Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1890-05-23
ON THE BACK TRACK.
Interesting Notes Picked up Along The
WAY.
LARAMIE, WVo., Nav l., 20.

the Sierra Nevadas, and from there TO the
top il the most interesting part of my
route. Generally. where railroads run
over a range OF mountains, they follow "A
stream or a valley. which gradually leads
up to pass ut the backbone OF the range;
but these could not Ice found here. So
the road takes 10 the mountain-slde and
i'm the little niche cut there commences
the ascent. curving in and out. crawling
thro' short tunnels here AMI there where
the projections are abrupt, rising higher
aud higher, rounding the sharpest curve
at Cape Horn, up and mp it goes till
the rocky, craggy canyon is thousands OF
feet below and | naturally draw back
from the window with the thought Of
the awful consequences il the ears should
Jump the track on one OF these short
curves. II isthe dizziest height To which
I've ever assembled IN railway ear.
Reaching the top at summit, 1,0l7 feet
above sea-level. the most prominent feat
turc presented IL tie immense snow
ttlhNs TUFTS iNl illt lNfu Aii'N htiilf w ltAaA
winter. Most of the roa Is covered with
snow-shcds, but where the blockade oc
CURED the sheds had rottcd down and
the company had failed To- replace them.
That they will have them rebuilt 10y next
winter goes without saying. The descent
~ gradual and without any striking fra-
lures, except the deep snow, to Hum.
bolt. New. which is itself l2;;5. and then
Tor 200 miles We run along at an alti-
tulc varying from that 10 $3.50 feet.
Reno, in the western part. j. the only
COOL sized town ia Nevada thro' which
the Central Pacific passes. and there are
$50 miles Of il IN the state. Ia fact the
country is almost entirely desert, being
a.kali land, covered in many places With
the white stud, resembling light fall Of
snow, and where this Is thick not YES.
tIge of vegetation exists. don't be-
heve there are a thousand acres at tilla-
bile land in sight OF the railroad. In the
eastern part saw mining camp or two
and some timbcred land, the only forests
la sight. The northern strip OF Utah
which is travcrsed by the G. L. is quite
an improvement ON Nevada which Is
undoubtedly the poorest State in the
Union, sparscly settled and really ought
never 90 have hccuaimitted
Passed over 'he Great American Des
ert. the most desolatc of all the DESC.
late sections of the West: and along
the northern end OF the Great Salt
Lake. big inland sea, SO salty aud
buoyant along the western shore that
persons bathing may almost sit upon
the water Oaly one living thing is
found in its waters-a species OF shrimp
not larger than a mosquito.
The train stopped long enough to al.
low me 10 take in the town OF Ogden,
which is having somewhat at boom
lust now. II is the liveliest place I've
come across yet. Having already pop.
ulation OF 10000 or 1000 Jbut claiming
10000, it is rapidly growing, aud being
situated in a fertile and wel-watered val
ley, where 1--we great railroads centre,
will be city some day The people are
making big preparations ior the carnival
OF Rex II, to come oil July LIST.
The crossing OF the Wasatch Noun
tains, between Utah anI Wyoming, Was
without anything worth mentioning eN
cept the Devils Slide aud Webbers Can
Won. The slide is a curiosity in the shape
OF two perfectly straight rows of rock
several feet apart, extending from near
the top 10 the foot of the mountain, the
space. between a. smoOthe as If the devi.
had been tobogganine there sure enough.
Near Evanston. in Western Wyoming.
one oi the Jour good towns I'm the Terri
tory, saw the wreck of the Overland
FLYER. the fast vestihuled train, running
from Omaha 20 San Francisco IN two and
a bali DAYS. II was caused 10y running
thro' misplaced swth into freight cars
on the siding. smashing up things gener.
ally, but strange to say killing no one
except the engineer.
The Wasatch crossed We commenced to
ascend 10 illt nfihulll' VI AlAt AVhAillfiAs
which we will cross at sherman, fifteen
miles east OF this place. Unlike the Dem
yer * Rio Grande, the Union Pacific does
not run over the Rocky Mountains prop.
er, but crosses where they break of into
high and rolling plains, and the ascent Is
50 gradual that could hardly realize on
reaching Laramie that | was $50 feet
up ia the air. Laramie is real nice
place OF 5000 or 5000 people, and bnsi'
ness seemA TO be good. 1t has several
manufactures, among them rolling mills,
Touring mills, glass works and soda
works. The Territorial penitentary is
located here. A detacting feature is
that the wind blows all the time, and in
winter makes it extremely cold and dis
agreeable. | tried to find Judge Sauiley,
49,. a1.,,l n Al mo a. lar no hoo "a =