The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-09-02
100 -, ce..rsro.s.stl
Among the Mountains of California
poroLAs CRY, CAT Aug. 9th. 1870.

tains To do % I was to leave the overland train at
R~oseville junction, eighteen miles east q Sacramento,
taking the California and Oregon railroad TO Red
ding, thence on by stage. The junction. Rosevilie.
is ike the most Of the watering places on the Pacific
road, entirely uninteresting-a run-out mining
town. Here I was obliged 10 wait for six hours. %
We went to the hotel opposite the depot TO pass the
time. We we're told there was nothing outside to
amuse or interest strangers. 50 we turned our Aiien-
ton TO the house to see what Of entertainment We
could hni there. The reading matter consisted Of an
old newspaper aud a Fourth Reader Of Roman
Catholic series The paper fell TO me aud was most
thoroughly read, marked and inEardly digesied. The
The train came promptly on time. aud we went
aboard. glad TO end our waiting. The country
through which this road runs is unlike that along
the Pacific road. II is dry. though not barren-a
grain country after harvest. On each side Of the
road. up the Sacramento Valley. we're huge piles Of
grain in sacks, promising a year Of plenty. A ride
Of two hours and a half brought ms 90 Marysyille.
where we had supper. la the distance the Mays
willie Butts loom up boldly out OF the plain. From
Marysville to Redding. outside was without special
incident. At one Of the way stations, after dark,
DIR. Brown, formerly Of the Pensacola, came aboard
the train. It was pleasant TO see some one who had
been in Honolulu, and though our seats were at a
little distance from each other, | watched him.
amusing myself by thinking Of his Inconsistencies
Of an Hawaiian acquaintance so near. IL was one
O'Clock at night when the cars arrived at Redding,
their terminus. | hoped to have a time to rest here
before continuing the journey, but ! was informed
the stages left Immediately on the arrival Of the
train. I had got up the morning before at two
! O'Clock that l might not miss the fine scenery near
the famous Cape Horn on the Pacific railroad, and
for nearly twenty-fOur hours had had no sleep.
There was nothing 10 be done, however, but TO take
one Of the stages or wait another whole day. My
time was too limited to allow Of so long a delay, and
tired and sleepy as I was, I took my seat for a forty
mile ride, with a vain expectation. as it proved, Of
reaching my destination by seven o'clock the next
morning. When I was called TO get aboard | found
the stage already we'll filled. A basket was removed
to make room for me, and pushing, and c%rowding,
and walking over the feet Of several passengers. l
succeeded in reaching the small portion Of seat allot-
ted to me. My fellow passengers on the back seat
were q man and woman, evidently from Pixies Peak.
The middle seat was occupied by a huge Portuguese
aud a stout gentleman with a little boy sandwiched
between them. The seat I sat on was shared by two
good sized Portuguese women. We on the last seat
sat with our backs to the horses. When all was
ready the horses started away on a run. The road
rough and the dust inches thick, and as we drove
rapidly on it came into our faces almost TO ~suioca-
ton. The big Portuguese soon showed himself TO be
possessed of q tender, caressing, conjugal spirit
Reaching forward he took the hand Of the woman in
front Of him, and despite jolts which nearly sent his
head through the top OF the stage, and other adverse
circumstances, he held it to the end Of his ride. un-
mindful Of the fatigue of the position.
The night was beautiful. The moon was full, and
rode in a cloudless sky. The stage was covered, and
so we could only see that we were riding through q
country well wooded, and that our road ran along
a hillside. Our first stop was to be at Shasta, seven
miles from Reddipg. As we approached IL, our
tender Portuguese began making preparations to
leave the stage. A large foot was run through the
window Of the stage, and a boot pulled on by q
strong and steady effort. We we're an hour and a
half in getting to Shasta I asked the driver when
we were due at Weaveryille, and with a sinking
heart heard the answer. AZ four O'Clock in the af-
ternoon.h We left five Of our passengers at this
place. 1 had been trying during the whole ride TO
keep from pitching into the arms Of the stout gentle
man in front of me. Want of sleep and fatigue
made this a difficult task, but fattered myself no
one noticed il. From each staccato nap I awOke with
the instructive effort to make my ~neighbors think /
had not been asleep, and with no deceit aforethought
in my heart, tried to smile and speak as though I
was not nearly fainting from fatigue. My efforts
we're in vain. for my vis-a-vis, after q sleepy nod,
said-"I find it nearly as hard to keep awake as
you do Our ride ON for several miles was over a
smoother road than that we had passed. This was
fortunate for US, for we were so loosely packed now
we could move about, and if the road had still been
as rough as at first, some Of US would certainly have
pitched out Of the window. At our next stopping
place, Whiskytown, we unloaded ice and mail matter,
and express matter indiscriminately. Our neighbor.
madam on the back seat, RECALLED herself with a pro-
ionged smoke, taking her pipe from her husbands
pocket. She first politely inquired II tobacco smoke
was offensive to me. I answered her It was not,
unless IL reached my nose. The Insurance satisfied
her, and che proceeded, a picture Of content and &C.
It was now three o'clock, and q suspicion
Of dawn showed itself in the east. How lonely the
night was how balmy and sweet the air The
moon was getting low, going TO her rest, accompa-
MED by her attendants. the stars. II was moonlight
on one side-it was dawn on the other. The moon
rapidly sank, the dawn rapidly strengthened, and at
five O'Clock the sun showed himself above the hori-
zOn. We began now to think Of breakfast. The gun
reused our sleepy souls a little and We could now
better enjoy the grand scenery through which we
we're passing. Our road ran along a pail all the
way. We rode on the side Of one mountain, and
looked into a beautifu! wooded valley which sepa-
rated US from another mountain. We we're going
down hill now at a rate calculated to frighten the
We got over the road without accident, no
unusual thing, by the way, and at six O'Clock stop
ped at the "Tower House - for breakfast. Mine
was absent at a dance" sixteen miles dis
tant, and there was no one TO do the honors Of the
house ON our arrival. A woman whom we met in
The parlOr showed US to a wash-stand on the yeranda,
we were to make our toilet for breakfast. The
same ~hospitable woman went for a towel, putting it
On a chair which served for a towel stand and soap Z
Our Pixies Peak friends had the use Of the
bowl and towel first, two brown spots on the last in