The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1875-09-02
FROM OREGON.
A representative or Old Cedar
u P1eased with his new HOme
In the Far West.
ASHLAND, Jackson Co.
August Eth. 1875.

4 -. ~ss~ = - W SSNs
ASHLAND, jackson Co.
August 18th, 1875.
Editor Adrertiser Having been
solicited by many friends before leav-
ing Cedar county-when the proper
time arrived to give them, by let
ter, a short history of our travels and
the result Of them; and as many of
your readers may be interested, with
your permission, will address them
through your columns. After send
ing our children to Grinnell, Iowa, to
school, we left the old homestead
April 26, spending the time very
pleasantly until the ,th of July, WIS.,
i,ing old friends in different parts of
Iowa and Illinois, and on the
morning of the ,th of July, we
(wife and y bid good bye to friends
in Iowa, crossed the 'old muddy,
boarded a street car and travelled
over the city of Omaha for the space
of an hour or SO, then changed for
one of Pullman's Palace sleeping
ears, ard in a few minutes we were
off for the far West. We were soon
on the north bank of the Platte river
which has been so often described
that will not attempt it. As long
as we remained on the waters of the
Platte there were indications of
fair crops of wheat, corn and oats,
but when we began to ascend to the
higher lands every thing became
parched and dry and gradually DESC
late, barren and burned, while the
continued alkali land and sage brush
and grease wood wearied the eve io
look upon. This whole country, at
least along the rail road for about
thousand miles. seems To be one ter
rible. indescribable desolation, with
here and there little fertile spot al
"a few acres, with its mxurient growth
of fruit, flowers, vegetables aud l,y-
ing fountains of clear sparkling wa
ters, which is truly beautiful-an
oasis in the desert indeed that is
cheering 10 the traveller. ! will not
undertake TO describe this stretch OF
desolation, but will say that while
travelling in the cars and on the
stage over the rugged mountains.
and around the gorges where we
could look down in the gulch or chasm
or roaring, foaming river from one to
two thousand feet below you, where
bounce off the track or misstep of
the horse would have sent us to the
bottom. 1t became quite interesting
and at such times we found ourselves
trying to balance the car or stage
coach. But we started for Califor-
MIA aud when we began to descend
the Sierra Nevada's the scenery all
changed. We were soon off the
mountains of snow, down among the
gardens of flowers, and orchards of
fruits, and fields of ripe grain; yes
grain cut, threshed and corded up in
sacks in the fields. We made fly
ing trip down through the truly
grand valley and its beautiful towns
and cities Of the Sacramento river, to
the grand bay, crossed from Oakland
over into the great and wonderful
city of the West, where we remained
but two days looking at the wonders
of the place and luxuriating on the
best fruits we had eyer seen. We
then recrossed the bay, took the cars
at Oakland. passed up through the
cities of Stockton, Sacamento and
Marysville to Reading, the present
terminus of the G. & C. r. r. We
then took the stage, over very
mountainous country, for this place,
distance of one hundred and sixty
miles. Over sixty horses had tug
at us to get us through. We have
also taken a journey of sixty miles
over the mountains through min
ing region, came back up the valley
of Rogue river; have visited num-
drank of the same; have caught and
eaten of the trout Of the waters, and
are eating of the yenison of the land;
and above all we are having con
,iunal feast on the hes, iru's the
world ever produced. We have
neither of us been the least bit IN
disposed since we left Iowa, nor met
with the slightest mishap, have met
with many kind friends, and upon
the whole our summers visit and
travel has been extremity pleasan,
and gratifying to us. and will say
in conclusion that we have determin-
ed to take mp our abode FOR the
present in this little village of Ash
land, nesting right up at the foot Of
Il great mountain where we can see
snow all the time. have bought
property and sent for my family.
am free to admit that This countr,
has her drawbacks and can never be
come much Of an agricultural country
yet has its attractions. Ii is rich in
minerals, its valleys are productive,
its forests are inexhaustible. lis fish
are abundant and good. its climate
is unsurpassed and its fruits cannot
be excelle1. To day eat peach
that measured ten inches in circum-
ference. ard have seen right here in
this town little trees in the nursery
at one year old literally loaded down
with well matured fruit, and the
peach, pear, plum, prune, nectarine,
ounce, cherry, apple, scft shelled
almond and English walnut come to
perfection and mostly commence
bearing at one and two years old.
Bat enough for one time.
AMOS Willis.
How High Can u Cat Jump.