Connecticut western news., 1877-04-13
Across the COnti nent i'm 8 Days.

and left New York the same evening fol SanFrancisco. As many of my friends ar acquainted with the ordinary mode of trav elling. will say nothing of my trip east o' Omaha. arrived at Council Bluffs on Sat urday evening at 10, p m., and on accoun of better accommodations, put up At tn Ogden House. In the morning walked t' the transfer train and crossed into Nebras ka. The Pacific Express left at 10, 50 ;a.m. on time to the minute. Heavy train, madt up of twelve cars consisting of one Postal, one Baggage, one Express, and the balanc sleeping and day coaches. Nothing wor- by of notice till we arrived at Columbus, where I saw my first Indian Pawnee It seems they have @ reservation reach D. within two miles of the road. Alter leay- ing Columbus, the next place noteworthy Is Cheyenne, where tbe Chinese first put il an appearance as walters, and make very attentive ones, and their neat, clean appear snce is greatly h their favor. 1 will try and describe one of these prairie cities; this Is great stopping off place for the Black Hills, and IS made up of all grades of socle- ty. In every other house they play faro, you may imagine the house between the two. The country around as flat as table top not tree in sight. not even blade of grass everything looks burnt up the soil is light colored dust what they do for living except preying upon strangers. is mystery nothing will grow. Here wt take an extra engine, as the grades are heavier, and the mountains in sight. We have already passed several snow sheds. From here it is prairie for hundreds Of miles. The stopping places are often only section house and water tank sage brush and buffalo grass for hours. We arrived at Ogden Tuesday, at 5 p. m., and left at 6,15. The same old story, sage brush, except that the Great Salt Lake is in sight. After passing into Nevada, Indians and Chinese are thick the squaws begging from the car windows all they can say is "Muck muck" and stroke their stomachs meaning they are hungry; or 1.-two bits see papoose" which they carry in wicker case on their backs by a strap across their forehead. The papoose looks like little mummy. The men do nothing but walk about wrapped up in an old skin, with an old hat (and have seen every style except stove pipe. with 8 feather stuck in it, and their faces streaked red and yellow. And now want to Say word abou: the Indi. ans, and that is if the ladies of Salisbury
 
 are thinking of sending away sundrY barrels of clothing, as they have done for some charitable objects, I think that if they could see some of these poor Indians, they would change their minds and trade them fl for sundry boxes of Bahbitt's soap, and s=lId them along the line of the Pacific road for their exclusive use, (they would probably make soup of it,) for nothing would tend SO much to in prove their con dition as little soap and water. They are without exception the flthiest set of bipeds eyer saw.
 The scenery in the Rocky Mountains is grand, but it is of different description than that found in the Sierras. I must at- tempt to describe Cape Horn, although it is impossible to do it justice. The train winds around bluff or ledge 1900 feet above the valley. and stops to give the passen- gers 8 chance to admire the scenery. It is almost perpendicular for 1900 feet, the stream winding along the bottom, the well cultivated farm, the fields green with crops and the farm house and cattle, made up as pretty picture as ever saw. felt re- paid for the prairie and sage bush rIde. perhaps the contrast makes one epthusias- tic. When 1 went to sleep the night te. fore, it was huge snow banks and snow sheds, and when awoke it was in differ ent climate !; it was Connecticut to F.orids in six hours. One week ago left ice and snow. Here 1 find grass knee deep, bar ley and wheat headed out, peach and cher " trees in full blossom, the thermometer 80 in the shade, in fact it is hotter than ikel IA.
 Now few words to those contemplat ing the trip: speak from experience Those who have plenty of money can gt as they chose, take a sleeper and pay $3 per day board. When l left home I Car Iied all I could eat before reaching Omaha there bought for $2,25, a basket filleC with luncheon enough to carry me over including d small bottle of fink to mix will the water A great many are afraid to us the water on the cars, but whether it is in furious or not, you need not be afraid O alkali water for they do not carry it. They fill their tanks with sufficient water to car " the.l oyer. A little link" will rectlfy i any way, or if that is objectionable, take with you good sized bottle and put int 1t some dry tea and then some water, aEt it will be all that is necessary to correct I Your expenses outside of thus need be noil ing. Coffee ten to fifteen cents at ever, stopping place. You must not expect l' buy anything on the plains as cheap as else where. Crackers are worth twen,y-fiv' cents pound. A can of coraed bee worth in Lakeville 35 cents, is worth 7I cents, and so on.
 My first impression of California ma. perhaps be too highly colored, but the eli mate IS wonderful. Warm weather all thu year round. Green peas and every kind o vegetable on the table now. It does no cost any more to live here than in the east The best cuts of beef and mutton 10 10 l! cents, flour $500 barrel, potatoes 75 ct Der hundred pounds, nice little house righ in town, large garden, barn and every con venience $lO 10 SIP month.
 fully endorse Horace Greeley, "G West, young man.
 Hoping to see some of my Salisbury friends in this section, I remain Yours.
 E. WNoKwoRTH,