Los Angeles herald., 1890-04-07
Hixson Nearing the End of
His Long Pilgrimage.
He Gets to the Heart OF the
Sierra Nevada Mountains.
The Days of Old, the Days OF Gold,
the Days of 40.
The Carson River With Its Grass ana
Fish, and the Scaling of the Sierras
Told Today.

Today in his diary j. Nj. Hixson gets
nearer his journeys end, coming into
the heart of the Sierras, as follows;
Our camp today was on the bank OF
the Carson river under the shade of
some large cottonwood trees, the first
trees we had seen large enough to form
a shade in 1 100 miles. The Carson was
about three rods wide and couple OF
feet deep, water clear and pure, grass
very fine, known as bluejoint, sweet and
nutritious. As night came on the soft
fresh breeze came down from the Sierra
Nevada mountains, a luxury to tired
men and animals after constant tramp
for weeks over parched plains with suffo-
eating alkali dust and digging out mired
animals or fording swollen streams, etc.
etc. 1t is impossible to describe the
feelings produced by such change.
Men were seen to rush up, half crazed
with thirst and hunger and embrace
those noble old trees and weep as
children, and bless God for their deliver
ance.
In due time the Tennessee boys got
their wagons through and joined us, but
their stock was too jaded to continue, SO
it was decided we would push on, and
. they would follow as soon as their teams
were suffi GENTLY recruited.
Those fellows with OK teams and those
with large wagons and young mules,
that we had seen by the thousands in
the fore part of the trip, having traded off
their stock at the various places along
the road-mostly at Salt Lake-fOr fresh
animals, on which they had placed a
small amount OF provisions, were now
coming in droves, and the question was
would they not get all the desirable
claims in the diggins if we did not hurry
up.
On Tuesday, July oath, we pulled out
at 7 a. m., travelling part OF the time in
the bottom and part of the time over the
high lands, where the river runs through
rocky cailons. After travelling twenty
three miles we encamped in beautiful
cottonwood grove, with plenty of grass,
wood and water.
July 25th we started early, as we
understood we had desert OF twenty
five miles to cross, and it proved very
trying one, as much of it was sand; not
like the one we had just passed, but be-
tween the sand and soft earth, inter
spersed with loose stones, it was hard
days travel. When we reached the
river there was no grass, so we had to
tie our animals to the wagons.
July 26th we started by sun-up, with
out breakfast, and travelled some dis
tance. We came to the river, where we
found fine feed and delightful spot
amongst grove of cottonwood trees.
We remained until p. M, and then
drove up the river eight miles to a most
delightful camp amongst the trees, with
fine feed-the blue-joint grass. This
grass is different from any we had seen
in any other place until we came to the
Carson river. 1t was from twelve to fif-
teen inches in height, very sweet and
nutritious. The mules soon fill them
selves, lie down and get good rest dur
ing the night.
Such camp to us was great change
from what we had experienced for the
past two months. To be in the midst
of grove of trees destroys that feeling
of isolation and desolation that possesses
one when all around is a barren waste
without a tree-rocky mountain sides OF
sagebrush plains. The moon was full
and casting her rays through the
branches of the trees on the clear water
as it rippled over the pebbly bottom
the river looked like a stream of silver
The scene was grand beyond a pei
picture 1t would have been fine sub
ject for painters brush. AS we lay
there, famed by gentle breeze as i
swept down from the snow-cappet
Sierras, as gentle as a mothers touch
we forgot the hardships OF the past, an(
lulled by the rustling leaves fell into
gentle, refreshing sleep, to dream OF tn
shining gold beyond those mountains.
July 29th we made an early start
travelling over roads alternating between
good and bad.
We came to the first rivulet fiowin
from the mountains across our road int
the Carson river. 1t was beautiful
stream, not more than 219 feet wide an
about is inches deep, but the fall bein
very great it carried large amount G
water. We encamped, travelling 2
miles, About quarter OF mile to Ou
right the mountains arose very abruptly
At the base was abundance OF pine tim
Der, from which we secured supply c
dry wood. This was brought into cam
by attaching lariat around the log an
the other end of the lariat around tn
horn of the saddle and the mule dragge
it. On the bank of the brook where W
crossed was clover that almost hid tn
animals. We were some half mile froI
the river and perhaps 200 feet higher
Away to the south and west was vale
from 10 to 20 miles wide that presente
a sea of the finest feed had ever seer
untrod by domestic animals. By accls
nation this was pronounced the mos
delightful spot we ever beheld. Tn
Carson river here, like much OF tn
Humboldt, was fringed with Willows
In these the Indians made their wickiuI
when they come down from the higf
lands to fish. While we did not fea
them or apprehend any danger, W
kept far enough away from the brush s
they could not reach the mules wit
their arrows they had no guns--consi(
erable stock was lost by getting near tn
brush, when the Indians would lam
them by shooting into their legs, an
when left they would kill and ea
whether OK or mule.
July 28th we started at 5 a. IN.
travelled near the base OF the mountain'
crossing number of beautiful stream
coming from the mountains. The mour
tains were very steep, hundreds OF fec
high and almost perpendicular. A fe'
miles from camp we came to some nc
snr;poo tho unitad waters forming