St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-10-15
Letter from CaIifOrnia--NO. =.


that has been his ''homc'' while passing
over the Union Pacific Il. r., and takes
a berth in ''sSilver Palace Sleeping Car"
owned by the Central Pacific r. r. Co.
These cars are less commodious than the
former, and not quite so richly finished
and furnished; yet they are beautiful
and comfortable.
Leaving Promontory about one O'Clock
z. NJ, there was little to be seen during
the remainder of the day to interest the
traveller. Our course the following day
was through Nevada, a region of alkali.
IL monotonous desert from beginning to
end. Distant mountains could be seen
ali day and there was IA certain beauty
about them but who could enjoy look
ng at :. panorama in the Town Hall ii
he had Il bag OF powdered sage fastened
under his nose, while some one was
sweeping the floor every half hour The
odOr of the wild sage brush, with which
the ground at this part OF the journey Is
covered, is very disagreeable to most
! from morning till night. The air was
very suliry and added TO cur discomfort.
Our Chief diversion that day was the
watching OF squads of Shoshone Indians
who gathered about the train OH our ar
rival at stations. They were greasy and
dirty their hair was long and straight,
we'll daubed with oil their dull faces
were streaked with red paint, and from
their shoulders hung blankets OF white or
flaming red. In some cases they We're
clothed with RACED garments that would
pas ior clothes. They offered for sale
pine nuts" on which they depend large-
ly for food in winter They received ca
gerly food however dry, and We're always
glad Of a ride On the train. The interest
Of the Passengers was the greater when
.hcy saw >quaw with her pappoose
strapped upon he- back. These mothers
usually received the most food, provided
they showed If their pappoo,cs we'll.
Cinnamon Were seen everywhere, being
employed in large numbers on the Cen
tral r. X
After anoth night upon The road We
found ourselves in the early morning
anon the Sierra Nevada Mountains,
Although was out on the rear platform
"t inr car at five o'clock, l found that W,
, had PASSED two beautiful lakes that
was very ANXIOUS to ser-I.akcs Tab,
: and Downer-bcauritu sheets Of clea
water that are already attracting cNcur
-ioui-;- from the Pacific coast. They
lie IN among thu mountains, thousands Q
] feet above the sea, led by the wintc
r SHOW. and rejecting Oh their bo>oms til
:. wcathcr-bc;,t,u, rock-rihbrl SUBMITS O
Il the emrirrliu1 hills that haye stood tier
Tor a-c>.
=, When | first locked out OF the car til
train wa- passing through snow-shed
and it WAS over an hour before We wcr
., entirely past them. For thirty miles til
t track l. covered 10y them. and the tray
t. ,llvr l. wholly shut in beneath them Ol
i c;.>."maiiy he gets glimpse, OF the noun
@ taiuS that make him impatient TO tea
II down the heavy timhrrS and boards tina
surround linn. Anxious 10 see ever
thing in this wonderful region. it wa
little satisfaction to feel that they are e>
: %cntia! to the safety of winter travc
= There they We're stretching over an
e around II, iur miles, while we were pas:
y, ing through u region unsurpassed
grandeur. Think OF riding under roug
= wood shed all the way from st. John,
re bury 10 the top of Mt Washington, wit
= only occasional opportunities OF passlr
-, by an open door Do you wonder til;
- We failed 10 express regret when we cam
/ To 4 place where for two miles the she
It had been burned 10 the ground III
q President of the road, who was in OF
= ear, told us that the sheds had nev,
-, caught fire from passing locomotives, ;
has been reported, but that the fire ha
III been set 10y parties hostile 10 Chinese |;
, Dor which is the only kind employed.
= At length we got beyond the shed
d and the eye iea>ted on a vast land>caI
al OF barren mountain peaks with cnormou
&c valleys between. At one time the risn
~ sun threw Il golden tint upon the bro
NJ Of those peaks that contrasted styangel
it with the purple haze that shaded II
III valleys, | kept my position for houl
II upon the rear platform of the last ca
~, often looking up at one side of the trac
Is to the top of 4 wall of rock that towcrc
L. thousand feet above my head, viii
10 upon the Other side there was an abv
- that reached Il thousand feet beloy
Then | looked down upon gigantic pin
r that seemed quite small, and across ii
g canon upon great mountains that reach,
10 back and above one another 20 Il heig
- of nine thousand feet above the sea.
D. Cape Horn is perhaps the most r
ID tnarkablc place on the road. Here Il
track describes horseshoe on the Cd