19 



interested in us. We strolled around the town and asked 

 some questions. The city is in the open plain, without a 

 shade-tree or irrigating ditch, It is particularly quiet now, 

 we were told, as the Black Hills fever had drawn off the 

 scum of the population. At 1.30 we were off for Fort Bridger, 

 and the ride proved very much more agreeable than the 

 prairie scenery, as some hills were always in sight, although 

 one would never think that he was crossing the Rocky 

 Mountains, even when at Sherman, the summit of the Chey- 

 enne Pass. We passed through a great many snow-sheds 

 during the day, reached Laramie at six, and passed the fort 

 of the same name, about two miles before reaching the town. 

 Laramie seemed to us one of the nicest little plain cities we 

 had yet seen. We took supper further on at Rock Stream 

 station. 



JULY 30, MONDAY. 



We took an early breakfast at Green River station. The 

 scenery, as we passed on from this point, was all new to us 

 and was very grand. The Green River canon is a pictur- 

 esque place from the beauty and extent of its' erosion, and we 

 spent the short time we had to see it on the platforms of our 

 car enjoying it. We soon turned out of the eroded valley 

 and went into the " bad land" district This was just as in- 

 teresting in another way, for everything seemed dead now ; 

 not the slightest signs of life, and the fantastic shapes round- 

 ed out from the rock on all sides of us seemed the monu- 

 ments of one vast burying-ground. We reached Carter's 

 station at 10.30. and found our horses there, pretty stiff and 

 thin. We at once took them out to graze and water. Scott 

 was sick, and we left him in charge of the station-keeper's 

 wife, while we rode over to the Fort. After a ten-mile canter 

 we turned the corner of a butte, and the beautiful valley lay 

 before us. The situation seems to be well chosen ; the Fort is 

 well laid out, and there is an abundant supply of both water 

 and wood in the valley. We arrived at 2 P.M. and went 

 to Rickard's Hotel. General Karge had us all fixed up as 

 soon as possible, and we set out in a body to pay our re- 

 spects to the dignitaries of the place. We found General 

 Flint, the commander, and Judge Carter very pleasant and 

 agreeable persons. They both expressed a willingness to do 



