The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-01-25

and We are of again. From this point the
eye rests on little but rocky desolation.
True, the hardy pines still pofnt their taper
tng fingers TO the skies, and yellow green
mosa q iils the interstices Of the rocks both
striving, Intellectually, however, 10 hide the
desolate face Of nature The road here runs
along the granite walls OF the Great Yuba
Valley, which seems TO have been chilled
into stone by the keen n;- and SHOWS Of this
Alpiae reg'on- Assay beyond US, granite
peaks stretch upward, and away below us
they are also d.scernabIe. Seven miles above
Cisco we pass over two How sstruss bridges,
with arches. The main truss Of the 6rst is
206 feet long from centre to centre of abut-
ments, and the whole structure rests on the
best Of granite masonry. The approaches
are ninety feet long. Both bridges cross
deep chasns, and are l20 feet perpendiculaf-
iy above them. This was the FIRST time .
long tran of cars had passed over these
chssms, and the nervous, no they peeped
down into them, doubtless asked themselves,
Suppose . bolt ~ loose or timber ansound,
and an accident happens, ir What condi-
ton would We be picked up s~.- down
there ," But all such fears were needless
Each of the bridges is capable Of supporting
at least eight times the load that we put
upon II, and the Central Pacific Company
does not leave bolts loose nor use unsound
timbers.
Two miles farther on we reach Summit
Valley, at the Opening Of which the whirr
and noise Of large ssW-mia 70 heard. This
mill is capable Of cutting Sc, 900 feet Of lum-
ber per day, and is one Of dozen large
mills used in the service Of the railroad.
These mills are -snerally kept running day
and night.
The road-bed for some miles below Cisco
%. to the summit, Is cut through solid
grsnite, and Is an everls sting one. Il win
require no repairs, and no slides can ever
occur upon il. The work was expensive NJ
the outset, but, once built, il il done for
ever.
We halted
mement at the Summit, and st the invitation
Of the Cnief Engineer Of the road, 7 joined
him and few others to make the passage or
the great Summit tunnel upon the pilot 10
front Of the locomotive We held on as
best we could, for every place to which we
could cling was wet and slippery with sleet.
We were hardly fixed ia our places, when
the changing Of the bell beside rs and a whiz
zng OF escaped steam betokened motion
again. A few turns Of the wheel and We
were rolling into the darkness and piercing
air Of the grAt tunnel AT 6rst the novelty
was pleasant, but when we bad accomplished
about third Of the distance through The
gloom, il became oppressive, and in the
thick darkness tue wheels seemed TO be go-
ing round aud not propelll1g us forward. A
ray OF light could be discerned At the east
ern mouth Of the tunnel, but it seemed no
larger than q mans band, and one felt as
though we would never reach it- The whole
affair was unssrthlg, and it was almost made
deyilishly 80 by the changing of the huge
bel Of the locomotive, the sound Of which,
striking the granite roof imm sdiateiy above,
came boun ding back and made chatter that
the ear in vain sousst 70 escape. Bat 10 o
fsw inmates, in reality, though il seemed M
hour while we were iu, We reached the far
esd OF the tunnel, and passed on through
three others, making our hnai halt about q
mile beyond the suAnik as7F z.f4 ia
And 30 ths rpr was made. the summit of
sbe great Sierra Nevada range reached, and
shs great tunael passed through. Tne diff
culties in the way OF the Central Pacific
Railroad are oil practic liy overcome, for the
road is nearly complete % . point thirty
six miles east Of the summif, out of the
SierrAs altogether. From thence to the
westefn base Of the Rocky Mountains, no
d'mcuisles worthy Of the name are 70 be en-
eouasersd.--Cor. CAieaso Trib1ns.
Odd Events.
OF nearly 600 colonists in vrginia all
perishea but twenty OF starvation, in 1910.
Tobacco was hrst cultivated BY the Eng
lish settlers in Virginia 10 1916.
In lo20 the tirst American slaves were
broughG to this country by n Dutch ship.
Edward Wlnslow, aIe 6 for the Plymouth
colony, brought the frst cattle into New
Englsad IN 1924
in 1880 Gov. Winthrop first abolished the
custesn Of drinkinx healths- History does
not tsll uhen il was reYised. th-
sfThe magistrates in Massachusetts, in 1852,
ordered that no tobscco shoald be used pub
l4isIx In 1910 the general court of Massa-
chassfts proeh. oised its use entlrelSs a
The frst nsIchAnts shop IN Bos ton was
opened in l624.
The general court Of Plymouth passed an
N aes ID i637 thss whose or should refuse
the Office of Governor should pay fine Of
Gao, unless he was chosen two years sue
eessivsiy.
Toe frst court was held in Connecticut,
April 26sh, 1880.
la 1855 there xas a great storm Of wind
and rsia 70 New Eaglaad; the tide rose 20
ieet perpsndicularly August 18th.
The first American ship that made voy-
age 70 Eoxlaod sailed from MsrbIehead,
Mass, In Lose, she vas . shipsof 100 tons,
name the DESIRE.
There vAs . great earthquake in New
Eagland. Jaae lst, 1888.
The frst synod heid "a Amsrica convened
st Newton, Mass 10 1887, and csndemned
eighty-tU9 ERRONEOUS opiaions which had
pFopa gated 10 New EagIaad.
The Ancient and Honorable Artillery
Company Of Boston was formed In 1888.
The tirss Baptist church in America sas
formed 70 Rhode Islsnd in 1898.
10 1914 there was . severe winter. Bos-
ton bay vas frosen over, and was passable
for tssms, for ave weeks.
The hrss commencement &C Harvsfd Col
lsgs was bsi.i in l642 nine candidates took
the degree Of A. 3 .. E
The colonies Of Plymouth, Massachusetts,,
Ocnnecsicus and New Haven, formed union
for musuAl defence In l64S. 7a.fl4
!. y sakers first went 10 Massachusetts, in
l646: laws were passed against them, and
come were executed 10 1859.
I 'in l640 the goysrnmeos OF Massachusetts,
signed declarstion against mems wearing
Long hsir, rs dnscripsural. isit ss-
ThsleSisl&rurs of aMassscuusetts 10 1851
passed asa Againssi exEav>9aaoe in dress.
"A biz tornada in Apgass l799, swept over
ID voxn Of Bsarah, near. Norwich, unroafs
'ng hossess tsaring up grszt trees, and car
rying hsavy or csvs some forty fest ID the
air fof dissApss sf nsasIy niie-a, ssssa- :
/ - -sh ces --------y-s-s----- .z-w as ns
RUszlA " DsscsrEIEs.--Al recent French
writer gives the. following anscdote, which
ilsrssfateb The discipl;pe Of the Rpssisn ser
vlee, t6oaed the reader must make fttie
sii0ulnes for - lisnx boz which ffenchmsa