The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-26
THs WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE.
Their Travels In Calf. ~nia-Trip to Calistosa
springs-The Geysers--> 'sit to the New AL
MAIDEN Quicksilver Mime '-Hospifality Of
Wealthy CaIifornians.

py the gehtemen composing the Committee Of way
and Means since their arrival on the Pacific wouIl
make abook- Let me preface any reference to some
Of the prominent points of interest by an effort to
allay the anxieties OF many patriotic people who
have the impression that the payment OF the
national debt Is to be seriously delayed by the depe
ton OF the public treasury to enable this committee
with their wives and daughters, to have summers
travel and Publication generally by saying that In
the first place, their wives and daughters didn't
come, and in the second place. no portion OF the
expenses OF the trip west or the Missouri except,
perhaps. for board during the days OF actual ses-
sion Tor the purpose Of taking testimony Is matter
| OF public charge.
The first departure for an excursion OF any magni-
tude after reaching San Francisco was 10 the Gey-
sers Two hours by steamer brought US to the head
Of the bay. at the town of Vallejo. Two hours fur
Their, by the Napa Valley Railroad to Its terminus
landed the party at the Calistoga Springs. Nobody
who counts the hot springs In California will be sur
prsed at earthquakes or any other internal cOmmo-
ton In this country. Caltoga from Its easy access
to San Francisco, has become q fashionable water
Ing place. The grounds ore nicely laid OUT with the
usual arrangement Of q central large building and
cottages all around. The principal draw back u the
heat OF the climate and Lack OF shade which Ii an
essential In thus country OF no rains for six months
with the surface OF the ground as dry and arid In its
appearance as the crater OF volcano. The pro.
| pliet0r or che Springs undertook to remedy the
| latter dincuity by the very natural process OF
| that no sooner had the trees become good sized
sapings than the roots reached down far enough to
| which Killed them the only resource, therefore,
mas been 70 continue planting shrubDery. There are
ssse spsnss on Inc grounds VARYING IN taer de-
steam bathing. They do not compare in quality,
however. with those at salt Lake CITY, nor with
Others We have since visited In California.
OUR party up to this point Included that OF Wade
and Conkling,. and Aon. George w. Julian, OF
Indiana, ana his wife, with several persons from San
Francisco numbering some thlrty-nve In all.
But the hotel where we were to spend
ton OF the ride over the mountains 40 ak.
cOuraging. that the Wade -COnkn2 party returned.
The next morning In four open four. horse wagons.
we commenced our Journey thrty-nge miles over
tne Coast Range Mountains to the Geysers. The
ride, with Foss, who owns all the horses and wagons
ike veritable Jehu down the mountain. the road
great paSt Of the way cut Into the side OF pre-
out foot to spare, and the bottom OF Tie caiion
yawning thousand feet below; but 1t was INSURER
ao I'm aP ana eeng OF III a. the cruelty
one dying on the road each way. overbalanced the
pleasure OF the trip.
The Geysers OF california do not like those of Ice
land spout up jets OF not water They are located ut
intervals for q mile and q naE at the bottom ana
loo eet deep For $50 yards the entire rocky sides
Of the ravine are shattered, and honey-cOmbed and
sulphuretted, and the steam filters through at all
points. At dozen Or twenty places are large boil
ing springs, some strongly impregnated with
sulphur, others with iron. others with soda ana
substances, some as clear anu lImptd as noun
tain brook and others Us black as Jet. The aggre-
canon as large as q gOodsized null stream There
are deposits at the d1erent points Of alum, Soda
sulphur, epson salts ana iron IN considerable guam
titles, and one miniature lake of pure nitric acid
But tine most noticeable feature or the Gey sers Is
Its Jets Of steam At three principal localities the
through apertures several inches in diameter, and
blows like an immense engine, with force that VIII
send DIRT any solid substance thrown into Its cur
rent considerable distance. In Still morning you
can hear Its roar for miles, and it settles like 10Y
upon the whole valley. The designations given to
the various localities and peculiarites are naturally
PlutOnlc. 1t has the "Devil's Canonn "The DEVILS
Ink Pot" "rhe Witches Caldron." 'Pluton Creek,n
&C. Hot mineral water bathing can be enjoyed at
the Geysers In all the perfection OF which the science
ago with desperate attack OF rheumatism
or govt. broken down and deformed but
San eyer ev Rays the as
this great chemical laboratory to cure all the
Ills flesh is heir to, In the various combinations
eral waters. The bath transient visitors usually in
dulge In Is succession OF steam hot and cold
one OF the steam JETS sufficiently cooled to make it
possible for you to remain without suOcation; after
from you as it never did before step into the next
room, and allow stream OF hot sulphur water TO
pour over you until you are parbOied. The other
end OF the shanty ten steps away, covers creek Of
pure cold water coming from the melting SHOWS OF
the Plunge into snnx ana after Ave
OF physical happiness to which mortas in these sub
lunary spheres ever attain 1t is due to the truth Of
history to say that two distinguished NJ Cs were SO
much disguised with the hardships and fatigues Of
the mountain ride as to sit all day in the little hotel
in sight OF the top OF the CANON and return without
ever seeing the Geysers at all.
The next EXTENDED excursion out Of San Francisco
was to the New Almaden quicksilver mines. In this
instance the route was ACROSS the bay, seven miles,
TO Alameda; thence by railroad for an hour south
ward to station. the name OF which do not re-
vrh 6ah or mr. no
springs owned BY Mr.. Cohen, the president Of the
railroad and our host Of the day. The dust of the
ride aOluted away In O warm sulphur Dath we pro-
ceeded to lunch. The lunches given to this commit
tee In the East would be described as arrangements
or an m % the 81
OF san Jose. The centre Of one OF the most
fertile regions Of the world, it now contains
about 1900 inhabitants and growing rapidly.
Its court house IS the finest building west OF the
Rocky Mountains, aud its principal hotel. the
Auzerais House. the best out OF San Francisco. We
drove In carriages along magnificent avenue, lined
by immense shade trees, planned by Jesuit mission
Jesuit college, ana proceeded to inspect Pearces
market and fruit gardens just beyond. Strawberries
oere pe ten months IN the and are
CROP Pears, peaches, apricots, cherries, figs
apples, blackberries and raspDerres all ripe and
In sucn perfection as no Eastern climate and soil can
produce. Green almonds were given us as luxury;
later In the season they rpen in great abundance.
Mr. Pearce obtains water in abundance from artesian
wells for irrigation and his is one OF the finest gar
dens In California.
BACK 10 san Jose lor grand dinner at tine AuZe-
rails House, presided over by Mr. Butterworth, for
merly OF your State, now manager Of the New Alma
den mines. The next morning was spent in an In
spectiOn OF the mines twelve miles distant and the
afternoon in visit TO the country residences of
wealthy Californians, between San Jose and San
Francisco. They all new places even in comparl
with the age OF the country, which dates Its set
Element back only twenty years. but they demon
strate that nature sympathzes with the CaifOrnans
in making this the fastest country on which the sun
sh0ne. Our first visit was to the country seat
Of the Barron Brothers, an old Spanish Mexican
banking house, wealthy when they came to Cafor.
mia, and immensely wealthy now. AS single item
OF income, they few years ago received $4,000
for their CLAIM to the New Almaden mines. TWO
bachelor brothers, seven years ago, commenced TO
improve this place; 1t had the advantage OF groves
OF mammoth live oak trees; otherwise whatever was
accomplished must DO the result OF culture. The
water for irrigation was brought ven miles from
the mountains in pipes reservoir to give head for