The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1868-09-22
MISCELLANY.
Across the sierras---The-C Great Pacific
Railroad.


Next TO the successful laying Of the
Atlantic telegraph cable, the completion
of the great trans-continental road known
by the general and popular name of the
"Great Pacific Railroad" will be the
grandest achievement of the age, Indeed
50 far As our own material interests as
ration are concerned, this route is by no
means second in importance to the cable
telegraph, for however. desirable 1t may
be to whisper words of 'peace and good
sea, it is, equally, desirable to MAINTAIN
peace and good will among the people in
the scattered sections of our own country,
by such an interchange Of ''courteses," ="
'thuught," and commodities, as this
great highway of commerce will make
not only possible but certain When
complete it will DO triumph of kill,
II monument Of industry, and one which
the American people may justly, be
proud of
have no doubt the good people of
Vermont, who have shown their appre
citation Of works. Of internal improvement
by what they have done at home, take
much interest in the great Pacific Rail
way. and'arc glad TO learn with what un-
exampled rapidity the work, in the hands
of rival company, is being pushed for.
ward towards completion have thought
hcreio:e, that few words from an eye.
witness of the route might not be unn-
tcreStng TO most Of your readers, cspeci-
ally as do not write in the interest Of the
railroad companies, or any bondholders,
but only as q tourist and visitor, speaking
OF what my ev-s have seen, and the im-
preSsisns made upon my mind 10y "A trip
across The Sierras.
Willie pending few vacation days If
clRnge and rest from ordinary toll, and
care, incident to my profession, in The
city OF Sacramento, by the Kindness Of one
Of the directors of the Central Pacific
Railway, was furnished with free pas
for myself and wife, from this city to the
extreme point to which trains were lun-
ming at that date aug. 20ih)--Brown's
Sation, 224 miles beyond Sacramento
Full IN the faith of seeing great things,
faith soon to I've turned to sight left
the city behind us at half past six. q. M.
gliding swiftly and gracefully along past
the Sacramento river, with TO yellow wa
tel and sandy banks (adorned with ever
green trees and shrnbbery, over the wide
PLAIN which constitutes the valley Of the
river, ani which upon the route of the
road is mostly fertile, toward the foothills
and tl'c grand Sierra, where we we're to-
day to witness the triumphs of human in
genulty in the victory Of mind over mat
ter, and hear the iron horse snort with
pride as he trampled the mountains under
his feet, more than 1000 feet above the
level OF the sea. The scenery from the
city to the summit, distance Of a hundred
miles or thereabouts, was grand, both for
the variety Of its outlines and the lu1uri,
ance of its vegetation. Although at this
time in the midst of the dry season the
grass upon the plains or tho remaining
stub6le of the wheat fields seemed very
dry, and turned by tho droulh and bleach
ing rays of tho sun to silvery white and
brown complexion, whose exact shade of
color must be seen TO be known. Yet Tex
cepl in the miserable tulc lands where the
fever and ague is born,) the fields are
adorned by evcrgrccns and oaks scattered
here and there, making, with their rich
green foliage and dropping boughs, the
most ornamental trees | have ever seen
upon tho face of landscape. Ascending
the foot hills these trees grow more sea- &C
and finally disappear altogether in the
mountains, their place being supplaned
by the tall, graceful mountain pines,
which everywhere give cheerful aspect
to the peaks and valleys of the Ser
ras, which were otherwise bold and
gloomy.
In about an hours ride from the city
we leave the fertile fields of wheat land of
the valley, and begin to ascend the foot
hills, and to sec traces of another great
branch of Californias industry--mning,
which has diversities of operations accor>
ding 10 the character of the soil or rock
in which the gold is sought, In this region
we find placer mining, which is the sim
plesi of all and can be carried on with
the small capital ofa shovel, pick and
pam also hydraulic mining, where im>
mence banks of earth are washed down by
the action Of jets OF water +; and quartz
mining where the hard rocks must be
broken up and ground, to get out tho
precious kernel-not ''yellow wheat" but
''yellow gold Travellers, who in the
future come from the East by the Pacific
Railroad, will thus early be introduced TO
the curiosities of mining industry in its
various forms, and be enabled, even on a
passing journey, TO obtain fail idea
of the manner in whieh it is prosecu-
ted.
The heat at this season in these min
ing regions, especially in the middle Of the
day, Is very great. Yet great numbers of
men work throughout the day, exposed to
the scorehng rays of the sun, and there
are no cases Of sunstroke. | have never
heard of one in California Yet the de-
gree of heat is shown by thermometer to
be from 10 to 20 degrees higher than in
New York City, where so many deaths