St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-03-28

double line and nred tHelT IeNolN eiS 40
a gallant salute on beholding so uncom-
mon sight.
THE CAPITOL BUILDING.
The principal attraction OF Sacra-
mento is the State House, now just
about completed. 1t is an imposing
structure of three hundred and sixty
feet frontage, and a dome reminding
one very much of the national capitol
at Washington. 1t is built on all eleva-
ton of ground some ten or twelve feet
higher than the rest of the city-not a
large hill, to be surn, but one made at
great expense, as all the filling was
brought in carts from the bed of the
river a mile or more away.
The building was begun of granite,
brought from Folsom, twenty-three
miles up the river, but when the walls
were partly up, the architect died, and
a new one changed the material to
wood some say because he could give
greater architectural beauty to the
structure with wood. and others de-
clare that he found the heavy granite
walls settling into the made land.
However this may be, the fact remains
that the lower part of the capitol is
granite and rest something else. The
style of architecture is called Roman
Corinthian. The dome rises over two
hundred and twenty-five feet from the
ground, is of irol and brick. surround
ed by portico of iron, and surmount-
ed by statue of "CalifOrnia From
the portico of this dome-which is OF
access by easy though long flights of
stairs-the view is extended and mag
niticent. At ones feet is the city. y
little at the north and west the Sacra-
mcnto and American rivers come i'll, aud
uniting flow past the town in Il nearly
southerly direction. East and west, as
far as the eve can reach, are the tule-
lands. skirted by the higher lands OF
the great Sacramento valley. When
we were there the lower country was
50 flooded with water that it had the
appearance of several small lakes. AT
the north the eve first sees the foot
hills. and beyond these the Sierra Ne
vada mountains tower up and meet the
skies. With a field glass this range
of the Sierras. high. bold and white
81 81,
of the lesser attractions from the
Capitol dome is view of the in-com-
ing and outgoing overland traits,
which meet here. They can he seen
for many miles in each direction.
But after ali the magnificcucc of the
Capitol. the impression remains that il
is built in the wrong place. Sacramvu-
to is not a desirable city and never can
Toe and the two millions of dollars and
over put int" its state house cannot
change the natural disadvantages
which will forever surround il.
CENTRAL PACIFIC SHOPS.
The shops of the Central Pacific
Railroad are located at Sacramento. and
although there are Il few other manu-
featuring establishments. they are of
much less magnitude. These shops
are just north of the city. and cover a
large piece of ground. This company
repairs its rolling stock and makes To-
comotives and cars Ofall kinds here,
giving employment I" an army OF men.
One thing struck me peculiarly. There
is hospital where the men are cared
for when sick or disabled When it is
considered that the road employs sew
ell or eight thousand men, many of
them single and without homes OF even
friends in this country, the humanity of
the hospital arrangement will be I'M
derstood.
PSI have been deprived the past
winter of sleigh rides, sliding down hill.
frozen ears, and such eastern luxuries
and | was forcibly reminded of what
have missed on receiving IA photograph
of the two locomotives which drew the
Washington's birth day. That picture
is a curiosity here. have shown it to
a boy now mau-g grown who has never
seen SNOW except on distant mountain
tops. c. VI. :.