Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1879-02-18
LETTER FRoM eALIFoR2Tx,

Ed. Woap:EIaving some friends
in Idaho who may want To hear of inc
ii my wandcrings. and Al it i impos-l
siblc for NE to write 10 Al. Of them, II
will address then, through your COIL
umns. left Idaho City on the 23d Of
January, the rain coming down in tor
rents Lett Boise City for Silver onI
the 25th--stil raining and showing.
Fifteen miles each side If Silver we
Travelled on runners, taking 70 thel
wheels again al Trout creek. The
road the first day ont from Silver City
leads down the Jerdan valley 70 Sheep
Ranch, situated on Jordan cseek, seg
en- miles from the 0wyhee river. Jor-I
dan valley seems 10 be as fine land IS
can be found in any country, but isl
but poorly improved-no fences, no.
shrnbsor trees, and seems to be prolific
in but one thing, and that i haxen-
haired children The crop seems toI
be never falling. The crickets and
grasshoppers have destroyed the hay
and grain crops for the past two sea
sons, but it does not seem to have af-I
fected the first named in the least
From sheep ranch the road leads
through waste or desert land, with
no improvements, save tle stage sta
tion. for the hext seventy-iive miles,
to McDermil, which is at the head of
IQueens River valley, which Il nothing
more than vast sage plain Eigh-
tetn hours flom Sheep Ranch brought
us to Willow creek, ffiy miles frqni
| Wmnemucca Here the weary tray
eler gets rest of SIX hours, with
good accomncdatious, al 40 prices
Meals 81, and BED 81 They expect
TO make their living II Be-eeing those
that pass, as they have mo other
means Of support From Willow
creek 10 Winnempcca, fifty miles.
takes nine hours. Wiunemucca seems
to be quite business place, situated
J on the south bank Of che Hurnbola.
river. remained iere only fifteen
minutes, till the train arrived Seat
ing myself III one Of the luxurious
coaches of the Central Pacific Rail,
road, we went gliding along down tbs
valley Of the Humboldt at rate o.
about twenty-five miles per hour.
was very forcibly impressed with The
difference between that and the time
l passed down there in early days
plodding along through the alkaI
dust with an OK whip on my shoulder
The Supper Station at Humboldt, a
it is called, right in the nii, le Of th'
desert. is marvellous 10 look at.
large building, beautiful fountain il
the yard, artificial ponds with swans
geese, gold fish, &c, and uany othe
things of attraction which would seen
D thing almost beyond possibility Il
as who crossed there in days gone by
with our parched and burning lips
when we would have given worlds
we had passed it for a good drink Q
= water. From the sink Of the Hun
boldt the railroad leads through des
ert land % the Truckee, up tn
Truckee to the snow-capped summit
of the Sierras. There are man
n places Of interest on the way, but th
most noted one is Cape Horn, wher
the railroad leads around q precipic
g 1900 feet high, on the side OF whic
the first hold for tne railroad was SO
Iby mel being lowered from the 70
some 200 feet with ropes, 1t is
marvel of engineering. skill and dal
ing. From here the traveller begin
to see the great Sacramento valley
~ the distance, and il would seem a