RARE 1870 WESTERN TOURIST GUIDE OLD WEST INDIANS PACIFIC RAILROAD MORMONS STAGE
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Our New West Records of Travel ...; Between The Mississippi River and Pacific Ocean. Over the Plains--Over the Mountains-- Through the Great Interior Basin--Over the Sierra Nevadas--To and Up and Down The Pacific Coast with Details of the Wonderful Natural Scenery, Agriculture, Mines, Business, Social Life, Progress, and Prospects of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia; Including A Full Description of the Pacific Railroad; And Of the Life of the Mormons, Indians, and Chinese. WITH MAP, PORTRAITS, AND TWELVE FULL PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS By SAMUEL BOWLES PUBLISHED BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY. HARTFORD PUBLISHEDING CO. HARTFORD, CONN. 1870 ORIGINAL 1870 EDITION. HARDCOVER BOOK WITH ORIGINAL DARK BROWN CLOTH AND TITLE IN GILT. THIS 147 YEAR OLD BOOK IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. SEE BELOW FOR CONTENTS AND AN EXAMPLE OF THE BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATIONS CONTAINED WITHIN. PREFACE The Pacific Railroad unlocks the mysteries of Our New West. It opens a new world of wealth, and a new world of natural beauty, to the working and the wonder of the old. The eastern half of America offers no suggestion of its western half. The two sides of the Continent are sharp in contrasts of climate, of soil, of mountains, of resources, of productions, of everything. Nature, weary of repetitions, has, in the New West, created originally, freshly, uniquely, majestically. In her gifts, in her withholdings, she has been equally supreme, equally complete. Nowhere are broader and higher mountains; nowhere richer valleys; nowhere climates more propitious; nowhere broods an atmosphere so pure and exhilarating; nowhere more bountiful deposits of gold and silver, quicksilver and copper, lead and iron; nowhere denser forests, larger trees; nowhere so wide plains; nowhere such majestic rivers; yet nowhere so barren deserts, so arid steppes; nowhere else that nature has planted its growths so thickly and so variously, and feeds so many appetites so richly; yet nowhere that she withholds so completely, and pains the heart and parches the tongue of man so deeply by her poverty. To give in detail some clear impressions of this vast and various region, its wonderful features of natural scenery, its illimitable capacities of growth and wealth, its present crude and conflicting civilizations, --its mining populations, its Mormons, its Chinese, and its Indians, --and still its sure promise of the finest race, and the broadest, freest, most active and most aggressive society, commerce and industry, that the world has yet developed, --this is the excuse and the promise of this book. The author has spent two summers in intimate travel over the regions comprehended in the volume. The first (1865) was before the Railroad was begun, when he traveled by stage from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean, and thence north to Oregon, Washington Territory, and Puget's Sound; stopping for leisure study of Colorado, of Utah and its Mormons, of Nevada and its mines; and visiting all the distinctive points of interest, either for scenery, for business improvement, or for social characteristics. Again in 1868, he passed over the then already completed Railroad to the crest of the great continental mountain ranges, and, thence descending among the great folds of Mountains and elevated Parks that distinguish Colorado, and make it the geographical center and phenomenon of the Continent, spent some weeks in camp life in that future Switzerland of America. The company of so distinguished and popular public men as Mr. Colfax, the Speaker and the Vice-President, and Lieutenant Governor Bross of Illinois, during both summers, smoothed all our ways, and unlocked for our study all the mysteries of social and
business life. We were welcomed to generous hospitality of head and heart, and gained at once
completest knowledge of the states and territories visited. Study, then and since, of all local records and authorities, has completed and kept alive my acquaintance with the growth, character, and capacity of this new kingdom of our Continent.The author must therefore be at fault if, in this compilation of the original records of his two summers' journeys, corrected and reviewed by the help of all other sources of information, he shall fail to convey some true idea of the present and promise of this Western Half of the American Continent. He invites particular attention to his chapters on the Central Parks and Mountains of Colorado; on the Mormons and their polygamy and political pretensions; on the Sierra Nevadas and their scenery in California, including that wonderful valley of the Yo Semite, the one unrivalled sublimity of nature in all the known world, and its neighboring groves of Mammoth Trees; on the Chinese, and their place in the industry, domestic life, and business of the Pacific States; on the Willamette Valley of Oregon; on the Scenery of the Columbia, the only continental river that breaks through the continental ranges of mountains; on the forests of Washington Territory, and the beauties and capacities of Puget's Sound; on the conditions and principles of Mining in Colorado, Nevada, and California; on the Agriculture of Colorado, California, and Oregon; and on the grand commercial and industrial future of this interior and Pacific Coast Empire of ours. He will fail, if the reader does not come to share the impression, that there is a nature to pique the curiosity and challenge the admiration of the world; an atmosphere to charm by its beauty and to heal by its purity and its dryness; a wealth of minerals and a wealth of agriculture that fairly awe by their boundlessness; an aggregation of elements and forces that, with development, with increase and mixture of populations, with facility and cheapness of intercourse, --with steamships on the Pacific Ocean, and railroads across the Continent to the Atlantic, --are destined to develop a society and a civilization, a commerce and an industry, a wealth and a power, that will rival the most enthusiastic predictions for our Atlantic States Empire, and together, if we stand together in the future, will present on the North American Continent such a triumph of Man in race, in government, in social development, in intellectual advancement, and in commercial supremacy, as the world never saw, --as the world never yet fairly dreamed of. S.B.Springfield, Mass., March, 1869. CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION: Our New West—The First Great Division, the Plains —The Second, the Rocky Mountains—The Third, the Great Interior Basin—The Fourth, the Sierra Nevadas and the Pacific Coast—The Characteristics of EachII. OVER THE PLAINS BY STAGE: The Rival Depots for the Traffic of the Plains—An Indian Scare to Begin With—The Richness of the Country for Two Hundred Miles—Scenes on the Plains—The Prairie Schooners by Day and Night—A Hail and Thunder-Storm—The Week's Ride and the Plains Summed Up—The Civilization of the Country—The Meals at the Stations—Life and Death in Contrast—Personal Sketches: Vice-President Colfax and Governor Bross—The Advent of the MountainsIII. THE PACIFIC RAILROAD: The Story of the Pacific Railroad—The Pullman Cars—Omaha and Council Bluffs—Over the Plains by Rail—Cheyenne—The Mountain Pass and its various Revelations of Plain, Desert and Mountain—The Architecture of Wind, Rain and Sand—Echo and Weber Canyons—Around Salt Lake and Across the Great Interior Basin—Scenes along the Route—Up and over the Sierra Nevadas—Donner Lake—The Greatest Triumph in Railroad Building in the World—Through California—The Continental Railroad Reviewed and Summed up—Its Beginning, its Execution and its Results?IV. COLORADO: ITS MOUNTAINS AND PARKS: Back to the Rocky Mountains—Their Finest Scenery Away From the Railroad Line—Colorado, the Center and Backbone of the Continent—Its Three Grand Divisions—Its Majestic Mountains—Its Great Natural Parks—North, Middle and South Parks—Summer Scenes Among the Mountains and Parks—The Western Division of' Colorado—The Stage Bide from Cheyenne—Night in a Stage-Coach—Experiences on the Road—Denver, its Growth and Promise, and its Panoramic Mountain View—Salt Lake City and Denver ComparedV. LIFE AMONG THE MOUNTAINS: The Roads from Denver into the Mountains—What they Reveal to the Traveler—How Pleasure Parties Travel and Camp—The North Clear Creek and Central City—The South Clear Creek Valley, and its Attractions—Idaho and its Springs—Outfit for a Camping Experience—The Mule—Over the Mountains by Berthoud Pass to Middle Park—The Flowers and the Forests of the Upper Mountains—The Camp at NightVI. THE MIDDLE PARK AND THE UTE INDIANS: A Day's Ride Across the Middle Park—An Indian Encampment, and our Reception thereat—The Mountain Raspberries—The Hot Sulphur Springs—The Ute Indians; How they Live, Move and have Being—A Lingering Farewell to Middle Park—Over the Boulder Pass—A Winter's Morning and a Summer's Noon on the Mountains—Night in a BarnVII. MOUNTAIN CLIMBING AND CAMP LIFE: Up Gray's Peak from Georgetown—The View from it—A Saturday Night Camp on the Snake River—Sunday with a "Prospector"—A Butter and Milk Ranch in the Mountains—The Valley of the Blue and its Mining Operations—Over the Breckinridge Pass in a Thunder Storm—Hamilton and South Park—Reunion with the Grand Party—Ascent of Mount Lincoln—A Snow Storm on the Summit—Montgomery—The Everlasting Plattes—The Side Valleys of the South ParkVIII. AN INDIAN "SCARE" AND THE INDIANS: Our Experiences with Indian Wars—A Terrible " Scare" in the Mountains—A Night in Camp with Indian Expectations—The Indian Question Generally, Past, Present and Future—The Arkansas Valley—The Twin Lakes and their Beauties of Scenery and Life—Down the Valley and Across South Park Again—A Grand Camp Scene—Who we Were and How we Lived—An Evening with Friendly Indians—The Last of our Camp Experiences—Out of the Park, Through the " Garden of the Gods, " and Back to Denver—A Motley Procession Through the TownIX. THE MINES AND THE FARMS OF COLORADO: The Beginning, Growth and Present Condition of the Mining Interests of Colorado—1859 to 1869—Central City and its Operations—Georgetown and its Silver Mines—Gulch Mining and its Revival—The Certain Future Growth of the Mining Wealth of the State—The Greater Agriculture Wealth of Colorado—Its Rapid Development—Fertile Valleys and Astonishing Crops—Cost of Living—Stock Raising—Coal and Iron and Manufactures—Professor Agassiz and the Glaciers—The Population of Colorado and its Characteristics—When to Visit its Mountains and Parks—The Resort of Pleasure Seekers and Health HuntersX. BY STAGE INTO UTAH: The Old Stage Lines Across the Continent—Features of Domestic Life among the Mountains—Some of the Women of the Border—Things in Cans—Game, the Antelope and the Grizzly Bear—A Rapid Stage Ride Down the Mountains—Entrance into the Salt Lake Valley—View of Salt Lake City—Its Beauty of Location, its Capacities of Wealth, and its Future Realizations—The Reception by the Mormons—A Sunday Morning Hot Sulphur BathXI. A WEEK IN SALT LAKE CITY: The Hospitalities of Mormons and Gentiles—What we Saw and What we Didn't See—The Beginning and Growth of Utah—The Organization of Labor and Immigration—Character of the Population and of the Rulers—The Close Church and State Government—Education—"The Tithings"—Brigham Young and his Power—Dining with the Twelve Apostles—Bathing in Salt Lake—The City and How it is Located and Built—The Tabernacles and Brigham Young's Harem—Irrigation and Crops—Fiat, The Basin Filling Up with Water—Are the Mormons to be Drowned Out?—The Productions of the Mormons—The Introduction of Manufactures—Gold and Silver Mining, and Brigham Young's Views on it—An Evening at the Mormon TheatreXII. MEN AND WOMEN, OR POLYGAMY, IN UTAH: Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Other Leading Apostles—Long Interviews and Talks with Them—Discussion about Polygamy—Suggestion of a New Revelation against it—Later Extension of Polygamy—The Sabbath Services of the Mormons—Preaching by Brigham Young—Extracts from Mormon Sermons—Mr. Colfax in the Mormon Pulpit—How does Polygamy Work?—The Children—The Husband and the Wives—What the Latter Say and How they Bear it—Illustrations of Polygamous Life and Habits—Brigham Young's Children and Wives—Beauty and the Beast—List of Young's HaremXIII. THE FUTURE OF THE MORMONS: What of the Church and Polygamy?—How the Problem will Solved—No Fit Successor for Brigham Young—The Past Neglect and Present Duty of the Government—The Division of the Territory—How the Soldiers Attack Polygamy—The Order of Danite Assassins, and their Bloody Work—The Mountain Meadow Massacre—The Rebellious Morrisites and Josephites— Summing up of Observations in Utah and our Conclusions—Our Stage Driver " The Coming ManXIV. THROUGH THE DESERT BASIN BY STAGE: From the Rocky Mountains to the Sierra Nevadas by Stage—Through Central Utah and Nevada—Characteristics of the Country — A Fast Ride—The Alkali Deposits and the Dust—The Compensations in Nature—Reese River Valley, and Austin, a Representative Mining Town—A Classical Retreat—Virginia City and Gold Hill—The Neighborhood of the Sierras—The Rich Valleys—Steamboat Springs—The Anomalies of the Great Basin—Why, Whence, What?XV. THE MINES OF NEVADA: The Beginning of Silver Mining in Nevada and its Results—The Comstock Lode—Review of the Mines at Austin—How the Ore is Reduced—Details of Operations at Virginia City and Gold Hill—The Comstock Lode Nearly Used Up—Inspecting the Mines—A Tour through the Gould & Curry Mine— "Nature Abhors a Vacuum"—New Discoveries in Nevada—The White Pine Mines and their Promise—A Warning to Brigham Young—How the Miners Divide their Fat Things—The Fascination of Mining—The Ease with which People are Swindled—Mines vs. "Faro Banks"—Advice in General and in Particular to those who have the Gold and Silver FeverXVI. OVER THE MOUNTAINS TO THE OCEAN: The Stage Ride over the Sierra Nevadas—The Mountain Toll Roads and Freighting and Staging upon them—Rapid Riding—A Break-neck Pace—The Scenery of the Sierras—Lake Tahoe—Placerville—Sacramento—A Steamboat Ride to San Francisco—The Patriotic Traveler on Reaching the Pacific Coast—The Unity of the American People—The Wonderful Development of the Pacific StatesXVII. CALIFORNIA: The Extent and Variety of California's Surface—Her Two Ranges of Mountains—The Sacramento Basin—The Coast Valleys—The Forests of the Coast Range and the Sierra Nevadas—The Lakes of the State—The Lake District of the Continent—The Harbors on the Coast—The Bay of San Francisco—The Dry Climate of California—Amount of Rain in the Valleys and of Snow in the Mountains—The Contrasts with a Former Era—The Peculiarities of San Francisco's Climate—The Varieties of Heat and Cold to be had in the State—The Glory of Spring in California—The Grand Features of Nature in the State—Her Revolutions and Revelations in Nature and in Science—The Growth of California—Her Railroad SystemXVIII. SAN FRANCISCO: The Mysterious Fascination of "Friscoe" — An Early Error in Laying Out the City — The Winds and Real Estate — The Grand Views from the City's Heights — The Garden- Yards of the Town— The Peculiarities of its Climate — The Anomalies and Contradictions of its Social and Business Life — The Smartness of the Old Californians — The Women of San Francisco — A Scandal Making and Scandal-Loving Town — The Feminine Lunch Parties — The Tempering Influences of Time and the Railroad—Hotels and Restaurants — The " What Cheer House" — The Wells-Fargo Express Company — The Markets of San Francisco— Fruit, Fish, Flour and Meat — Prices Here and in the East —Buildings and Earthquakes — The Excursion to the Cliff — The Seals and the Pelicans — Morals, Education and Religion — The Dominance of Northern and National Sentiments — School Houses and Churches and Ministers — The Commerce and Manufactures of San Francisco— Interesting Statistics — The Certainties of the Future — London, New York and San Francisco ContrastedXIX. COUNTRY EXCURSIONS IN CALIFORNIA: Southern California — Los Angeles, etc. — The Country About San Francisco — Oakland, Santa Clara, San Jose, etc. — A Ride Around the Bay — The Old Mission Establishments and their History —The Country in Summer — A Trip to the Geysers — Russian River, Napa and Sonoma Valleys and their Characteristics —"Hell on Earth" Indeed — The Fashionable " Baths" of California — A San Francisco Girl " Takes a Drink" — The Wines of California — Champagne the Mother's Milk of the True California — Back to the CityXX. THE YOSEMITE VALLEY AND THE BIG TREES: The Impressions of the Valley — General Description of its Features— Its Columns of Rock — Its Water-falls — How to Pronounce Yosemite— The Journey to the Valley — The Big Tree Grove and the Yosemite Dedicated to Public Use — June the Season for the Excursion — The High Sierras above and around the Valley— What they Reveal — The Coulterville Road and Bowers' Cave — The Big Tree Groves — Interesting Facts about the Trees — The Largest Excursion Party to Valley and TreesXXI. THE CHINESE: The Human Nature Curiosity of California — The Sixty Thousand Chinese — Their Character, Habits and Occupations — The Pacific Railroad built by Them — How they are treated by the People —The Indian and the Chinaman — The Limitations of the Chinese Mind — Stony Soil for Missionary Labor — The True Elements of Influence over Them — The Bath-House and the Restaurant the Real Missionaries of Civilization and Christianity — The Morals, Religion and Vices of the Chinese — The Opium-Eater — A Grand Chinese Banquet to Mr. Colfax — A Specimen of " Pigeon English" — The Dinner and how we Ate it, — and then went out to get Something to Eat — Summing up of the Chinaman in AmericaXXII. MINING IN CALIFORNIA: California the Child of Gold — Her Total Production and Present Yield — The Mineral Belt of the State — The Different Processes of Mining — The Dead Rivers, the Deep Diggings and Hydraulic Mining — The Quartz Mines and Mills — The Fremont Fizzle in Mariposa — The Increasing Reliability of Mining as a Business — The Providence in the Gold and Silver Discoveries — Decrease in the Production of the Precious Metals in America and the World — Valuable Statistics on the Subject — The Other Mineral Wealth of CaliforniaXXIII. FARMING IN CALIFORNIA: The Romance of California's Agriculture — Its History and its Present Condition — The Wheat Production — The Vineyards and the Wine — Mulberry Trees and Silk — The Vegetables and Fruit — The Culture of Oranges — The Nuts and Dried Fruits— The Cheapness of Production — The Strange Facts of Climate and Culture in California — Six Months of Seed-time and Six Months of Harvest — No Manure and No Turf in California — The Wheat and its Flour — No Irrigation Required — The Moisture in the Soil — Land and its Price — The Need of Small Farms and Diversified Culture — The Growth of the Agricultural Counties — Advice to Emigrant FarmersXXIV. OREGON— WASHINGTON— BRITISH COLUMBIA: Overland to the North — The Surprises of Oregon, Washington and Puget's Sound — A Week's Ride in a " Mud Wagon" — Up Through the Sacramento Valley — Chico and General Bidwell, Red Bluffs and the John Browns—The Mingling Mountains and New Valleys — Shasta, Yreka and Jacksonville — Mount Shasta and Pilot Knob — The Forests in Whole and in Detail — Joe Lane and Jesse Applegate — The Willamette Valley, the Garden of Oregon — The Rains of Oregon — Portland — The New England of the Pacific — Through Washington Territory to Puget's Sound — The " Square Meal" Feature of Pacific Coast Civilization — The Lumber Wealth, and Water and Forest Beauty of Puget's Sound — Victoria and Vancouver's Island — New Westminster and British Columbia — British Taxation and Rebellious Subjects — Decrease of Population and Wealth — A Good Time at Victoria — John Bull and Brother Jonathan Fraternize Over Food and Drink — The San Juan Dispute — The Hudson Bay Company's Depots — The Snow Mountains and the Summer Gardens of Victoria — Contrasts there and with the EastXXV. THE COLUMBIA—RIVER IDAHO— MONTANA: The Extent and Importance of the Columbia River — The Scenery of its Conflict with the Mountains — Fort Vancouver and General Grant — The Cascades and The Dalles — The Railroad Portages — No River Scenery so Grand as that of the Columbia — Mount Hood — The Rivalry of the High Mountains — The Extent of the Navigation of the Columbia, East, North and South — Railroad Connections with Salt Lake and the Rest of Mankind — The Stage Ride over the Blue Mountains, Through Idaho, to Salt Lake —The Shoshone Falls, the Rival of Niagara — The Stage Lines Through Idaho and Montana — A Trip Through Montana — Its Mountains and its Mines — The Northern Pacific Railroad — Montana's Present Development and Future Prospects — The Boat Ride Down the Missouri River HomeXXVI. SANDWICH ISLANDS— COLORADO CANYON: Hospitalities to Mr. Colfax — What was Left Unseen — The Sandwich Islands — Their Past, Present and Future — Their Sugar, Scenery, Volcanoes and Climate — Alaska and Arizona — The Country to be Opened by the Southern Pacific Railroad — The Canyon of the Colorado— The Unknown Land of the Republic — The Solitary Passage of the Canyon — Underground Rivers and the Secret of the Gulf Stream — Scientific Explorations of the New West — The Slang Words and Phrases of Colorado and California — The Indians of the Pacific States — Sentimental Leave-taking at San FranciscoXXVII. HOME BY THE ISTHMUS: The Steamship Line between San Francisco and New York by the Isthmus — Its Business, and its Relations to the Pacific Coast Life — Its Revolution by the Railroad — Our Voyage Home — Life on a California Steamer — The Scenery Along the Coast — Panama and its Bay — The Ride Across the Isthmus — Tropical Sights and Experiences — The Quick Trip on the Atlantic Side to New York— The Continental Journey Ended and Summed Up — America Realizes Herself and Recognized by the World
