Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1873-02-08
cALIPonNlA.

As we say up here, 81 have been below
again" You know n person will take an un.
common long or short drive, as the case may
b., In order TO stop al a particular hotel /
expect that II you were going from Ashtabula
10 Auslinburg, you would 20 by the way Of
Geneva In order " have ToM TULIER's genial
face smile upon you" II was 80 with me. ]
bad heard Of n new hotel Just opened ou my
route; 50 only logged along IL miles the first
day In order To- get tue FIRST wear OF the house.
On wiRding an abrupt turn Of the moubtain, |
came to y story and half house made from
rough lumber with a porch extending along
the 'front.' This was the travellers Homr."
On riding up to the door, was met ly some
six or eight rough looking specimens OF the
Genus Homo" and on requesting a nights
lodging six or eight voices murmured, "yads,'
gave my horse in charge of burly son OF
Erin, and entered the house. The L1ndlord-
q tall, lank, Missourian, who came " this
State in its earliest days-stood behind the bar,
and back of him was profusion OF glass ware,
making an excellent background for his red
and smiling countenance. The room was well
filled with q lot of lazy looking fellows group
ed around a forlorn looking individual ell
gagged in extracting " Zip Coon," with varia-
tions from greasy old fiddle. Stranger
said the landlord-"you are one day 800 soon,
we are going to have dance here tomorrow
night 1 have got my music ready, and in the
morning l am going 10 send out for the gals"
and if you will stay, we will have a good time
you 6et" / thanked him and said, never
dance. "But you will take a drink? My
liquor is pure. No headache in this" When
informed him that 1 never mt dlled with
spirits, he seemed astonshed, and said
"Where do you hail from" told him was
q native of the good State Ohio. "Ah," said
he, Ohio is a noble State but she can't COM
pare with Missouri" Supper being announced
fiddler, lazy looking fellows, stranger, and all,
made a grand rush for the dining room After
being seated around a rough table without any
cloth, ! was served with steak smothered in
onions, and potatoes fried in rancid lard. A
tall unshorn youth, with pantaloons rolled to
his boot tops, and grain sack about his loins,
was promenading around the table with cof-
fecpot in one hand, and teapot in the other.
presently had business outside, and left, re-
GREETING that my stomach should so suddenly
go back ON me. The fiddle and whisky made
the evening lively. Upon my wishing TO retire
Mine host" said as he was very FULL
land l thought so toy would have to take a
bedfellow to roost with me-" l found the
sleeping rooms compared with the rest of the
hnuse. The morning dawned clear and bright
and after paying bill that should insure bet
Ter treatment, departed. The location o
this hotel was grand, but it was kept in ;
primitive style. From the porch we conlC
look over the waters of the Pacific ant
see Point Reyes and the Faralone Islands
from sixty to eighty miles distant. The whit
winged vessels looked like ships in miniature
l rode for twenty-five miles along the shore
and the low sullen roar of the treacherou
waters were music to my ears.
1t is surprising TO see the amount of liquo
that is drank in this State. Besides the hotel
and saloons, many private houses haye side
board of choice spirits. The traffic has prove
profitable one, as nearly every person take
his toddics. We have Sunday law now, b,
it seems not TO be regarded. The saloon VIII
, dows are not boarded up, and card playin
+ and gambling are done openly. No house
without its card table, and the N Y. Ledge
| and dancing, fills the minds of the youth
This State has an excellet School Law, an
the advantages for an education in the citi
and villages are good. These mountains hcl
and there are dotted with school houses, b.
they are so far apart, that many children a
unable to attend school at ALL Teachers r
ceive good wages, and school teaching is CO
; sidered an honorable employment These hill
will never be th!ckly settled, as they are
rough, that a large tract of land is necessal
II to obtain living; and thousands of acres a
s perfecly valueless, except for their timber.
Pardon me if again speak of the weatht
as it is 50 delightful. Not fake of sno
yet, and but very little rain. The air is
warm as it is with you in June. The 'lsta
i mountains are green and oats are knee hig
l. The farmer has but little foddering to do, a
l. the most of the stock runs out the year rour
IS The daries are making grass butter. and
ST feed is good. Flowers are in bloom. and
L. an evidence of the truth of my assertion,
n will enclose you rose, picked from gard
is on the shore of the Pacific ON the 22nd of ia
t. uary. Respectfully, Ed