Mower County transcript., 1869-12-30
Letter from California.
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, !
November Both, 1869.


November Both, 1869.
Editor r.,nscript:-Whcn we reached Farley
VIC found tho hotels all full. So tho best VIC
could do was to make tho depot our stopping
place till tho train should leave for Cedar
Rapids.
Tho telegraph operator was in charge of tho
depot on our arrival, and. We had good chance
to note ,he difference in tho characters OF men.
Whom he found out that VIC could not get ac
comodated at tho hotels he kindly gave US
room i. tho depot and gave us such informa-
ton, and rendered rs al the assistance that
was in his power; and this was done with
gcntlcmanly Kindness which was particularly
refreshing, after our experience before reach
ing chat place.
Farley is q small place, 80 miles west Of
Dubuque, on the Northwestern r. Il. Con-
taius about three thousand inhabitants and is
surrounded by very fine prairie country.
At IL o'clock A. NJ, Nov, 5th, we left Farley
for Cedar Rapids, which place we reached at
4p.x. There VIC again laid over till night.
Yhe road from Farley to Cedar Rapids passes
over some very good land-in fact the land Is
all good-cxccpt where tho road runs through
the valley of tho Wapsypinnican, and along
the Cedar Rivor, near Cedar Rapids. But the
bad country along tho Wapscy is made up by
the splendid quarrics Of stono along tho bank
Of tho river. Men were at work ut various
places quarrying and dressing stone, which
had the appearance Of marble from tho cars
but we were informed that it was only fine
quality of limestone.
Along the road VIC saw some splendid farms
and farm buildings, with orchards which aP-
pcarcd to have been in bearing for some years.
Cedar Rapids is place Of some five or six
thousand Inhabitants is situated on the Cedar
River, on sandy, plain, and has some fine
residences, o mum bcr Of good churches and
business houses that would do credit to any
place. 1t appears to be place doing good
hus;ness and live wide-awuke town
Purchasing onr tickets at Cedar Rapids for
Omaha. VIC were all aboard at o'clock r. N.
Tho cars were Gnc-frst class-aDd the best
We have seen upto this place. st. Paul and
Milwaukee cars not excepted. The road is
good, the time last, u nd the conductors kind
and gentlcmenly, and everything is done to
make the passenger comfortable.
On our way to Omaha the conductor asked
US how much we paid for our tickets from
Ccd ar Rapids, to Omaha. This struck us as
a little strange, and on inquiring found that
tho ticket agent ut Cedar Rapids had charged
US two dollars and twenty five cents per ticket
moro than the fare-making twenty-one dol
lars which he took from our party, more than
We ought to have paid. Other parties Jared
tho same as ourselves, while some had paid
only tho regular fare. lie had singled out
Ca lifornia passengers, 80 for as ho could, and
had done it with considerable shrewdness. We
v ere informed that he would get dismissed on
the return of the train, but this did not give
us back our ten dollars. We were requested
to make statement of the matter to the Divis-
ion supt., al. Council Rufus, ant. that proqa-
bly, the money wonld be refunded md sent to
us in California.
Our trip from Cedar Rapids to Omaha was
nearly all in the night, and Of course we can
not speak of the country from personal knowl-
edge, but we were informed that tho country
from Cedar Rapids to Omaha was the finest
in Iowa. Tho people all along tho line in
Iowa complain Of the lightness Of the crops.
The general impression is that corn will not
average 20 bushels to the acre through the
State. We convcrsed with number Of men
who seemed to be well posted in regard to tho
matter.
Saturday morning found us nearing Omaha.
The country had become some broken, swamps
Of water, and low, and appearing in some
places, aud in others steep and rugged hills,
ris:s from 100 to $50 iect in heighth.
As VIC come in sight of Omaha the sun was
just rising, throwing u food Of light over the
city, md tiping the hills with gold, which lay
behind the city, resembling bank Of clouds
often seen in one of Minncsota's glorious sun
sets, while to the right strorched away the
mnddy Missouri river.
Omaha is situated on tho western bank Of
tho Missouri, while opositess II, ;;and two and a
half n..a away, is Council Bluffs, place OF
some three thousand inha bitants ESQ said)
bnilt upon the low lands Of the Missouri, while
to the east, and somc miles back, rises range
of bluffs, or hills, from one to two hundred feet
high. We would judge that in high water
Council Bluffs would be ovcrAowed, but Of this
We do not know, but the plase las poor ap-
pearance, not having any good buildings and
scattered over large amount of ground 1t -
to near Omaha to ercr be much,
The cars stop at Council Bluffs, tho passcn
,gers and baggage arc transferred to Omaha by
Buss, across the river by steam forry, ut the
expense of tho r. II. Company, while'the
freight cars arc fsrricd across to Omaha on
steamers for tho purpose.
The Missouri river is stream as large or
larger than the Mississippi, at Prescott or
McGrcgor, and the muddycst stream lima gin
able. No one who has never seen it can 1orm'
any corr ect idea of the muddyness of the water
The mud is so thick in the water, that the
water can't BE- still, but is continually boiling
and rolling over US though it was trying to
eject the mud from it and :comc clean.
Arriving safe on the western side OF the
river We russ over IL bottom of low land from
three -four,hs to q milo wide, which during
high water is all ovcraowcd. The road has
been brushed and earth thrown up SO rs to
make very good read at present, there not
having been any rain lately.
Omaha is situated upon the first bench OF
and from the bottom, this bench is some fifty
feet high. \ roal has been gradod from the
low land to the top of this bench, which gives
very gradual and easy grade, and approasl'
to the city.
The buildings first reached from tho river
q aro MT 10 ..ool "a those stu ated further back