The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-01-11
BDIToRIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

hOl1Oh1AA OOhh1DA OA014tO8s
DEAR READERS or THE NEW NORTHWEST:
a fog that would have been no dis
credit to "WebfOot" hung glOomily over
the bay of San Francisco, as the "Yo-
semitic" swung away from the dock, and
turned her PROV toward Vallejo. Moth
ing dauntei, we, with the eagerness Of
an amateur tourist, wrapped our thickest
shawl about our shoulders and sought
the deck. At first the fog was so palpa-
BILE and penetrating that we could
scarcely believe a California sky was
obscured by it, but long acquaintance
with misty atmosphere has enabled US
to distinguish objects through it with
tolerable certainty and satisfaction, so
We peered this way and that, asking
questions.
Fort Alcatraz, with "a portent seem
ing less than threat" impressiDg the
beholder with the terrible distinetness
with which her guns would speak def
ance to a presumptuOus invader, sits in
a significant position at the entrance Of
the Golden Gate, silently conscious OF
her prowess. The fog lifts as we pass
on, and, anxious to know all about
everything, We ply a "forty-niner" with
more than forty-nine questions, only to
find, to his evident surprise aud our own
disappointment, that he knows but lit
tie more than we concerning the city
that has been built around him, the
lovely bay that laves its feet, and the
denfenses that guard its entrance. He,
however, pointed out cities in the dim
distance, with Spanish names almost
unpronounceable, the orthography and
pronunciation being SO greatly at vari-
ance that we dare not attempt the
former upon paper, nor the latter in the
presence Of IA Californian.
San Francisco, though ga city set
upon hills" is soon hidden by the mist
as we proceed, chatting with Port
lander, whose presence aids the fog in
making US "feel at home" Our part OF
the conversation being perpetual in
terrogatiOn, we we're rewarded by hav-
ing San Quentin, the location of the
State prison, pointed out, the Mare
Island navy-yard described, aud various
minor points Of interest dilated upon.
Among these latter were two pairs of
islands, dubbed respectively "The Two
Brothers" and THE Two Sisters"
''The Brothers are the better lookingy'
rehectively remarked our friend, as We
, glanced now at the masculine represen-
tatives, upon one Of which lighthouse,
, fog-bell, etc, had been erected, while
the solid rock had been chiseled and
terraced to the waters edge, and now at
those with the feminine sobriquet, upon
which primeval desoTation still held
court.
Because, as is customary, more
money has been spent upon the i'm
provement of the brothers." we an-
, swered, after taking in the situation.
At this our informant, with haste
which showed his position on the equal
rights question, declared he did not
, know which were called the "Brothers,' ,'
and Of course courtesy compelled US tC
share In his uncertainty, though W,
, would have wagered a chestnut that hii
p first statement was correct.
[ Vallejo, suggestive OF the dark ole
4 Spaniard whose name it bears, seemed
E strangely silent and void of life as W,
- approached; stupidity so, indeed, aftel
= the whirl and hustle Of San Francisco
. where every one rushes along as If In.
tent upon performing an important er,
rand with the greatest possible celebrity
b A waiting train, however, gives littl,
! time for observation, and entering tn,
D cars of the California Pacific, we wer,
e soon whirliDg toward Sacramento, oul
present destination being Elmira, thirty
e miles distant from the capital city.
= The country through which we sped
. treeless, except for occasional live-oaks
/, succession Of hills reminds one strongly
D of Eastern Oregon. Fertile to the very
D SUBMITS, these hills rise in beauty anC
= slope in grandeur, causing us to thinl
that il, as Milton afiirms,
" Earth hath this variety from heaven,
OF pleasure situate in hill and dale,r
e That here Celestial landscapes must b,
faithfully copied. The recent rains haC
= started the grain sown in hope Of il
timely aid, and the first promise Of har
e vest was already recorded in lines o
= brightest emerald upon the Thousand
= hills. Plains succeeded, and upon thes,
} the plowman, with less toll, was busy
e casting glanees not unmiugled will
= anxiety toward the clouds, in hope o
e more rain. Indeed, rain is the grea
= desideratum in California at present
and lowering skies are looked upon a
r harbingers Of greatest good, even a
r bright sunshine is hailed at this season
in Oregon with greatest delight.
= AS we passed outward from Vallejo
= we observed a magnificent building, sit
{ uated upon commanding eminence
and surrounded by lovely grounds beau
tifully and tastefully arranged. UpoI
inquiry, we learned that this was th,
Good Templars' orphanage, and al
though we were unable to obtain detail
concerning its origin and workings, W,
Ia ~