Morning journal and courier., 1889-08-31
ON THE OVERLAND FLYER.


 Through Nebrnsks-Buhalo Bills Ranch-Ot. & Kim-The As cent of the Rochics-Council Biuhs- A Patriotic Word for the Daisy
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 After two hours stay in Council Bluffs, Iowa, we take the "Overland Flyer" on the Union Pacific road and resume our journey westward to the lsnd of the setting sun. The sun, by the way has just set before we board the train, looking like great red ball and presaging clear, hot day, for the morrow. But the night is cool, a gentle breeze blow ing, and on retiring we are glad to feel the blanket over us. The porter wakes us in the morning at North Platte, Ind, and here "mountain time" begins and we set our watches back again an hour. Soon we espy in the distance north of the Rock house in olump of trees, and on It's red roof, in large white letters, we read, "Buffalo Bills Ranch," and find on entering that it Is his western home. Shortly after our first colony of prairie dogs is seen, and for the rest of the day they are countless. Now the corn fields are fewer and fewer and wider stretches of prairie appear, with grass, no trees. an ocea- sional ranch, some cattle and the inevitable cowboy on horseback. At intervals we pass through small towns, for every little cluster of houses is called town, and in one we notice on the side of store building the firm name of "Ot & Kim" We hope that the firm is not so short financially.
 These vast praries remind us of an incident told us by friend who had occasion to ride over one Q number of miles to ranch. He had only general direction and his pocket compass to guide him. At last he saw a house and on getting to 1t asked if they could tell him where Mir. = lived. ooh, yee, said the man, 'it's about two looks and 2 right smart get from hyar." My puzzled friend asked what he meant. "Reckon you're a stranger" was the reply. My friend Gal lowed" he was. 'sWal," said his informant "yer see that rise (rising ground) way beyant That's look; when ye git thar take another look and then after 70 git thar 'taint so fui as another look, but it's a right smart get. , And my friend obeyed and "got thar"
 The ascent of the Rocky mountains is easy and hardly noticeable to the casual observer Although it is a steady, upward climb, nc lofty peaks are visible on the U. F. road, the change In vegetation, however, denotes the altitude. At Cheyenne tourist train pulls in and two of their cars are attached to oul train, and with two locomotives on each train we start for the summit, eight thou sand feet above sea level. Here the Unior Pacific has erected a pyramid at least fifty feet high we should guess, and as many fee square at the base to mark the place. brief stop here while our tourist friends picl flowers and gather pebbles for memorabll and then down to Laramie, 7,149 feet alti tude.
 Council Bluffs has an elevation of ninety eight, Omaha 1,031, North Platte 3, 796 ant Cheyenne 0,050. Between Cheyenne ant Laramie we see the "snow breaks" ss tn fences are called which are built near th tracks to prevent the snow drifting over then and then run through several snow sheds But little vegetation is visible, patches o sorry looking grass, some stunted pine trees among the rocks and the wild flowers ar growing fewer The golden rod we have lief behind us, but the wild eunfower and th daisy remain and brighten our pathway. w agree with your esteemed contemporary, tn, Register, in it's championship of the daisy a our national flower. It is more widely spread over the country in it's varied colors and ha more character than the golden rod. It is half the states and territories during the pres ent year. We were West when the sprinl wheat began to appear above the surfac, of the ground the first greer which beautifed the landscape |, which all else WAS brown and bare. w have matched the different wild flowers, thu fruit trees, and all the wealth of summer blossoms bloom.and pass away, but th, white field daisy came early and the ox-eyet and mountain daisies are with us yet snt will remain much longer In some parts o the United States, and we know of no tiowel which gives such lasting and such wide spread beauty.
 The sun has disappeared and the heat oi the day is rapidly passing of. Evidently VI shall have another cool night for sleep, ane in the morning we hope to breakfast a Ogden, Utah, and post you this letter.
 OBSERVER.