The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-05-27
California Letter.
SAN RAFArI. CAL Nav

SAN RAFAEL, CAL, May 9, 1875.
Mr.. EDIToR.-I am getting things
little out of order, but as everybody
knows O. L, G., will send the first
last. So here is the way saw things:
April IL, 80 p. M, took the train
at Cleveland for Chicago.
April Ii, 5 80 a. M, arrive at South
Bend, Ind. find the snow four inches
deep; run into Chicago change cars,
take the Rock Island Road bound for
Omaha; 6 20 p. NJ, ride along the
banks of the great Father Of Waters,
the Mississippi.
April IA, 9 20 q. m, arrived at Des
Moines, nice little town of about
seventeen thousand Inhabitants. At
3 p. m. We crossed the great iron
bridge and landed in Omaha, putting
up at the Atlantic House, where we
had good fare and received the kind
est attentions. This is more than can
be said of all the hotels at which we
stopped, for some of them are kept as
the fellow kept tavern in Indiana.
April Is, 9 80, left Omaha for the
Great Salt Lake. As we pass Fremont
we have the first sight of "big Indian.''
On the morning Of April 18th, We
arrived at the North Platte and had
our eyes open for game, and see buffa.
10, antelope, black-tailed deer, grey
wolf, Jack rabbit and prairie-dog in
abundance. We used our reyolvers
quite freely till 6 o'clock p. m, when
we reached Cheyenne, in Wyoming,
where we were switched off upon the
side-track and told that tho track ahead
was in an impossible condition, in
consequence Of which we would be
compelled to lie over for An indefinite
period. The hotels being crowded
we were compelled to take up our
lodgings in the cars, where we lay all
doubled up like q lot Of jackknivss.
1t is here that there is the greatest ex-
citement about the Black Hills country
which is doubtless one Of the grand
est humbugs of the times. cenversed
with some men here who were honest
enough to say that all they want is to
speculate cut of the travelling fools
who come there. We lay at Cheyenne
five days. and during our stay here /
killed prairie-dog. These little ami
mails are about the size Of a half-grown
woodchuch, and what is singular with
them is, they live with the owl and
the rattlesnake, the three "nesthiding"
in the same hole, and they will make
common cause against all intruders,x
April 2lst, 5 =. m. We are again ON
the move. We reach LARA mic at. g.
a. nj. This is town Of about twenty
eight hundred inhabitants, and of their
number ssyen hundred are tho heads
of families. The Union Pacific Rail-
road has rolling mill here which cost
100000. The streets are laid with
pipes which bring the water from
springs two miles distant from the
town. There are rich minerals hero,
and gold, silver, plunbago, copper and
iron are all obtained. There are five
churches and the same number of ho-
tells, but of neither am able to give
you any description. Coal here is
worth nine dollars per ton.
April %. This morning we are
again on the move, crossing the Lara
mie Plains. Flocks of antelope arc
frequently seen. Elk mountain is in
view all day. 1t is thickly covered
with pine timber. Just before reach
ing Rollins we SAW herd Of elks.
Rollins is between the mountains.-l
Here We lay ever, and of course VIC
had to do something, so we climbed
the mountains and took peep at the
Sulphur springs, and were well paid
for our trouble. The Union Pacific
Railroad Company have q machine
shop here. -.
We started from Rollins in the
night, and reached Rech Springs at 8
O'Clock on the morning OF the 24th.
Here is The Bitter Greek country, or
the Alkali Flats, where the company
is SO much bothered with the road
The earth is as light and loose as
wheat bran. We walked seven miles
to Green River and find the town be-
tween two high peaks, S45 miles west
of Omaha. The scenery over the
is indescribably grand.
From Green River TO Ogden is .lS4
miles. r..-.
April 25lh, Sunday morning, we
pass the 1000 mile tree and the Devils
G .te, and the big slide, and run into |
Ogden at s o'clock in the morning.
Here we take the Central Pacific, with |
two engines to haul IA to the top Of
the mountain, aud then enc takes US
down at the rate Of forty miles an
hour through the most grand and gle
rious scenery in the world. We ar
rived st San Francisco at two o'clock
OH the morning Of April 9th, And
here 1 must draw this sketch to q
close, leaving further accounts till my
next. With best wishes TO old friends, |
Yours truly. ,.s .,.fi.e
. o. GREEN.