Year: 1872

strange lnlng tnat In sea voyages


where there is nothing to be seen but


sea and sky men usually make diaries


while in land travel where there is 81


much to see they commonly omit


them. Perhaps nature on land tells &


story so strange, or so interesting, thai


we hate to interrupt her or to attemp


retelling her tale; at least something


of that sort is felt by one who travel:


among the Rockies.


In looking back from this point


one only has pleasant memories of the


States that we crossed in the great


valleys ofthe Mississippi andMissourii


nor do they seem far west or "out oi


the world" at all. Of course we saw


long miles of strong rolling land in


Iowa that was untouched By man,


and some sod houses in Eastern Ne


braska looked rather rough, but then


nature sends from the eastward an


unbroken smile to them, and the day
is not far off when the eastern and


western extremes Of our great valley


will be near together in more senses
than one.


From Western Nebraska onward
one has a different feeling. There is
a sort of charm as we for the first
time-looking over the dreary ridges
and stretches of half-clothed sand
catch sight of the Black Hills and
Longs Peak, and the wavy crests OF
other far off ranges; but still We feel
that the utter silence and absence of
life is appropriate, and the desert
ought to be left TO oppress its own self
with lOnesomeness undisturbed.-
Wyoming Territory holds Yellow
Stone Lake and all the wonders that
surround it; it also contains Ere
mont's Peak, the highest point in our
country. We were told that there
was good pastursge in Laramie Plains
and other good points in other places,
but as we skirted the southern edge
on the o. P. R. R., we felt that ii
might as well have "gone the whole
thing" and been a Sahara.


Coming down Echo and Weber
Canons one sees brave rocks that
make scenes grand and wild. and at
the end you wind pleasantly out into
the quiet valley Of Salt Lake. Far
up and down these adjacent valleys
the Mormons have built homes of
comfort; it has been a matter of
necessity and not choice, however,
for once having got here they couldn't
get out, and they were compelled to
work out fruitful fields or starve. The
soil often seems Of very moderate
fertility, but skillful irrigation brings
out crops. AS to climate and scenery
we commend this valley. One may
travel far and not find the health and
real good feeling that little summer
rest may give here. .f-.


In the tabernacle at Ogden we had
the pleasure Of hearing an Apostle
and seeing Brigham Young. The
large adobe building was crowded
with jealous saints and the doors were
surrounded with inferior looking wo-
men with babes in their arms, but we
made out to hear that although this
valley was not favored by science and
wealth, it had spiritual favors enough
to more than make up. When we
the material that has been
worked upon and some leading cir
it is perhaps not hard to
understand the success of Mormon
ism. In an age without steam it
would have been far more successful.


At Corinne we left the railroad and
rolled northward by day and night
alternate clouds of dust and
in western stage coach.
after leaving the Bear River
we lost sigh. of even the three cabin
frontier "cities," and the low log sta
bic and hut rooted with dirt where
our horses were changed each two or
three hours, were all the habitations
we saw. There were mountains far
10 our right and left hands, and there
we're valleys where cattle might feed;
here were places where, by careful
irrigation, some crops might be raised,
out as a rule, Eastern Idaho is fear
'ully dry and desolate. Our wet and
Try bulb thermometers frequently
Itood 80 degrees apart, giving some
dea of the dryness of the air. Along
he Snake River we rode over long
stretches of basalt, the remains of old
Toleanic overflow, which present
many interesting phenomena to geol-
,gists. .. .-. |


We were glad to cross the noun
aims again and find in Montana
water flowing to the Atlantic. The
Hills and valleys looked better, and
oon we found in the gold region a
ife that was busy enough. Quartz
mining is quite common and will
be chief, but at present il
las much uncertainty and placer
mining has given thus far the mass
f metal. We saw men in long rub
'er boots washing down hills and |
caring up valleys; some get well
aid and some do not. As the Irish
nan says of this gold dust, it takes a
ood deal 20 make little. There is
ort of freedom and sOciability here
bat is very attractive, but it doesn't
axe long to see that there is a general
un of sharp bargain driving and
eartless swindling which it would
e difficult to surpass. Until young
lan has firm principle and fixed
urpose in his life he had better stay
last; there are too many Of the other
ind here now.


At last we are eamped on the east
,rk of the Gallatin river, and we are
eady to pass through a single canon
ito the valley of the Yellowstone
nd up to the Geyser basin. To DIR.
Tayden for the position that he has
, kindly given, and to Hiram College
II the leave of absence granted so
eely, 1 am truly under great obliga-
o,s Tt vuouId he iuonorsibIa IN soc /