The morning call., 1891-09-28
A NEWSY LETTER.
Magnificent Sights to BE Seen
Crossing the Continent.
Graphic Description Of the Country-Its Prod
ucts and Its Future Glorious Scenery
in the Rockies.

to put b efore her readers what she sees and
hears. The route from San Francisco to
Ogden is too familiar to describe. The
lumber companies of Truckee have about
cleared the hills and mountains of all TIM
Der, but new growth Of pines now from
ten to twenty feet high, will in time replace
those that are gone. All along the route, as
far as Reno, on the banks of the river, or on
cleared places, wherever irrigation is posi-
BILE, vegetables and fruits are grown, or al
falfa and grain.
Where ten years ago a few patches of
vegetables were grown for the stoek-men
and their families to-day one may venture
to say that there are 20O0 acres in fruits, as
many more in alfalfa and hay or grain. all
OF it. however, needing irrigation. The
implanted redwood and pi ne houses. the
slab or log cabins, are all most picturesque,
surrounded by green fields OF alfalfa or
tf0urshng orchards, on the banks OF the
river bordered with cottonwood or poplar,
with sometimes six or seven long green
tinged haystacks in the background. or
fields of corn or fresh-cut alfalfa.
Rrno has NO lumber, as all the hills are
barren, but most of the valley, which is
about eight by forty miles. is under a high
state of cultivation, all dependent, again,
upon irrigation. Alfalfa is propabiy the
largest crop raised and is so cured as to re-
81
gree. The stacks, sometimes 200 feet long,
and the huge piles of green baled hay all LOOK
very curious indeed TO Californian.
There seems to be a lack of care in the
orchards, although the fruit is good and in
curry reveals no knowledge OF the dreadful
too close together. not more than fifteen
feet apart. They are only slightly pruned
and alfalfa is grown in all the orchards.
The long tedious run from Reno to Salt
Lake was not quite SO disagreeable as usual
as slight rain had fallen ard it was neither
hot nor dusty.
Salt Lake Valley reminds one strikingly
OF parts of California. especially of the
Santa Clara Valley, with his difference,
the hills Of California are here
MIGHTY RAGGED GLITTERING PEAKS,
Trusting their tawny heads skyward and
glowing with the richest cOiorS from red,
gold or purple or olive 10 gentle grey. The
great dead sea Of America lies 10 the west
Of the valley which stretches south 100
miles, and the slope from every side is to
the borders OF the lake, In the northern
end is Ogden. with its Mob Hill or Heights
on the southern slopes of the mountains
and its acres and acres of surrounding fruits
and grains.
The depot is fine, being built of red and
gray sandstone brought from the famous
Weber Canyon, twenty miles away. Very
many of its public houses are also of the
same stone and the walks are of immense
flag-stoneS. SO many streams are found in
the mountains that every town in the valley
has, besides its water supply, tne system
of sewerage, and on each side of the wide
streets a tiny stream. which in the suburbs
has wild flowers and water-cresS growing on
either side
The market gardeners or orchardists
bring their produce into town in great lum-
bering prairie schooners, with wives C?) and
children comfortably packed away inside
along with the other productions OF the
country. Every vegetable and fruit grown
in California except mats and oranges grow
here as luXuTiantly, but must be irrigated.
Good fruit OF vegetable land is worth in the
ueighboThoOd OF the towns from SO TO 500
an acre.
As is we'll known there is no outlet to
Salt Lake, but several streams flow in, one
of them being the river Jordan, from Utah
Lake, a III OSt beautiful sheet Of fresh water
twenty or thirty miles south of salt Lake,
but many feet higher. All through Utah
aTtesan wells are obtained, and it has been
proven that almost all of the thousands of
acres of waste land can be reclaimed by
a plentiful use of water.
4 scheme is on foot, which has been rec
commended by the United States Irrigation
Bureau, to reclaim the Great Desert which
lies to the southwest of Utlh LAKE. En-
glneers are now making estimates and sur
vevs 10 run the waters of the Jordan TO this
confident are Utah people of their waste
lands that they have probably paid more
attention to such subject Than any other
State in the Union.
PRICE CANYON.
In leaving Salt Lake Valley en- route
to Denver. the road runs through
Price Canyon, or tue Small Canyon
of the Colorado, and the Grand Canyon of
the Arkansas, each more beautiful and
wonderful than the other, the last one Gull
minatinG in the astonishing wonders of the
Royal Gorge Beginning at the first, all the
ties and telegraph poles are Of white oak or
pine. These trees cover the hills with a
scrubby growth because Of the high eleva-
ton-SO0O feet-but grow to large size along
the creek bottoms and valleys. In the
Price Canyon the shale hills on either side
are most brilliant the soil ranging from
brick red, yellow or black 10 dove color, and
autumn colOrs were just beginning to touch
the shrubs that lined the edge of the stream.
The dug-Out, or pine-Slab huts Of the
wOOd-ehoppeT, or Indian, lie close TO the
waters edge. Several saw-mills are in the
canyon, and the timber, when cut, is slid
down the steep guiies. which are cleared
for the purpose. The eastern end is, iu-
deed, one Of the most wonderful f0rma-
tons il is possible to find.
The stream, a portion of the Green River,
winds for eight miles, the railroad following
each curve, beneath castled walls that must
vie in splenGOr with any of the old worlds
ruined castles miles upon miles Of them.
Coal and gold and silver mines are worked,
quarres are here and there. and various
other metals and stones, marble. lime and
cement are found, while the white mounds
of the charcOal-burner or gaping digger'S
pit or great piles of burning brick
breaks the charm of the crumbling walls
The train swings out into barren valley,
surrounded by the same mighty crumbling
walls, perhaps a hundred miles in circum-
ference, and plungeS again into the narrow
rocky pass.
THE CANYON OF THE ARKANSAS,
Through which it follows fearlessly, the
madly rushing Arkansas, under Overhang-
ing rocky cliffs 1000 feet high scraggy frs
or stunted pines cling TO each rocky point.
The canyon grows narrower, deeper and
wilder, until there is no room left for the
track and il must perforce follow on over
the river. on marvel Of engineering skill,
a hanging bridge, hanging from three steel
stringers braced across the rocky chasm.
Royal Gorge it most certainly is. AT the
eastern end of the canyon the same sand
stone hills are found, and here is located
the Colorado State Prison, at Canyon City,
the inmates working in the quarrlrs. The
prison Is most unique, being, seemingly,
the gray hills carved into a massive build
ing with Octagonai watch-t0wers on either
end.
Pueblo, situated in the center of the
Arkansas Valley, is the busiest, most bus
Ting young city on the whole line. Being
in the center of one of the richest mining
districts, with iron and steel mines at Besse-
mer, a town some six miles away, and the
quarries of various GRANTEES, sandstones and
even marbles at hand, with gold and silver,
too, the steady hum OF machinery is heard
on every side, and the smoke from the many
tall chimneys of the smelling furnaces fills
the air.
As might be expected, all the buildings
Of any consequence and in fact most of the
dwellings, are OF stone. each seeming to vie
with the other in architectural beauties.
The depOts on the route are fine, being
large and of various stones and brick.
In Pueblo it is most elegant and
massive structure, being of red sandstone
aud granite, with slate roof, and tower
surmounted by griffin Of highly FURNISHED
metals lug from their own mines.
In the northeastern end of the town on an
elevation stands the pride and boast of the
whole valley-a mineral palace. Its design
is strikingly attractive. A square center
three stories high, it has on either corner a
square tower many feet higher. Each tower
is supported by four marble pillars, sur
mounted by metal globes, ten feet in dame
ter. Upon each globe the seas and the