St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-04-24
Southern California.
Extracts from Private Letter
SAN BERN NlRDINO Cal March 2l

1914 miles from Omaha, seeing many
strange and at times unaccOuntable
sights by the way. l can only mention
a few of them. For $50 miles we as
cended the Platte river passing along
its north bank we saw nothing of special
interest, there being about a foot of
snow on the ground. driving the game
and Indians farther south. After leav-
ing the Platte the snow began to disap- |
pear, and we soon came into the great |
| grazing belt with width of about two
hundred miles to the base of the Rocky |
| Mountains. We now began to pass
many large droveS of antelope and elk. |
quietly feeding at no great distance
from the track. They seem to have
become accustomed to the cars. We
saw no buffalo, although there We're
many shaggy heads lying about where
they were killed i'll the fall.
Arriving at Cheyenne we found the
train from Denver awaiting. with two
passengers. the first we had seen since
leaving Omaha. Thirty miles west of
Cheyenne we came To Sherman, the
highest point Oh the road. S.242 feet
above the sea. Soon after leaving Sher-
man we crossed deep canyon on a
trestle bridge $50 feet long by l2U feet
high. then on down a heavy grade
through deep winding canyons with
frowning cliffs on either side and over
hanging rocks seeming ready to fall on
us, passing every few miles IA station
house and side track, and occasionally
About every one hundred miles we
changed engine and conductor.
At Ogden we changed cars to the
Central Pacific road. Here we saw the
first Chinese section-men. with white
men as toremeu. We soon entered the
Great American Desert. covered with
beds of white alkali and gray lava, and
found but little of interest until we
t neared the Sierra Nevada mountains.
On the summit the snow was twenty
feet deep. hut the cars are seldom de-
h tanned, as the track is we'll protected
10y over forty-tive miles of snow sheds
and many tunnels, the longest over a
quarter of Il mile in length. As we de
scended from the mountains. after Il two
hours ride. we noticed IL marked change
in the temperature The snow had all
disappeared and green fields began to
appear with cattle and sheep grazing
on them. They have had an unusual
amount of rain through California this
wear. The grain is looking finely, and
promises an abundant harvest. We
stopped one day at san Francisco, but
as it Iained most of the time we had
t. but little opportunity to see the sights.
The next day we took passage by steam
boat to Los Angeles, 364 miles south OF
Frisco. We remained there enc week
and then came To this place. distance
! ! of 60 miles from the coast-said to be
r. the best place for those troubled with
diseases of the throat and lungs. The
temperature has been very even during
the three weeks we have been here, not
going below ~ degrees nor above CO.
1t has rained Il little three nights dur
ing our Sojourn here. but the rainy sea-
son is about over and they expect only
5 few showers i'll April. and then no
more until next November. This val
ley of San Bernardinn is surrounded on
the north. east aud south, by higl
mountains. 1t is about 90 miles in
length 10y about ten miles in breadth
The town of San Bernardino is situated
i'll the midst of the valley about ten
miles from the mountain on the east
The foot hills begin to ascend gradually
from the town back to the foot of the
- mountains. The valley is well watereC
s. by several streams flowing into the
Santana river. running through the
whole length of the valley. There are
also about eighty artesian wells in ant
v, about the town of sufficient force t,
throw water over a two story building
The wells average from 80 to 200 fee
deep. This part of the valley wa
n originally owned by the MOrm0ns WHIT
laid it out into broad streets, crossin!
at right angles, dividing the land int
D. lots of eight acres but soon after the.
were well established, by order OF oil
Brigham. most of them sold out ant
=, went back to Utah.
ce. March "a. Gere and bought pal
of mules, harnesses and a Concord two
- seated spring wagon, long enough t
sleep in. for SIO5, so we can trave
. when and where we like. We are no'
camped in pleasant grove beside
nS clear cold mountain stream, eight mile
from town and two miles from the foe
'R, of San Bernardino mountain, the sum
VT nit of which is $500 feet above tn
level of the sea. 1t is white with sno'
" down part way, as is also the whol
=, range to the north while here l al
out writing in the shade without coat
r a hat. We have green peas and stra"
nm nm berries, and to-day l saw a curloslt
. which was tomato vine over thre
= years old with green and ripe tomatoes
don't know how long it will continue
grow and bear fruit. Peaches, hg
/ walnuts, apples, ETC., are all in blossom