The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-10-14
From the Pacific Coast.
SAcREMENTo, Cal. Sept. 80, 1877

time to take notes, and jot down the |
items, as basis from which to make up |
q few articles on my way TO tbs State +; |
but found it quite impossible my bust
ness taking up my time so completely |
when the cars were not in motion, and II |
was impossible to write legibly when they
were | shall be obliged to write from
memory in what may say Of the coun-
tries we pass through on our way to the
Pacific We had very successful jour
ney made all the proper connections, lost
no unusual time, and made the entire
journey in sixteen days, landing the sheep
in Sacramento.I think, in much better con-
dition than when they are CARED the old
way. What strikes a New Highlander
most on his journey out, is the large ex-
tent Of country on the way, and the
large scale everything is on. and the
great variety, as well as the grea. con-
trasts in the scenery and the manner Of
living, though l found much less differ
encc in the inhabitants than [ expected.
Coming though the State of New York,
we pass through fine cultivated farms,
thriving cites and villages, showing evi.
dencc Of fertile soil we'll titled, aud
community rich, rofned,a and still progress
sing towards higher morality, greater re-
finement, and more material prosperity,
The New York Central Rail Road is
managed with great ability, but is taxed
beyond its powers to do its immense bus.
mess on double track, and it is now
grading and laying down four tracks from
Albany to Rochester, and has large
part Of the work done. From Rochester
west, it has already four tracks the road
dividing and sending part by its double
track to Buffalo by Batavia, and part
by Lockport to Suspension Bridge, which
latter was the route by which VIC came
On all our journey out,we passed no rich
or looking land, than the celebrated
Mowhawk flats, where they we're grading
for the additional tracks. There seemed
no end to the depth Of the dark, rich al
luvial soil. There are still large fields of
broom corn raised here, as if the planters
were perfectly unconscious Of the mighty
revolution in the sales Of patent brooms
by our friend j. +. A., but | sup.
pose they will hear Of it some day. Much
of the broom corn seemed very late, and
| think cannot mature before frosts will
be likely to spoil it. There seemed a
fair but not large crop Of fruit in Mag.
ara, County. Pears seemed abundant,
As We pass over the seething, foaming
waters Of Niagara by the Suspension
Bridge into Canada, the people seem
somewhat different, but not remarkably
so. One is impressed with the stable
way they do their work in her Majesty S
Dominion, and the slow measured way
they do things, even to running their
railroads. We came through Canada
very safely we felt we should all the way
but it was little tedious to wait for so
much ceremony to insure it.
As we pass over into Michigan at De.
troit, one soon feels in Uucle Sans 90
ahead country, and willing to dispense
with little Of the ceremony, to obtain
more dispatch. We made more miles we
think in twelve hours over the Michigan
Central road, conducted by James Nc.
Kinsery, of Jackson, and engineered by
Samuel Gray of the same place, Former.
ly from the Passumsic railroad In Yer.
mont,) than we run in twenty-four hours
in Canada, and with less than half the
jerking and joining of the cars. We arc
under special obligations to these gentle.
men for not only doing their duty in the
best manner possible, but also for many
polite attentions We received from no 9th 8.
err conductors on the route We hope
the officers of this road will not discharge
our friends for being more civil to stranc-
ers than is usual for ihcr class. We
passed through beautiful country in
Michigan, beautifully diversified, with
highly cultivated and productive uudu-
lating farming lands, dotted over with
thriving villages, and some cities, the only
drawback being her low sluggish streams
giving off their malarious poisous to scat
ter disease among the inhabitants. Al
together from the treatment We received.
and the beauty Of the scenery, our pas.
sage through Michigan was very pleasant,
Leaving Michigan city late in the evening
the run from there to Chicago was in the
night, ard we walked in the morning in
that city, on the Lake shore, with vii.
derness OF water on one hand, and vii.
derness Of buildings on the other. We
had but little inclination, and no time to
look over Chicago, but the most of our
time spent there, was spent near the
Mammouth structure, then being finished,
and in which is now being held the great
Chicago Exposition. 1t was a great struc-
ture, aud promises to be one of fire, beau
tiiul proportions. We left Chicago in
the afternoon, and soon found ourselves
out on the broad prairie. This being our
first experience Of being in a country that
look which ever way you may, nothing
but dead level meets your.gaze, The eff.
feet was hardly pleasant to one who likes
varying landscape, and never feels at
home out Of sight Of, at least mode.-
ate sized mountain We do not wish to
differ with the man who loves the bound.
less prairie. Ga the contrary we are very
thankful he can iud his happiness there,
and leave to us our green hils,and noun
tains. Before dark we passed through
number OF villages we remember one
named Ridgewood. We believe the
dwellers therein claim being up in the
world, some sixteen and eleven sixtecnths
inches higher than their neighbors. We
are inclined to think the claim, Just with
perhaps an allowance off, of the odd eley-
en-sixteentbs. Morning found us "be-
yond the Mississippi" in the thriving
town Of Clinton, Iowa, it being the first
town in Iowa, where the Chicago and
Northwestern h. r., crosses the father Of
waters, on its way to Council Bluffs, its
western terminus, Through Iowa We
passed through country of rolling prair.
lie, and great sameness. thickly settled