The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-11-06
SACRAMENTO.

We extract the following from let
ter to the Cincinnati Commercial writ
ten in August, from Sacramento, Cali
fornia:
With the thermometer98 in the shade,
my passion for pen and ink is not of an
aggressive character. That was the
temperature here to-day. But when
the sun sets delicious GOODNESS comes
on rapidly, and a blanket is an essen
tial part of the bed clothing. The sum-
mer days may be very hot in certain
parts of California, but the nights are
invariably, crisp and inyigorating. The
sacramento mosquito is an insect that I
cheerfully accord the place of honor in
this letter. l have never seen a more
cIiLUI Re iSfIIs. i--s1~ GO: ll> :.>~acf His
bite is cross between the sting of q
yellow jacket and the scratch of a briar.
He gets through bars with most mystic
riOus facility. He is just the twenty
fifth part of a second too quick for your
blow. If you finally succeed in smash
ing one you find the quantity of wet
''remains" on hand too extensive by
several penny-weights. Revenge is
sweet; but before killing one of the
tiny warblers you must decide whether
you prefer. a plaster of defunct insect or
n welt. He is deserving of an ode; and
the coming poet in California must not
omit torwPite it. taAfff 3-az
The two things that strike the tourist
in Sacramento are the drinking saloons,
and the filling in of new leveFfor the
city. When the miners used to come
down from the diggings for big spree,
this city afforded the most attractive
auXiliaries. The result is that Sacra-
mento, with its population of only ten
thousand, has dozen bar rooms that
surpass in splendor any to be found in
Cincinnati. Cut glass, solid gold and
silver ware, the most costly mirrors,
large and expensive oil paintings and
gorgeous uphoIstry, combine to form
little palaces, where the most advanced
sybarite could find nothing to CRATE on
his sensuous tastes. Some of the sa-
looms are carpeted with velvet and
Brussels, and have more the appearance
of private cabinets than public drinking
halls. The commerce of Sacramento is
extensive, but the profit of any branch
of it has been insignificant, compared
with that derived from the retailing OF
liquors. A silver quarter for each drink,
regardless of what it may be, yields q
very handsome profit. Within the last
two or three years the 'bit" drinking
houses have been crOwding the ''two-
Bit saloons to the wall :; but at the low.
er price the revenue of popular estab'
lishment is immense. 81
+
Three years ago the overland journey
7 from San Francisco to New York cost
about 500. Now $3.50 i'll currency is
ample. These figures include meals
etc. The cost of an overland trip from
/ Cincinnati to Sacramento is as follows
Tickets, S276 As; sleeping cars three
nights, SO 90; Meals thirteen days, $50
Double Mackinac blanket, $40 90; total
$342 45.
The above items are necessities. a
Henry rifle can be added at a cost OF
| $40, and TASKS of unquestionable cognaC
at prices too familiar to need quotation
Fhe three nights during which sleeping
cars are required. elapse before the west.
ward-bound traveller reaches Cheyenne
There is not, and never has been sleep.
ing car in California. The Central Pa.
cific is the longest railroad in the State
but twelve hours suffice to travel it from
! one end to the other. People here who
have not lately visited ''the States
hear with wonder of "silver palace
sleeping cars" restaurant cars" and al
the exquisiteIy luxurious rolling "sa.
| looms" that have come into vogue with
| in the last five years. A modern sleep
| ing car is about the only glittering thing
\