Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-12-13
Crossing the Continent In NOVem.
ber-COntrasts OF Climate.


Correspondence San Francisco BuIletin.l
Our recent Journey was rather une-
.ventful, except IN the matter Of storms,
which prevailed almost constantly nearly
the whole distance. 1t would be an in
teresting subject of investigation, at this
season OF the year, to endesvor to learn
the laws which control the distribution of
snow and rain over adjacent areas. On
leaving Omaha, the weather was warm
and pleasant, but as soon as we struck
the region Of the Black Hills, at Chey-
enne, it became intensely cold, and snow
iell in great abundance. This state of
things continued throughout the Rocky
Mountains, but at Green river we found
that no snow or rain had fallen, though
the wind and cold continued. In fact,
the storm area seemed surrounded, as it
we're, by an invisible wall, for, having
emerged from it, WI could look back from
the ears aud see the clouds, which, W
the great elevation Of the road at this
point above the level Of the sea, had
hung about us like a fog, standing up
upon the horizon like the boundary of
the world. One or two hundred miles
west OF Green river, however,
the wind and temperature remain.
iug unchanged, a driving snow
storm was encountered, and another
hundred niles beyond, rain Tell in tor.
rents mixed With hail. This condition
Of affairs prevailed throughout the Salt
Lake region, but just beyond snow was
again encountered, though not contiUu-
ously, rain taking its place at most m.
accountable intervals, aud occasionally
no storm Of any kind occurring for one
hundred miles or more. Just before
reaching the Sierra Navadas, rain again
Lset in, and with the thermometer below
the freezing point, and ascending the
mountains, though the weather was
warmer than on the plains below, Abun-
dance of snow fell. In short, through.
out the whole trip storms of snow and
rain prevailed, alternating with each
other, and an occasional heur of sun
shine in such a singular msLHer that
the great question which finally sgitsted
the minds Of the passengers was whether
any law at all regulated these phcnom'
ems, or whether they we're shaken fropi
the sky like refuse from a tablecloth,
without method or reason. 1t is an in
teresting fact that these disturbances
in the upper regions of the air we're first
met with on the very day that the rains
begau which have prevailed over Califor-
MIA pretty constantly ever since, and all,
doubtless, had very sensible influence on
the weather Of the whole country.
In fact, the Rocky MOUNTAINS seem to
be the modern home Of Eolus, from
which he sends out on all sides his winds
and tempests, as w0s abundsntly shown
last winter, when every cold wave which
swept over the East in unprecedented
severity was heralded, long before It's
arrival, by the telegraph from that point,
as we'll ae the unusual severity Of the
season even 10 this ordinarily favored
State.
One who has always lived in Caiifor-
MIA can scarcely understand our feelings
when, after three days travel through
desolats sage brush and alkali plains
swept with storms, we descended on the
fourth into the natural gardens this side
the Sierra. To see the broad country
smiling under the refreshing rain; to see
the grass springing into lie in q shade
Of green ~lovelier than it " assumes in
the East, aud which contrssted pleas
antly with the darker foliage Of the live
oaks; to see the smoking burrows cir
cling the hills and promising rich lar
gesse of future crops, and then to re-
joice that we had exchanged for this
fertility the present ba%rrenness Of the
Esst-we felt somewhat as the children
OF Israel might when, after forty years
wandering in the wilderness they first
looked upon the brightness Of the Prom
ised Land.