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diff --git a/old/53043-0.txt b/old/53043-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 09cacab..0000000 --- a/old/53043-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2798 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Extracts from the Diary of William C. -Lobenstine, December 31, 1851-1858, by William Christian Lobenstine - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: Extracts from the Diary of William C. Lobenstine, December 31, 1851-1858 - -Author: William Christian Lobenstine - -Editor: Belle Willson Lobenstine - -Release Date: September 13, 2016 [EBook #53043] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DIARY OF WILLIAM C. LOBENSTINE *** - - - - -Produced by Christian Boissonnas and The Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY OF - WILLIAM C. LOBENSTINE - - - - -[Illustration: WILLIAM C. LOBENSTINE] - - - - - Extracts from the Diary of - William C. Lobenstine - December 31, 1851-1858 - - Biographical Sketch by - Belle W. Lobenstine - - Printed Privately - 1920 - - - - - COPYRIGHT 1920 BY - BELLE W. LOBENSTINE - - - - - In Loving Memory of - My Father - WILLIAM C. LOBENSTINE - - That those of us who follow after - may honor and love his memory and - live worthy of his name - - - - -FOREWORD - - -This book does not in any sense purport to be a biography. Often during -Father's lifetime, on our long walks together or during long quiet -evenings at home, he would tell of his early life, repeating over and -over certain incidents which had impressed him deeply and so—when after -he had gone we found among his papers two closely written diaries -bound in calf, telling of his trip to California and the return from -there—it seemed most natural to work over these diaries, to try to make -out their closely penciled pages and, when that was done, with as few -changes as possible, to publish these, together with a brief sketch of -his early life and a few explanatory notes, for his family, friends, -and any others who may be interested in these early experiences of one -who came seeking the best in this country. - -The construction has been left unchanged and is very suggestive of the -German, while the use of words, if at times inaccurate and somewhat -flowery, is remarkable when one considers that but three years before -he had come to this country an immigrant boy, knowing no English -whatever. He was constantly reading, both books and the daily papers -(has spoken often of how, later on, he took the _New York Tribune_ to -study the editorials by Horace Greeley), and then trying to use the -new words which he found—doubtless keeping his diary partly for that -purpose. On the whole it would seem that he has succeeded in making -his thoughts remarkably clear. Some of these are very characteristic -of him as we knew him in later years—but in religious matters he -had reacted from the despotism of a strong established church and -of a narrow-minded bigotry without as yet knowing the deep personal -religious experience which was afterwards his. As to his political -views—it is hard to believe that they were written in 1852 when they -might equally well have been expressed at any time since 1914. - - BELLE WILLSON LOBENSTINE - - - - -INTRODUCTION - - -Christian Lobenstine or William C. Lobenstine, as he called himself -later on in this country, was born in Eisfeld, Dukedom of Meiningen, on -November eighth, eighteen hundred and thirty-one. He was the youngest -in his family. The others were Theodore, Caroline, Frederic, Bernard, -Dorothea, Georgia, and Henry. They were the children of Johanne Andreas -and of Elizabeth Lobenstein. - -His father and older brothers were tanners and also farmers. Of the -brothers, Theodore, the eldest, seems to have been the most lovable, -always kind to his younger brothers and sisters. Father always spoke -very affectionately of him. Frederic, on the other hand, the first of -the boys to come to this country, was stern and rather arbitrary to the -other members of the family. These, and Henry who also came to this -country, together with his father and his mother, whose gentleness and -care he never forgot, were the only ones of whom he ever spoke. - -The earliest known incident of his life, and one to which he often -referred, came when he was about seven years old. He, with other -children, was playing by a stream near the tannery, and he fell in. -It was early spring and the waters were swollen by melting snows so -that he was carried down stream very rapidly. His friends ran along -the banks with grappling hooks trying in vain to reach him. Finally, -however, the stream ran under a bridge and here Theodore ran out and -with one of the great hooks used in handling hides in the tanyard, -caught him by the buttonhole of his vest. He was unconscious but they -were able to bring him to and carried him to an uncle who had an inn -near by. After a night's rest, they took him home, none the worse for -his adventure. - -As he grew older he became ambitious for a good education and one day -while working in the fields with his father, mustered up courage to ask -him to send him away to school, and won his consent. He studied three -years and a half at the Real Gymnasium in Meiningen. His life was one -of the simplest and hardest. He had an attic room with some townspeople -and ate his midday meal with them. His breakfasts and suppers consisted -of a jug of water and a big piece of the rye bread of the country with -butter. Once in a while, his family would send him down a ham. He kept -his cot at the window so that he might be awakened by the first rays of -the rising sun and begin to study, for he always worked hard for what -he got and was an earnest, faithful student rather than a brilliant -one. He kept, however, on the highest bench all the way through common -school and also ranked well in the gymnasium. - -After leaving school, he studied for nearly a year with a country -doctor, a relative of his, going about with him and assisting in many -ways, but developed no liking for the profession and so gave it up and, -together with his brother Henry, decided to come to America whither -Frederic had already gone. This was in eighteen hundred and forty-nine, -when a new spirit was abroad in Germany and when people looked to -this country both as a land of freedom and also as a place where one -could almost literally pick up gold and silver on the streets. At that -time it was the rule in Meiningen that upon emigrating, you forfeited -all rights and claims upon that Government and before leaving he -went to the Castle and signed papers giving up all rights of German -citizenship. He left Germany with the definite idea of settling in -the United States, making it his permanent home and becoming a part -of this new country. From the first, therefore, he chose to associate -with Americans and to use the English language rather than keep up his -German associations. - -Coming to this country from Havre to New York on a sailing ship was a -long and hard journey of fifty-three days and by the end of that time, -what with the hardships and poor fare, many of the passengers were down -with cholera. Father, among others, was taken to quarantine, which -was a very different place from what it is now. While many were dying -in the hospital—and he was taken to the ward where all the very worst -cases were—he did not believe that he was very ill or going to die. -Watching what was going on he saw them take one patient after another -and dump them into a bath without changing the water and finally they -started for him. This was too much, and he jumped up and ran back into -another ward where the less serious cases were. Here they let him stay -until he was able to leave the hospital. He had expected to find the -people of this country living in great ignorance, and came expecting -to teach, but he was adaptable and finding that such services were not -required from him, a young immigrant lad, he quickly turned to other -things. - -He went first to Wheeling, where his brother Frederic was in the -leather business, and worked for him about a year. Then he took to -steamboating on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. During the next two -years he was first cabin boy and later steward and had many stories to -tell of his various experiences. Once the steamer upon which he was -steward—through a mistake in signals—struck another amidships and cut -her in two. Fortunately, the few passengers on board were saved, before -she sank. Another time, as he went into the kitchen to give an order -to the cook, that individual, more drunk than sober, proceeded to grab -up a carving knife and run Father out of the kitchen. There was much -gambling at poker on these river steamers which Father saw constantly. -Also much crooked work. One day a man left the table and asked another -to take his hand for a few moments. This fellow lost some money and -wished to repay it, but was not allowed to. So the others gradually -drew him into the game and cleaned him out. Another time a man gambled -his all (he had come on board with a good pile of money) and when he -lost he grabbed up his money bag, ran to the deck of the steamer, and -before any one could stop him—jumped overboard. Whether he reached the -shore no one knew. Probably, however, he was drowned in the turbid -waters of the Mississippi. These incidents, together with what he saw -while in California, always gave Father a strong prejudice against -cards, which he associated almost inevitably with gambling and all its -evils. - -After two years of this life, he decided to seek his fortune in the Far -West, and his diary tells much of these days. A few other details of -which he spoke may however be of interest. - -The emigrant party as it started from Pittsburgh consisted of -about forty men and ten wagons. They shipped their wagons down the -Mississippi and up the Missouri to St. Joseph where they bought forty -oxen. In Father's wagon was Captain Speers, a river pilot with whom -Father had worked while steamboating. He was a farmer's son who knew -about cattle. There was also a business man named Logan from Allegheny -City. He was a strong Christian man, the only one in the party who -carried a Bible and his life and death (for it was he whose death is -mentioned in the diary) made a profound impression on Father. One -evening as they sat at supper, Logan put down his cup saying, "I don't -feel well," and went into his tent to lie down. There was a doctor in -the party who did what he could, but the next morning at four Logan was -dead—of cholera. They buried him there on the prairie, wrapped in a -buffalo robe with a mound of stones over the grave and sent the little -Bible back to his wife. On this whole trip Father was the cook for his -mess and he has always claimed that he made a splendid one. The men of -each wagon seem to have camped together and had their own mess. When -night came the ten wagons were arranged in a circle—the tongue of one -against the back of the next—and after the cattle had been allowed to -graze till midnight, they were corralled within this circle. - -Father's mates while mining were Captain Speers, McElrey, and Evans. -Their camp was back in the mountains quite close to the border of -Nevada, with Sacramento as their nearest city, where they went for -supplies. Their claim was located several hundred feet above the level -of the creek, so in order to get water they had to go back into the -mountains fifteen miles. They had a surveyor survey the line and then -these four men, not one of whom was a mechanic and all but one town -bred, went to work to bring down water. In the first place they built -a dam. Then they brought the water down hill and in one place bridged -a valley two hundred feet wide. Their form of mining was called gulch -mining. They built flumes or long boxes with enough fall for the water -to run slowly and into these they dumped the pay dirt. The water would -wash away the earth while they stood and tossed out stones, etc. -Finally, after running through several boxes, the earth was all washed -away, leaving only the heavy gold, which was collected by quicksilver. - -The men worked in this way for three years, making no strikes and -averaging about five dollars a day. Then Father and Speers sold out -their claim and went to a large camp, Camp Secco, Dry Creek, it was -called, and went to merchandising. They bought mules and a wagon and -brought in from Sacramento the usual goods necessary to miners. After -two years, the captain went home to his family. Father hired a man -and kept on for another year, after which he sold out and came away, -having accumulated six thousand five hundred dollars, the beginning of -his fortune. He was in California from eighteen fifty-two to eighteen -fifty-eight. His mates were sober, hard-working men. They made no -wonderful strikes and what they got was by hard work and perseverance. - -There were many robbers and desperadoes about, and Father made one -dangerous trip. He had left the few schoolbooks that he had carried -even out to California miles away with some people he knew, and one day -when it was raining so that he could not work his claim decided to go -after them. He took a mule and on several occasions had to swim swollen -creeks. Finally, night came on, and he was caught in the hills alone -where many a man had disappeared never to be seen again. However, after -wandering about for hours in the darkness and in growing terror, he -reached his destination at two o'clock in the morning. - -Before leaving California in eighteen fifty-eight he was naturalized in -the San Francisco court and ever held his naturalization papers as one -of his most prized possessions. - -His diary tells of his return to the East and his choice of Leavenworth -for a home. Here he went into the leather business as the one of which -he knew most and with his later life and business success, we are all -familiar. - - BELLE WILLSON LOBENSTINE - - - - -I - -EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY - - -Among the great many opinions expressed regarding usurpation of the -government or despotism, one attracted my attention and agreed so much -with my own sentiment that I could not but pay due merit to the moral -truth of it. Despotism is despicable in its perpetrator and at all -times a disgrace to human beings, depriving them perforce of their -inalienable rights and their moral esteem for themselves and bringing -them down on common ground with slaves. Although as just mentioned, -despotism is at all times disgraceful to both sides we ought to pity -those beings more who got their power as an inheritance than hate -them. Who would and can deny that the early trainings of men lay the -foundations to their further field of action? Therefore, when princes -become the heirs of absolute governments, who can expect them to act -differently than the Southern man does to his slaves? The latter, -who was brought up among the family of mankind, and has accepted -principles common to them, is much more to blame for his tyranny than -a sovereign who was raised alone isolated from his fellowmen by a -belief in his divine origin and who never imagined, therefore, nor -ever dreamed of the least equality with mankind. If Napoleon was great -as conqueror, he was equally despicable for the misuse he made of the -confidence entrusted in him by the people, and instead of perfecting -the rights and liberties of the nation, he cheated them of these very -objects given to his care and usurped the government. Napoleon knew -how to play the deceiver well enough to keep the people in their happy -dreams. He knew how to flatter them by giving them all visible power, -but he showed by his future way of action that he only played the -hypocrite and that his outward course only served him to attain his -inward higher object which was nothing short of grasping the nation and -enslaving his own countrymen, as all other nations, which were possible -for him, he conquered. Looking back from the point we started and -considering once more both hereditary despots and usurpated despots, -so will we certainly not think so hard of one who has got that power -by inheritance, or who was raised from infancy to this sole object of -keeping the people down, in poverty, and slavery, as of a usurpator, -who has imbibed principles of liberty and equality, sympathises with -his brothers, and becomes then their flatterer, and by abuse of -his mental faculties and moral sentiments, with a happy change of -circumstances, their master and commander. - -It is the great political question at present, if America is bound -by the treaties with the foreign sovereigns to abstain from helping -the poor, downtrodden and oppressed people of those countries to -their attainments of their inalienable rights. It is true that at -the time when our constitution was made, our forefathers or rather -their representatives in Congress, made a contract with the European -princes to observe neutrality in their affairs, and declared therefore -it to be the duty of this government for its own dignity as well as -for the honor of the nation not to send any help to Europe, but to be -free from doing such an illegal act. America being, however, the most -liberal, and by that the most powerful government in the world, if -it is her duty to stick to the act which our forefathers have made, -there is still the other side of the argument to consider, to arrive -to a proper result. Justice is the first law of nature and as all -of us expect to get justice done from our neighbors, and especially -the government we have chosen out of our minds, so humanity demands -to see our brothers, however distant, equalized in the same way. The -consistent law or the laws on which societies are framed, and reared -up to developed bodies, are of various kinds, devised principally by -our philanthropists and philosophers and legislators, for the best of -the parties concerned. Their origin, however, being of human intellect -and moral sentiment, can be only as following out very narrow sources, -limited in their consistency with human happiness. Laws which are the -most beneficial influence upon a society under certain circumstances -and times, may be quite the opposite, with another united body, under -different physical and moral conditions. Times and circumstances, -therefore, cannot be suited to laws, but the latter need to be in a -harmonizing cooperation with the former. If, therefore, our forefathers -made laws or what is the same, the Constitution, they could not at -that time, establish or devise such as should stand for all times -but only for themselves and for their own generation. If Washington, -John Adams or Jefferson, made treaties with foreign despots, it was -for various causes arising out of their own at that time yet feebly -maintained independence. But times have changed, out of that spark of -freedom which fell among the population of this continent has come a -powerful government, illuminating, with its might, the whole world, -and whose physical powers are sufficient to crush all enemies to dust -and raise downtrodden, oppressed and dishumanized mankind and brothers -up to their by nature determined position of equality and fraternity. -As maintained before, the exhausted position of America, which only -could follow so great and sacrificing a struggle as that of the war -of independence, obliged our forefathers to make friendly treaties -with the foreign powers, to avoid if possible another blow upon their -rights and liberties maintained so gloriously with England. But what -is our strength at this moment? Are we still so feeble? Still so -dependent on beings who are the scourge of mankind and deface the earth -with cruelty and tyranny? We all certainly will say no. All will say -America is no more dependent on anybody but themselves and nature's -laws. Politics and love to live forced legislators to treat friendly -with despots and now this voice of justice and humanity calls them to -throw off this so long maintained mask of amity to tyrannical systems -and to declare themselves at once for mankind and fellowmen. The -voice of nature is mighty and omnipotent. She calls us up out of our -dreamlike indifference to honorable participation in the fate of our -fellowmen and makes it our duty to stand in defense of her laws on this -planet and home of intellectual creatures. Let us throw off then our -fastidious way of action and exert one and all of us the strength both -physical and moral, for universal happiness and so lay by this the road -to world's perfection. - - - - -II - -VOYAGE TO CALIFORNIA - - -December thirty-first, eighteen hundred and fifty-one. - -Left Wheeling on Steamer _Messenger_ for Pittsburgh, April twentieth. -Exodus to California. - -The tide of emigration for California swept me along in its progress -for the same reason as thousands of others—to appropriate money enough -by a few years' hard toil, to secure a future independency. When -first the idea of a movement to the West took possession of me, I was -wavering in the choice between California and Oregon and gave finally -preference to Oregon on account of securing a homestead at the arrival -there and to judge from the last news of the diggings better wages -than in the latter. From an inability to make up a certain complement -of immigrants I had to give up the project and go to California. I -left subsequently Pittsburgh on the Steamer _Paris_, passing Wheeling -without seeing my brother, and arrived after a week's journey down to -the mouth of the Ohio River and from Cairo up the Mississippi to St. -Louis. - -The Ohio River is formed by the confluence of the Monongahela and the -Allegheny at Pittsburgh, the formation of which place is alluvial -bottom carried down from the mountains in previous ages. It has -along its shores some of the finest agricultural country as well as -numberless cities and towns, among which we count the following as the -largest and where the most business is carried on: Wheeling, Virginia, -Marietta, Ohio, Cincinnati, Louisville, Evansville, etc. Besides -these, being all places where manufacture of all kinds is carried on, -I mention from its great obstruction to navigation, rather than its -cosmogenic character, the Falls of Louisville, with the nature of which -I am, however, too little acquainted to give particulars. A canal, -which was built years ago, to overcome this obstacle, is of so little -dimensions that the larger boats can not pass through and therefore -this has always been a drawback to Ohio navigation and a hindrance to -more progress for the City of Louisville. Several requests have lately -been made from several states to Congress for the construction of a -new canal large enough to let boats of large dimensions pass at any -time conveniently. The hills running alongside the river beginning at -its source generally slope down to its shores, having in many places -very fertile tracts for agriculture. This mountain chain proceeds -most of the time in a parallel direction with the river down to about -one hundred and fifty to two hundred miles below the falls where they -gradually descend to a level covered with luxurious vegetation in -some places while marshes extend over a considerable part of it. The -confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi is at Cairo, built on a vast -swampy and unhealthy desert which, but for its low level, would be the -central place of the United States, for merchants, around which they -would gather and from whose midst the greatest movements would emerge -and be controlled. This being, however, a natural difficulty, which no -human skill can ameliorate, that centralizing point has to move higher -up the river to St. Louis. This latter place has within the last twenty -years increased remarkably and is at present the metropolis of the -West and will undoubtedly increase in importance in a ratio parallel -with the civilization of California and Oregon. By the present tide of -emigration to the latter countries the amount of business is very much -increased. In consequence of this a great many improvements have been -made, consisting in building a large number of new expensive houses for -merchants and manufacturers which betray to every stranger at the first -look the impression of a great and industrial city. - -Leaving St. Louis on the Steamer _El Paso_, we proceeded up the -Mississippi twenty miles where we left this river to follow the course -of another great river, the Missouri. This has in its main features -a great resemblance to the Mississippi, having a chain of mountains -parallel to both its shores and being sown with numberless islands -like the former, the most of them nothing but sand carried down -from the Rocky Mountains. The hills, however, instead of breaking -off abruptly as on the Mississippi are generally sloping gradually -at a height of sixty or seventy feet, toward the river bed. The -country along the shores is comparatively little cultivated, the -constantly washing power of the water keeping back any active efforts -for agricultural improvements. A great number of quite respectable -towns are met with along the river, as Alton, Washington, Jefferson, -Booneville, Lexington, Independence (starting point for California, -Oregon and Texas) then, Kansas and last St. Joseph. The Kansas River -coming from the West, separates Missouri from the Indian Territory, -the latter still peopled by the Indians as their last and only resting -place in this country. The history of this great family of the human -race teaches us the constant progress and retreat in the pursuit of -nature's laws, the eternal relation of all things existing. This once -so numerous family of red men were the sole possessors of America, -over which they had extended in all directions, and several tribes -had reached a high state of civilization when the country first was -discovered, but as other families analogous to their own (Hindus and -Malays), they retrograded by some aberration of the laws of nature and -fell back into moral darkness and gradual disappearance from the face -of the earth. The red men, once the masters of this vast land, had to -give up their homes to give room to its present inhabitants and who -knows how soon an inevitable Nemesis will strike out their existence -from the Book of Nations? - -This territory consists of mostly fertile prairie land, of an -undulating appearance offering most beautiful fields to the observer of -nature's beauties. After six days' journey we arrived at St. Joseph, -Missouri. After our landing was made, a most active business took place -at the wharf for a few hours arising from the delivery of freight to -its respective owners. Having received our little property we put it in -our wagons and camped out about a half mile above the town in a valley -surrounded by hills and corn fields and except for a few cold rainy -days we had a good encampment and passed the time we were there in -making preparation for our long journey. - -We left camp the third day of May to proceed on our journey further -West, and after a few hours traveling not obstructed by difficulties -with our teams nor bad roads, we arrived at Duncan's Ferry where -emigrants for the West leave the United States and cross over to the -Indian Territory. The ferry being badly attended to by its owners -travelers were obliged to stop here rather longer than would be -necessary if things were put in better condition with better men -there to take care of it. We got across the river, however, after a -thirty-six hour detention and put our foot on Indian ground the morning -of the fifth, went on five miles, where, meeting good wood and water, -we struck our camp and stopped until the next morning. - -May sixth. The quiet of the night from the fifth to the sixth was -interrupted by the heavy rolling of thunder, and its darkness by -flashes of lightning. Towards morning we had a very heavy rain, which, -although it put the roads in a rather bad condition, helped the -vegetation considerably, and therefore, was of some advantage to our -procedure. On the morning of the sixth we started on our journey, and -after passing a river which is difficult to cross we ascended for the -first time the plateau this side of the Missouri. After having got up -to a height of about fifty feet above the level of the Missouri River, -a magnificent scene was displayed to our view, resembling very much -my native country—Germany. The whole ground is prairie land, running -off in slight undulations to the horizon and bounded in its Eastern -progress by the bed of the Missouri and the mountain chains on the left. - -Nature is in this territory following its gradual progress and offers a -vast land for cultivation to the natives of this and other continents. -The civilization of this territory and Oregon will raise America -to its pinnacle of perfection, both in wealth and moral efficiency. -California and the Western shore of Oregon will become a centralizing -place for business progress from which knowledge will spread out a -beacon light to all nations. - -We traveled this day about ten miles North-westward from our last -encampment and about fifteen miles from St. Joseph. Our team got along -very well and could have traveled several miles more but for driving -our cattle as little as possible the first few days, to let them gather -all the strength possible. We encamped at the left of the road where we -met with plenty of wood and water and off to the right with pasture for -our cattle. - -On the morning of the seventh after having fed our oxen and taken -some refreshment ourselves we started for our further journey. About -one-half mile from Camp we passed the Creek, on its upward ascent; -passing on about a mile further we arrived at Wolf Creek, across which -the Indians have struck a bridge, for the crossing of which they charge -the emigrants a high price. It is, however, a great convenience to -the latter, the creek being about thirty feet wide and from three to -four feet deep. The Indians, who built the bridge, have put up their -camp there. This side of the creek I ascended several hills, and -after traveling about five miles arrived at the Mission. This is an -Indian settlement, where the Indians are taught the principles of -Christianity. It consists of a few log huts, one of which contains -stores where several of our traveling companions stopped and bought -articles necessary on our journey. - -After leaving the Mission we went on about thirteen miles further, -meeting within this distance with several springs and after passing -another creek we went up to the next hill and put up quarters for -the night. This evening we bought a pony from some of the emigrants, -which, although not of immediate necessity for the journey, is a very -convenient thing to its owners. - -On the morning of the eighth I mounted the pony and rode ahead for -a few miles. I mention this as being rather something great, being -the first riding ever I did. Crossed about three miles from our last -encampment—Buffalo Creek—where the Indians again charge toll for -crossing and drove on this side the creek about twelve miles, meeting -the grave of a deceased emigrant, on which lay a live dog, probably -the only faithful servant to his master, howling away and paying the -last tokens of sympathy to him who was resting there in a lonely grave. -We stopped at the left of the road till morning, where we calculated -to lay over Sunday. However, not finding good pasture for our cattle, -we left there about eleven o'clock and proceeded forwards about eight -miles where we unyoked our teams and put up for the night. - -May the tenth. We started early in the morning, proceeding Southwest -on our road. Although the sky was clear at daylight, it clouded over -toward noon and we had one of the hard storms frequent on the plains -and exposing the emigrants to discomfort and contagious diseases. -Having driven off from the road expecting to find water and wood -in a Southwesterly direction, about two miles off, we finally met, -after having been wet all through, a creek bordered by plenty of -timber, where we put up our encampment. These were some of the most -discouraging moments we had since our start—arising from the wet and -cold of the weather, and only moral courage can at this moment prevent -moral depression. A man that had come around with us from Pittsburgh -and displayed to us the most gentlemanly behaviour, having started with -a sick family of eight little children from St. Joseph, and kept with -us up to this night, keeping up under all difficulties, was obliged, on -account of his wife getting sick, a woman of the greatest energy ever -met with, to turn back to the States. After having dried ourselves, we -took a good night's rest and started with new vigor the next morning -on our journey. We had no difficulty getting along until about three -o'clock P.M. - -About this time we arrived at a creek called Mehemahah. The descent to -the water is very steep and muddy, however of no great difficulty, -compared to what is on the other side. Here, after passing the rapid -stream, the water up to the wagon beds, we had to wade through some -of the greatest mud holes ever met with before. Several of the teams -got stuck on the other side. By increasing, however, the force, they -finally got out and cleared the road for us to pass. After having -proceeded about three miles on this side of the Mehemahah we stopped -for the night. - -It is Wednesday to-day, the twelfth day of May, and we have safely -arrived at this side of the Big Blue River. This is a very nice stream -and bordered with willow, elm and walnut and some of the oak found -on the hills. We crossed the river the next day having but little -difficulty, the river being low and the roads good. A starting house -is to be found at the ferry this side of the river where emigrants can -get what is most necessary on the journey. The country Westward of the -Blue becomes very hilly, which with the rivulets and streams between -presents a beautiful scene. The Blue River is about one hundred fifty -miles from St. Joseph and supposed to be about one-half the distance -to Fort Kearney. We have traveled since our fording of that stream -about thirty-five miles and are at the present encamped somewhere in -the neighborhood of Little Blue. The weather set in extremely cold -and stormy about midnight and not having sufficient bed clothing -nearly froze me to death. After having got up and taken our morning -refreshments, we went on to our present place of encampment. The just -mentioned stormy and extremely cold weather continued throughout the -day, which, with the dust raised off the roads, made traveling very -disagreeable and difficult. - -On Sunday last we got in sight of the Little Blue in a Southerly -direction from our present route. We did not, however, come to its -banks before Tuesday the eighteenth day, and passed up an extremely -hilly country for about twenty-five miles and left this river for the -Platte. - -We didn't leave the banks of Little Blue until this afternoon, Tuesday, -the twentieth, the misstatement previously mentioned arising from the -unauthenticity of the guide we took the respective distances from. The -parallel distance we made along the shores of this river must have been -about fifty to sixty miles. It is a very beautiful stream, much more -elevated in its beauty by the barrenness of the surrounding country. -Its water is, when at a medium stage, very clear and of very good -taste. On our passage up the river we got in view of several prairie -inhabitants as wolves, chickens and several miles off the river, -antelopes and single specimens of buffalo. - -The weather of to-day, although it was very pleasant and favorable to -our journey, caused by its continued dryness a dearth of grass and -by this, loss in the strength of our cattle. While I am writing these -remarks a change of weather has taken place, which likely will make an -improvement in the growth of the vegetation. The health of our company -has been, since our start, in a good condition and although a number -of deaths, partly of cholera morbus and smallpox happened among the -emigrants, all of us are still enjoying our vigorous health and in -general are in a good spirited mood. The frequent change, however, from -hot days to damp cold nights is sufficient to undermine the stoutest -constitution. How, therefore, we will in future this great gift of -nature—health—preserve, is not to be fixed as a definite fact. Be it, -however, understood, that a careful observance of physiological laws -can abate diseases to a considerable extent. - -May the twenty-first. We are now encamped about six miles Northwards of -the Little Blue, and although late in the day we have on account of the -rainy and stormy weather, not as yet decamped. - -May the twenty-third. It is Sunday to-day and the great bright -luminary of the day is peeping over the horizon in its full splendor, -and eternal youthfulness animating the whole creation and endowing -it with new strength and vigor. The remark so frequently referred to -by Christians that the sublime beauty displayed by the sun proved -the existence of a God, was made to me last night by a Universalist. -True, the beauty is grand and sublime, but it is so without divinity -connected with it. It is not something beyond nature but a planetary -phenomenon following the great arrangements, the great and eternal -laws of Mother Nature. No reasonable man will doubt the existence of a -great incomprehensible principle which pervades throughout all nature, -but this principle is nothing separated from the universe but is the -great whole itself which can exist only all in all and not other ways -which always was, always is and always will be, although things may be -subjected to great changes. - -We stopped in our camp a considerable part of the day, Orthodox -Christians objecting to our movement. Calling, however, a meeting, and -taking every single vote, the majority carried the motion for moving -onwards. Having arrived last night within three miles to Fort Kearney, -we made this distance in about an hour's time. The resemblance of -this place to the civilized world awakened in us a great feeling of -happiness thinking that although far, far off from home, out in a great -desert, still enjoyment was offered to the onward moving emigrant. The -fort consists of five frame houses, two for the use of the commanding -officers, the rest for the soldiers, all built in good style well -answering their respective purposes. Besides these buildings is a -church for the service of the Lord which is frequented by soldiers, -civilized Indians and passing emigrants. About three miles above the -fort, we lost, by the carelessness of one of the men, our pony. By -the hardest kind of running, we recovered it again. Nothing of weight -happened the next day. Having proceeded about twenty miles further up -the river we stopped for the night. - -Twenty-sixth. We are now about three hundred and fifty miles off St. -Joseph, encamped along the bank of the Platte here of about one and -one-half miles width and very shallow. The river is sown with small -islands all of very modern formation. They are generally over-grown -with cottonwoods, and some of the oak kind, frequented more or less -by wild geese, crows and numerous birds of smaller kind. Just as I am -writing these lines my attention is attracted by the sublimity of the -scenery around us. The whole Western border of the horizon is grandly -beautified by the setting sun which, although out of sight, still -leaves traces of its grand and sublime beauty behind, painting the -horizon with the most various colours. It is getting darker and the far -off peaks of a mountain chain which appears to follow a parallel course -with the edges of the horizon gradually disappear. Quiet and peace is -spread all over nature's garden. Many a turbulent mind is silenced by -this beautiful phenomenon, and while yet gazing at it, is sunk in -the arms of the God of Sleep, Morpheus. - -[Illustration: BIRTHPLACE OF WILLIAM C. LOBENSTINE] - -May the twenty-ninth, morning at five o'clock. We have traveled -since my last notes were put down forty miles through a very barren -mountainous country, grass being very scarce and water of inferior -character, having in it dissolved some alkali substances. The second -day or May twenty-eighth, inserting first that the day before we passed -several creeks, meeting a most splendid spring at the last, we struck -the bluffs near about the forks of the river. The bluffs which I -visited this day are mainly composed of sand, likely deposited there by -the wind in latter times. The whole bottom along the Platte is mostly -sand which in dry season on account of the violent winds which prevail -here, nothing being here to break its force, is a great inconvenience -to travelers. The Platte river bottom below and above Fort Kearney up -to where the road meets with the bluffs, is very little above the level -of its waters, varying from five to fifteen feet above that, however, -till when you strike the above mentioned point, its altitude is about -twenty-five feet. - -We met on the latter part of our journey numerous graves of emigrants -who had finished their course in nature's garden to adopt new form and -shape suiting a different object in nature. The deceased died mostly -of cholera and smallpox, more or less originating from an unhealthy -diet, bad water and exposure. Good care and observance of physiological -laws, however, as I previously mentioned, can considerably alleviate -the diseases, if not keep them off altogether, from which cause then, I -principally account for the good state of our health. - -We are now about crossing the river (the South fork of it) the forks -of which we struck a day before this. The river runs in a Southwest -direction and is about half a mile wide and very shallow, with -quicksand in the bottom. The fordage was of no difficulty to us, the -river as first mentioned being very low, and having arrived on its -opposite side we pursued our journey in a West-Northwesterly direction -toward the Cedar Bluffs. After having the day before stopped about five -o'clock at the right of the road, where we met with fairly good grass -and water, we traveled the next day, Sunday, the thirtieth, till we -reached the point where the road strikes the Bluffs which latter point -is about twenty or twenty-five miles from where we crossed the river. -Stopped about ten o'clock and encamped to rest ourselves and our cattle -for the remainder of the day, which by the hard road and great heat of -the past week was very much required to invigorate us for the future. I -read several chapters of Byron, but my mind being nearly down to zero -on account of the excessive heat, I could not concentrate my spirits -enough to follow his violent imagination. Next morning we started -early for the Bluffs. The passage of them was very hard on our teams, -the weather being very hot and the road being all sand, our wagons cut -in very deep and therefore required the hardest pulling to get along. -We descended down the other side—a terrible steep road—having traveled -about ten miles over the hills and after proceeding ten miles further -we encamped nigh the river whirl-pool. Here was a good camping ground, -dry and pleasant. - -Tuesday we started for Ashes Hollow, being about eighteen miles from -our starting place. The road led like the previous days through very -sandy regions, the parallel running bluffs offering from the sameness -of appearance in stratifications and composition very little attraction -to the passing travelers. Two miles this side Ashes Hollow, the road -ascends a very steep hill, about sixty feet above the level of the -sea, being undoubtedly the hardest hill to pass over we have met up -to this on our journey. After having got up to its highest point, the -road gradually descends into the hollow which builds with the former a -square angle. This valley is about two hundred feet wide, bordered with -rocks and fine gravel in its hollow and timbered with ash trees and -some wild roses and grapes. A cool spring, unsurpassed in its water by -any we have met yet in this territory, is to be found to the right of -the creek about a mile from where you first strike it. There we met a -kind of trading post where several articles for the remainder of the -journey for a reasonable price can be got. We passed on about two miles -further from where we left the latter and encamped for the night (June -second). - -Monday, June 7th. Last week I neglected, not being at leisure in -mornings or evenings and too much downspirited at noon, to keep up my -journal with the events as I met them, but I shall try to recall in -my memory the main objects met with. For two days after we left Ashes -Hollow the roads were bad, being very hard on our cattle as well as -ourselves. We got along, however, as well as circumstances did permit -and after passing several creeks, hove on Friday last towards noon, -in sight of Courthouse Rocks, called so by emigrants from a supposed -resemblance with the building of that name, but appearing to me, -however, more like some ancient castle than the object it is compared -with. The rock is about eight miles off the road, a very deceiving -distance to the traveler who thinks it only two or three miles off. - -Proceeding further, having the Courthouse to our left, and the Platte -at our right, the pinnacle of another rock got within the reach of our -eye. This is what is called a chimney rock from its great resemblance -to some factory chimneys. Although nearly twenty miles away it could -distinctly be seen. We traveled on to within about eight miles of it -and encamped to the right of the road, nigh the river bank. The next -morning we started early. Some of our company went on ahead to ascend -the rock. I stayed with the wagon, being not very well on foot, and -proceeded slowly on our journey. Chimney rock is about, from its base -to its apex, four hundred feet high, consisting of a low and second -platform. Upon the latter is the chimney or shaft of the rock nearly -one hundred feet high. This rock is principally composed of marl and -clay, intermixed with several strata of white cement. Joining the -chimney rock, right above it, I beheld a most beautiful sight, being a -section of rock of singular construction resembling in its appearance -very much some of the scenery along the Rhine. The whole consisted of -five rocks, one approaching the form of another smaller chimney and -giving with the rest a most grand view, just like an ancient fort of -the feudal barons on an average steep ascending hill, with cupola on -the top assuming the forms of ruins. Had I the talent of a Byron or -the skilled hand of a Raphael I might give an adequate idea of the -landscape, but as I am, even common language is wanting to give an -appropriate description. I thought it, however, romantic, and truly -felt more than my tongue may express. O what a pity it is to be -deficient of _Brain_! - -Towards evening we arrived at a trading post, about eight miles before -the pass of Scotch Bluffs, and encamped here for the night. - -Sunday, set out with a cloudy sky and rain. It soon, however, cleared -up and turned into a sunny day. We approached the Scotch Bluffs, which -we saw the evening before golden in the light of the setting sun, and -our whole attention was attracted by the grandeur of the former, still -more beautified by the surrounding country. The appearance of these -sand hills, although from far off like solid rock, has a very accurate -resemblance to a fortification or stronghold of the feudal barons of -the middle age, of which many a reminder is yet to be met with along -the bank of the Rhine. The rock itself is separated nearly at its -middle, having a pass here about fifty to sixty feet wide, ascending at -both sides perpendicular to a height of three hundred to four hundred -feet. The passage through here was only made possible in 1851 and is -now preferred by nearly all the emigrants, cutting off a piece of eight -miles from the old road. We passed through without any difficulty and -after having passed another blacksmith shop and trading post, which are -very numerous, protection being secured to them by the military down at -Fort Laramie, we encamped for the night. - -We arrived at Laramie on Tuesday evening, a day sooner than we -calculated to get there. The Fort is situated on the Laramie River, -which joins with the Platte about two miles below the Fort and about -one hundred yards below the bridge for crossing of which we were -charged two hundred dollars. The country around the fort is of a -pleasing aspect. The bluffs which surround it slope off gradually down -into the valley, through which the river of the same name winds in -the most lovely curves, whose margins are timbered with a scattered -growth of cottonwood and brush of various kinds. The Fort consists of -several caserns for the subordinate soldiers, a better building for -the captain, a powder and provision magazine, a hospital open to the -broken-down travelers who wish to stop there, a good store where all -articles a man wants in civilized countries or on the plains can be -bought. The garrison disposed here is of a small number—from fifty to -one hundred and fifty, which number although small, is sufficient to -keep down any unruly spirit among the inhabitants of the soil. After -getting a few requisite articles, we started from our encampment near -the Fort for the black hills, along which the road runs on towards the -Rocky Mountains. - -The scenery, after passing the Fort and proceeding a few miles up the -river, assumes quite a different aspect from that which we have passed -before the Fort. The monotony of the prairie land disappears, and a -varied highland scenery is offered to the traveler. The road leads -generally over the bluffs at an average height of about seventy to one -hundred feet above the bed of the Platte and in advancing approaches -sometimes towards the Southwestern mountain chain with the Laramie -Peak, whose summit is six thousand feet above the sea and covered with -snow throughout the greater part of the year. This mountain can be seen -at a distance of one hundred miles. We have first sight of it at the -Scotch Bluff, distant about that far from it. Cones or little craters -form the bulk of the mountain and give it a romantic appearance. The -Platte River above the Fort Laramie takes a different appearance from -its lower course. The low fertile land through which it runs for nearly -seven hundred to eight hundred miles to its mouth, is changed into a -highland scene. Its course is rapid and cut through the solid granite -rocks which must have taken many a century to open such passes and to -such an extent as we met in this part of our journey. The beauty of the -mountain chain is greatly increased by the scattered trees of cedar and -pine and by the interruption of numerous streams which are bordered -with a most beautiful growth of cottonwoods and other trees. - -June twelfth. We left the river about noon and ascended for the whole -afternoon up the highest bluffs on our advance. We got considerably -molested by the wind which blew right in our faces and darkened them -with sand. Meeting a spring up near the highest point of ascent we -stopped for the night. Next morning started for the descent. The -Blackhill road comes in from where the road commences taking down to -the bottom. We passed the LePonds River, at the foot of the bluffs, a -very nice stream, beautifully treed with cottonwood. About four miles -forwards on the road we passed another creek called by its red bank, -Red Bank. The whole country around is a red stratified rock of the same -kind—being iron ore. - -June fourteenth. We drove about ten miles to-day, passed several new -graves, and crossed three small creeks. Toward evening we encamped -two miles up the Little Deer Creek to rest our cattle, as well as -ourselves, and prepare for ascending the Rocky Mountains. I read -several pages of geology treating of the different classes of rocks, -their respective composition, position and the circumstances under -which the process of protrusion and stratification took place. - -The fifteenth. Some of our men killed various kinds of game on the -bluffs with which we quite prepared us a feast adequate to all luxuries -we ever had at home. - -June the sixteenth. We took a new start this morning for the future of -our journey. Leaving Little Deer Creek, we struck, after having met -with the main road, the river, along the banks of which we passed all -day and towards evening encamped within reach of it. We passed Big -Deer Creek about noon; the country around, although the stream is of -quiet romantic beauty, is very barren, offering but little pasture to -the emigrants' teams. - -June the seventeenth. This morning we started for the ferry, -twenty-seven miles above Big Deer Creek. We arrived at the river about -noon and got across again three or four o'clock in the afternoon, where -we left the other side for the bluffs and encamped about four miles -onwards on the road from the Platte. The ferry at this place is carried -on with flat boats which are fastened to ropes spread across the river. -The current carries them from one shore to the other. The following day -we started very early in the morning, ascended Rattlesnake Hills, very -rocky, and pursued our journey this day through an extremely barren -section of country, the soil being mainly sand without any good water -and grass. At Willow Springs twenty-six miles above the Platte ferry we -arrived towards evening and put up for the night. - -Not having any grass at all we started very early next morning -intending to stop wherever any pasture could be found. Meeting the -object of our wishes, we grazed the cattle for several hours. Ponds -with alkali water being about, several of our cattle got to drink, -and shortly after our start, several got to be very sick, the alkali -beginning to operate. We gave some of them fat bacon and some vinegar -to neutralize the alkali, which had the best wished effects. - -The country passed over to-day is very sandy and dry, offering nothing -hardly to the passing emigrants. The hills which range along this part -are called Blue Hills, probably from the growth of pines with which -they are planted. - -Sunday, June the twentieth. Proceeding onwards, we came to the -Indian Dance Rock, called so by Colonel Fremont in 1847. This rock -is a huge pile of granite about half a mile in circumference and one -hundred-fifty feet high. Its sides are decorated with numerous names -of emigrants who passed them since '49. The road leads to the left of -the rock along the river and crosses it about one and one-half miles -from the said rock. Five miles onwards, passing over a very sandy road, -we arrived at Devil's Gate, a precipice between the perpendicular -walls of which the Sweetwater passed. This is undoubtedly the most -interesting sight to the attentive traveler, made so by the profound -deepness of the pass and the stratæ of ancient rocks laid open to the -view of the naturalist. The rocks here are piled up in a strange chaos, -consisting of primary (hypogene) rocks turned up on their edges in a -nearly perpendicular position, intermixed with others in a horizontal -and vertical position. The descent of this rock is, on account of its -steepness, very difficult and connected with considerable danger. Too -great precaution can't be taken by explorers. The river undergoes -a fall of nearly ten or twelve feet, the water running very rapidly -in its onward bound course. The road from here leads more or less -along the river for twenty-five miles, where it separates in two, one -crossing the river and the other takes over the bluffs. This latter -road is extremely sandy and as heavy a pull for cattle as any part of -the road we have passed. Teams that have not been taken proper care of, -generally are lessened here by several of them breaking down by fatigue -and feebleness. - -Traveling onwards we struck the river and passed along it for two miles -where we ascended the bluffs again. Viewing the surrounding country, -we discovered on the edges of the horizon a very large snow clad -mountain, its summit nearly hid in the clouds, and its sides shining in -a bedazzling luster. - -June the twenty-third. Rain setting in through the night, we were -obliged to take a very early start. The alkali, with which the ground -was covered, being dissolved by the water, might, if drunk by the -cattle, have some very serious effect. Passing the bluffs, nothing -of note happened, and after fourteen miles traveling, we arrived at -the river banks, where we stopped to feed our cattle and took our own -repast. Pasture being very gloomy here, we left for our afternoon's -journey. After crossing the river we ascended a very steep hill, very -stony and barren ground, the road leading down towards the river, where -it turns at nearly a square angle, and ascends another very steep hill. -The descent here is very rapid and slopes off into the Sweetwater -Valley. Pursuing our course upwards, we met with some good pasture -where we stopped and encamped for the night. - -June the twenty-fifth. Having enjoyed a good night's rest and taken -a good repast, we started with our cattle pretty well filled for -the bluffs. This mountain, or rather tableland, about three to four -hundred feet above the level of the river or six to seven thousand -feet above the level of the sea, is principally composed of aqueous -rocks of tertiary formation, sand and gravel, which are turned up here -in vertical position, the upturned edges giving evidence of volcanic -action. The road over this rock, of course, is very stony and hard, -difficult to pass over for the cattle. We struck a branch of the -Sweetwater this side the bluffs, about fifteen miles from where we -ascended them. The weather to-day is very unpleasant, heavy and cold -showers drenching us several times. Meeting with no grass up to our -usual stopping time, we drove on till late trying to make the river, -where we expected to meet with some good pasture. At our arrival -there we found the prospects as poor as previously met with. Stopped, -however, and the next morning crossed for the last time the Sweetwater. - -The weather to-day, although the road led us through hills covered -with snow, was fair and warm, and the contrast or change it was from -yesterday, made the travelers the more sensitive to it. We arrived at -the South pass about noon and stopped to take dinner at the Pacific -Springs. The pass goes through the mountain gradually so that when -the traveler arrives at this point he hardly feels satisfied with the -reality. The country along here is extremely poor. No grass, and even -good water is scarce. The road ascends again this side the springs, -and continues hilly for about eighteen miles, when it separates in -two branches, the Mormon road going off in a South, Southwest, the -California road in a nearly due West direction. Our wagons arriving at -the fork, struck without any previous consultation with the company, -the Mormon road. Proceeding onwards we forded the Little Sandy, nine -miles off the fork and eight and one-half miles further onwards the -Big Sandy—both pleasant streams with a lovely growth of willows and -cottonwood. We encamped this side the bank of the latter stream where -there was good pasture for our cattle and all necessaries for our own -comfort. - -June twenty-sixth. This day being Sunday and one man in our company -being sick and in rather poor condition to travel, we stayed all day -and recruited ourselves and our oxen. Nothing happened throughout the -day except that several of the Snake Indians caught squirrels about -our neighborhood and paid us a short visit. Towards evening, read -several passages out of the Bible and argued about the vulgar sentiment -and language used in many places. - -Monday morning, started stout and hearty on our journey and have just -arrived again after passing over about eighteen miles of highland to -the Big Sandy. There we strike this stream for the last time and are -making now for Green River, ten miles further onwards. About five -miles from our starting point the road forks. The upper road is called -Kiney's cut off and joins with Sapplett's cut off. The lower branch -strikes the Green River, which is on account of its extreme swiftness -very hard to cross. The fording of this river is, by a good ferry -carried on by Mormons, very much facilitated. Emigrants crossing here -at the beginning of the California emigration had a great deal of -trouble to get their stock across—numbers of them lost their lives and -stock both. - -Green River leads into the Rocky Mountains and numerous tributaries are -flowing into it on its Southwesterly course where it pours its waters -into the Colorado. The river is about one hundred and fifty yards wide -and considerably deep; its water is very cold from its snowy origin and -runs at the rate of five to eight miles an hour. We forded the river -on the morning of the twenty-ninth and followed down along its banks -for eight miles in a Southeastern direction. Took then the bluffs and -traveled on Southwards for about five miles where we encamped near a -branch of the river with plenty of grass. Although snow clad mountains -bordered the horizon in the South the weather was extremely warm and -what made it still more burdensome were the myriads of mosquitoes which -molested us very much, yes extremely so. - -Next morning we traveled onwards five miles from our last camping -ground and crossed a branch of the Green River, on the other side of -which we took the bluffs, descending several times into valleys where -the river pursued his ocean-bound course. After striking the river the -last time about ten miles from where we passed the branch we ascended -again and traveled on in a Southwest direction. Meeting a small stream -of water here about five miles distant from where we left the river, we -encamped for the night. - -July first. Left this encampment after having put in a horrible night -with mosquitoes, bound for Fort Bridger, twenty miles from this spot. -The road along this distance is hilly and stony, pasture and water -scarce, scenery poor up to where we have sight of the Fort which is -located in a beautiful valley and named for this reason the Garden of -the Mountains. From here the road gradually ascends a ridge and on -the latter, about five miles this side the Fort, we encamped for the -night. Cedar trees growing spontaneously here, we had plenty wood for -cooking use and good pasture for the cattle. - -The road from now covers very hilly country over high ridges and deep -valleys with very steep ascents and descents, therefore very hard for -our teams. Proceeding onwards we met some most lovely and beautiful -sights of natural beauty and but the hum of rural life would be -necessary to make it a second Eden. To give an adequate idea of the -beauty of this country none but a Byron or some other passionate writer -can do. I, however, add that the high going sea appears to have the -most resemblance to this interrupted bottom. The soil which covers -the most of these mountains is very spontaneous (fertile), the most -so in the bottoms. The mountains themselves are a deposit of water, -the greatest number of them lately by their abrupt form and to my -view are gravity rocks, cemented together by some binding matter. The -formations of many of these rocks offer quite a picturesque view as we -pass by. Caves and tunnels of all shapes are carved into them by the -dissolving power of water. Towards noon to-day after having passed many -ups and downs, we arrived at the highest point between the States and -Salt Lake. The height of this ridge is seven thousand, seven hundred -feet above the level of the sea and is the dividing ridge between -the Colorado and the water of the great basin. From this point on we -descended more or less and having arrived in the valley we traveled on -about sixteen miles to the Sulphur Springs where we encamped for the -night. - -Next day our road continued over the same interrupted ground. About -two miles from our last camp forwards on the road we arrived at Bear -River which we crossed with some difficulty and went on to Echo Creek -meeting on our road some Indians who traded us venison for powder and -beads. Here we stopped for the night and after we got our breakfast -next morning, July the fourth, we followed the river down twenty -miles, crossing it seventeen times in this distance. This valley along -which the road leads is very narrow bordered on both sides with high -mountains of gravelly composition closely cemented together. The valley -runs in a nearly Southern direction and runs on to where Echo Creek -joins the Webber River, a stream about the size of Bear River. We -crossed the river Sunday towards evening and went onwards several miles -of nearly steady descent from the top of a hill which we had previously -ascended to a creek along which we traveled about twelve miles crossing -it thirteen times—crossings very bad. After we had the last crossing we -commenced to climb a very difficult ascent. At the top of the latter, -four miles from the base to the high point, the road leads down hill -again. Echo Creek which heads on this side of the mountains runs on -to the city. The road leads alongside of it, crossing it some twenty -times. We traveled on till three o'clock when we struck the foot of a -mountain three miles this side of town and encamped for the night. - -The Salt Lake Valley is built by high mountains whose summits reach -into the clouds, forming with its craggy sides a picturesque and, -joined with the beauty of the valley, a lovely scene. The valley is -thirty miles wide and some seventy-five to one hundred miles long. -Within its mountainous enclosure it contains some of the most fertile -and beautiful country ever looked on by men. The Salt Lake which -stretches along the Valley on the North side helps to beautify the -scene. Beside this is the town itself which is laid out in practical -lots consisting in a house and garden lot, the latter for agricultural -purposes. The houses, about one thousand in number, are built of mud, -dried in the sun and are in every way like the houses in the States. -The people to the number of about six thousand living in the city and -about four thousand in different counties of the valley are Mormons. -Although their creed contains a great many foolish things, they have -in some of their social arrangements the advantage over us and the -traveler passing through Salt Lake Valley and seeing everything working -harmoniously together as nature itself cannot help but think them, -more so, if he looks upon the crops which nature spontaneously produces -here, a happy and nearly independent people. One of the precepts of -their faith, Polygamy, although generally used as a reproach to them, I -personally admit as a true natural one, being consistent with nature. -Having supplied ourselves with a few more necessaries for the remainder -of the trip and some little repairing done to our teams, we left the -city intending to stop at some good pasture place in the valley. On the -road which runs on along through town towards the North we met with -the Hot Spring at the left of the road. This Spring comes out of the -surrounding mountains, being of nearly boiling heat and containing in -it diluted a high percentage of sulphur. - -The weather to-day is very hot and oppressive, being the more -burdensome on account of my not being well, having previously been -weakened by sickness. Eight miles from here, to the left we espied good -grass and a stream of water, where we encamped and stopped there for -the next two days. While lying here I took sick again, being a relapse -of my former illness of dysentery. In applying though some of Dr. -Dickson's pills and some other strong mixture besides this, I stopped -it and I am fully convinced to-day that by paying a little precaution -to diet I shall get well and strong again. - -We left our camp on Saturday, the tenth day of July, traveling along -a high mountain range through the valley for about sixteen miles, -crossing in this distance several small creeks bordered with willows -and aspens. A great part of the country is well cultivated and loaded -with a heavy crop of wheat, some corn and luxurious meadows, the -latter rivalling any I ever saw before in any country. This evening we -encamped at a small streamlet about twenty-five miles from the city. -Grass very scarce, all other things however easy to be got. From houses -being about here, we had plenty of milk and butter. - -Sunday the eleventh. Started late, many of the company having not got -used to our former speedy proceeding yet. Drove over some sandy roads -through desert country to the Webber river, which we had crossed just a -week ago in its upper course. The river being in a low state, we forded -it ourselves without any difficulty and stopped three miles on the -other side of it, where we caught up with a wagon of our company that -had left us at the city. - -Monday, July the twelfth. This morning the road led through brush and -high grass onto a second bank along which we travelled the whole day, -passing numerous farms on the lower side of the road and crossing -several creeks in the latter part of the day. To the right of the -road runs a mountain chain about one thousand to one thousand five -hundred feet above the level of the lake, its sides as well as summit -ornamented with a lovely growth of cedars and some of its crevices -filled with snow. This evening we struck camp three miles this side of -Grazing Creek where we laid till next morning to proceed no further on -our journey. - -This day, the road crossed several creeks, the first, Grazing, and five -miles onward from this, Box Elder—further on, several small creeks and -springs so that we had abundance of water all day. At Box Elder, we -left the settlement, and pursued our course again on the Desert where -our former contest with hardships and privations began from now on for -the remaining journey. We traveled to-day twenty miles from Willow -Creek and encamped at a Spring five miles this side of Bear River. This -stream we crossed next day early in the morning paying four hundred -dollars ferriage and proceeded onwards. From here we had as hard times -as we ever saw on the plains arising from our want of good water for -thirty-six miles which latter circumstance with the extreme heat was -very hard on us and the cattle. We arrived at the end of the above -mentioned distance about noon the next day at Hensols Spring where we -stopped and refreshed ourselves with some good cold water. The road -along this distance leads over a very hilly and dry country which -on this latter account disappoints the choking emigrant extremely, -expecting at every roll to have in sight some fountain to revive the -exhausted energies. - -Six miles further we struck Deep Creek, running on the North side -of the valley until where the road strikes the valley, where it -turns toward the South and about six miles downward it sinks in the -ground. At this place, called Deep Creek Sink we arrived next day and -our cattle being worked down and their feet being sore, the company -again decided to stay here and rest them as well as recruit ourselves -somewhat. - -July sixteenth. We left our last encampment at the sink and proceeded -downwards for the Pilot Springs where we intended to water the cattle. -The country begins here to get poorer, pasture becoming extremely -scarce now, hardly to be found on creeks and around slews and then only -a good way up or down stream. - -Seventeen miles from Deep Creek Sink at some Springs in the side of a -hill we met with good pasture and although still early in the day, we -stopped there and lay till morning. Cedar trees and sage bushes are -all the vegetation to be seen in this region and the journey on this -account is monotonous and tiresome. The road from here takes over a -hill from which can be seen for the last time the Salt Lake with its -blue waters and its mountain high islands which with the surrounding -hills offers quite a picturesque view to the observer. - -About eight miles from Mountain Springs onwards we came to Stony Creek, -a mountain stream whose water is more or less made up of melted snow -and ice and is very cold, therefore very much relished by travelers. -From Stony Creek to the Casus Creek, distant about eight miles, the -country continues very poor having nothing but wild sage and cedars on -the bluffs. Casus Creek is a small stream bordered like all the creeks -in this country with willows, the latter from the thick bunches in -which they stand, a hiding place to the Indians. Pasture along this -Creek is plenty, therefore good camping here. The road follows up the -Creek about eight miles and crosses it in this distance three times, -the middle ford being considerable miry when we passed. - -Leaving Casus Creek the road ascends gradually towards a high situated -point about five miles, where it joins with the cut off roads, three -hundred and seventy miles West from the forks of the main road. - -Coming up towards the summit of the hill we hove in sight of the City -Rocks, being numerous rocks of all sizes and shapes piled up so on the -slope of a mountain towards North West which resembled in appearance -a city at a distance built on the side of a hill. From here the road -descends down into a valley about five or six miles long with several -small creeks which were, however, dry when we passed them. Ascending -the hills on the West side of the valley we met with some water to the -left, running down parallel with the road, and traveling on a mile -further struck its head, consisting of several good cold springs. Next -morning we started on our road which on account of many sliding rocks -was very difficult and extremely hard on cattle. These hills are called -Gooth Creek Mountains, running along a stream called the same name. -Their forms and shapes are very various and mostly composed of aqueous -rocks in parallel stratas. Five miles traveling over this interrupted -ground brought us into the Gooth Creek Valley which we followed up -eighteen miles—the roads good and grass plenty. The valley along the -upper course of the Gooth Creek narrows; the mountains forming the -valley are steep and composed of some granular gravel. Small sharp -edged rocks are scattered all along the road and are very hard on -cattles' feet. - -At the head of Gooth Creek we met a good spring coming out from under -the rocks. The water is cold and the weather being very hot we relished -it very much. From here the road leaves the Gooth Creek Valley and -continues over a mountainous, rocky and very barren country to the Rock -Spring Valley. At the head of it to the right are several cold springs -coming like the one spring at the head of Gooth Creek from under a -rocky ledge. Grass around this spring is little or none. Following the -road, however, for about four miles further, grass became plentiful -and more so toward the head of the valley. Crossing several ridges, we -descended into Thousand Spring Valley, so called in consequence of the -numerous Springs some of very high temperature; others are mere cold -wells of considerable depth. The road leads here along the valley ten -miles and pasture was real good. - -July the twenty-fourth. Friend and companion Logan died this morning -at five o'clock. Logan, a partner in our team, took sick very suddenly -about noon this day about two miles this side Hot Springs. Driving -on some few miles after noon, the disease came on in a very serious -manner so that we were obliged to stop and camp. His strength failed -rapidly and cramps in all his parts caused him very aggravating pains. -Getting worse and worse and medical help having no effect on him we -finally concluded that although unsuspected and however sudden he would -go home to his Father. Living on till sunrise next day, he died about -five o'clock in the morning after a sickness of seventeen hours. This -then is human life—to live, to eat, to propagate and die. We, from this -eventful place which we left after interring the deceased, proceeded -over a long ridge which, sloping upon the other side and ascending -again, gradually descended, taking us a stretch of twenty miles into -the Humbolt Valley, the mountains of the same name being in view -covered with the everlasting snows. We followed down the valley about -eighteen miles and camped on the North Branch of Mary's River about -three miles from where we forded it. - -July twenty-sixth. The road from the ford of the North Branch runs -along a beautiful valley to where it joins the South Fork of Mary's -River, twenty miles below the above mentioned point. Grass along this -valley is more plentiful than any other place we found along the whole -route. The water, although not very cool, is good. From the junction of -the two forks, another valley commences, the river following it down -for twenty-eight miles. At this point the road leaves the river for the -bluffs after having previously come to the forks of the road, crossed -the river four times within six miles and followed it down about ten -miles further to a small tributary of Mary's River. - -From here when we started early next morning, we had to travel over a -section of mountains pretty steep and stony. Descending on the other -side of these hills we met with several good springs on the road side -and finally after a tedious forenoon's drive we struck the river again -twenty miles from where we left it last. The roads along here being -very sandy and so many teams passing ours it raises any amount of dust -which is very disagreeable to emigrants and hard on cattle. We followed -the river for four miles when, finding good grass, we camped for the -night. Twenty miles further down stream the main road takes to the -right over the bluffs, another road crosses the river and follows down -on the South side. The latter road is preferred in low water, being the -best and shortest as well as having most grass on this side of Humbolt. -About forty miles onwards where we forded the stream it—the road—takes -up over a rough hill leaving the river at the ascent and coming to it -again at the descent, about two miles distant. - -August the second. From this point the road takes over a hill about -five miles long when it descends into the valley again. Pasture along -here is poor, the bottom being mostly over-grown with sage. Although -grass is scarce, for the whole journey the careful emigrants can always -find sufficient feed for their cattle. - -The road follows down the valley in a parallel direction with the river -for about twenty miles where it turns on an obtuse angle and runs off -in a Southwest direction. Here the road takes over low sandy hills -and along the banks of the river alternately. Twenty miles from our -starting point, we encamped on the river banks. - -August the fifth. Ascended a hill about one-half mile on from our camp, -pretty steep and sandy. The road continues this way all along for -about twenty miles more where it takes the bluffs for eighteen miles -through a sandy desert about three or four miles parallel with the -river. In the evening after a hard day's drive, we struck the river but -did not meet with any grass which our starved animals badly needed. The -following day we ascended the bluffs again for another eighteen miles -desert having no grass nor water for the teams. Leaving, however, the -main road and taking towards the river we got near enough to water our -cattle, after which we drove on about four miles further and struck the -river again finding tolerable good grass. Next day we started for the -meadows and sink of Humbolt River. The distance to the former being -about fifteen miles, roads bad, both sandy and hilly, no grass between, -river handy enough in some places to water the stock. - -Saturday evening we arrived at the meadows, our teams weakened from -want of grass and several days' hard pulling. From here to the edge of -the desert it is about twenty-five miles which we made in three days, -recruiting our stock, making grass and taking on water. - -Thursday afternoon, about three o'clock, we started with seven head of -cattle and one horse, all of them in fair condition, for the desert—a -distance of forty miles without water and grass, hilly and sandy roads. -Thousands of dead cattle were lying along this road which had gone out -at the previous emigration. One of our oxen gave out, detaining us for -several hours. Slaying the latter however, we arrived safe although a -very close call at Carson River. Here people from California have put -up their shops, having liquor and fixtures for sale for the emigrants -at high prices. Grass being scarce here we started up the river about -five miles. Being about camping time and our cattle very tired we -stopped for the night. - -From here we started the next morning having about five miles ahead a -desert of thirteen miles. Before we started into the latter, we stopped -and fed the teams for a few hours, then started on the said desert and -the footers, among which I was, traveled up along the river, being -higher and more pleasant than the main road. At the point where the -latter strikes the river again we found good company which induced us -to stop for the night, grass for our stock being plenty. From here the -road takes over the bluffs, being sandy again as the day before and the -country as poor as the deserts. Twelve miles' traveling took us to the -river where we stopped and nooned. From here the road gets to be stony -and sidling, hard on wagons and teams, leading over undulating ground -all along. About twenty-five miles further ahead the road takes over a -hill, a perfect desert. To the left of this is mining carried on in a -Canyon. Although it does not pay as well as some mines in California, -still it allows fair wages to the diggers. Some of us, among them -myself, would have stopped and dug here but for certain bondages which -we could not get rid of without injuring our pecuniary interest. - -The distance here from the river to it again is thirteen miles, roads -tolerably good. In the afternoon of this day (Sunday) we traveled over -another sandy plain to the river, eight miles, where we camped over -night and started Monday morning all hearty and well. During the day's -travel we passed a good many trading posts, crossing numerous mountain -streams with good cold water. Grass along here is plenty so that stock -as well as men do well in this valley. Another day's travel will take -us to the foot of the Canyon which we ascend to take us to Hope Valley. -To-day at noon we arrived within a few miles of the Canyon where we -stopped for noon. Leaving this place we intend to ascend the ravine in -the afternoon. - -We took into the Canyon on the morning of the eighteenth and ascending -it we met the worst road on the whole route being both rocky and steep -and extremely hard on cattle and wagons. The whole Canyon is sown with -rocks (metamorphic species) thrown there in chaos by volcanic eruption -and offers to the travelers with its steep pine clad mountains one of -those grand scenes of nature which are only met with in mountainous -or volcanic countries. Five or eight miles of the hardest traveling -brought us into Hope Valley at the other side of the Canyon which we -followed up to where the road takes the hills again and finding at this -point some excellent pasture we encamped. - -We left our last night's camp where we suffered considerably by the -cold and started to ascend the first of the mountains of the Nevada. -The ascent is gradual for several miles till the road comes to red -rock where it takes a sudden ascent for about one-half mile being -very steep and rocky and undoubtedly constitutes with the yesterday's -passed Canyon the greater part of the elephant which will be finished -tomorrow by the steepest and highest ascent of the Sierra Nevada. Up -this mountain we doubled teams and our wagons being light we arrived -safely at the summit about seven thousand feet above the level of the -sea. Grass being scarce here we descended about four miles on the other -side of the mountain into a valley where we found some good feed along -the lake shore. - -August twentieth. Started for the ascent of the last and highest -mountain of the Sierra Nevada, taking first over a mountain of five -hundred to one thousand feet in height which brought us to the foot -of the last mountain, we began our ascent, but though it was very -stony and high, we had less difficulty in passing over it than the -one we ascended the day before. I myself arrived at the summit about -ten o'clock where I disposed of our horse which had caused me a good -deal of trouble. This done I took a view of the country around me. I -always fancied to myself that the beauties of the mountainous countries -were grand and sublime but never could I fully imagine such a vast and -chaotic beautiful scene as I found here. The whole mountains are made -up of metamorphic rocks, thrown here by volcanic causes. The mountains -which extend around you, standing at the summit to the edge of the -horizon are interrupted by alpine valleys filled with beautiful meadows -and lakes of cold mountain water which help to make the grand scene of -the mountains lovely and rural to the observer. - -We passed over the summit and drove on this day over mountain ridges -and encamped at night at about the same level as we traveled over in -the afternoon, finding some grass and water on the mountain side. - -The following day took up the fork of the road, the one to the right -taking to Hangtown, the left hand one to Volcano. The distance from the -fork to the latter place is about thirty-five miles, very hilly and -extremely dusty, grass and water scarce—from ten to twenty miles apart -in the valleys. - -We arrived at Volcano August twenty-third and sold our stock the next -day for the sum of three hundred dollars, making my share with our -previous receipt for horse and one yoke of cattle, eighty-seven dollars -and subtracting this from the whole of my expense leaves me ninety -dollars debit to the journey. - -At Volcano is the first mining district met this side the Nevada and -provisions being tolerable cheap and some of the digging middling -favourable some five of us concluded to stay here a while and try our -luck. - -Sunday, August twenty-ninth. We went to work the second day from our -arrival and sunk a shaft from ten to twelve feet deep at which depth -we struck a lead paying us about eight to ten cents to the ton. Water -which we happened to strike got to be very troublesome, keeping us back -considerably in our proceeding to get out the pay dirt for washing. -All we earned up to the present is about four dollars. We calculate -however to make more next week if we keep on at work steady and keep -our health.[1] - -FOOTNOTE: - -[1] Evidently a journal was kept during eighteen hundred and -fifty-three which has been lost. - - - - -III - -LAST YEARS IN CALIFORNIA—RETURN TO THE EAST - - -April twenty-ninth, eighteen hundred and fifty-four. - -Several weeks have elapsed since closing my last journal to the present -date of this entry, and longer still this interval might have been but -for sickness, which keeps me from my daily task and compels me to pass -the hours of ennui and solitude by such means as circumstances afford. -Among these means, reading is my favorite occupation if the subject of -it is attractive and pleasing and one main reason that my diary is not -more regularly kept is because it is easier to read the productions of -others' minds than to make efforts for a similar purpose ourselves. -The efforts I am going to make are not to be compared to the writing -of fictitious works, nor still less scientific essays but are simply -to note down the most important occurrences of my career—a few abrupt -ideas of my own and other men and some remarks upon the political and -moral affairs of the world. - -Well then, to begin. I am at present as already stated, compelled by -sickness to stop in the house for an uncertain period of time which, -however, I ardently hope may not fetter me like the criminal to his -cell longer than nature may possibly require to heal the diseased part -of my body. This is a sore ankle, caused by the rubbing of the seams -of a boot, which, as undoubtedly a muscle or nerve was hurt, affects -the whole system and gives me a good deal of pain. These things will, -however, always happen and always by our own fault or carelessness—at -least this is my case. Having this conviction one must try to take it -as patiently as possible. - -Although rain in April is rather a rarity, still, we had several -showers within the last week or so and a very wet night and forenoon -to-day. This is a great benefit to the country, both to the vegetable -and auriferous world. The former it animates while the water channels -which it swells assist the miner in procuring the latter—ore. I have -been tolerable successful for the last three months, averaging about -five dollars per day with prospects of continuing so as long as may be -water for our supply. The troubled state of our company has temporarily -subsided. Which fact is more to be ascribed to the just mentioned -success than to an alleviation of the antagonistic elements prevailing -among us. This however is not looked for by myself, nor does it matter -any in this case what the cause is, as long as the effect is good. - -Monday morning, May first, eighteen fifty-four. The merry blooming -month of May has arrived and nature, shaking off the drowsiness of -Winter appears in all its beauty and splendor. A carpet of verdure -variegated by the innumerable hues and shades of myriads of flowers, -shrubs and trees, spreads over the crust of reanimated Mother -Earth—which scenery, combined with the beautiful sky of a California -heaven, grants a sublime sight to the beholder and admirer of the -garden of nature. In gazing upon these fields, hills and dales, all in -their bloom and vernal beauty; upon the pure sky that overspreads and -adds to their grandeur—the mind gradually loses itself in meditation -and deep thought. Minor objects lose their hold upon us and higher, -nobler sentiments take their place. In such sacred moments the empire -of the mind reigns and we truly live. The grand and wonderful effect of -a great unknown first cause meets us at every side—and while admiring -the former we wonder at the magnitude and goodness of the latter. We -try to penetrate the darkness which veils that unknown from our sight -and behold the _prima facie_—till now only known by its reflections. -Besides this desire to find and look upon the omnipotent, other -thoughts and images rise before our mind's eye. While looking at some -green and blooming spot, moments of the past or rather, recollections -associated with those gone-by hours, those blooming fields, crowd in. -We think of the innocent joys of those playfellows that loved us, of a -kind Mother that received us when we, flushed and exhausted arrived -home to refresh and rest ourselves, who would lay her hand upon our -forehead to dry the perspiration and brush aside our hair to restore -our infant beauty, and, with those benign eyes looking upon us, would -with her lips which always were so fond of kissing—express her fears -that we would over-heat ourselves and take sick. I would begin to -cry and promise to be more careful in the future. Yes, these are -recollections which will cheer the darkest and increase the fullness of -the happiest moments of our life. - -May nineteenth, eighteen fifty-four. I am well once more, enjoying the -blessedness derived from such a state. I have just returned after a -day's work and having an hour to spare from this to dark I thought to -dedicate the same to scrawl down a few lines in these memoirs. - -[Illustration: FACSIMILE OF PAGE FROM DIARY] - -Although this is early May—the middle of Spring, we have already the -warmer days of August and the ground which had hardly got a good -soaking during Winter is dry now as ever it gets in our Northern -States. So with the vegetables. The flora and fauna of the country, -which have already seen their infancy—although now everything is -verdant and budding—in but a short month more will pass away and the -green will change to yellow, the bud to the ripened fruit and all -nature put on the attire of mellow Fall, and be finally resuscitated -by deluges of rain which pour down in Winter in this country. If ever -by some natural change this country shall be blessed by seasonable -rains through the Summer, it will undoubtedly exert a most beneficial -influence upon the soil of the land and make agricultural business more -permanent and profitable and vastly benefit the mining community and -make living itself more pleasant and comfortable on the shores of the -Pacific. There is a certain fact which manifests itself in new settled -countries—namely, that the amount of rain which falls every year -increases in proportion to the cultivation and irrigation of the soil. -At Salt Lake, and so here, when settlers first arrived rain was hardly -known to fall but has increased in amount every year since that period. -This is a fact experience has taught us to hold true although its cause -is hardly known. - -The merry month of May has passed away; June holds reign over prairie, -hills and dales. The weather in general is just warm enough to make -it pleasant to work—which in itself is pain enough without having -it doubled by exposure to a scorching sun. A pleasant breeze being -wafted up from the smooth waters of the Pacific moderates the climate -to a genial warmth which only for want of sufficient rain would be -as beautiful as any person could wish for. But from a want of this -infinitely useful element at the proper season of the year, the soil, -otherwise fertile produces but little vegetation. July generally sees -this dying off for want of moisture. Still there are many fertile -spots in the valleys watered by mountain streams which intersect the -country—heading in the snow clad mountains and pouring their icy waters -like veins into the heart of the country to give vigor and health to -the country in their proximity. A traveler therefore can see in one -day's journey and less both the budding and refreshing Spring and the -yellow Autumn, the former in the valleys, the latter in the higher -parts of the land. It is on highlands that these lines are written—with -a valley spread at the foot of it, which extends to the Coast Range of -mountains whose outlines I can plainly trace on the horizon and this -minute its highest peaks stand out in bold relief, illuminated by the -setting sun close upon their brow. Ten minutes more—they will hide it -from view where, in the pacific waters of the broad Ocean it will seek -a resting place after its daily journey through the heavens, to rise -with new splendor and magnificence in the morning. To many thousands -who gaze upon the rising and setting of the sun its movement from East -to West is still a great mystery. - -September twelfth, eighteen fifty-four. Over three months have passed -since I made my last entry in this journal and not only have I changed -my residence but my profession. I have exchanged the miner for the -confinements of the Store Room to which I intend to adhere in the -future. - -July and August passed in indolence and mental indifference. It is but -a few days back that I left off mining and find myself now comfortably -seated in my store writing these notes. This place—French Hill—is -within one-half mile of Camp Secco which was destroyed by fire about -three weeks ago, which however by the enterprise of its inhabitants -is rapidly building up and this time is an improved place. The place -of present residence is rapidly springing up into a little village as -yet nameless from its recent date and gives fair promise towards a -prosperous business. That this may be the case is my earnest wish, as -I hope to realize if no unforeseen mishaps befall me—enough to leave -California for a better home far to the East. - -February, eighteen fifty-five. Four months have passed away since I -made the last notes but although the above dates indicate the Winter -season when in the Eastern States snow and frost are plenty, we still -enjoy as beautiful warm and dry weather as one can wish for—no snow, -nor cold chilly days but pleasant weather in their place. As miners -mainly depend upon the rain to wash their dirt, hove up throughout a -period of nine months, a failure of it in Winter when it is _anxiously_ -looked for is a great disappointment to the miners all over the -country. When mining is stopped, everything else is dull and depressed. -We may have some rain yet for California presents such a strange -instance of change that it is hard to tell when it will come. It is -this morning cloudy and has every indication of rain. Three or four -weeks of even moderate rain would furnish a great deal of water—the -great commodity for the miner. - -There appears to be at present a general depression in business all -over the country, money tight and provisions dear and labor scarce. -Heavy failures happen almost daily in the Atlantic Cities. Houses which -enjoyed the greatest public confidence and patronage are suspending -payment, not being able to pay their liabilities by a fearful amount. -Even Page and Bacon, one of the best and wealthiest banking houses in -the Union, has suspended payment which, however, is more ascribed to -the detention of gold shipments from California than to deficiency of -funds. The main cause for all this embarrassment in the money market -appears to lie in the heavy export of gold to England in exchange for -English manufactures and in the extravagance of our bankers, brokers -and merchant princes in the last ten years. Nothing but a stoppage in -the import of foreign manufacture and a more industrious sort of living -will save this country from bankruptcy. Even here, the great source -of wealth for the last six years, the pressure is felt. Gold diggings -are getting scarcer all the time and as living is almost as dear as in -forty-nine and fifty when it was easier to make an ounce than it is at -the present day to make a dollar—it is easy to imagine how oppressive -the hard times must be. The business I am engaged in at the present -yields but a very small profit for everything in the mercantile line -is high in the market and as miners reap but a very scant harvest -for their labor one has to sell just as low as admissible. Profits -therefore are but small. Still, making a little is better than making -nothing at all and as long as this can be done I intend to stop here. - -March second. Again I pick up the pen to make a few notes in this diary -to keep the links in the chain of events which happen in this dull life -of mine. While writing these lines the cool breezes wafted from the -broad Pacific stir the warm air which was throughout the day oppressive -and in the hours of twilight grant comfort and ease to the inhabitants -of hot climates. The weather now is already as hot as it ever gets in -the middle of the Summer at home. Yes—I believe that the mercury is -higher now than it ever gets there. This being only March, when they -at home have still snow storms and frost, we have beautiful Spring and -nature is already attired in her sprightly dress of green variegated -with flowers of all hues and shapes. Trees assume their verdant -garments and alongside of streamlets adorn the garden of nature. Oh! -nature, grand and beautiful art thou! Beautiful in every scene that -meets our eye—the streamlet which meanders through pleasant valleys -by picturesque hills ornamented by vines, with the contented peasant -gathering the grapes. Mountains with their highest peaks covered with -everlasting snows meet our looks in the far off horizon and crown with -sublimity the rural beauties of the hills and vales at their foot. Man -himself feels stronger and of higher spirits in the Spring of the year, -the purity of the air and the balmy smell which emanates from flowers, -shrubs and trees exhilarate the soul and body of every animated organic -being. In time all this changes to yellow as their life runs out and -their vitality, their sweet smell are dried up by the tropical heat of -the South to rest and gather life and nutriment anew from Mother Earth. - -Man, too, undergoes this change that everything in nature is subjected -to. His life compares favourably with the changes in the vegetable -world. First, tender and weak he gains care and attention, strength of -body and mind. In the Springtime of life, his beauty is of the noblest -kind and life is constant happiness. As time rolls on his body and mind -mature, he becomes wiser and abler and in this estate of manhood acts -and operates for himself and fellowmen. This is the most useful part -of man's career and as he grows older he loses the vigour he formerly -possessed and at the end—in the Winter of his life droops down, grows -weaker and weaker until finally his career is run and he has to join -Mother Earth again to serve some new purpose in the organization of -nature. - -There is one great invention which will ever illumine the time -between the Dark Ages and the present epoch. An invention which is -as remarkable for its intensity of light as the Middle Ages for -their impenetrable darkness and consequent superstition. This is -the invention of printing by John Gutenberg of Metz in Germany in -fourteen hundred and forty. By one sublime thought which struck the -mind of a single man or more properly, by the divine inspiration of a -single human being, benefits as great and incalculable were bestowed -upon mankind as universal space itself is infinite and beyond human -calculation. Before that time all learning was limited to one class—the -Clergy of all countries, who had it in their power to devote time which -was at their own disposal to literary pursuits, in which they had great -assistance in the manuscripts of former ages, therefore enjoyed already -although to a limited extent the blessings which the art of printing -afterwards bestowed more universally upon the mass of mankind. - -We all know now that as much as man is superior and master of all -other animals, so is the intelligent and well informed, master of the -ignorant and superstitious. The priests therefore of former ages—since -they possessed knowledge above the rest of mankind were to a great -extent the masters and in consequence ruled with a stronger rod than -ever any monarch ruled his subject since printing and consequent -knowledge became more diffused among the masses of mankind. When books, -in consequence of their cheapness became plentier and the masses became -possessed of the same—light began to penetrate the utter darkness which -formerly reigned supreme in the mind of man and in a comparatively -short period of time since the death of this inventor, the human family -has made a more rapid and greater progress in science and useful -knowledge than was made in all time before that great event. - -March twenty-eighth, eighteen hundred and fifty-eight. Left this day -Camp Secco—where I had been stopping for three years doing business, -such as groceries and miners' implements. My success has been pretty -good—might however have been better. Still I don't complain. Although -I have not made as much as many a one has done in the same length of -time, still I am satisfied. - -The time while there passed dully enough with me, arising from the -want of desirable company and the non-existence of any places of -amusement. I had lots of time to myself and had I been so disposed, had -I possessed different mental stamina, force, energy and perseverance, -I might easily have acquired a store of useful knowledge. But it is -of no use a-croaking now. The time has fled and in place of enjoying -at present a cultivated mind I hardly realize ideas enough to make me -sensible that I am an intelligent, animated being. And it always will -be so with me. I think nature is more to blame for it than I myself. -Had I been endowed with Genius great, with even the present balance of -mind I think I should have made a great man. I tried once, years ago, -to obtain a lofty position in science, labored hard and long and what -was the result? A machine capable of a certain amount of labor laid out -for it. Nothing else. I had no thought nor ideas of my own of the least -practical use. I had better then be satisfied. Although I might possess -a great deal more, still I don't think that it would materially benefit -my happiness here. - -April twentieth, eighteen hundred and fifty-eight. This day at ten -o'clock, I left the wharf of San Francisco on the steamboat _Golden -Age_ for the Atlantic States—for my home in old Virginia and my friends. - -I came to this country on the twentieth day of August eighteen hundred -and fifty-two— making the time that I have been here, five years and -eight months to a day. My success here, if not what it might have -been, still yielded me a small capital—enough to start me in business -most anywhere and consequently by proper management, diligence and -industry, I shall be enabled to get along in this world comfortably. -Had I mentally as well improved as I did my pecuniary circumstances, -I should be well enough satisfied. This, however, is not the case and -for this reason and this reason alone am I sorry that I ever came to -California. Had I remained at home, associated as I was with men of -intelligence and in a pursuit where mental effort was required I would -now unquestionably be a smarter if not equally as rich a man. My mind, -although naturally sterile, by proper care and pains would have been -cultivated; my taste beautified; my feelings and sentiments ennobled. -In short, I believe that I would have been a wiser, better, and in -consequence a happier man than I am now. Still, courage, "faint heart," -the future may even yet bestow on you content and happiness. - -I am tracing these lines in the steerage on board the steamer, looking -through a port hole onto the wide dark blue ocean of the Pacific, which -is laid before my eyes in every direction to the far off horizon. How -monotonous it seems to me. There are no hills nor mountains in the -background of the vast rolling Pacific before me. No trees, bushes, -plants of any kind; nor is there an animated being to be seen—unless -once in a while a shark or whale will show themselves to our greedy -eyes which long for something else than boundless waters. - -There is something fearful in the fact that there is nothing between -destruction and the ocean tossed mariner but some frail planks which -half a dozen accidents may dislodge and send him to the deep bottom of -the pitiless sea. Such is man in his wild career in pursuit of wealth -and power that he will entrust his life, his all, to a frail bark -which the winds may toss on rocks and breakers from which there is no -salvation. These things are painfully clear to me now that there is no -escape from them and though I am not absolutely afraid, still I know -that there are many chances which may destroy us. Who knows—many a -stout vessel with passengers ever as sanguine of a safe voyage left a -safe haven never to reach the place of their destination. This may be -our—yes, my—fate. Still I will hope for the best. Hope that our voyage -across the treacherous ocean may be a safe one and carry us to a safe -Port at Panama. We have thus far enjoyed fine weather, a calm sea, and -I have enjoyed thus far tolerable good health. - -Distance from San Francisco to Panama, three thousand, two hundred and -sixty-two miles. - -Saturday, April twenty-fifth. The coast was out of sight since the -second morning and reappeared this morning, running for miles almost -level then suddenly turning abruptly into craggy headlands, standing -out grotesque in the background of the otherwise monotonous ocean. And -this is certainly a great relief after gazing day after day upon the -same far extending, swaying, rippling ocean, with nothing for the eye -after exhausting the utmost power of vision to rest on, but a hazy -horizon touching the blue expanse of waters. - -The weather has been, up to this, clear and pleasant, perhaps a little -cold at first but now really very charming. The sea has been tolerably -quiet and smooth so we have had but little sickness on board—less than -I expected to see. How old I am getting though. While writing this, my -feet pain me which has been the case for the last four months. Also my -teeth which are mostly decayed and even my energies are dormant. I, who -once set myself the great task of studying a profession—now can hardly -even concentrate enough thought to note down a few sensible ideas. Yes, -I am surely grown old very fast in the last three years. I can feel -both in mind and body. The latter is invariably inclined to indolence. -The former to downright dormancy. Oh, could I regain the play of my -imagination, the buoyancy of thought which I once possessed; could I -possess myself of ambition, pride, to stimulate me, all yet might be -right and it is to have the former forced upon me by circumstances more -or less that I reseek the scenes of my former home, hoping that in -the wild and exciting race there for wealth and position I too may be -roused enough to take a share. - -April twenty-sixth. We passed Cape St. Lucas on the night of the -twenty-fourth and ran yesterday across the mouth of the Gulf of -California which I believe is here one hundred and sixty miles wide. -While doing so we lost sight of the coast which, however, reappeared -this morning at daylight. The coast here presents a succession of -ridges rising higher back towards the land—the whole, however, broken -up into abrupt peaks rising from four to five hundred feet above the -sea level. Occasionally a high cliff stands boldly out into the sea—its -foot washed by the eternal breakers. The whole of them are covered with -a short low shrubbery which is now colored in a reddish dress being in -blossom at present. - -After running down the coast about fifty miles, we doubled a headland -and turned into a short bay at the East side of which is the village of -Mansenilla inhabited by Mexicans who under supervision of Government -officers carry on silver mining here. The appearance of everything -here, the woods, houses and men would indicate that we are in a warmer -climate, if the weather did not. The people themselves wear clothing, -as may be judged by its scantiness, to hide their nakedness rather than -for protection against the climate. Their color is slightly coppery, -almost as much so as our California Indians. Their houses too are more -built as a shelter from the tropical sun than against the rigours of -a cold country, they being the roughest, simplest kind of huts built -out of timber and brush. We lay here about an hour during which time -we sent two passengers ashore in one of our boats, while a number of -natives in dugouts swarmed around the vessel, called out, I presume, -more on account of the novelty of our presence than any other notion. - -We are now on our onward voyage, standing out to sea while the coast -range of mountains is still at our left. Yesterday being Sunday and -having several soul savers on board we had of course preaching—and -enough of it—as much as three times. I think were we all put -through the same task every day for the next three months it would -either make us the most orthodox Christians or else disgusted with -Christianity. The whole of them, the sermons, amounted to the same old -rigmarole,—believe and be saved—disbelieve and you are doomed to hell -and everlasting punishment. - -We arrived at Acapulco this day, the twenty-eighth of April. This is -a Spanish town, situated on one of the best harbors on the Pacific -Coast. It forms a perfect elbow in shape and is therefore perfectly -water locked and on that account offers safe mooring to vessels. How -strange the contrast between a Spanish and an American town—the latter -enjoying all the health and vigor and activity of youth, progress. In -the former it is an eternal stand still, no activity of any kind, no -display of the least spirit or energy is to be met with here. Action, -perpetual action, is the characteristic of the American. The want of -all life, of the least healthy action so necessary to the existence -of a people is to be found in Mexico. They, the people, are lazy, -indolent by nature. All they ever strive for is to acquire enough of -the simplest necessaries of life and they are satisfied if not happy. -Toil is unknown to them and leisure is their _status quo_. They show -this fact in everything—in the way they dress, wearing nothing but -just enough to cover their nakedness. Their homes are builded of mud, -covered with old fashioned tiles or with straw, and present more the -appearance of fortified places than of dwellings. They (the houses) -most all have piazzas where the greater portion of the inhabitants -pass—in smoking and talking and sleeping—their days, yes, the greater -portion of their life. The streets are made of sandstone slabs or else -hewn in the same as it lies. As there is never hardly any rain here, -and the town being built on solid sandstone foundations, they are of -course perfectly clean which, as already intimated, is owing more to -the nature of the site than to the cleanliness and industry of the -people. - -The town is situated on the North West side of the Bay and consists -of several streets filled up by mud houses as already stated. North -from the town, about one-half mile distant, lies the fort on a slight -elevation sloping on the East toward the sea. The site is a very -favourable one as it can command the harbor with its guns, having -enough of the latter to sink any vessel which may try to force its -entrance in time of war. The fort itself is builded in the shape of a -square, with several embattlements. Its walls rise about thirty feet -from the bottom of the trench which is of a depth of about ten feet -and surrounds the whole. The entrance is afforded by a drawbridge -through a door fronting the town. The soldiers are but a sorry set and -I doubt, very little calculated to do war time service. I judge their -bravery by the general character of the Mexican people—which I know in -the main to be cowardly. I presume the soldiers—which are by the by, -the most ragged set I have ever seen, having neither uniform nor even -shoes, marching and countermarching like a lot of beggars on the street -with no military rearing whatever—will be the same. If I am allowed -to judge Mexico by this town of Acapulco—which has all the advantage -of a most favoured situation as seaport and in consequence is well -fitted for commerce, it is certainly a most neglected country and with -the resources it possesses both in mineral and agricultural wealth it -cannot be doubted but what it would soon in the hands of our people be -one of the richest as well as loveliest countries in the world. This, -however, seems to be its ultimate fate. Years may intervene but it -must most surely eventually give way to the rapid strides of an onward -moving civilization. When that day will come—that Mexico shall add -another star to our illustrious country—is not for me to say. I hope, -however, for the sake of the Mexican people themselves and for the sake -of the numerous resources the country offers that it may soon come. - -We left Acapulco Bay about five o'clock this afternoon and stood out -to sea. We are now within three days of Panama, in fact nearer, but it -will take three days to make it. - -This is the first day of May. Lovely May has come around once more -and Spring with its fine bracing breezes has set in. We are even now -within ten degrees of the Equator, enjoying the benefit of it in the -Trades which blow from the South East. The next morning after we left -Acapulco, I believe, we found ourselves in the Gulf of Tehuantepeck -which was tolerable rough. I was taken sea-sick, that most terrible of -all sicknesses. After three days' suffering, I have gotten better. -Still, even now I feel the sensation of it in my throat. Still, I think -that I have seen the worst of it. If so, I shall not lament it, as I -think it will secure me good health for a while. - -Although in the tropics, we have enjoyed till now cool and extremely -pleasant weather with beautiful star and moonlight nights and the -bright expanse of ocean round us, with our vessel like a thing of life -moving along upon its bosom, and in the dark, at twilight before the -moon is up, what splendid sight is revealed to the traveller of the -sea. I mean the bright brilliant sparks and flashes which emit from -the spraying sheets which our cutwater sends off at both sides of our -vessel—caused by friction upon the phosphorescent matter contained in -the water of the ocean. - -May second. This morning the land, consisting of detached ranges of -mountains, again came in sight, and now, five o'clock P.M. we are -abreast of an island to the left. This isle is very heavily timbered; -the whole of it is a mountain of about one hundred and fifty feet high -with a small point of level country at the Eastern end of it. - -May third. We came up to another island this morning, thickly covered -with timber and vegetation of tropical growth. We kept now in sight of -land all the time, numbers of islands being to our left and towards -evening the Bay of Panama came in sight. This Bay is of large -dimensions and very secure, being well sheltered by islands and the -main coast. We passed Tobanga Island where the W. S. M. Company has -a station where they repair and clean their vessels when at Panama. -We entered the Bay and dropped anchor twenty minutes past seven -o'clock A.M. The next morning at four we took the ferry boat for the -wharfs, arrived there, took the cars across the Isthmus of Darien to -Aspinwall on the Gulf of Mexico. All the section of country we crossed -over on the cars offered a most beautiful sight. It is more or less -mountainous and covered with one emerald sheet of thick and almost -impenetrable highly perfumed tropical vegetation. I could not discover -any trees nor plants of the moderate zones—all being the products of -the tropics. This country, but for the extreme heat and the malaria it -must necessarily create from its numerous swamps, would be almost a -Paradise to live in. If Americans should ever possess it and be able to -live there, they in truth will make it indeed what it seems intended -for by nature—one of the loveliest spots the world knows. Aspinwall -is a new place and traces its origin to the discovery of the gold -mines in California and the subsequent travel across the Isthmus. It -is principally inhabited by natives of Central America, some French -and some Americans. The latter, however, being the only influential -portion of the community. They have made it and named it what it is -this day. They own the railroad and a large depot three hundred by one -hundred feet, fire proof, and a very commodious dock for the handling -of the mail steamers and offices to carry on their business. - -We left the docks of Aspinwall about four o'clock. The trip across the -Isthmus occupied about five hours, so that we got to Aspinwall about -twelve and had from then till four at the latter place. - -May fifth. _The Star of the West_, the boat I am now on, is not near as -large nor as good a boat as the steamer on the other side. Still, if -she only brings us safe to New York I shall be satisfied well enough. I -perceive by the latest New York news that yellow fever broke out on the -U. S. S. frigate _Susquehanna_ and at the Central American Port of St. -James. If I dread anything, I dread that and I hope to God it will not -appear on board of this bark. If it should be doomed to that, God only -knows what its effect might be. I must hope for the best. We are only -about a week's sail from New York. Still, how uncertain is our arrival -there considering the numerous accidents which we are apt to encounter, -which may finish our existence before we once more set our feet on -blessed Mother Earth. - -Distance across the Isthmus from Panama to Aspinwall on Navy Bay -(Colon) forty-five miles. Distance to New York one thousand one hundred -miles. - -Another bright day has risen over the water and a slight breeze -stiffens our sails, carrying us homewards. I am still in bad health, my -stomach being completely deranged and in consequence can't enjoy the -trip as well as I otherwise might were I in good health. - -The steamboat _New Grenada_ which started one hour before us from -Aspinwall has been more or less in sight since we left that Port -and now is about ten miles astern of us. Last evening about five -o'clock P.M. we passed the island of Providence to our right. This -Island like all the rest I have seen on this trip is mountainous and -thickly timbered. As there were fires on the coast I presume it must -be inhabited and there are undoubtedly spots on it under cultivation. -All the country in these lower latitudes is very fertile, producing -luxurious growths of most all the tropical fruits. - -Providence is about two hundred and forty miles North East of North -from Aspinwall. This being the course we have steered since we left -there. Now we are steering due North. - -May ninth. In the evening of the seventh we came in sight of the -lighthouse of Saint Antoine—the S. W. Cape of Cuba. This night and the -next day, the eighth, we cruised along side of Cuba for some three -hundred miles. We came opposite to Havana about five o'clock on the -eighth. Havana is builded close to the shore, seemingly resting upon -the water. The ground back of it is higher and portions of the town -are builded there. The main city, however, is at the water's edge. -Morro Castle, the fort at the Harbor, is at the North East part of the -City. We sailed within about five miles of the City. The above were -all the points I could scan at this distance. Having struck the Gulf -Stream, the sea became rougher and I, in consequence, sick again and -feel miserable while scribbling this. I have the more reason to wish -myself safe on shore at New York, having ascertained to-day the fact of -the unseaworthiness of our boat. The Florida reefs—keys—came in sight -this forenoon and are still in sight. They are low lands, or rather are -elevated reefs, thinly timbered and dreaded, on account of the reefs -and rocks in the neighborhood, by the mariner. - -We arrived on the night of Wednesday, May twelfth, in sight of the -Long Island and Sandy Hook Lights and after having taken on a Pilot we -entered Sandy Hook and passing into New York Harbor arrived at the city -about five o'clock in the morning of the thirteenth of May. - -Here then I am in New York—the Empire City of America—the greatest -commercial port in the American Continent and the World. Its tonnage -is larger than that of any other Port city I believe in the World. -While it is connected by the Ocean with all Foreign Countries, it is -likewise so with all the important cities of the United States by -railroads and steamboat conveyance. - -I remained at New York till the twenty-first instant. During my stay -here I visited the different theaters. The Laura Keene on Broadway was -the handsomest I had ever seen in America, and what was still better, -the acting was equally good and, as the building, the best I had ever -the pleasure to see in this country. The Crystal Palace I saw from -the outside only. The whole is built of iron. Its model is chaste and -displays a good deal of art and beauty. The Palace is surrounded by an -iron railing and between it and the building intervenes a beautiful -green sward. East from the Palace is the reservoir of the great Croton -water works which supply the whole of New York with water which is -brought some twenty-five or thirty miles to this grand reservoir, built -of solid masonry and occupying a large area of ground. From here the -water is distributed over the whole city for drinking, culinary and -manufacturing purposes. Another place of great celebrity, Barnum's -Museum, of American wide fame, was also visited by me. Here are stored -in rich profusion treasures of the animal world both of land and sea. -Also a good gathering of antiquities of almost all portions of the -world, and several statues of fame and renown. Among them are the wax -models of the Emperor of Russia, Joseph of Austria, Napoleon III and -Queen Victoria of England, and last but not least Kossuth and Napoleon -Bonaparte and the notorious Mrs. Cunningham in whose eyes passion and -crime but great beauty is also written. Among the persons of higher -renown is Mary the Mother of Jesus. Animals of all kinds and species -are amassed here in great variety too numerous to mention. They are -mostly stuffed except numerous fresh and salt water fishes which are -kept alive here enjoying their native element in large tanks. The large -boa constrictor and another large snake are also kept living here by -means of artificial heat supplied them. Among the antiques are coins -of centuries long since passed. American state documents of the last -century, flags and arms of the Revolutionary and Indian wars. Among the -latter a number of tomahawks, spears, battleaxes, etc. Curiosities from -China and Japan are also here in this great _multum in parvo_. Also a -large metallurgical collection with minerals of all kinds. A Panorama -with representation of many beautiful scenes from Italy, France and -Austria is found here. The pictures of the celebrated Generals and -Statesmen of American History as those of celebrated men and women of -the present day adorn its walls. The exposition in this Museum is so -grand and my survey of its treasures was so short and superficial that -I am not able to relate and specify them any plainer or with greater -accuracy. I was, however, well pleased the few hours I remained there -and considered that time spent to exceeding great purpose. - -New York has many beautiful buildings and the Fifth Avenue is a street -of palaces and in my opinion compares favourably with any street of any -city in the World. Here reside the richest people in the city. None -but nabobs being able to exist in the air of this moneyed American -aristocracy. If the insides of these dwellings enjoy corresponding -happiness with all these luxurious surroundings is not for the people -to know. Still, as nothing in this world is all blessedness and -sunshine, one may well suppose that too, in these grand dwellings -wretchedness and heartburnings may be met. The great enterprise of New -York at present upon which succeeding ages will bestow all gratitude is -the building of a grand Park where the thousands of this city—the rich, -the poor, the highly born and lowly may pass moments of pleasure and -rest from the noise and turmoil of the city and acquire strength and -cheerfulness for the hard tasks of every day life. - -I left New York City on the twenty-first instant for Philadelphia—the -Quaker City—where I arrived at four o'clock P.M. This, which I always -supposed to be the handsomest city in America, I am sorry that I am -compelled to state, disappointed all my bright anticipation of its -beauties. It is true, being considerably exhausted by much traveling -and having my thirst for sight-seeing considerably abated at New -York, I was not exactly in a condition to receive grand and stunning -impressions. Had I arrived here first, fresh from the mountains of -California instead of New York, Philadelphia might have impressed -me with feelings of admiration and satiated my desire to view -architectural and artistic beauties to its full. As it is—New York had -the precedence in my visit and with the remembrance of its grandeur -fresh upon my mind, I am obliged to admit that the City of Penn fell -short in its treasures of beauty of what I hoped and wished to find. -Here, however, as is universally the case, are exceptions to be met. -Only had I hoped the inverted to be the case—namely that beauties -might be the rule and common appearance the exception. I refer to the -Institution which will for a far off future immortalize the name it -bears—I mean Girard College. This is as far as I have knowledge, the -handsomest and grace-fullest edifice in America. At the time of day I -went to visit it, I could not get admittance and my view of it was in -consequence indistinct from the walls and distance that intervened. -Still, I saw enough fully to sustain the above opinion. The edifice -is large in size, surrounded by a portico ornamented by Corinthian -Columns of the chastest workmanship. The material which composes its -grand walls is I believe, fine marble. This, the main edifice, has -two additional buildings on each side—two for the male and two for -the female pupils. Beautiful grounds, planted with handsome trees and -flower beds intersected by gravel walks surround the buildings. The -whole again is enclosed by a big wall to keep the outer world from -intruding and marring the quiet and beauty within. Girard, the founder, -once poor but rich in thought, energy, and perseverance, accumulated by -well applied industry and diligence a princely fortune of which he the -greater portion, $800,000, bestowed upon the orphans of Philadelphia in -the most generous and useful way in this, the greatest American Orphan -College. He, in his will forbade the introduction of any religion for -educational purposes and also, the entrance of any of its apostles -within the walls. And who will blame him for this sweeping and, by many -condemned as sinful, prescription? It was not the want of faith of the -man in an all ruling Deity. No, but quite otherwise, his high regard -for the same, which guided him in this action. Knowing as we all know -of the great variety of religious communities, all differing with one -another, yes, in many cases condemning one another, he thought well -and justly so to keep the infant mind free of the different feuds -and enmities of the different sects. His purpose was to give them an -enlightened education, to acquaint their mind with facts, with events -and their causes and effects—so that when ripened and matured into men -and women free from all prejudices, they might themselves be enabled by -pure and cultivated thought to form a just and enlightened opinion of -their own about religion and its principles and aim and purpose. Is it -not better so to have the mind of the to-man-grown boy and the mind of -the girl who has reached womanhood unfettered by stubborn prejudices, -perhaps with hatred against its fellow creatures, than to have it -in its infancy so directed as to make it almost impossible to allow -them different views and opinions from those early implanted upon the -infant mind? I approve the motive and can appreciate the intelligence -and foresight of the mind of its originator. Honor and blessing be to -him—Girard—one of the great benefactors of the poor. - -From here I continued my journey by the P. C. R. R. via Harrisburg -over the Alleghenys to Pittsburg, and from there took the steamer to -Wheeling the home of my brother Frederic and his family. I parted from -them, New Year eighteen fifty-one and as I, in the Spring of the same -year, left for California from which I have only now returned, I had -not seen them since. My arrival seemed to give them great pleasure -and all subsequent appearances seemed to warrant the genuineness -of their display of affectionate feelings. I trust this may really -be the case. That sincerity and not an un-nobler motive was at the -bottom of the lavished kindness. I know the value of a _true, sincere, -noble affection_ and _love_ so that I am always prone to suspect its -genuineness when too freely and plentifully offered. I still trust it -may have been real in this case. Brother Henry who resides at Sunfish, -Munro Co., Ohio, I also visited for five or six days and passed the -time right cheerfully whilst there. Henry is an honest soul, true and -sincere, incapable of deception. Both brothers wished me to remain -with them and join them in business. Their wishes, however, I saw best -to decline. I am certain that by separation we can harbor more and -better affection between us. Then the place and its environs did not -suit my taste for a life long _Home_. Yesterday, Tuesday, the eighth -of June, I bade them again farewell and took on the steamer _Courier_, -my departure for Cincinnati to go from there further West in search -of a home. Ho, for the West! Kind God, may ye will that I meet my -anticipations and wishes. All I wish is a pleasant, yes a beautiful and -healthy nook to live in, with a kind and loving wife to cheer me in -the battle of life and loving children to surround and ease when once -I journey the down hill of life towards ???—the grave—dissolution—the -end of man? In short, I want _Love in a Cottage_. - -I arrived at Cincinnati on the morning of the tenth instant and took up -lodgings at the Spencer House, one of the best and of course, dearest -hotels in the city. This place surpassed my expectations which I had -formed in regard to its industry, activity and wealth. Since my last -visit here in eighteen fifty-two, the town has been greatly embellished -by many beautiful buildings, both private and public. Among the latter -those which deserve mention are the Custom House, and Post Office, the -Court House and many beautiful churches, amongst which the Catholic -Cathedral is the handsomest. Besides this, many new hotels—all of them -fine houses, as also many imposing business houses have been erected of -late years. The streets, at least in the main part of the town which -I only ambulated, are laid out at right angles. Among those which -run from the river, forming a right angle with the same, I noticed -Broadway, Main, Sycamore, Walnut. These are intersected by the streets -running parallel with the river numbered One, Two, Three, Four, etc. In -short Cincinnati, with a population of 200,000 and still increasing, -has all the appearance of a thriving, wealthy, industrial and -commercial city, and fills the position of such in the United States. -It is especially famous for the millions of hogs killed and packed here -annually. From here, in the shape of shoulders, bacon and ham they are -sent all over the United States and a large portion shipped via New -Orleans to England. Opposite to Cincinnati, is New Port, Kentucky—also -a thriving town. I stopped here over night and left the eleventh at -twelve o'clock on the steamer _Jacob Stratton_, the first and only low -pressure boat I ever saw on the Ohio, for Louisville, Kentucky. During -last night it set in again raining and continued so all day—so that -I had but little desire of being outside the cabin and consequently -observed but little of the scenery along the river to Louisville. There -are a number of thriving towns along the river—the principal of which -is Madison, Indiana. The Big Miami river divides Ohio from Indiana. We -lay over night at Louisville. The next morning I and my recently made -acquaintance Mr. Charles N. Scram, went over the greater part of the -city. Louisville belongs to Kentucky, situated on the Ohio river at -the head of the celebrated falls of the Ohio. The latter are, except -at high water, an obstruction to navigation to overcome which the -two-mile long canal was built at enormous cost and boats go through it -around the falls and strike again the Ohio below. Louisville counts a -population of sixty thousand inhabitants and is of both commercial and -industrial importance. It has several fine public buildings and the -richness and beauty and chastity of its many private buildings bespeak -at once the wealth and taste of its occupants. Its streets are wide and -it rejoices with Cincinnati in Avenues of trees now covered with the -richest of foliage. - -We delayed here till noon of the twelfth, when we again took the -steamer _Moses McLellan_ for St. Louis, Missouri. The rain still -continued to fall and the Ohio river, as all the rivers throughout the -country, continues to rise. They promise to cause by their overflow an -incalculable amount of damage to the crops in the bottoms through which -they now roll their courses with the wildest of turbulence. Last night, -or rather, this morning, the rain has abated and thank God the sun once -more radiates its genial beams. May it continue and its blessed warmth -may yet reclaim many otherwise lost acres of grain. - -It is now Sunday, twelve o'clock and we have arrived three hundred and -three miles from Louisville, having still three hundred and sixteen -miles to St. Louis. We shall probably get there tomorrow night. Thanks -to my cursed mind, I have this last two days again been oppressed with -the blues, what it will ever end in I don't know, possibly in suicide. -Why was I ever made or why was I not endowed with a mind to make life -desireful, pleasing and cheerful instead of the one I possess, which -is incapable to create a world for itself and too dull and selfish to -enjoy that of others? However, there is no help except—what can't be -cured must be endured. - -Cairo, at the junction of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, we reached -Sunday evening. The flood has desolated much of this lower country, -destroying crops and homes and in fact all kinds of property it -encountered in its sweeping course. Here it broke through the levee -which had been builded at a cost of twelve millions of dollars and -overran the whole town except a portion on the highest part of the Ohio -levee. The damage is immense and general. All being sufferers by it, it -is chance now whether it will ever be rebuilded. Its locality is such -that it must always be at the mercy of the high floods which occur in -these upper rivers periodically. They may fail some years, but will -only when they do come be so much more terrible in their destruction. -We doubled the point and with a strong current against us, ran up -stream. All the bottom along the river was covered with water, water, -presenting one bright broad sheet of water variegated with forests of -trees, in many places the roofs of homes being apparent only and many -being entirely under water. - -We reached St. Louis Tuesday morning, the fifteenth instant. St. -Louis is a stirring place, made so by its favourable location on the -Mississippi river. This river connects it with the State of Missouri, -Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Kansas, and with all the country on the -lower Mississippi—principally New Orleans. This place will in a short -time rival any inland town in the Union and eventually become the next -largest city to New York. I stopped here almost two days, left it on -the seventeenth of June for the Northern part of Missouri and Kansas. -The trip up the Missouri is very tedious, the scenery being all the -same all the way. Bluffs of little beauty and bottom lands covered with -cottonwood. The river is very crooked and very rapid in its course. -On both these accounts we made slow headway up narrow chutes, around -innumerable bends, past ever so many towns and villages. - -Sunday evening we got to Kansas City, Missouri. I laid over here the -next day Monday, in order to see the place and find out something about -its resources and prospects. While here I visited Wyandot on the North -side of Kansas River, the same side as Kansas City on the Missouri. -This is a very new free state settlement and although but of recent -origin has many fine houses, stores and hotels. Possessing a very good -site for a city with a good landing, it will be in time, when the -resources of Kansas are developed, a thriving place. Kansas City is -built on a bluff rising from the river bank and expensive grading was -necessary to secure an area for houses. From here streets are made by -excavating through the bluffs to the best part of the city which lies -back of the bluffs. This addition is quite new but springing up now -very fast and will become in time a large city. - -I left Kansas City on Monday afternoon for Leavenworth and St. Joseph -and reached the latter place on the twenty-fourth instant. I had been -here in eighteen fifty-two, on my way to California. I remembered well -enough its site but the town has changed very much since that time, -having at least four times increased in its size and population. It is -laid out in rectangular streets having on Second street an open place -for the market house. There are already many fine buildings here and -many more going up. Property has greatly enhanced in value on account -of its unrivalled location. I stayed here several days making enquiry -and gaining information as to the resources of the place and its -adaptability to my business. The prospects held out to me were fair -enough and I partly decided if I could not find a place suiting still -better to return here and establish myself in business. - -I left this town for Leavenworth, seventy miles South of St. Joseph on -the Missouri River. This is in Kansas and although only three years old -has already attained a size and enjoys a large and growing commerce -which rivals many a town of ten times its age. It is at present the -key port to Kansas Territory. Most of the business for the Territory -is transacted here. Its location on the Missouri River secures it the -connection with St. Louis and through it by the Grand Central Web of -Railroads with all parts of the United States. The site for the town is -good and back some distance from the river and right above the business -part of the town, up the River, beautiful. - -This town holds out the same inducements to me to start business here -as St. Joseph. It does now and I think always will lead St. Joseph -in commercial importance and the fact of being in a free State will -probably turn the scale in its favor in my decision between the two -places. Leavenworth City at present is yet only three years old and -grown as sudden as it has, everyone putting up buildings only studying -to make the least outlay practicable for present purposes, the sanitary -arrangements have of consequence been neglected and this I am satisfied -in my mind will be the cause of severe sickness during this and the -still coming scorching heat of Summer. This fact will probably keep -me off till Fall, when colder winds will purify the air from putrid -exhalations. - -I started on a short trip inland, to see somewhat more of the Territory -than its outskirts, on the last day of June. This is certainly a lovely -country to survey, bound to attract the admiration of any one in whose -heart the least drop of human kindness is not forever dried up. A -living sea is the truest picture I can give of its appearance, the -whole is a vast expanse of land, undulating, shifting, like the eternal -throwings of the Ocean. Here and there streams meandering along through -some of its shallow curves, fringed with trees, add to the sublimity -of the scene. But for me to portray this part of nature's face is a -useless task. I can feel the grandeurs of it easier than to describe -them. - -After passing through the reservation of the Delaware, we crossed the -Kansas River and arrived at Lawrence, the first town this side of -Leavenworth. I arrived just in time to hear of the acquittal of Jim -Lame for the murder of Jennings. After a stay of an hour during which -I promenaded once or twice through the only street which makes the -present town, I took the stage for Topeka, twenty-five miles distance. -I had the pleasure of enjoying a right good thorough jolting, making -the trip one of punishment instead of pleasure. After a long and -tedious ride of nine hours, passing through Tecompton and Tecomseh, we -arrived at two o'clock in the morning of the first of July in Topeka. I -came here principally to buy hides, but could not find any here. This, -like all the places here is quiet and at present very dull, being in -fact at the lowest stage of commercial stagnation. I shall take the -stage tomorrow at two A.M. for Leavenworth City. - - - - - ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ - │ Transcriber's Note: │ - │ │ - │ Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. │ - │ │ - │ Punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant │ - │ form was found in this book; otherwise they were not changed. │ - │ │ - │ Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained. │ - │ │ - │ Italicized words are surrounded by underline characters, _like │ - │ this_. │ - │ │ - │ Other notes: │ - │ Fort Kerney changed to Fort Kearney (pp. 20, 23, 25). │ - │ Fort Bredger changed to Fort Bridger (p. 40). │ - │ John Guttenburg changed to John Gutenberg (p. 71). │ - │ Saint Antoin changed to Saint Antoine (p. 85). │ - └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Extracts from the Diary of William C. -Lobenstine, December 31, 1851-1858, by William Christian Lobenstine - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DIARY OF WILLIAM C. 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