The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-30
Thrilling Adventures of Utah CaVal-
rymen With Shepherds.
LAKES AND WATERFALLS
SET LIKE RARE GEMS AMONG
THE MOUNTAINS.
Exploration of a Beautiful Region
Through Byways and Bride
Paths Not Often Used By White
Men-Views Never Described In
Print Before.
Especial correspondence

|
Captain Gaines detail of cavalry
| ''sheepherders," under Lieutenant
| kimball, returned to the main camp
here last night The Herald was sent
a record of their adventures up to the
18th inst, when Sergeant Price left the
main body at Kings creek and started
back hither with seven prisoners. On
| that day the rest of us, eight remain
ing, pushed on TO beautiful camping
ground recently christened Dewey Soda
Springs. We slept that night on beds
of crumpled pumice stone, and if any
body doubts that that makes good
mattresses he's a liar as Dave Elliott
of Price would say. Above us tow
cred Pumice mountain, rent asunder
ages ago by a volcano, whose crater
yawnS there still The whole noun
tain is pumice, and all the surrounding
country is covered with the crumbled
ash Spued out from above. Just be-
low us roared the San Joaquin river
over the bOulders and down rapids, and
couple of hundred yards away bub-
bled the soda springs of delicious
water Everybody drank brandy and
soda that evening. excepting the
brandy. We used the water in the
manufacture of our supper, and it
worked we'll. Imagine beans boiled in
soda water. Near US camped a Los An
geles sport out hunting. He had a fine
gun, about 100 trout, some onions and
fishing tackle. all of which we took,
and sent him on his way repining.
Hunting is prohibited inside the park.
In our ride of eight miles on the 18th
we passed a multitude of most beauti-
full lakes, went nearby the famous
granite stairway, viewed the Iron and
Minaret mountains from a distance,
and landed near the Devils Post Pile,
a wonderful assortment of cold lava
sticks heaped in fanciful shape.
On the 18th we rode IA miles north
west to Dead Mule camp on Rush
creek We so dubbed the place be-
cause we discovered that the water
used in cooking supper was dipped
from the creek, few feet below the
decaying carcass of some poor travel
er'S mule. That, however, failed to
phaze the boys, who had got safely
outside the supper. That day we had
journeyed by Dead Mans pass. along
Agnew's meadow, near Shadow lake,
through Agnew's pass to Lake Gem of
the Mountains, a more beautiful sheet
of what than an artist could dream.
Dead Mule was our highest camp, a
trifle over II. 900 feet above sea level
1t was on the 18th inst. that we made
our star ride, from Dead Mule to Lam
berts Soda Springs, 20 miles over trails
so rough that the worst in Utah are
as portable sidewalks in comparison.
By a series of wigglings We wound
through Gem pass and fell off the
rocks down into Lake canyon, most
picturesque gulch, dotted its entire
length with CLASSY lakes of water that
drips down daily from the snowbanks
just above. For hours we toiled up
Parker mountain, till We reached an
elevation of Is, 800 feet, and then de-
seconded to the LANDER springs, whose
elevation is only $500. That day we
looked from above and from three sides
at the noted Parker glaciers, an i'm
mense area of ice that crawls down the
mountain at the rate of an inch per
year Leaving Kuna peak behind we
trotted past the head of Bloody can
yon, to the old Tioga road by Moua
pass, and then to Tuolumne meadows,
where our animals Toasted on rank
grass. Prominent landmarks about US
there were Cathedral, Dana and Uni
corn peaks For water we had both
soda springs, Dana fork and mountain
brooklets galore to draw from. That
was lucky day for us. We
had run a little short on bacon, sugar
and some other culinary necessities,
and were wondering as we neared our
destination that evening what We would
do for grub till an expected detail
should meet US in three days with a
fresh supply. Just about a quarter Of
a mile from camp we saw dust in the
woods near the road, and then band
of sheep. Two of us arrested the her
der, two others captured the bells. an
other two dressed some fat lambs and
that night we again Toasted and stood !
guard. Lieutenant Kimball nabbed an
other herder. and it happened that the
BaScO French, had exactly
what was necessary to fill our larder |
Next day Barnett, Fayle, Cannon and
I were in the saddle from sunrise to
sunset. We captured two more shep-
herds and outfits and scattered two |
more herds. The Basco French load |
all their packs on burros and turn the
little beasts loose with the focks. !
night overtakes them they
have simply to catch the dOnkeys and
there they find their kitchen. cellar, /
bedroom and even their water supply, /
for in the pack is always a big keg of
the pure and sparkling. Our Utah ac-
Iuaintances would realize how literally
we cavaliers have assumed the role of !
if they could have seen |
Billy Barnett and me that evening
driving into camp little band of
ambs to be drawn upon for our butch |
TO the herd in Basco French, went |
round them like a professional, smoked !
L cob and wore a smile of experience |
born serenity and a crop of whiskers i
hat he has contracted since he enlisted |
20 put down Spain.
We lay over at Soda Springs all day |
the 18th, waiting for provi-
;ions and word from the main camp. |
Most of the boys spent the time wash /
cIn in hn 81
With some government geological sur |
yeyors who pitched camp near us. A |
picture that will linger with US is a (
group of the troopers, among them {
Lieutenant Kimball, all stark naked,
iucl5ing in the icy water of Dana fork !
md keeping warm by washing under
,lothes on the rocks, used as wash
boards. Later they lay about the camp
ire in blankets, all their clothing be-
ng hung out to dry. Bret Harte. who
ised to roam and write all over these
ame hills and canyons, should have