Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1870-04-22
that the traveller can hardly tell when
the cars enter or leave a tunnel.


the cars enter or leave a tunnel.
The Summit Tunnel, the longest of
the number, is 1,700 feet long, the others
range from 100 to 700 feet in length.
The snow-sheds are solid structures, built
of sawed and round timber, completely
roofing in the road for many miles.
These sheds now extend nearly 40 miles
and cost the road to build them $4,000
per mile. When we consider that along
the summit the snow often falls from Is
to Is feet deep during winter we can
imagine the necessity of these structures.
The mighty avalanches which sweep
down the mountain sides in the spring,
bearing everything before them, pass ov-
er the sloping roofs of the sheds, and
plunge into the chasms below, leaving
the road clear for the coming train.
Leaving the summit, we pass on thro'
snow sheds and tunnels, around the base
of towering peaks, anon over the bare
ridge, with an unbroken view on either
hand, then amid grand old forest trees,
many of them measuring fifteen or twen-
ty feet in diameter and hundreds of feet
high, with changing scenes at every mile,
until we reach Colfax, where we stop for
breakfast the fifth morning after leaving
Omaha. In thirty minutes we are again
admonished by the shrili whistle of the
engine that our time is up-and off we
go. We soon arrive at, and pass, many
mines along the line of the road, of more
or less note. Some of them are known
as surface washing" creek and
"gulch washing" and "hydraulic min
ing," with long fumes. There are also
some quartz mining in this vicinity. The
whole surface of the country, especially
along the courses of the rivers and creeks
has been dug up and handled over by
the hardy miners since 1S49, and much
of this ground has been handled over
and washed out as many as three and
four times, and yet the Chinaman is
said to realize about s1.25 per day in
washing it the fifth time.
Thirty-six miles beyond Colfax we ar
rive at Rose Hill junction, where the
Sacramento and Oregon Railroad con-
meets with the Pacific Railroad. From
there we proceed over comparatively
smooth country dotted with the houses
of the inhabitants, which begin to show
unmistakeable evidence of comfort, re.
fnement and wealth. Herds of cattle
and bands of horses are roaming over
the plains, while the country is fertile
and cultivated.
Reaching this level country we in
crease our speed and soon arrive in sight
of the dome of the State Capitol and the
suburbs of the city. We pass by the
long line of machine shops. and the
train enters the spacious depot, the clat
ter of the iron wheels cease, the locomo
tive gives farewell salute, and we stoI
at Sacramento.
We stop perhaps forty minutes al
Sacramento. when we again pursue oul
journey westward, for the end is not yet
nor can the half be told of the beautiful
land over which we now travel which
lays between Sacramento and San Fran.
cisco. We ne'er saw land SO fair before
This bright, smiling sunset valley oi
the West When the Bard of Avon
wrote of woman that she was "God's
last, best gift to man." he surely didn't
take into consideration that Sacramen-
to valley had been created. No one can
describe or convey but faint impression
of the beauties Of this land, on the minds
of those who have not seen them, and
have all their lives been accustomed to
the rugged hills of the East and North
the scorching sands of the South or the
treeless prairies of the West. 1t must
be seen to be appreciated, and for us We
were prompted with reverently uncover
ed head to thank Him who gave us this
Eden of the West. 1t is not the breadth
Of prairie, nor yet the level low-lands
that prompts one to exclaim, Eureka,
but it is an indescribable something tha
tells ones inmost soul that he has found
it.
Beyond the beautiful valley of the
! Sacramento we enter low, uneven loot
hills through which we pass, and inally
emerge again into an open prairie in full
sight of the Golden City. We stop at
Oakland, where we cross over the bay
and land in San Francbco We reach
the Pacific coast on tie evening of Jan.
9th, having been nght days " in tran
situ." We regiser at the Lick House
and ascertain nat the " Pelican will
T not sail until the Sd proximo, during
which time we again say eau revoir."
U. s. A.
Tr-E GIRLs.-Can we no. bring up
ou- girls more usefully, less showily, less
l. ~1xl