The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1921-11-03
Emerson Cooper Writes
An Interesting Letter


dogs and sheep included.
Sept. 1st at $3.50 we left camp
and drove through Red Desert,
past the Blazon Coal mines which
were shut down. We found good
roads until we reached a place
called Point of Rocks where we
struck a stretch where we could
only go from to 10 miles an hour
and alkali dust so bad you could
hardly see, and the ruts so deep
it was hard to touch bottom. Our
friend Mr.. Keller broke an axle
just past this point in a heavy
sand road and had to be towed to
Rock Springs, a distance of twen-
ty miles. We went on ahead and
camped at Rock Springs to wait
for him, and was there the next
day until one o'clock. Rock Springs
was the dirtiest, poorest looking
city we found on all our travels,
but very busy place, and hard
to rent a place in which to live.
Coal mining is the big industry.
Sept End, when we left Rock
Springs we only drove 80 miles to
Green River, where We waited for
Mr., Keller, as he was still wait
ing for repairs on auto. Green
River is a place about the size of
Yale, and is a beautiful place. 1t
received it's name from the color
of the river which was called See
da-ka-dee by the Indians, which
means green river. The clear
mountain water flowing over
green shale imparts a beautiful
green color from the lightest to
the deepest tints, according to the
depth of the water. This 80 mile
drive was a grand one, through
mountain country. We camped at
Palisade Park which is very pic
turesque place, with the Green
River on one side and mountains
on the other. Had rain in the
evening and was very cold at
night.
Sept. 3-Had to wait until 10:30
for the roads to dry a little before
we started, so we only drove dis
tance of 70 miles, when we ran
into another heavy rain storm at
400 p. M, so we pitched our
tent at camp ground in a small
place called Fort Bridges, an old
trading post in 1843, and a mill
tary post on the old overland
trail in 1853. Some of the old
buildings still remain. This night
We nearly froze. When | woke
up in the morning | was so stiff
with the cold could hardly bend,
and the rest of the campers were
the same. Had to start a fire in
the gasoline stove, and when the
sun came up, between the two We
got thawed out. One camper said
it froze ice q of an inch thick.
This was the morning of Sept. A,
and as the roads were very mud
dy we had to wait unit. near noon
before we could start. They are
not clay-they call it gumbo, and
by gumbo it is sure slippery dope
to travel on. 1t is like trying to
climb a creased pole.
We drove about "a miles that
, day and it was al! muddy and slip
perry, but about ten miles of this
was through Echo Canvon. and
, the scenery was so beautiful it
made us forget the roads. 1t was
one Cf the finest sights of our trip
/ tho moutains on our right were
of the most wonderful colorings,
/. and cp the left Nil covered with
D green. AS VIC pa-scd out of the
canyon we drove through . beau
tiful valley of fine farms, saw
r lots of horses, cattle and sheep,
) also fine alfalfa and wheat fields.
: 1t camp at 1880 on the fair
: = DunGs at Coalville. Cold night,
!, ,; not as bad as the night before.
) assed the Utah state line at
: a p. M, Sept. 5th. A beautiful day
!. but we only drove to Salt Lake
City, distance of 40 miles, the
h first 20 miles being up and down
e grade, through fine farming coun-
a try, then down grade for the other
e 20 miles, all the way through
e Farley canyon, another grand
sight, and fine road. Arriving
d at camp grounds at a p. M. we sci
{ up tents and then drove to the
capitol building and museum. The
d capitol building is beautiful
s structure, only completed about
d two years. In the museum they
/, had a great many old relics of the
r early Mormon settlers, wagons
q furniture. pictures. etc. From