[O. B. and C. A. Huntington, New Route, Deseret News, December 7, 1854]

 

New Route

From Carson Valley to Great Salt Lake City.

G. S. L. City, Nov. 27, 1854.

Editor of Deseret News: —

            Dear Sir.—Doubtless many of the readers of your columns will feel highly interested, pecuniarily, as well as otherwise, to hear that Col. Steptoe, now in command of the U. S. forces in this city, started an expedition to look out the shortest and most practicable route to California by way of Carson Valley.

            This expedition was accompanied by Col. John Reese, resident of Carson Valley, who has rendered very material aid to the success of Col. Steptoe's expedition.

            We started on the 18th of September, six in number, two with Col. Reese, and three of the U. S. employ.  Our aim was to keep as near a direct course for Carson Valley as possible.  Upon this course we followed the Beckwith trail near 200 miles where it took a N. W. direction, and seeing by the lay of the mountains that it must lead us a long way from our designs, we kept our S. W. point, and within 35 or 40 miles, without a single hill of importance, struck his trail again at a point which took him five days to accomplish, as we learned in Carson Valley.  Made several other adventures, and cut-offs, got short of provisions, and were obliged to hasten on our journey, keeping directly on the trail which strikes the Humboldt at Lawson Meadows, down which we hastened 115 miles to Ragtown on Carson river.  The poisonous effects of the water of the Humboldt can hardly be believed except by sad experience.  We came near losing all our animals by it, as well as our own lives, and could as sensibly feel its poisonous influence within ten minutes after drinking, as we can feel the cheering influence of a cup of good strong tea. Suffice it to say – we arrived at Mormon Station in Carson Valley on the 15th of October, 27 days from the time we left Salt Lake.

            I would here state that a small company of eleven persons hearing of our intended trip before we started, posted themselves on the road ahead of us with only one horse to the man, upon which he rode and carried his provisions, none of them however were loaded with more than half rations for the trip.  These falling into our company, we were obliged for humanity's sake to assist as far as possible, which proved a backset to the expedition.  In Ruby Valley, 250 miles from this city, a company of five Dutchmen overtook us.    

            Upon this route going and coming we found the Indians as peaceful and about as wild as the antelope, with the exception of a band of the White Knife Tribe.

            We were detained in Carson Valley 17 days, in which time we took good notice of the advantages of that country.  Its soil and climate is equal to the best of the mountain valleys.  Its timber is exhaustless, and of superior quality.

            Reese & Co., have in successful operation a very fine, large, three story grist mill, to which is attached the most complete saw mill we ever saw in motion, with a circular saw six feet in diameter.  We witnessed it saw twice through a ten foot log, making a complete change of the mill, and sawing 28 feet of timber in one minute and fifty seconds.

            Started on our return to this city on the 2nd of November, accompanied by S. A. Kinsey of the firm of Reese & Co., and a Mr. Davis, owner of a large drove of sheep wintering in this valley.  Col. Reese took with him two other men and accompanied us about 200 hundred [sic] miles on our return trip.

            We travelled down the Carson river on the south side, passed on around the sink, and satisfied ourselves that there is no outlet, as has been faithfully reported.  Kept our course N. E., as near as mountains would permit, without road or trail, for near two hundred miles, where Mr. Reese left us, turning east over a mountain to another range of valleys by which he intended to make his return.  About forty miles from where he left us we struck the Beckwith trail but one and a half days travel in west of the exact point where we anticipated.

            This whole route is well supplied with grass — to drive over thirty miles without water in the dryest season of the year, and, in the early part of immigration, it is plenty in all the mountain rills.  Wood and sage brush are abundant.

            Added to these advantages, we avoid the Humboldt, and alkali in general, and we are confident we can reach Carson Valley by this route inside of 500 miles, and that soon this will be the main thoroughfare of the California immigration.

            We know that from the Beckwith route we have cut off over 150 miles, and expect to receive, between this and spring, a full account of Mr. Reese's return trip from where he left us to Carson Valley, so that we shall be apprised of the best route known by white men.  After a most extraordinarily successful trip of 24 days we arrived in this city on the 27th of Nov. 

            Yours most respectfully,

O. B. HUNTINGTON,

C. A. HUNTINGTON.

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