The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-11-07

for inspection. He was the largest speci-
men we had ever seen, carrying four i'm
mense fangs aud rattles as broad as ones
finger. Along the road side were the
tracks of mountain lions, but mono APP
peaied in sight. We camped for the
night at Uncle Toms Cabin, where we
had left part of cur baggage on our down
ward trip. A shower of rain during the
evening made it nice sleeping and at an
early hour we were on the road. The
morning was nice and cool, and the
scenery grand. The fresh tracks of many
deer and one bear, could be seen in the
road, but they wisely kept beyond the
reach of our "long rangers. A bit of
strategy was played on the Professor on
this occasion. He was allowed to ride
during the morning while it was cool and
the tramp insisted on scalking. After
eleven miles were travelled and the sun
began to shine out in California vigor, he
was invited to dismount and take has turn
on foot Now this same Professor, while
not exactly bloated bondholder, looks
as if he "fared sumptuously every day,
being rather .stout." 1t would have
see him putting and plodding through the
dust for two hours and half, with the
mercury at 95o. He abused the bad trail,
groaned and wiped the Precipitation II his
friends had seen him, they would have
thought he was doing penance for the
large amount of ''strappinga he had done
on Wadsworths rising generation, during
his professional career there. Sometimes
he looked longingly at the mustang that
was being led with the baggage. But
when we tried to ride it, its protests were
very pronounced, and any one who has
ever seen "bucking" mustang protest,
has no inclination to mount it, if he has
any regard for his life and reputation.
After enjoying the joke as much as con
sistent with clerical moderation, the poor
Professor was again allowed to ride. At
noon we reached Wentworth Soda
Springs, one of those delightful clapboard
resorts, away off from everywhere. Here
man can drink the sparkling waters,
and renew his youth, sleep well and get
up and kill deer before breakfast. A
good dinner, pleasant company, and a
draught or two of this excellent water
soon brought the Professor around again
all right. BY shutdown we had reached
our wagon again on the summit of the
Serras and went INTO camp for the night,
and the Professor made war on the
mosquitoes. The next morning the joke
party. The clerical mustangs were turn
ed loose, as usual, to Craze, but when
their owner went TO harness them, he
"found them gone" Investigation soon
showed that had started for home without
driver or wagon, and as it was ten miles
before they would pass a house or be
caught by anyone, their owner started in
pursuit in an unenviable state of mind.
But you can imagine his joy after mile
of double quick, he found them quietly
grazing in pretty meadow by the road
side. A drive Of twenty miles brought us
to our old camp ground on lake Tahoe.
Here we spent a pleasant Sabbath, and
on Monday morning drove eighteen miles
| N. East, to Bonner lake, another of those
pretty sheets of mountain water, almost
surrounded by lofty mountains and full
of excellent fish. This lake has become
noted as being the place where the party
of emigrants, known as the "Donner
party" were overtaken by the early
SHOWS of 1867 and compelled to spcnd
the Winter. Out of party of ninety,
only forty eight escaped The rest having
persisted from cold and starvation. Any
one who has never read the "History of
the Bonner Party" would find it inter-
esting to do so. As one thinks of the
privations and sufferings of emigrants in
those early days, he can hardly realize
how others would dare undertake to per-
form the same terrible journey. But on,
on, they came regardless of Indians, hun
ger or thirst. Sometimes the oxen would
become exhausted and die on these deserts
or reaching the water, drink and drop
dead. Then the journey would have to
be made OH foot, across the Sierras to Cal
ifornia. The writer recently had occa-
sion to follow the old emigrant trailacros
the desert. lying between the Humboldt
river and the Corson river, and during
the whole distance travelled he was not
out of sight of bones. 1t is now nearly
twenty years since the heavy emigration
from the east, and still the bones lie here
bleaching in the sun.
From Bonner lake we came to our old
camp at Prosser creek, where the Profess
sor had caught the fish. Here we had
what the Indians call, "a big eat" The
Professor got along with it very well, till
he came to the dessert of nice peaches
and cream. Here be weakened" show
ing that tho bear meat had demoralized
him. He ate small portion, then fled in
disgust, leaving his clerical friend in pos.
StSoiOu Vi tuO WuoicS WHO buo"Ou
ability by eating all that was left One
thing has always been beyond the com
preheusion of the writer, viz (: Why min
listers always have such good appetites
and do SO much complaining about theil
stomach and liver"
The next day we reached Reno. Here
! tho tram r, Oat eoma clean clnfhin0 anf
went to meeting of the Good Templars
and the Pedagogue collected CROWD
about him as he sat on dry goods box,
took of his old white sombrero, and told
few 'bar stories"
On the following day, Aug. LIST, we col
lected our forces and started down the
Truckee for home. nothing of special in,
terest occurred during the day, till the
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