''sage land" seemed to me extreme.
ly poor and incapable of producing any.
thing else than what saw on it, name
ly, high growth of coarse sage, some
times Of the height Of ten or twelve feet
usually, however, Of about three or foul
feet; plenty Of cactus, or prickly pear,
different varieties, lizards innumerable
mostly of breed some twelve or eight.
cen inches in length, and sage hens, the
latter the only good thing where sage
predominated except the oasis Of grass
scattered in its midst, plentifully at first
but towards the last very scarce, causing
US on some occasions drive Of thirty OF
thirty five miles day to obtain food foi
our stock. Tho soil seemed extremely
poor to me, but have heard since that
when irrigated it becomes very rich and
productive. II is full of alkali. or wha
is known to us as sal-soda.
| had almost forgotten TO mention oui
having passed through large city willis
in the prairie country city without q
name, but which from the fact of III
streets being all at right angles | sup
pose might be properly named "New
Philadelphia" But no, upon invostiga
ton into the character Of its citizens,
fear the sppellation Of 1.-THE City o.
Brothcrly Love" would not we'll apply
The population WINS not dense, to be sure
nor the houses crowded, for there wal
but one dwelling 10 lot and each lot o
an area Of about fifty feet square. Thcs'
dwellings were invariably erected (dul
out and the dirt from within deposited il
a semi-circular pile in front Of each hole
in line due north. south, east and Yves
with each other. The emigrants aheac
Of US had played smash with good por
ton Of the city, and had destroyed no
only their dwellings but the deuizen
themselves, as we saw numbers Of thcs'
poor little psairie dogs lying dead in on
way, where the houses were still undis
turbed. We could descry, as we ap
preached, many Of the little fellows eithe
pcrched upon his little pulpit-shapc'
dirt pile or with his head pokcd above
protesting vohcmcntly with sharp
scrcccby bark, against any further mo
lestation Of their ancient, solitary reign
SO, doubtless, too would have joined i
this protcstation the hundreds Of tin
sized and pretty featbered owlets, sittin
sometimes by themselves upon these lii
tie dirt piles. and sometimes in compan
with the prairie dog proprietor thereof
IL tho time " day had been when tll