20 WESTERN INCIDENTS.

RETURN FROM EMPIRE.

Starting out at eight, we reached Idaho at ten in the
morning, and stopped a few minutes to say some parting
words to our friends of the Beebe House. We then
commenced the ascent of the Virginia Cajfion, and the
descent of Russell Gulch, a distance of seven miles to
Central City, which we reached at twelve.

I should not omit to mention, that in driving from
Idaho to Empire the previous morning, we had met
Messrs. Gukin and Ford, artists from Chicago, who were
engaged in taking some mountain views; and were on
their return from the Parks, where they had been
spending the summer months. At their invitation we had
promised to call at their camp as we returned, and look
over their pictures; but the morning was so stormy,
and their quarters looked so uninviting, that we con-
tented ourselves with a passing salute, and a promise to
visit their studios in Chicago on some future occasion. .
The place where we met these gentlemen is but a few
miles from the Chicago Lakes, the scene of Bier-
stadt’s great painting of the “Storm in the Rocky
Mountains.”

The snow had fallen to a depth of from six to eight
inches on our arrival at Central City ; and we were fully
conscious of having lost, by reason of the thick-falling
snow, as we passed down Russell Gulch to Central City,
many fine views, as well as a passing inspection of some
of the finest and most extensive quartz mining and crush-
ing operations now being carried on in this part.of the
Territory. The result, however, was unavoidable, and we
were obliged to content ourselves with such information
as our venerable driver could give us, he being
familiar with the country, and part owner of some of