er it is known. A
thick growth of the bee-blossom or bee-weed crowded the road sides and
hugged the fences. The fragrance of the flower can easily be noticed
in the sweetness of the honey. The pity of it was that bushels of
fruit lay rotting on the ground, for there were no transportation
facilities, the nearest railroad being 90 miles distant. There were
stock ranches too, with blooded stock in the fence-enclosed fields.
Some of the splendid horses paced along beside us on the other side of
the fence. We heard the rippling song of some meadow-larks this day,
the only birds of this species we remember having seen on the Western
plateaus.

All these ranches were laid out in true Mormon style, that is, squared
off in sections, fenced, and planted with shade-trees before being
worked. The roads are usually wide and the streets exceptionally so.
Except in the business streets, a large garden usually surrounds the
home building, each family endeavouring to raise all their own
vegetables, fruits, and poultry. They usually succeed.

The shade trees about Vernal were Lombardy poplars. They attained a
height that would give ample shade under most conditions, and too much
when we were there, for the roads were very muddy, although they had
dried in all other sections. Nearing Vernal, we passed Nathan
Galloway's home, a cozy place set back some distance from the road. We
had hoped to meet Galloway and have an opportunity of talking over his
experiences with him, but found he was absent on a hunting trip, in
fact was up in the mountains we had come through.

On nearing the town we were greeted by a busy scene. Numerous wagons
and horses stood in squares reserved for that purpose, or were tied to
hitching posts in front of the many stores. Ranchers and their
families were everywhere in evidence; there were numerous prospectors
in their high-topped boots just returning from the mountains, and oil
men in similar garb, muddy from head to foot. Later we learned that
oil had recently been discovered about forty miles distant, this fact
accounting for much of the activity.

The town itself was a surprise; we found it to be very much up-to-date
considering its isolated position. Two of the streets were paved and
oiled and were supplied with drinking fountains. There were two
prosperous looking banks, two well-stocked and up-to-date drug stores,
several mercantile stores, and many others, all busy. Many of the
buildings were of brick;