through the rocks have been made to reduce the incline. The strain on the engine becomes greater; the speed of the train is diminished, until the ascent is finally made, and the train halts at Sherman, a railway station of which the elevation exceeds that of any in the world, it being situated 8,235 feet above the level of the sea.

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VI.

THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS TO THE GREAT SALT LAKE.

SHERMAN STATION, the highest point on the Pacific Railway, is in the Territory of Wyoming, the youngest among the Territories of the United States. It was named after the Valley in Pennsylvania which is known in history as the scene of a horrible massacre and which lives in poetry as the abode of Campbell's Gertrude.' Wyoming Territory has already attracted the attention of the world on account of the social and political reforms of which it has been the theatre. Here the enfranchisement of women has not only been conceded, but the logical results have been accepted. Women have been empanelled as jurors, and even entrusted with the discharge of judicial functions.

Some writers strongly advise the traveller to make a halt at Sherman station. The inducements held out to him are mountain scenery, invigorating air, fishing, and hunting. A sojourn among the peaks of the Rocky Mountains has the attraction of

novelty to recommend it. Life there must be, in every sense of the word, a new sensation. But some sensations are undesirable notwithstanding their undoubted freshness. That splendid trout swarm in the streams near Sherman admits of no dispute. Yet the disciple of Isaac Walton should not be tempted to indulge rashly in his harmless and charming sport. It is delightful to hook large fish; but it is less agreeable to be pierced through by arrows. Now, the latter contingency is among the probabilities which must be taken into consideration. A few weeks prior to my journey, one of the conductors of the train by which I travelled learned, by practical experience, that fishing amid the Rocky Mountains has palpable and painful drawbacks. Having taken a few days' holiday, he went forth, fishing-rod in hand, to amuse himself. While whipping the stream in the innocence of his heart, he was startled to find himself made the target for arrows shot by wild Indians. He sought safety in flight, and recovered from his wounds to the surprise as much as to the gratification of his friends. His story did not render me desirous of sharing his fate. The trout-fisher might employ his leisure to greater advantage elsewhere than in the Territory of Wyoming. The sportsman runs fewer risks and would fare much better. If

he sallied forth to shoot antelopes, elk, or deer, he might return unpierced by arrows and laden with game. The Indians are bold and forward enough in presence of a man carrying a fishing-rod, but they keep at a very respectful distance from him who is armed with a repeating rifle. The accommodation at Sherman is not luxurious. It is a place consisting of a few buildings erected for the use of the railway officials.

The scenery around Sherman is bleak and wild. Several famous peaks are said to be perceptible in the far distance. I have read a statement to the effect that Long's Peak, one of the principal mountains of Colorado, 75 miles to the Southwest, and Pike's Peak, 165 miles to the South are 'both plainly visible.' To the North, Elk Mountain is another noted landmark,' about 100 miles distant. It is possible that these mountain tops may have been discerned in a vision by the compilers of guide books. To the eye of the ordinary and unimaginative traveller they are invisible. What he does see to the left of the line looking westward is the snow-capped range of the Wahsatch mountains. On the right are rough and irregular elevations dotted over with dark pines. These are the Black Hills of Wyoming. A huge mass of red rock stands forth here and there on the solitary

plains. Most welcome to eyes wearied with the savage grandeur of the scene, are the patches of purple and yellow wild flowers which flourish amidst the short brown grass. It is with a feeling of relief that Sherman station is left behind. The train descends by its own weight the rapid incline which leads to the Laramie Plains. Three miles westward of Sherman the line crosses Dale Creek on one of those wooden bridges which appear so unsubstantial, yet are said to be so strong. It is 650 feet long and 126 feet high. The trestle work of which it consists resembles the scaffolding erected for the purpose of painting the outside of a London house. An enthusiastic writer terms this bridge 'the grandest feature of the road,' and commends it for its light, airy, and graceful appearance.' The contractors are said to boast of having erected it in the short space of thirty days. It is not stated how many days the bridge will bear the strain almost hourly put upon it. More than one passenger who would rather lose a fine sight than risk a broken neck breathes more freely, and gives audible expression to his satisfaction, once the cars have passed in safety over this remarkable wooden structure. Downwards speeds the train, at a pace which makes one shudder at the consequences of an accident. In twenty miles the descent of a thousand