Across America; Or, The Great West and the Pacific Coast

A ride down the bay (June 8th), through San Mateo and Menlo Park, some fifty miles to San Josè, completed my wanderings on the Pacific Coast. The air at San Francisco, fresh fro...

At Fort Garland, in San Louis Park, Sept 21st, Gov. Cumming, Gen. Sherman, and the famous Kit Carson (then Bv't. Brig. Gen. U. S. Vols.), met in council, concerning the Utes and...

Idaho, one of the latest of our new Territories, was formed by lopping off the eastern prolongations of Oregon and Washington, and calling the incipient state by that euphoneous...

The Chinese Question, we had an opportunity of looking into considerably, first and last, and here are some conclusions. Striking the orientals at Boisè City, in Idaho, we had f...

From Denver, we shipped eastward by express the various Indian trophies, we had secured--shields, lances, bows and arrows, grizzly bear-skins, etc.--and rested for a day or two....

Returning next day from Culebra to Fort Garland, we proceeded thence subsequently up the Park to the Indian treaty on the Rio Grande; and from there _via_ Homan's Park and Ponch...

Fort Yuma is popularly believed to be in Arizona, but is in reality in the extreme southeastern corner of California. The fort itself stands on a high bluff, on the west bank of...

Our first day in Salt Lake city (Oct. 14) was Sunday, and of course we rose late--I to find myself stiff and ill. A package of letters from the east, and a bath near noon, set m...

The Plains after awhile became somewhat of a bore, they are so vast and outstretched, and you long for a change, something to break the monotony. To us this came one evening, ju...

We left San Francisco, Feb. 9th, on the good ship _Orizaba_, for southern California and Arizona. She was a first-class side-wheel steamer, with good accommodations, and belonge...

It was our intention originally to proceed from Salt Lake to San Francisco direct, _via_ Nevada; but our long sojourn at Salt Lake induced us to go _via_ Boisè City and the Colu...

As to the alleged outrages and wrongs by Mormons against Gentiles, we found public opinion at Salt Lake much divided. The Mormons, as a class, of course, all repudiated and deni...

We reached Denver Sept. 5th, and remained there several days. Approaching by the South Platte, you catch sight of the town a mile or two away, when crossing a "divide," and are...

Tucson we found to be a sleepy old town, of a thousand or so inhabitants, that appeared to be trying its best to take things easy, and succeeds in doing so. It was formerly, and...

Prescott, as already intimated, was not Paradise, and we left there April 13th, for Los Angelos, _via_ Hardyville and Fort Mojave, on our return "inside," with real rejoicing. O...

We had intended to go by stage from Los Angelos to Fort Yuma, to save time, though we knew it would be a "weariness to the flesh;" but the route had just been changed there from...

Fort Vancouver is an old Government Post, established in 1849, when Washington Territory was still a part of Oregon, and all the great region there was yet a wilderness. The vil...

Geography demonstrates the matchless position of San Francisco, as metropolis of the Pacific coast, and assures her supremacy perhaps forever. The Golden Gate, a strait six mile...

Here at Stockton, I had expected to find friends from San Francisco, to go through to the Yosemite with me, and return. (_Yo-Sem-i-te_, big-grizzly bear.) But, instead, I found...

Across America, from New York to San Francisco, may be roughly estimated as three thousand miles. The first third of this occupied us only about three days and three nights, tho...

Umatilla was then a river town, of two or three hundred houses, mostly frame. It was still the chief point of departure from the Columbia for Idaho and Montana, though Wallula--...

Prescott had been described to us, as resembling very much a "New England village." We were told so in San Francisco. It was repeated at Fort Yuma. It was hinted at Tucson. Well...

A sojourn of a fortnight or so, at San Francisco, sufficed for rest and bringing up back Reports, and on the evening of May 16th, we took the good boat, Chrysopolis for Sacramen...

The Platte Valley itself is a great furrow or groove in the heart of the Plains proper, extending substantially due west from the Missouri to the Rocky Mountains. On the line of...

Here in San Francisco, our National greenbacks were no longer a legal tender, but everything was on a coin basis. Just as in New York, you sell gold and buy greenbacks, if you w...

The next morning (May 31st), I bade good-bye to Mr. Hutchings, most hospitable of hosts and gracious of guides, and started to return _via_ Mariposa. In addition to Capt. Coulte...

It was the middle of August, before I was ready to leave Fort Riley; and now a word about my _compagnons du voyage_. These were two, Mr. J. D. L. of Boston, my well-tried clerk...

In the two previous chapters, I have discussed Utah pretty thoroughly, touching most of the mooted questions there; and now, to sum up. Without doubt, it must be said of the peo...

The Union Pacific Railroad had then just reached Fort Kearney from Omaha, and was the sensation of the hour. With a large force of men, it was being pushed rapidly up the north...

Wickenburg, much longed for and at last reached, we found to be an adobe hamlet, of perhaps one or two hundred inhabitants, depending chiefly on the Vulture Mine. We were all so...

After concluding my duties at Fort Churchill, some thirty miles east on the road to Austin, we returned again to Virginia City, and on the morning of May 22d took the coach for...

Previous Impressions.--A Recent Outrage.--Dr. Robinson's Case.--Proceedings in the U. S. District Court.--An Atrocious Murder.--The Church Implicated.--A Vigilance Committee Pro...

Off for Los Angelos.--Williamson's Valley.--Wild Game.--Juniper Mountain.--Rock Springs.--Cottonwood Cañon.--Beale's Springs.--A Desolate Country.--Sage-brush and Grease-wood.--...

Idaho.--Boisè City.--Miners.--Saloons.--Specie and "Dust" _vs._ Greenbacks.--John Chinaman.--An Idaho Dogberry _vs._ Judge Lynch.--Idaho generally.--Fort Boisè.--A Lucky Paymast...

The Parks of the Rocky Mountains.--San Luis Park particularly.--The Backbone of the Continent.--The Rio Grande and its Bottoms.--Fine Trout-streams.--Snow Squalls.--Sierra Blanc...

Sherman and Utes in Council at Fort Garland.--Sherman and the Arrapahoes.--Gov. Cumming and Ute Treaty.--Indian Ponies.--Ute Costumes.--Ute Village.--Boy Braves.--Indian Dogs.--...

Rocky Mountains from Denver.--Off for the Pacific.--Mountain Mud-wagons.--Laporte.--Gen. Dodge.--The Foot-hills.--Virginia Dale.--Miners going East to Winter.--Willow Spring.--A...

Tucson.--Misses a "Sensation."--Population.--A Mexican Padre.--High Prices.--The Santa Cruz.--Climate.--Apaches.--Blackbirds.--Rip Van Winkle Town.--Headquarters of Military Dis...

Off for the Yo-sem-i-te.--Wheat-fields again.--The Stanislaus and Tuolomne.--The Coast Range.--Coulterville.--A Horseback Ride.--Mustang Pony.--My Guide.--Bower Cave.--"Black's....

Denver itself.--A Mountain City.--Her Growth and Enterprise.--Judge Gale and her Gamblers.--Bishop Randall.--Her want of Trees and Shrubbery.--Metropolis of Colorado.--Gov. Cumm...

Prescott.--A New-England-like Village.--An Army Officer's Opinion.--Location, Plan, Buildings, etc.--A Barber's Opinion.--Her Gold and Silver Mines.--Her Quartz-mills Idle.--Min...

Vancouver.--Gen. Steele.--About Sherman.--The Truth as to Grant's Vicksburg Campaign.--A True Army Bachelor.--Isothermal Lines.--Superb Hood again.--Portland.--Her Enterprise an...

Fort Yuma itself.--Arizona City.--Rio Colorado.--Difficult Navigation.--High River Freights.--A Yuma Sand Storm.--The Thermometer at Yuma.--Yuma Indians.--Old Pasquol.--Good Mis...

First View of Rocky Mountains.--Above and Across them to Fort Garland.--Rumors of Indians.--A Stormy Divide.--"Dirty Woman's Ranch."--Castle Rock.--Buttes.--Monument Creek.--Gar...

Across America.--Off July 24, 1866.--West by Erie Railroad.--The Great West.--Northern New Jersey.--Western New York.--Ohio.--Miami Valley.--Indiana and Illinois.--Buckeye _vs._...

Salt Lake House.--Beauty of the City.--Rasselas' Happy Valley.--A Sunday at the Tabernacle.--A Mormon Missionary.--Their Sacrament.--George Q. Cannon and his Address.--Exercises...

Ride to San Josè.--Off for New York.--The Weather.--Delightful Voyaging.--The Constitution.--Fellow-passengers.--Cape St. Lucas.--Manzanillo.--Acapulco.--A Mexican Seaport.--"Gr...

Ben Holliday again.--His Great Stage Lines.--Wells, Fargo & Co.--Profits and Losses.--His Appearance and Character.--Off for the Columbia.--Great Salt Lake.--Brigham Young's Isl...

The Heathen Chinee.--Their Numbers, Costumes, Habits, etc.--Eager to Learn Melican Ways.--Pigeon English.--Grand Banquet.--Their Graceful Manners.--Their Great Companies.--Their...

Off for Los Angelos.--A Race with the _Golden Age_.--A Pacific Sea.--Coast Scenes.--Santa Barbara.--Spanish Missions.--San Pedro.--San Diego.--Her Harbor.--John Phœnix.--A Deser...

Off for Sacramento.--Fellow-passengers.--Children.--Sacramento River.--Sacramento City.--Thence by Railroad.--Country generally.--The Wheat Fields and Live Oaks.--The Foot-hills...

The Union Pacific Railroad.--The Overland Stage Company.--Mr. Ben Holladay.--An Enterprising Missourian.--Concord Coaches and Teams.--Stage Stations.--Meals _en route_.--The Dri...

The Platte Valley in general.--Its Features and Resources.--The Platte River itself.--The Cañon Cedars.--Want of Timber.--Costly Fuel, Grain, etc. at Fort Sedgwick.--Scenery of...

_Compagnons du Voyage._--Afloat on the Plains.--Travelling by Ambulance.--Camping-out.--Outfit and Escort.--The "divides."--The Platte itself.--The Grasshoppers.--Prairie-chicke...

Her Position Geographically.--Her Great Bay.--Location of City faulty.--Her Sand-hills.--Her Sea-wall.--Her Great Commerce.--Some Statistics.--The View from Telegraph Hill.--Her...

Umatilla.--Indians.--A Mr. Micawber.--Steamboats.--Capt. Stump.--Oregon Steam Navigation Company.--The Columbia and its Tributaries.--Indians.--"Calico" Horses.--Celilo.--Railro...

Prof. Whitney again.--The Mariposa Trail.--Inspiration Point.--A Sublime View.--The Hermitage.--The Snow again.--A Grizzly Bear and Cubs.--The Sugar Pines.--The South Merced.--"...

Mormon Industry and Thrift.--Their System of Irrigation.--Small Farms.--Good Homes.--No Drunkenness or Gambling.--Salt Lake City again.--Mormonism itself.--A Colonization Scheme...

Outfit.--Getting Off.--Anaheim.--German Enterprise.--Santa Anna River.--Laguna Grande.--A Spanish Hacienda.--Buena Vista.--Villacito.--Colorado Desert.--Carissa Creek.--Desolate...

Return by Placerville.--Carson City.--Carson River and Valley.--The Sierras again.--Mountain Turnpikes.--A Rough Night's Travel.--Crossing the Summit.--An Ambitious Mother and h...

Wickenburg.--The Vulture Mine.--A Fine Quartz-mill.--A Valuable Mining Property.--San Francisco Mountains.--Singular Roads.--Skull Valley.--Sparse Population.--Apaches and Yavap...

Greenbacks _vs._ Gold and Silver.--General Prices.--Loyalty of the Coast.--Anxious for Alaska.--Christmas and New Year's.--Lucky Army Officers.--Adventure on the Bay.--Oakland.-...