The Great West- its attractions and resources. Containing a popular description of the marvellous scenery, physical geography, fossils, and glaciers of this wonderful region; and the recent (14781751472)

Identifier: greatwestitsattr00brod (find matches)
Title: The Great West: its attractions and resources. Containing a popular description of the marvellous scenery, physical geography, fossils, and glaciers of this wonderful region; and the recent explorations in the Yellowstone park ... by Prof. F.V. Hayden ... Also, valuable information to travellers and settlers concerning climate, health, mining, husbandry, education, the Indians, Mormonism, the Chinese; with the homestead, pre-emption, land, and mining laws
Year: 1880 (1880s)
Authors: Brodix, Charles R., (from old catalog) pub Hayden, F. V. (Ferdinand Vandeveer), 1829-1887
Subjects:
Publisher: Bloomington, Ill., C.R. Brodix
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation



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christened the spotPapilion. The name remains, but the men have gone. The PlatteRiver is over three-quarters of a mile wide, with an average depth ofsix inches, in which the old emigrants, as one told the writer, dared nothalt or tarry in the crossing, for fear of sinking so deep in the treacheroussand as not to be extricated. The rapid settlement of this valley by athrifty and industrious class of people makes the wilderness to blossomas a rose, and the thrifty towns springing up all along the line of theCentral Pacific Railroad give token of prosperity. Oftentimes at night can be seen the prairie-fires so dreaded by the emi-grant, yet so grand when seen from the car-window as they sweep overthe plains. THE PLAINS, which extend through Nebraska, are familiar to all persons who madethe journey or read of the travels of emigrants in early days. We passthe old emigrant road, a trail drawn across the continent, like thetremulous writiug of a death-warrant when Mercy holds the pen, and 83
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DONNER LAKE, FROM THE SNOW-SHEDS. THE TRIP OVERLAND. 89 we can but compare the present mode of travelling with former days.The contrast is marked. Nearly all the stations passed on the roadhave the same characteristics. They are of rapid growth, and have apopulation varying from several thousand to a score or less. Betweenthem may occasionally be seen the prairie-dog villages and herds ofantelope. Buffaloes have disappeared. The traveller rejoices when thefirst sight of the Rocky Mountains appears. Some people imagine thatthe mountains are almost perpendicular, and are surprised to find them-selves at an altitude of 6041 feet when they reach Cheyenne, having as-cended imperceptibly to that height, as the altitude above sea-level atOmaha was only 966 feet. Cheyenne is known as the Magic City of the Plain, from its rapidgrowth. In July, 1867, there was one house here; six months later therewere three thousand houses. The mountains form a massive background.At present the city is prosper