Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-05-24
A Few Hints ON the California Jour-
neV.

ney.
Two things are to be considered in
packing a trunk for San Francisco
weight and climate. Every article of
baggage is weighed on the Pacific Rail-
road. One hundred pounds are allowed
to each passenger for every pound adj
ditional he is charged at the rate of fif-
teen dollars a hundred weight. A heavy
Saratoga trunk is therefore undesirable
as travelling companion.
My advice to women would be: por-
vide yourself with a aUarn1, substantial
travelling dress, and take one other suit,
silk or cashmere, something that will
answer for the hotel dinner-table and
for going about the city. This is all
you will need, unless you carry letters
of introduction and propose to see
something of San Francisco society, in
which case handsome dinner or even
ing dress might be necessary. There
will be warm days here and there,
especially on the railroad coming home !;
and for these, half dozen linen or cam
brio waists should be provided, to be
put on at any moment when the heat
becomes oppressive. You also want a
thick outside wrap, plenty of thick
boots and gloves, hat with brim to
it, relay of grenadine wells, and, by
all means, an old waterproof cloak, to
be used in stages or on horseback as a
protection against dnst.
There are six days and five nights to
be spent on the erailroad between Chicago
and San Francisco, so a large bag or
small valise will be needed for use on
the cars. This will also come into play
later in visiting the Yo Semitic, where
trunk cannot be carried except under
conditions of expense and trouble. In
this bag should be put, beside night
dress, change of linen, ETC., plenty of
clean collars, cuffs, pocket-handker-
chiefs and stockings, bottle of cologne,
phial of powdered borax, to soften the
hard water of the alkali district, awarm
flannel sack for the chilly nights, s,-which
even in midsummer must, in those high
attitudes, be provided against, soap,
brushes, combs, a whisk-broom, a pock-
ct pincushion, q brandy flask, and small
quantities of two or three of the simplest
medicines. Old and easy boots should
be chosen for the journey. L should
advise everybody to be provided with
tive linen busters. Dust is the great
foe to comfort on the Pacific Railroad.
No brushing, no shaking removes it.
1t sifts, it penetrates, it pervades every
where. After two or three days you
grow to hate yourself. Some ladies
whom we met wore barege caps, which
drew tightly with an elastic cord over
all their hair and kept it free from dust.
This was an admirable device, and
recommend it.
with regard to luncheon-baskets !:
The food provided at eating stations on
the Pacific Railroad is fairly good-won-
derfully so, considering the uninhabited
character of much of the country
through which the road passes, and the
isolation of many of the stations. AL
most everywhere west of Omaha we
found excellent butter. and bread raised
with yeast. 1t is true it was necessary
to look at ones watch to tell whether it
was breakfast, dinner or supper that we
were eating, these meals presenting in
variably the same salient features of
beefsteak, fried eggs, fried potato.
Sometimes the steak was little tougher
and was called antelope. One grows
very weary of this sameness of diet.
To this day we cherish grateful feelings
towards the little village of Sidney, on
account of certain cubes of fried mush
which diversified breakfast of unusual
excellence. There is an admirable eat
ing-house at Evanston, also, and a good
one at Summit, on top of the high
Sierras. Taking all in all, traveller
can get along very we'll without private
supplies. Still, there are times when
they save embarrassm ent. AS, for in
stance, when the train is behind time,
or when it stops for breakfast at nine
and for dinner and supper at twelve and
half-past three respectively Or when,
as happened to ourselves at Cheyenne
the rush of diners is so great that you
find it impossible to catch the eye of the
Chinese waiter till it is too late to make
him of the slightest use. At such times
you are glad to have nch-basket,
and fall back on your Albert biscuit,
orange marmalade, or whatever simple
stores it may contain. These stores can
be replenished at various points along
the road if necessary. At Omaha and
and Ogden fresh rolls and cold roasted
chickens are to be had; at several other
places crackers, canned meats, etc.