The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1869-09-25
FRos1 ALBAxv.To OHIO,

Editors Nssf0eFdts
We left Portland per steamer Orihammc,
on Thursday, Aug. Il, at 6r.a Arrived
NJ San Francisco az three +. y. Of the 10th.
A good captain, pleasant companions and u
fayosing breeze made as alnoa. regret iha;
,he trip Was 80 short.
FROM San Francisco on Monday evening
per Steamer to Sacrament, and thence
Tuesday morning a, 6ssl0 a ". over tho
great Pacific Il. H. 10 Omaha.
We found the travel hy Il. L. cgcn pleas.
au;es than that By sea. The roal.bcd j.
smooth the cars new aHd good aud sonac Of
the eating. houses toleraJle. The Pullman
palace car has ample room fov luncl, baskets
and washing accommodations, Gad ir your
| lateral dimensions arc nre no. toes
great, or you take a sn.callcd sfo1f5t. berth
for single person you can do very well in
sleeping, rs your snoring neislbors cannot
compete with the puff OF the locomotive and
ihc =a,tlc oF the cars.
| The scenery in 50 great distance IS OF
course varied. The rugged Sierra Nevadas,
with their tunnels, snow sheds, heavy grades
and shor, curves, succeeded by the barren
AlkaIi country Of the Humboldt. then by
the romantic basin Of Salt Lake and the
elevated plains Of Wyoming, and finally the
fertile, rolling prairics Of the Platte. We
were much disappointed il. the size Of the
iIumboldt, bearing SO great name and iig.
uring so largely on our maps. II is slug.
gish stream Of the size of the Calipoo;a,
dragging painful length along through
endless desolations Of sage brush and sand
rock, till it gives up its vain attempt to be
a river and sinks into the los m Of mother
earth or crafora,es to airy nothiac.
The lookout fpr buffalo was MI in vain. \
few graceful antelope, with now and then a
coyote or prairie dog town, soothod our dis
! appointment. The weather was pleasant
till we crossed the Missouri. but cur expert
encc then reminded US Of the story told b,
|, Mingins when travelling in aid of tho Chris
;ian Commission. lie asked the stage drives
when they would cross the Oregon line
The driver answered, '.just wait till yor
strike rain." We knew that we were il
Iowa rs soon rs We struck thunder ant
: lightning, or rather were very much afrai,
} Of it striking us. From Omaha to Dc,
Moincs, in seven hours, we saw more light
] ming than in ten years in Oregon. Here w,
rested over the Sabbath, according to thu
commandment" having been nino day
from Portland, at on expense of 5000 cur
rcney. Our storm of Saturday night wn
followed by swcltering heat and oyerilowinI
streams. Merchants, ticket agents an,
bankers were seen doing business withou
coat or jacket, and even their "nelher in
r rcgumcnts' serving little more than Fl 2 lea
{ purpose; ice.water and palm-leaf fans beini
| at premium everywhere. During the fol
r lowing week Of the Same plutonic tempera
turc we passed lesurcly through Illinois
The differences which strike an 0regoniai
are great cornfelds, beautiful cities and vii
lagos with splendid churches and schoo
houses, the absence Of our romantic noun
tain scenery, wheat fields looking like wcet
patches in May, with here and there patel
of miserable broom straw three years old
The orchards arc much finer than ours
beautiful, symmetrical trees, with vcrdan
foliage and slender branches, far excellin.
our Oregon trees except in one small partic
ular, they bear no fruit, and what they d,
: bear is not fit TO eat.
A small sack Of white winter wheat hat
been furnished US by j.. II. Foster, Of Al
{ bany, and il was everywhere quite show
At one station a number of farmers anc
Emillers were looking at it with admiration
!, when an old farmer modestly asked fol
three grains, and was about to deposit then
, in his spectacle case when wo gencroasL,
} led the case for him.
Oregon is certainly behind no part Of thu