Morning journal and courier., 1889-09-04
ACROSS THE CONTINENT.

ACROSS THE CONTINENT. Notes Of a Now Haven Travellers
 Rapid Overland Journey-SiEhts In
 wyomiDg-scamperi Jack Rabbits
 Away Through Utah-Bfg Fleios
 of Waving Grain-On Co Ogden-
 Mormons and Gentiles-Thc Greet
 snlt Lakc-Q uotations From Frowde
 and Prom an Unknown-New Haven
 Red Men-Given Some Points-Over
 tho sierra Nevadas-Arrival m tho
 Golden stato-The City of the Ang-
 els.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 We wake on Sunday morning to find our- selyes at Evanston, Wyoming with strange rock foundations and tall mountain peaks on either side. It has rained during the night and the clouds yet hang on the mountain tops while light feeoy vapors float between them. Jack rabbits are scampering through the sage brush, disturbed by the noise our train makes. Passing small town we notice on one of the buildings this sign "Z. M. O. l., of Morgan City" and asking the meaning of the cabalistic letters are told that they mean Zion Municipal Cooperative Institu- ton by which token we know that we are now In Utah. Soon we enter fertile valley well timbered, with corn fields, ripened grain in stacks and again the daisy greets us. Here the sun bursts through the clouds and lights up the mountains across the valley and the light and shadow with the cloud effects make picture only to be realized by being seen and which our pencil cannot portray. The ride from here to Ogden is rich in moun- tain scenery, but before we reach there a series of short whistles means cattle on the track and looking from the car window as we round curve we see the herd scamper- ing ahead, all but one COW which stands motionless, and the next moment the poor creature Ia hurled one eide and down the ems bankment some three hundred feet to the level below. Next we see couple of fisher men by the brookside, but we know from observation In former years that your fisher man is Sabbath breaker be he Mormon or Gentle. At Ogden our sleeper is transferred to the Central Pacific, which will haul us to Sacramento, Cal, again we set our watches back m hour to correspond with "Paci6c time," our tourist friends are taken by the Central Utah Railroad which will carry them to Salt Lake City, and from there the Denver and Rio Grande will run them through the finest mountain scenery in the United States.
 Soon after leaving Ogden we get a glimpse of the Great Salt Lake, whose blue waters are outlined by the gleamiu9 crystals from which 1t gains it's name, and now we are on the great American desert. Bret Harte's description comes forcibly to our memory
 "Just look about you; alkali, rock and
 Zen. Sage brush, rock and alkali; aint it Q
 pretty page"
 The English historian, Froude, who visited this country year ago, is said to have re- marked of this region where the sun beats down fiercely in the summ mer, and the pierc- ing winds sweep the rest of the year, that it reminded him of tho Spaniard's description of Cas.ile-''Nine months winter and three months h." But before Froude's visit we remember the inscription said to have been found nailed to the door of miners deserted cabin
 stNo timber.
 Ten miles to water,
 Ten feet to h--
 God bless our home"
 We are favored to-day in that the sun is clouded most of the time and the rain has laid the fine, penetrating alkali dust, so that ventilators and windows remain open and we are not compelled to swelter. It is no unusual thing for the temperature in the closed cars, when making this days run, to reach no degrees.
 All day we run through the desert, and the next morning we awaken at Reno, Nevada, and soon we are at Boca, Cal. Here and be- yond at Truckee we see many Indians, for this ia one of their reservations, genuine ''Red Men" with moccasins, blankets and the whole outfit, not excepting aquaws, papooses. ponies, tepees, lodge poles and all. The braves of Hammonassett tribe, however, would find 1t difficult to hold a clambske here, though they might get corn-(ed),
 At Truckee we see the district of the town which was recently burned. We take on another locomotive here to help pull us up To the summit of the Sierra Nevada noun. lains, 7,017 feet high. Near Summit, sta- lion with summer hotel, we see at intervals through the snow sheds glimpses of Lake Donner, beautiful blue sheet of water nestled in the valley below us. We are told t takes its name from Lieutenant Donner, who was taking party across the mountains la 1S49 and that they all were massacred on he banks of the lake by the Indians. An- other stoly Is that family of that name lived here and perished of starvation during the very deep winter enovs. We do not know which tale ia correct.
 From Sumnit we run down through miles of snow sheds till we reach Dutch Flat on he south fork of the American river. Near lere on the north fork was the first dIscov- ny of gold in 1S48, which led to the emigra- | ion of the gold seekers in 1S49. We are in- ormed that at Dutch Flat the miniug con- ,any took out fourteen millions of gold last 'ear. From our car window we can over ook the whole region and see the evidence of he work that has been done in mining; hills everal hundred feet in height, having been washed entirely down by the hydraulic pro- sss, and the big sheet Iron pipes, which car y the water, are plainly visible.
 We see tall pine trees, placer mining, saw hills, leo sheds, ran around the peak called Jape Horn, with the mountain looming up ,bove us and the clouds, and the American liver down steep precipice about a thou- 'and feet below us. And down, down, down 10 Sacramento, which ia put thirty feet ele- vation from the eea. And many a mine we tee and prospector's tent, all telling that faith in the Fl Dorado of the United States continues:
 .0h the days of old,
 The days of gold,
 The days of A9."
 At Sacramento we bid good bye to two kindley companions of our journey, Lieu tenant Carl Junger, U. S. navy, and MT. A tax VOuno ba head nf ba Houplt1lr,