Days on the Road: Crossing the Plains in 1865Herndon, Sarah Raymond
History
Days on the Road: Crossing the Plains in 1865
Herndon, Sarah Raymond
Overland journeys to the Pacific; West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
The family do not appear at all anxious, so there is nothing I can do
but hope and trust that her naturally strong constitution may bear even
this strain. I advised her to go to bed, drink hot tea, and get into a
perspiration. I doubt very much if she will do it.
Milt Walker is on the sick-list, too. Hillhouse went to bed with a
severe headache last night, but a night’s rest has entirely restored
him.
We crossed three very muddy streams to-day, the first muddy water
we have seen since leaving the South Platte. Since coming to the
mountains, the water has been as clear as crystal until to-day;
perhaps we are coming into mining country. We stopped quite early this
afternoon; the McMahan train has passed and gone out of sight. I hope
they will not go too far, and that they will lend us protection with
their portable engine and other machinery.
* * * * *
Sunday, July 23.
We are resting to-day. I went with Mrs. Hardinbrooke, Lyde and a
gentleman friend of Lyde’s, for a long ramble over the mountains this
afternoon. We found a most delightful spring where the water seemingly
gushes out of the rock. Just below this spring was a patch of the
finest wild onions I ever saw. We brought a good supply to camp. We
are so starved for green vegetables that everyone seems to enjoy the
onions, though some had never eaten onions before, they said. For my
part I always did like onions.
THE SUMMIT OE THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.
Monday, July 24.
We passed the summit of the Rockies to-day, and are camping on the
western or Pacific slope to-night. The ascent has been so gradual
we should not have known when we reached the top but for the little
rivulets running in different directions. Quite on the summit and
very near to each other we saw two little rivulets starting on their
way; one to meander toward the Pacific, while the other will empty
its confluence into the Mississippi, and thence on to the Gulf. Just
a scoopful of earth could change the course of either where they
started--from the same spring really. As it is, how widely different
the scenes through which they will pass. So it is with human lives--a
crisis is reached, a decision is made, and in one short hour the
whole trend of our life is changed with regard to our surroundings,
associates, environments, etc.
We came through Bridger’s Pass to-day, crossed a toll bridge near
Sulphur Springs, and had to pay fifty cents toll for each wagon. The
streams are all muddy that we have crossed to-day. We saw two beaver
dams; they look like the work of man with shovel and trowel. We are
camping two miles west of Sulphur Springs.
* * * * *
Tuesday, July 25.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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