The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1874-11-14
9Niscellaueo1ts.
A Trim Across the Continent.


Correspondence of the Turf, Field and Farm.
Mr.. Chas. Nordhof, in his book on "Califor
MIA for Travellers and Settlers" claims Chicago
as the starting point Why he should claim
the city of great coh1agrations as the starting
point can't imagine There is no Union de-
pot at Chicago. You are sure of disagrceable
change at this point by whichever road you en-
ter the city Then you can ouly get your bag
gage checked to Omaha. It's true yoa have the
choice of three roads to Council Bluffs Iguess
they are all equally good, and the fare to San
Francisco is just the same over either road
SIG. The subscriber took the Chicago, Bur-
lingtou and Quincy road. Mr.. Nordhoff, in his
book, gives all the bright side of the Golden
State, as well as the travel. and is particularly
sa0eet on the railroad companies; and to one
who has been over the road it looks as though
his book might have been written for a consid
Grafton. propose to give the other side. We
arrived at Chicago on Tuesday, 10Th of Septem-
Der, at the Pan Handle depot, about o'clock
A. M. 1t took fully two hours to transfer pas
sengers and baggage to the Chicago, Burling
ton and Quincy railroad depot. Thsnassengers
were obliged to wait at Che baggage oom fully
one hour and half, waiting to have the num-
Der of his or her check called, and it was not
until quite time the train was due to leave that
the baggage all arrived. One poor fellow, an
invalid, got left.
Between Burlington and Council Bluffs we
took breakfast on the Pullman dining-room car
the only one on the road (though Mr.. Nordhoff
Gays they are all along the route.) The break
fast was very nice; the food was good, proper
ly cooked and served in elegant style. After
this meal we were obliged to patronize the
"hash houses" along the road, for which they
extorted one dollar per meal. And after leav
ing Ogden it was in coin.
We arrived at Council Bluffs 10 O'clock A. M,
of Wednesday. Here we experienced the most
disagreeable change of all. 1t is represented
that you can take at Chicago and are not
obliged to get out until you reach San Francis
CO; but it's not true. There are several disa-
greeable and unpleasant changes of cars-es
pecially uncomfortable to invalids and ladies.
When we reached the depot at Council Bluffs,
Iowa. it was announced that we were to change
cars. We were directed to take the transfer
train which would convey us across the river.
There was half dozen cars standing at the
end OF the platform, headed for Omaha, into
which we crowded, like lot of cattle. There
were four trains arriving at Council Bluffs
one off the c. B. & Q, one off the Chicago and
Northwestern, one from Kansas City, and an
other from Chicagc-over the Chicago and
Rock Island. This transfer train of a half
dozen cars was expected to transport the pas
sengers and baggage from those four trains
over the river, all at one load We were pack
ed like sardines-frst' class, second class, emf
grauts and all not even standing room in
some of the cars, and the atmosphere was dense.
1t was like anything except "new mown hay"
After we had got aboard this transfer train,
they kept it standing on the track fully one
hour, waiting to put the baggage on. Finally
we crossed to Omaha, at which point we were
detained two hours longer to recheck the bag
gage, the passengers standing in q gangway,
answering when their number was called
Every piece of baggage is weighed. If over
100 pounds, you are charged 5 cents per pound.
l saw one lady, travelling without company,
other than her child, pay $50, all the money
she had. She was an object of charity among
the passengers from that time on to her desti-
nation, some of the gentlemen paying for her
sleeping car fare and meals. saw two other
ladies each pay Sl8, and one gentleman of jew
ish features paid $26. He was the maddest
man that ever was; he was perfectly furious; /;
he swore until the air was blue. l did not
blame the company for charging him; he had
two enormous Saratogas. At last we got away
from Omaha, an hour late, which was of no
consequence. They run their trains on the U.
P. on a very elastic schedule. They start when
they get ready. The Pullman cars on the u.
P. are not as comfortable as on some of the
Eastern roads. They look like old cars, very
much worn; they are low and narrow; it is
not possible for two persons to sleep in one
BERTH 1t is two days and two nights travel
from Omaha to Ogden, Utah, where we again
change cars. The ride through Nebraska and
Wyoming is very uninteresting. You get tired
of looking at sand plains, sand hills and sage
bush such dreary waste. Occasionally you
will see flock of prairie chicken, american
grouse, more properly,) perhaps few jack
rabbits, prairie dogs. Elk and deer are not to
be seen in any numbers; we saw four or five
only.
After you reach Ogden, if your baggage is
checked through to San Francisco, you don't
have much trouble at this point. You walk
across the platform into the cars of the Central
Pacific. The sleepers of this road are owned
and operated by the company. The cars are
not Pullman's; they are nothing to compare to
the Pullman cars. They are manufactured by
the Delaware Car Company, of Wilmington,
Del. The doors and windows are not properly
fitted, and when in motion on rough road