Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-02-23
JUBlLKR NorEs.

waits W ~ any WuCie, ic SclcEaiiy
manages to get there, somehow, and
in these days Of good coaches, rail-
roads and steamboats,, he finds the
greatest facilities imaginable in so do
ing. This was my case, anyhow, in
leaving Gold Hill day before yester-
day to come down to this festive city
to attend the big Musical Jubilee, in
aid of the Mercantile Library Associa-
ton, which commences tomorrow.
That portion Of the journey between
Virginia and Reno was effectively and
satisfactorily accomplished through the
mediumship of Wells, Fargo s. Co.'S
stage line, and after a two hours rest
ut Reno-the train from the east came
along, and in company with half a.
dozen other jolly sagebrushers, l d.
rectly found myself comfortably en-
sconced inside Of one Of those moving
parlors peculiar to the Central Pacific
| Railroad. And away we did go, rumb-
ling and bowling along at o truly re-
freshing rate. Oh! it was gay.
Crssaiug the Sierra.
Away we went up the long sloping
grade, uneompromisingly up hill. The
iron horse never got tired and never
needed rest, drink or refreshment-at
any rate he never stopped for any. He
! knew the road and Kept II, and there
was no stopping to change horses. but
only at Verdi, TrucIee, Boca, and the
other little towns strewed along the
route, just merely long enough to
take in or leave passengers. or
get a little refreshment. The whisky,
between Virginia and San Francisco, is
really not good. At Truckee we found
rain. and all the rest Of the route it
did keep pouring down at a gratifying
rate, while we fellows, slowed away
In a warm, cosy car, gaily chatted and
joked about the distance between
Dutch Nick's and Empire, and APP
proved Of the good the rain was to the
country. There Is precious little snow
on the momtains-only about q foot
ut Cisco. The 10 or 20. feet depth of
snow belonging to- the regular Sierra
Nevada winter does not lie upon the
summit this season. That great natural
reservoir, to be gradually let out by
the melting sun, does not exist this
winter. and there Is good ground for
the anticipation of detrimental conse-
auences resulting from this natural
resource being thus scanty. We need
seasonable SHOWS and rains, and q rea-
sonable amount Of the same, in order
to make things operate right. At this
rate we shall have no water to sprinkle
the streets of Gold Hill and Virginia
with next summer, and the placer
mines of the western slope will give
forth q lesser and unsatisfactory yield.
But never mind these d~isasreeable
anticipations at present. The view in
thus riding over the summit In the
nighttime + rather limited, and for 4
long portion of the distance it is con-
fined to the sides Of the snow sheds.
There are A miles Of these substantial
snow sheds, built over the portions of
the road most exposed to deep SHOWS
or snow-slides, and 81 miles Of the
shedding Is continuous, forming the
longest house in the world. All along
the route there Is plenty Of wood piled
at convenient places for loading up the
cars-enough to fire up for many years,
and then have enough standing to last
all the next century. 1t looks refresh
ing to see so much tall timber, such
big, thrifty, green trees, when q fellow
hasn't seen anything taller in that line
than q sage-brtsh for years. We met
with nothing sensationally strange
until Just above Dutch Flat We found
water In some of the mining bitches
running up hill. This was about
blue Canyon and "Cape Horn
We let 1t run. There, too, We noticed
some very heavy railroad work, in
deep cuts fills. trestle bridges, ETC.,
giving one q realizing sense Of the true
tmmensity of the mighty work.
Lotto tho Lap Of spring
Gradually rs we descended the long
western slope We came Into the region
of green grass, where the lovely man
zanita was in full blossom and the
trees and shrubbery are %eternally YER
dant-where the festive goat browes
among the chaparral, and the jay-bird
MARBLES cheerfulH among the waving
trees. There nest little cottages, and
cabins dot the hillsldes and cluster In
the ravines, The generous rain caused
the little rivulets everywhere to dance
and sing for Joy, and the jolly miners
heart wayed exceedingly glad over the
facilities thus afforded him to replen-
ish his diminished treasury by q draft
on the red gravel banks around him.
The glorious old Sierra Nevada is'the
home Of many very we'll contented
people, and has room for plenty more.
At Colfax. and also at Roseville juno
ton, q stoppage Of twenty minutes
was made for breakfast and dinner
excellent meals, too, ready right on
time, and no having to wait, or be hnr-
ried or with a rush before eating half
enough. The little green spots, gar
dens, grain fields and ranches grew
larger and thriller as we descended,
and soon we were rolling merrily
across the broad plains Of the Sacra-
mento valley, arriving at tho City OF
the Plains ut loo p. NJ. or Sunday.
From there we took the California Pa
cifc Railroad. by the Vallejo route,
passing over ono Of the broadcast and
finest stretches of well cultivated grain
lands we ever saw, and taking the
steamer New World at Vallejo, we
landed at 8:45 p. N. In
San Francisco.
This city is a good deal larger than
Gold Hill and Virginia both together.
The people, however, are not more
yirtuous, therefore are no happier.
They show more solicitude for the well
being Of strangers than you can imag-
inc. A regiment Of bus drivers and
hotel runners all frantically insist on
dragging You in opposite directions,
and carting you of to every hotel in
the city all at the same time, and
wherever you pass along the streets
you arg sure to continue an object Of
Interested attention. Everybody tries
to secure your trade and have you buy
something. They notice your poor
hat, your seedy coat, OIL your unpol.
iShed boots, with a special eye for some
negotiation for your benefit. Passing
| the various hack stands, every enc Of
the drivers Is fully impressed with the
idea that you are suffering for Q ride,
and Won inst encourage them In thu