Page 16 - Keays Diary with forward 1866 and Cover

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of the things will let us know. (The trunk I brought along, contained

all the extra clothes for Will and myself, so we were short on wearing

apparel, also I had baked a fruit cake and brought along, thinking it

would be a treat along our way, it was in the trunk, the thieves got that

to!)

Vegetation is very backward, they raise very little here as

the soil is sandy and poor and they are obliged to irrigate in order to

raise anything. There are no cultivated fields or ranches near here, they

depend on freighting in things. There are only ten frame houses in town,

the rest are made of sod or adobe (sundried brick).

We had an opportunity of seeing General Sherman and Staff here.

He is on an engineering tour, they say, for some Rail Road; I was glad

of the chance to see him. (U. P. R. R. – Will)

Monday Morning. We stopped after going 10 miles last night,

and camped for the first time with a train, and they had a Captain and
Guard; have not seen any of the company, they are Immigrants, which we

Prefer to Freighters as they are more congenial.

There is pretty good feed here for cattle, and good water in

the Platte. We use it all the time now, and watch that our horses do

not drink the surface water, as it is strong Alkali; there is a white crusty

formation on all broken ground.

The Platte Rivers looks beautiful here; it is as broad as the

Missouri but so shallow that it can be forded anywhere, the quicksands

are dangerous for horses.

We had some Ranche eggs last night for supper, (their name for

fresh in distinction from packed) they were but 40¢ per dozen.