Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-10-19
Whole No. $500.

Foss is a character in his way, and Is
king among modern Johns de Is
the proprietor of the line, and delights
in driving. He is a large man, about
/ fOrty-five years old, with large head,
/ full face, and a voice like trumpet
I I had heard much Of his famous way
Of doing things and was in a measure
. prepared for the ride. As ne drove up
to the hotel with a siX-hOrse team ana
/ an uncovered coach, I asked the priv
I ilege Of sitting on the front seat with
/ him, as the coach was full / took my
| seat beside him, determined not 10
I say a word to him unless he opened
| the conversation. Not a word was
uttered for more than ten minutes,
and 1 began to think he was going TO
/ let me have my own way, when he
said, "YOu are from the States, amt
you ?" 80 yes, ," said 1, ''it is no trick
at all to tell you that" "Why not
said he. 80 because" said j, "all
men Of my age must have been born
outside Of California "Humph,
said he, Il never thought Of that"
In short time we came to a adescent
into valley. The road lay along the
hill side, and was simply wide enough
for the stage. Just as we approached
the descent he cracked his whip sever
al times as loud as the report Of pis-
tOl, and away went the horses dashing
down at full speed. 1 held my breath
and felt a nervous thrill running over
me. I had never gone down hill at
such furious rate. But determined
that l would not use an exclamation,
nor give a word of praise when We
reached the foot. tried to be as COM
posed as / could. He paused a min
ute, and seemed tn expect me to say
something, but as I did not, he said,
Now don't you think that well done
for six in hand ?' / said, 80, tOlera-
ble.' He evidently thought me a
most unappreciative traveller, and
was not disposed to say much to me
after that. At the first station he
divided the passengers and took two
smaller coaches with four horses each.
We then began the ascent Of the
mountains, as we had to pass over an
elevation Of $500 feet, both going out
and returning, on the narrOWest and
most crooked road I ever saw, running
most Of the time on the edge Of a fear
ful preeipiee. We went on a trOt, on
gallOp, up hill and down, and made
the trip out and back in hours, q
distance Of 60 miles, including six
changes and several stops. FOss char
ges SO in gold for the ride, and uses
whip and whisky freely-the whip for
the horses and the whisky for himself
and passengers, if they are disposed
to drink.
The Geysers are mostly located in
narrow canon, and consist Of about
200 springs, of all sorts from cold to
boiling, white, red and black sulphur
springs; iron, soda and boiling alum
springs, and 1 know not how many
other kinds Of springs, all bubbling
and boiling close to each other. The
rocks and erumbling porous earth
were nearly as hot as boiling water
The rocks are enerusted with thick
layers of magnesia, or alum, or sui
phur, or tartaric acid, or EPSON salts
L kept nibbling and tasting Of these
deposits, until my mouth got badly
puckered up. 1t is, in short, dismal,
unearthly looking place. The sounds
are of all sorts, sputtering, moaning,
wheeling, grOaning, roaring, and one
blows like asteam whistle, and can be
heard long before one reaches the
canon. They have given horrid
names to the different places, such as
the Devils Workshop Kitchen
"Inkstand." One might almost i'm
agine he stood in the yestibule Of the
Inferno, and that, like a second Dante,
he was about to enter and explore its
horrors. Reader, if you want an eX-
citing ride when you go to California,
let FOss take you to the Geysers.
JOHN PEATE.
Franklin. Pa, Sept, so. 1870.