Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-09
From California;.


n From California. $50 gas 81
Mr.. aud Mrs Judson Prentice have
kindly permitted US to publish the follow
ing interesting letter from their sou: I'll.
IMMIGRANT GAP, CAL, Jan 18th, 1876.
DEAR PARENTs:-We arrived ere the 26th
oil safe and sound; little the worse for
wear, being showed ia times on the roa d
at place on the Central Pacific called
Torano, W. 7. for two days, and then
again at Devils Gate. But we had Jolly
crowd of boys on board and the time passed
away lively, and whens at the end of the
journey almost reg retted being obliged to
leave them. AS regards the scenery, all
the books you have read or the pictures
you have seen could not begin to give even
e shadow of the beauty and grandness of
that we passed through. Sufficient it is to
say, that ali | could do was to open nv
mouth aud eyes and stare at it, will not
attempt to give you descrip ton, as
could not do justice to it. Here on this d.
vision they have as miles of snow-sheds al
most continuous. thus shutting out the
prettiest scenery on the whole road, but
what little did see satisfied me that the
construction of this road was one of the
most gigantic undertakings ever attempted
by man. There is not one mile of straight
road on this division as well as many other
divisions on the road. The road tax es the
side of mountain and goes round and
round mule like) until it reaches the ton.
and person looking back can see the track
they just passed over hundreds 'ot feet be-
low. In going up these steep grades they
never have less than two engines. and
sometimes sixor eight of them, and of the
most powerful construction. Generally, all
trains in winter are preceded by saow-
plow. Their snow-plows are not attached
to the pilot in front as they are in your
part OF the country, but are intact from
the engines. They are about the length of
box-car Is feet high and weigh about
80 tons. They are shaped something like
q Mississippi Monitor. To this snow-plow
they fasten four or six and have been
known to have seventeen engines on one
plow, and run a. fearful rate, striking a
snow drift sometimes 80 or 40 feet deep,
the solidity Of the drift sometimes bringing
them to dead stop, when they back up
two or three miles aud swing for it again.
1t is ia dangerous undertaking as there
are chances of the engineers BEING
smothered in the snow. Here there
are places where the snow is 80 and 40 fee,
deep, and the people go through tunnels in
the snow from house to house, some houses
being completely covered. Snow shoe.
| here seem to be a necessity. These are I'm
like those used by the Indians; an Indian
generally, has snow-shoes shaped like q
kite covered with some kind of hide, bu,
those used here consist of pine (which i.
very plenty hereapouts) about four inches
wide, thin, fiat. and about 10 or IL fee,
long, turns up at theend like the runner OF
a sled. In the center there is "a leathe,
socket in which they insert their toes
Then with long pole the outfits complete
Women and children uee them as we'll as
men. An expert on snew-shoes will go
down the side of q mountain at q fearful
rate and the only way they can stop is to
fall fat on their backs gsM.F.P.e