The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1876-01-21
eS uEE WING.

Aos stiN Ait5 i1siStf iSe-ot1
in hand seated my self in a comfortable We
hieie and was soon whirled to the Oakland
ferry. Here confusion reigned, and for a
while thought I had better employ
guide, but recolleeting that there was but
one way to go, | contented myself by fol-
lowing the crowd, and was soon Oh board
the ferry steaming over to Oakland. As
our mind reverts back twenty-five years
ago. and calls up he picture then, | was
lost in wonder and ama2ement ut what I
see spread out before me aeote. Here with
in radius of few miles are four cities,
the smallest being as large as Albany,
while the largest has 175. 600 inhabitants,
Representatives from almost every land the
sun shines upon. Tn 1877 five hundred peo-
pie could hardly have been found within
as many miles. Landed at Oakland, we
are soon seated in elegant coaches, drawn
by tile iron horse, instead ofwagons drawn
by mules or ''bulls'', as in the olden days,
and in a moment are fairly flying through
one of the prettiest countries on the Pacific
coast, as densely settled almost as Il town
all along the road for the first two hours
ride. then becoming gradually thinner and
more scattered until we reach the noun
tains-Sierra Nevada range. And now,
among the gigantic mountains. all is won
der and amaze at the marvellous skill dis
played in building railroad through and
over these mighty crags,>piercing the very
bowels OF the mountains with tunnels
through the solid rock, crossing deep and
apparently bettoutless canyons on magniti-
cent bridges-it was all marvel, display i
ing the wonderful genius Of man. As we |
continue our Journey we find the Company
have erected no less thaa forty miles of
snew-Sbe,ls III these mountain businesses.
to enable their trains to bid defiance to the
terrible storms that rage here during the
winter.
/ Being worn ont and tired with long sit
r ting, we eventually Suceumb to sleep, IA
ture.s sweet restorcr. and thus PASSED our
first night riding on the ra;i Sunday morn
:. ing tiads Us 400 miles from our starting
point, with a splendid day for observation,
but to our CONSERVATION our vision is greet
i ed with nothing bnt snow III every direct
d ion--all nature wears white robe, cold
and Willie. hut we travelling over it at
t. the rate of 25 miles an hour. Aided by
y snow-plows, snow-Sheds. and fences to turn
the drifts. we make a fine days run. All
lay and until O'Clock at night we 'wa,le''
8 through deen SHOWS, until Ogden is reach
ie ed. Ogden Is the dividing point between
= the two great Western railways running
east and west. Here we charge cars tor
Omaha. Ogden is two miles from the
depot. at the head of Ogden Canyon, one
:, of the gorges which pierce the Wahsatch
range, between Weber and Ogden rivers.
Og,len IS said to contain $500 souls. A
!, road runs from this point to great Salt
Lake. distance of 3j miles. On we go
=, again with nothing special to note until
- we arrive ut Devils Gate. Here fine
- bridge spans the pass-thc pass itself being
=. one of the chief wonders of nature to be
$, found on flls road. This days journey was
of considerable interest, as from the coach
-. window l could see Castle Rock, Hanging
:, Rock. and number of other wonders OF
~ nature.
id Three days and two nights passed and
10, still far os the vision extends stretch ont
an vast sage plains and worthless soil. will
by say here that wonder now how the poor
emigrant ever got over these plains alive
las at tile pace they were compelled to travel
his before this magnificent railway was built
er, Now there are stations every eight or twelve
ev miles. so that there is less danger in max
lug the trip. But it would take book te
ct describe fully all saw. therefore l shall
ed not attempt it. What surprises me mos
Ter Is to see the cotlntry looking fine and
to dry, with so many beautiful points of in
for terest. where only twenty-five years age
l., -f.;zz
am now in Iowa, and it is no colder
II. than it was in Frisco when left. The sur
shining and no frost, surprises me greatly
. doubt whether you have nicer weather
. to-day in Oregon than we have here. I
seems to me almost as if had strayed away
Il. and spent portion of my life in lone
some part of The country.
It would take me six months t 0 see hal
OF my relatives. but have neen having
8. good time greeting those have not seei
- FOR years.
Corn is zoe n bushel notwithstanding III
loss by grasShoppers, etc Wheat is 45
~ per hushel in grcenbacks. What do on
s. people think now OF getting SOC in coin pc
busIieI for their wheat. while here farmer
get only about half as much and that i
II, paper money Yet the farmers OF lows
80 this part Of tile State at least, are gettin
!. rich even at what we consider such lo'
3. prices for grain. Land is worth from So
to S45 per aere-fine rolling prairie Ian,
but the bottoms black, sticky soil, reinin,
~ ing Oregonians of the Umpqna waller
'<s But the hill land is cultivated here ifstea
of the valley or bottom lands.
80 This town is five years old. and has
'e popnlation of 800. There are fully as mar
people on the streets each day as in Alban.
Business is brisk and everybody stirrin
de- The trip .'the plains across is a nut
me- more rapid an comfortable affair now
ene sshat it was in 1850 when | toiled over Il
ice. mountains and through the alkali desert