110 CROFUTI’S NEW OVERLAND TOURIST of roughs, gamblers and desperadoes. When the Vigilance Committee was in session here, in 1868, they waited on a noted desperado, and gave him 15 minutes to leave town. He mounted his mule and said: “Gentlemen, if this d—m mule don’t buck, I don’t want but five.’ We com- mendhis judgment, and consider that for once “fis head was level.” Buacx’s ForxK is approached at this station. It rises in the Uintah Mountains, about 100 miles to the southwest, and emp- ties into Green River, below Green River City. The bottom lands of this river, for fifty miles above Bryan, are susceptible of irrigation, and are thought to be capable of raising small grains. Warston—is an unimportant station, 7.6 miles from Bryan. Soon after passing the station, to the northward, the old Mor- mon trail from Johnson’s Ford on Green River, 12 miles above Green River station, can be seen coming down aravine. The route is marked for some distance by a line of telegraph poles which leads to Sweetwater. Soon after leaving this station, a fine view can be had to the left, south of the Uintah range of mountains. The valley of the Beaver lays atthe northern base of the range, and is one of the most produc- tive sections or the territory ; corn, potatoes, vegetables, and small grain grow and yield abundantly. Beaver Creek, which flows through the valley, was named for the beavers that inhabit the creek. As early as 1825, Beaver Creek was known to dee and other trappers of the American Fur Co; in after years, it became the headquarters—for years at a time—of Jim Bridger and other trappers. Since trapping beaver has been aban- doned the increase in Beaver Creek has been wonderful. - Immense dams are here to be seen, from fou> to six feet high, which flood many thousand acres. _ The streams of this section not only abound in beaver, but in fish—the trout here being abundant. Beyond the Uintah Range is the Great Valley of White Earth River, where is lo- cated the Ute Reservation. Gran ere 9.6 miles west of Marston. ‘he last seven and a half miles of track before reaching this station was laid down by Jack Caseman in one day. The station is named for an old set- tler, Mr. Granger, who keeps a ranche near by. Just after leaving this station we cross a bridge over Ham’s Fork, immediately at its junction with Black’s Fork. Ham’s Fork rises about forty miles to the northwest, in Hodge’s Pass. The bot- tom lands of this stream are very pro- ductive of grass; the upper portion of the valleys, near the mountains, produce ex- cellent hay-crops. It is supposed that the small grains would flourish here under ir- rigation, but the experiment has not yet been tried on a large scale, though the whole valley can be irrigated with but lit- tle labor. In 1867, the Union Pacific Railroad Company surveyed a route from this point —Ham’s Fork—via Salmon Falls, Old’s | Ferry on the Snake River, and Umatilla, to Portland, Oregon. The route, as sur- veyed, is 460 miles by railroad, 315 by steam boat. After crossing the bridge we leave Black’s Fork, which bears away to the left, as also the old stage road, which fol- lows up that stream to Fort Bridger. Our course is due west, following up the bank of the Big Muppy, which we cross and re- cross several times before we reach Pied- mont, 50 miles ahead, where we shall leave it. The valley of the stream is nar- row, producing sage-brush and grease- wood in luxuriance, and possibly would produce good crops, with irrigation. Church Buttes—is situated on Big Muddy Creek, just east of the crossing, in the midst of a sage-brush country. The station is 10.5 miles from Granger’s, a noted place for moss agates. hese beautiful stones are found along the line of the road from Green River 1o Piedmont, but in greater profusion here than at any other point near the road. In some places the ground is literally paved with these gems. The flinty boulders vary in size from a pea to about five inches in diameter. The outside of these pebbles is a dark gray and a greenish blue in spots. Should the reader conclude to stop over and hunt moss agates, our advice would be: take your time and a hammer with you; crack the rocks and pebbles beneath your feet; and when you find one of the agates, if it looks dull and rusty, do not throw it away in hopes of finding a prettier one ; for often the dull-looking stone, when rightly cut and dressed, is very beautiful and valuable. Most of the agates are valueless, butsome are very beautiful, and willreadily sell for from $50 to $75.