Ten Cent! a Copy. )" NEW YORK, THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1876. \ 17 Chatham Si! (CUyHall Sqr.) 
For Forest and Stream. 
0vcrhi\d 
NUMBER ONE 
E are striking into no new or untrodden path that 
we presume to render interesting notes of Western 
tmblings, For many years there have been from many 
' 2 ns, accounts of what was the “Far West,” now less far 
om the rapid strides of steam; yet “the half has not 
sen told," nor will it be for many a long year, for the im- 
iense space that on maps not long since accepted as accu¬ 
se, wa3 designated as “unexplored, desert," etc., is found 
i contain an endles3 variety of treasures of all kinds, and 
ichantments for all tastes, from the seeker of wealth, to 
ic artist, the scientist, and the wanderer who in new 
senes and under new skies, seeks amusement, Tecreation, 
id rest. 
This Territory, the Centennial State to be, the land of 
color," filly crowns the tide of progress that has swept in 
om the two oceans. Here the rapid immigration from 
ie East, meets the reflex amount of miners and bold 
lirits that have followed from the Pacific the lurings of 
idden mines and concealed treasures; and in this new 
late will be found all the remarkable characteristics that 
tve been developed in the ineu whose energy and restless 
•uragc have borne forward the star of Empire until it has 
jcome a meteor- In our own finished Eastern States, we 
ive been filled with satisfaction and pride at contemplating 
jw in the lifetime of one hale generation, the wild half 
sown lands have been changed from their rude condition 
i a culture and finish that compare favorably With those 
' ancient European countries;* but here progress overuns 
self, and impatient American enterprise builds villas in 
one before the wigwam has moved on; the locomotive 
irdly halts for the buffalo to turn tail and flee, and vil- 
gcs occupy the plain so rapidly that the prairie dog can 
irdly move fast enough to keep in the suburbs, and he is 
cky if his wise eyes are not opened some fine morning to 
stone sclioolhouse, or a massive church where the bunch 
ass lately grew, anti the antelope fed. 
And how do we come into this new land? As Father 
ennepin went to Lake Superior with a bag of parched 
iru, and armed with a rosary, or with the slow mule train, 
mping on the plain, and trusting to the avails of the rifle 
r food? Not a bit of it, we came as we enter New York, 
a snug train, armed with greenbacks alone, and find at 
e station of Colorado Springs such a row of runners and 
irters as would have driven brave Father Hennepin, who 
ared no Indian warhoop, away, hopeless of any influence 
religion; and would have frightened a mule train into a 
impede. 
I Grace a Dim , there was one quiet man, he drove the 
anitou stage, and gladly escaping the din, a pleasant 
ive of five miles amid wonderful scenery, under the 
ige shadow of Pike’s Peak, brought us here, where inl¬ 
ine us in a most comfortable hotel, the Manitou House, 
i iile we go in retrospect over the journey here. 
And here let us premise that we “look no gift horse in 
e mouth” in our comments on routes, rates, and accom¬ 
odations. A little simple truth is of great value to those 
I 10 are seeking information about travel, and with all due 
(Terence to those whose writings we pored over in ad- 
i nee of our journey, we find reason at times to think 
at special attentions, and perhaps exemption from regular 
tea and expenses, may have shed a emileur de rose over 
eir path that the ordinary tourist may miss in following. 
From New York to Chicago there is little to desire in 
iprovement of travel. Our roflte via. the four track New 
irk Central, and the highly finished Lake Shore Road* 
mbined every comfort and attribute of speed and safety, 
th many beautiful and interesting views, and the other 
utes oiler the same with new scenes for the return trip, 
dcago no one should pass without lingering, there is so 
ich to study and admire in the new city where miles of 
w buildings exhibit all the resources of modern architec- 
re, and no old or low structures impair the effect. The 
Are has been like Louis Napoleon’s sweeping edicts, and no 
inferior buildings remain to break the sky line of block 
after block of commercial structures that are modeled 
like palaces. For the stranger no city offers finer hotels- 
A choice is embarrasing, ours was for the Grand Pacific, 
and we found it remarkably perfect in every detail. The 
large office hall, and the reading room are exceedingly 
handsome, and are decorated with frescoes and fine paint¬ 
ings of different cities that are worthy of long study. If 
some ingenious person can invent a practical smoke con¬ 
suming arrangment for soft coal, it will be of inestimable 
value to such cities as Chicago and Cincipnati, for it hangs 
like a gloom over them, and falls with disfiguring effect 
upon their beautiful buildings. 
The pumping engines of the Lake "Water Works are well 
worth seeing as mechanical wonders of power. They are 
in a very expensive building of stone, more ornate and 
grotesque than appropriate, which fails to indicate in its 
fanciful form the character of permanence and strength 
that the architect should have given expression to. 
The next step, Westward ho, is to Omaha, and Several 
routes are open, alt good, and all offering special advan 
tages, some of which, like hotel cars, are mainly found on 
the neat little advertisements that lie about on all sides like 
leaves in autumn. 
Our choice was the Rock Island Road, and wo found ex¬ 
cellent cars. Of tills route there is not much to be said. 
A good book will here be duly valued, and little will 
tempt one to turn from its pages, unless to drive away 
with “shoo fly” gesture the infernal peddling boys who in 
relays infest this route. Ah, Father Hennepin, alas cold 
wet mule driver, the hardships are not all yours, you have 
had in your time dangers, weariness, exposure, and despair, 
but you had not the train peddler, you Know not his per¬ 
sistence, his mosquito like perternacity, his nasal twang, 
his thrusts of dime novels, prize packages, and peanuts. 
The cars may be snug, the cushions soft, the corners all 
padded, but what is there of repose, contemplation, conver¬ 
sation, or gentle reverie with a dirty hand under one’s nose 
every five minutes holding something one hates? 
In daily life, if a purchase is made, one seeks a shop and 
it is done; it is reserved for our weary journey to be 
haunted by a succession of peanut stands, corner groceries, 
and news rooms, and to sleep amid a nightmare of wan¬ 
dering hucksters. Tar and oil will keep off black flies, a 
little Persian powder will enable us to sleep undisturbed, 
strychnine will keep bowling wolves from camp, but what 
will deter the train boy? Hero, oh American genius, is a 
chancel Supply something that will maim, kill, demolish, 
or dismay the train boy, and a fortune awaits you. He is 
kith and kiu to him who paints the rocks, disfigures fences, 
and sees in natural scenery only a sign board for his dis¬ 
gusting remedies and quack wares. How long will the 
American public suffer their inheritance of superb nndefiled 
natural scenes to be thus rendered offensive? 
Council Bluffs is reached in twenty-four hours from 
Chicago. A long fine bridge connects it with Omaha, but 
from some bungle, creditable to no one as far as under¬ 
stood, the trains from the East cannot cross; all the passen¬ 
gers are bundled out on a platform bag and baggage, there 
to wait it may be an hour, and then to go as we did, in a 
dirty overcrowded emigrant car to the Union Pacific depot 
in Omaha. 
Invalids here must suffer, and for a route claiming as 
much as does this of comfort, this break, and the way 
travelers are left about are far from creditable. 
Wishing to avoid continuous travel we passed a day at 
Omaha, and found the Grand Central Hotel very nice and 
pleasant. 
From time to time East of Council Bluffs we saw many 
bevies of prairie hens, and all about in Omaha were evi¬ 
dences that we were in a fine game country. Huge elk 
horns of many points were common decorations on houses 
and barns, and in the markets were specimens of black 
tail deer and various game. For information about game, 
etc., we called on Mr. Thos. L. Kimball, General Passen¬ 
ger Agent of the UnionJPacific Railroad, He was exceed¬ 
ingly kind, and evidently an excellent sportsman, his love 
of the field leading him to camp excursions, shared by his 
family, some of the ladies of it being ablefo kill birds on 
the wing. How much of robust health, and steady' nerve 
would be gained by our eastern belles could they too go a 
field in such a spirited manner, From him we learned 
that out on the Pacific Road about Grand Island the sport¬ 
ing is excellent, covering a variety of game, such as prairie 
hens, ducks, geese, etc. With Mr. Kimball we had a pleas¬ 
ant conversation about California as a resort for pleasure 
seekers, invalids, and sportsmen, and comparing it with 
Florida. The rigor of our long northern winter, the strain 
it exerts upon health, and the growing taste for open air life, 
all are exerting a powerful influence upon travel, as evi¬ 
denced in the crowds that visit the South and Florida, and 
the'increasing numbers going to California. With regard 
to the latter wo urged that more encouragement should be 
given. Now the trip is very expensive; costing more than 
a trip to Europe, and there are some annoyances that 
tourists should be spared. A ticket from New York to 
San Francisco costs $136, sleeping oar berth, $32, and 
meals and sundries the balance up to $200; and this 
amount will admit of very little delay by the way. This 
is four times Che coat of going to Florida. Then baggage 
is weighed, and all over 100 pounds charged for at 15 cents 
per pound, making in many cases an onerous amount, 
for people cannot leave home for the winter, and go 
through a cold country demanding warm clothing, to a 
warm climate requiring light dress, with only 100 pounds 
of baggage. The sleeping cars arc needlessly ponderous, and 
over costly; aod make the weight of the train, many of them 
weighing 22 tons, a ton to each passengev. We think most 
tourists would willingly have their cars fitted plainly with 
an absence of heavy woods aud metal work, and be per¬ 
mitted to carry a fair amount of baggage free from con¬ 
stant weighing and extra charges. This eoming on a high 
rate of fare, is quite an annoyance. Another unfair fea¬ 
ture of the ticket rate is the discrimination against passen¬ 
gers by the Kausas Pacific Route. It would be to many 
interesting to go or come this way, but if they go by it, 
say from Chicago, it will cost to Denver about $17. Den¬ 
ver to Cheyenne, $10, and from Cheyenne to San Fran¬ 
cisco, the same as from Omaha, or $100, no allowance being 
made for the 516 miles not traveled between Omaha and 
Cheyenne. This makes $157 via. Kansas Pacific. This is 
because the Union Pacific from Cheyenne West is the 
only line, and being iu combination with the Pacific Mail 
Line,- a monopoly. Let us hope Dio Texas and Pacific 
Road may afford us a communication with Southern Cali¬ 
fornia direct before long. The claim that the road was 
very costly and demands high fares, would be more just 
had not the Government so immensely aided it, and wo 
cannot hut feel that more favorable rales would fully re¬ 
compense the company if they resulted iu building up 
something like the travel (hat seeks Europe and Florida. 
A class of light cars, not over 13 tons, plainly fitted, with 
canvas divisions instead of heavy panels, that small par¬ 
ties could charter for the trip would be very tempting. 
They ueed not cost over five thousaud dollars, and a fair 
price would pay for their use. These could remain over at 
good hunting points, or amid fine scenery, and would 
greatlv enhance the value of this long journey. Let us 
hope 'some road will adopt sorno such car system, and 
manage it, instead of hauling the ponderous Pullman cars, 
and then complaining about the weight of a trank. 
What tourists want is a secured seat, space, and neatness. 
We do not think manv care for the extravagant cars now 
used, or are anxious to pay for their cost, or drawing ex¬ 
penses. Your correspondent was spared a great deal of 
care by the kindness of Mr. Kimball, which is pleasantly 
remembered, and, snugly fixed in a car, rolled out of 
Omaha over the plains. Of the route from Omaha to 
Manitou in our next. BeTore closing we will add, that 
here (Manitou) this day, Thanksgiving, the sky is clear, 
air mild, roads fine and dry, aDd everything tempting for 
outdoor life. Although 0,200 feet above sea level, there is 
no snow except on the mountains, and when any falls, the 
