Missouri river Watercolors on paper by Thomas Kennet-Were

Pine Bluff City on the Prairie Watercolors on paper by Thomas Kennet-Were

“At St. Joseph, familiarly called St. Joe, we went to the Patee House, which was formerly used as a seminary for young ladies, who, I hope, succeeded in keeping themselves warmer than we could. This was the 14th of March, 1869. The wind was blowing cold, snow was falling, and masses of ice were floating down the Missouri River at the foot of the town. . . . On reaching Council Bluffs were transported in an omnibus on to the steam-ferry, which conveyed us over the Missouri River;, the width of the stream was sufficient to produce the novel sensation of being out at sea in a ‘bus’.”

Railway town on the Prairie Watercolors on paper by Thomas Kennet-Were

Snowed up Watercolors on paper by Thomas Kennet-Were

“At Laramie we were detained some hours, and as the accounts of snow on the line became more discouraging we sallied out in search of a baker’s shop, where we bought as many loaves as we could conveniently store away. During the night we were continually awoke by the jolting of the car as it ground through the snow, and when we got up in the morning we found that by the attempts of the driver to charge through the snow the coupling chains were broken. The engine and freight cars were about a quarter of a mile ahead, a few hundred yards before us was a passenger car, and we in the last were stuck in a snow-drift. Here we remained 26 hours, during which time we fully appreciated the comfort of a sleeping car in which we were able to keep warm and to amuse ourselves by playing cards and conversing with our fellow passengers, whose acquaintances by this time we had made. Our tinned meats here became very acceptable, though I have never eaten anything so nasty as they were. They all tasted mouldy and stale, and the lobster had an extra flavour of varnish.”

Utah

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