St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-02-02
Letter from California.

| CIFIC RAILROAD-THE GEYSERS, ETC.
To the Editor of the CaledOnidn
1t was noticed quite likely in the late
election, that while all the doubtful
states east went Democratic and also a
falling off of the Republican majorities
in many other states, the Pacific states
which also were considered doubtful,
and including Colorado, admitted into
the sisterhood of states by Democratic
House for no other reason than to get
for them her electoral votes, all went
Republican. Why The hard times
no doubt was leading factor to bring
about this result. There must have
been a large number throughout the
north and east mot including Vermont /;
she made good record,) among the
laboring and more ignorant classes,
that honestly believed that the the hard
times belonged to the administration,
and change was considered their only
hope to bring better times.
Now what the writer wishes to say is
the same prostration of business on this
coast, would have been attended with
a more general dissatisfaction with the
party in power, and these states would
have gone Democratic also. Yet in
California another thing is to be men,
toned. Had it not been for the Re-
publican party a subsidy would not
have been given to the Pacific Railroads
and consequently they would not have
been built to this day. The Central
Pacific Company is powerful political
organization. They have things all
their own way here. For state officers
support goes to the party that will do
the most for them. But it is to be said
of them that having no reason to do
otherwise, they supported Hayes and
Wheeler in the late canvass. They
hold in the state the controlling power.
Thus they own the present Democratic
Governor, and had full control of the
late Democratic Legislature. The late
Cetu dos uONcNSI VIII StINt 10 DcluGE
unite the Republican factions, and with
the continued immigration which serves
to greatly strengthen the Republicans,
the state will soon become fixed and
decidedly Republican.
During the late campaign in all the
larger towns and cities an important
feature of the Hayes and Wheeler meet
ings was the readings of Mrs. Hol-
brook. She attracted wide notice,
and many encomiums from the press.
1t will be interesting to many of your
readers to know who this lady is. She
is the daughter of Rev. Levi II. Stone
of Vermont, and to those who know
her father, it will not be so much a sur
prise to them that the daughter pos
sesses remarkable talent in elocution,
and that she carried such an influence
for good in the late struggle.
Just one thing more in this connec-
ton: Whatever was the interest, what
ever the anxiety, hopes and fears you
h"NO duN
part of the late canvass in the east, in
every corner of this great republic there
was just the same state of things exist
ln2-the same waiting, and watching,
and doubling. California has large
representation among her citizens from
the South. The campaign here bordered
upon the threshold of bitterness.
Northern people, Republicans, met
Southern chivalry and blood, face to
face. Without this contact one can
hardly appreciate the nature and char
acter of the issues in the contest. Butt
will il surprise your readers to be told
that at this date here to-day the
Democracy have taken the attitude of
defeat, silent and sullen, whatever NAV
be the developments between now and
the 4th of March.
One of the most noted events of the
year in California, is the opening of the
SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD
to Los Angeles, Southern California.
about 500 miles south of San Francisco.
The connections were made and a gold
spike (SlS0) driven September 5th.
The work of tunneling through the
San Fernando Mountain was one of the
most difficult railroad undertakings at
tempted in the state of California. 1t
involved an amount of expense and
labor not often assumed by a single
corporation but this passage is virtu
ally the key to a direct communication
with Southern California, thus reducing
the time between San Francisco and
Los Angeles to about twenty hours.
The San Fernando tunnel, as it is called,
extends nearly due north and south
through the San Fernando range of
about six miles north of San
Fernando station and twenty-eight
miles from the city of Los Angeles. 1t
is not cut through single mountain,
as is the case with most undertakings
of this kind, but runs through success
sion of ridges and canyons. The entire
length is 1864 feet, or nearly mile
and quarter. This is exclusive of the
heavily graded approaches, which ag-
5regate half or three quarters of mile
more. The deepest point in the tun-
1el is 600 feet below the top of the
In one place the road passes through a z
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