The hydraulic press., 1859-09-17

and it is gratifying to be assured that the
important enterprise referred to will be rap
idly prosecuted to completion. About eight
hundred men are at work, pushing the grade
on to the Sacramento, to which point the
| iron horse will run by the first of next APP
ril The road thereafter will be vigorously
extended. Late surveys have demonstrated,
(as learn from Mr.. Scott, the very able en-
gineer), that the route can be considerably
shortened beyond the Sacramento, and that
the grading through the tules will not prove
near so difficult as was originally feared.
clay imperrious to water and which rests
upon substratum of gravel and sand; thus
affording a solid foundation for the iron rail
and requiring little if any filing in The
contemplated projects for drainlng these tu1e
lands, if carried into effect, as they ought
to be and doubtless will be ere long, must
further facilitate the construction of the
road, or at least render it more valuable by
increasing along its course the amount OF
cultivated land.
But while l write there is a rush of pas
sengers forward. The pilots bell tinkles,
the steamer slackens her pace, hear other
steamers impatiently snorting, and see Sac
ramento, the levee city, spreading gayIy
over the prairie and sending up a loud hum
which is eloquent of human industry, and
of all the hopes and anxieties Of human life.
But there is no time to speculate. The An
telope is waiting for us-we hurry on shore
and aboard-gaze at the levee lined with
crowds of people-wonder what attracts
such an unusually large number of specta-
| tors-look for q chair and find that the boat
is under way, amid cheers from the bank
Some one says Horace Greeley is in number
nine, and so he is. Presently he comes forth,
this time actually cladir that same old white
coat, minis its buttons; on his head drab-
colored slouch His linen shows the effects
of stage ride from Marysville. He is with
OUT Ills SpcCIdCicS anu SuLCS dOOuI uliu Will
half blank, half pleased expression of
countenance, looking altogether like an un-
Sophisticated old farmer. Where knot of
men are talking and laughing he goes with
his peculiar one sided gait, and listens with
a good -natured smile on his broad face, oc-
casionally offering low-toned remark
Not many seemed to know who he was. He
addressed few words to me in admiration
of our native Californian and Spanish names
for places, and ridiculing the absurd repeti-
ton of such names as those cf Washington,
Franklin, jefferson, &c.
The evening N les are blowing up now,
and bring W Nh them an odor of the sea-
We are at the mouth of the Sacramento,
gazing at the green tdles and at the brown
rolling hills covered with cattle, " a thou
sand feeding like enc" The sky grows grey
the far mountains blue, the waters leaden
hued. Night is around rs, and the Ante
lope bounds between slate-colored water,
leaving a wake of cleaning phosphorescence
that seems another milky way on another
armament \ ringing of bells, a call of
many voices, a rush of people, jar of the
boat, fash Of lights on shore, another
rush, and we have touched and passed Be-
necia. Far before us, close to the waters
edge, lies luminous cloud. AS we ap-
proach against a strong breeze it enlarges !;
blood red lights break through it and go fly
ing dizzily to one side as though they were
meteors an ilI-defned shore whirls rapidly
by us; the boat appears to be swimming
giddily around in the darkness, yet goes
straight ahead, towards a 6rmameut of red
lights. There is ringing Of bells, tumul-
tuous storm of human voices, a slackened
motion, jolt, rattling of wheels, and we
are in San Francisco-thc New York of the
Pacific.