Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1874-11-05


SrEScEvrLLE, Cal. Oct. %, 1874.
Eps. COURIER Dick, you will re-
member when l last wrote you we
we're in the Humboldt Desert, 90 desc
ate and barren as fertile imagination
,ould depict. IL were rs orthodox
10 our religious editor, and wished to
sonsign an offender to pcrdition, l |
should send him to Humbolt Desert.
1t must have been 10 one Of these |
bordering mountains that the Devil |
took Jesus Christ, and showed him
this valley, about the hot springs, when |
he wanted to drive that cheeky bar
gain you remember, where he wanted
worship, and proposed to pay therefor |
in land he didn't own. My opinion is
Mr.. d. would have got the best of the
bargain. But now the land gradually
improves-the grade Of tho road is
constantly up and as We approach the
Sicrras vegetation, stantcd pine, hem
lock, chapparcl &C., makes its appear
ance and alike disappears.
Up and on we 60. passing little vii
lagos, and hamlets, until some one
points cut tie square cedar pos tmark-
ing the line between Nevada and Cal
ifornia, and three cheers were propo.
sed for California, "whcre in the daya
Of old they dig out the gold, 10 the
days Of 40. It unnecessary to say
they were given with hearty good
will. It was then nearly night, AND
darkness reigncd supreme wheu we,
passed the Summit Truckee, and other
points Of interest, aud now we are on
the downward slope running along 1t
spanking rate, now round . noun
tain, now over gorge over trcstles
hundreds of feet in air aud through
miles and miles Of snow sheds, until
we reach Dutch Gap which is pretty
little town, and not hole in Ger
mans face to pour beer into, % many
of you have heard no doubt. e
In . few miles we arrive 1t Cape
Horn. where / took horn and then
sent the bottle. (empty OF course) far
down the mountain side, vowing ct
the same time to turn over new leaf
and never drink unless dry, or some
one stood the treats But enough of
nonsense. This 10 one Of the grandest
sights over the whole road; one side
the cliffs In places rises high in
the air, while on tho other nothing 10
to be seen but the little valley hum
dreds and hundreds OF feet below, and
= person instinctively clasps the car
seat . little tighter and involuntsriiy
repeats the prayers OF schiidhoods
happy hours.s The next town Is Col
Tax, named In honor Of that Vice.P Pres
idsnt who forgot there was ''God in
Israel" and also that the people were
the rulers, who however much they
might revere . man, they could and
would shove him aside whom ever they
found him to BE- tainted with corrup-
tion. Poor "Smiler,' but his name.
sake is q spanking pretty little town.
Auburn 10 the next town Of any i'm.
portance 10 smart looking place. ia
Perry, Of Eddyville, once lived here
It has several fins buildings and 1
church spire peeks mp from among thu
trees, ~ though 1t was afraid II Wal
going in the wrong direction and
wanted to beg some ones pardon =
Chickens here are said to DO worth 7t
cents each, and the only preacher IN
the town Is talking Of leaving.
| We are now in the foot bills, ani
viii soon arrive 1t the junction Of tn
California 4 Oregon r. r. with Ii,
Central Pacific, few miles east 0
Sacramento, where, after q squar,
meal and good cigar, we again taxi
the cars for Wheatland, Yuba county
II is very pretty place, about one
third as large as Eddyville, on III,
Bear river, one of the oldest mining
regions in the State. II is . thriving
little place, and no doubt, intims, vii
be : city Of some importance. TIL
country hereabouts is a. level 70
miles in either direction - the bottom
, | across tho river from Ottumwa. TIL
soil is said to be very productive
| gravelly, and looks much like TIA
. around an old deserted brickyard.
i The weather 10 very fine and pleas
ant. Tomato vines are A. green her
, | q they were in Iowa in june witl
| ripe and green tomatoes on tho sam
| vines. Mrs. Bitner. the wife Of Capt
Bitner, formerly Of Wapello county
with whom I am stopping, told NJ,
| yesterday that che wished 1t wouli
rain, Is she wanted to set out her cab
bage plants. Radishes, lettuce and
such garden truck il plenty wherl
paias are taEen to irrigate and TAX,
care of It. This 10 almost exclusively
q mining country, but little attentioi
being paid to anything else; although
there arc some very fine vineyard
hcreabouts. Butter is scarce ~ 81
cents per pound, where cattle livqthl
| year round without feed, and ssg&e
In good demand At SO Giants pSS q 1ap
il l have found An improvemsst6 l
Ned Buntline's Wild Bill. I tookdin
ner with him the other day, and fonn,
. him : strange compound-geaer1na t
, 8 fault aimoat, and ct homs whesDVe
! L you find him. He will thFow.Nsslass
J | with the precision Of fihs.shot, eatcl
] the widest horse by either foos desig