Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-24
NOTES ON ARIZONA.


Editor Star: There are two routes to Arizona
one from or via San Francisco and the Southern
Pacific railroad to Yuma; the other by the At
Gibson, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad, to the
borders Of New Mexico, thence through New
Mexico by stage, pa sing through Santa Fe and
Silver City. The first way has been open about
to Yuma Is about $50 miles, and for the most
part, with the exception OF the country about
Les Angles and In the San Bernardino, 1t Is a
barren waste.
/ left san Francisco at 4 p m. and about Z
O'Clock the next morning passed through the
celebrated COUP one Of the most notable
About 100 miles from San Francisco, as you
awake in the morning. you find the train wind
ing through mountain passes sweeping around
mountain tops. and running along frightful pre-
cipices BY taking note as the train passed Ger
tain points, frequently found myself running
along Gill several hundred feet high, the bot.
tom OF which the train had been sk1rting a few
minutes before, and then again within ten min
utes the snort Of the locomotive would re-echo
from the bottom OF deep gulch up the sides of
s the very cliffs from which we had just de-
After passing through several tunnels In rapid
succession, the ninth Is reached. Here the
locomotive almost comes to q standstill, as II
prepa ring for the effort and then 1t dasheS
through up a steep grade and describing an
almost perfect oval 1t crosses over the tunnel it
had four minutes previously passed IIn n
road rises seventy eight feet 10 distance of
less than four thousand feet. A!Cer MAKING
the loup we emerge into the arid desert. This
is most desOlate region, presenting no reller
to the eve from the waste OF sand. Nothing
grows here. The only thing that Is "a SEQ aere
Is an occasional sand storm binding and pene-
trating. To get out of this sandy waste the
train dashes through the San Fernando tunnel
piercing the mOuntain-a distance OF nearly
seven thousand feet, and then energies into the
Los Angeles valley, presenting picture In
grateful contrast with the scenes just passed
through. Here the lemon and orange nOuri5he3
Los Angeles has at first very depressing enect.
bare Of projection or color, are disappolnt.
ment to one who looks for beauty In the City or
Angels and you wonder what poor taste the
angels must have had. But, lunch at the Pico
House brings contentment and On coming into
the streets again you find where the Americana
Is rapidly pushing aside the primitiveness Of the
Mexican, and instead Of the adobe, solid and
Suboi antial buildings are being erected on every
tereSting. Here the system OF irrigation Is
carried on extensively. Little bitches or canals
pass through the groves, from which water Is
conducted around the trees several times day.
About eight miles southeast OF Los Angeles
General Stoneman, the famous cavalry
clous fruit, together with grapes and
the English walnut, is carried on by the General
In person. His amiable wife gave me hearty
WciCOuc,ouu dt UluucI Illc OcueIdl anu L balk0u
over the rough rides of the war with animation.
Leaving Los Angeles, soon passed the old mis-
sion of San Gabriel, established more than three
hundred years ago by the intrepid old Spanish
Pad eS, amid great peril and many bitter priva-
tom. Within few feet OF the railroad stands
the cid church In good state OF preservation.
Passing through the productive valley of San
Benz ardilo, Cotton Is reached at night fall.
Here en- excellent supper can be obtained at
half dollar. Eat heartily, for it Is the best
meal you will enjoy, although paying double
the price, until you reach Florence. About mid
night the train enters the Colorado desert, more
barren and deSOlate than that of MOjave. Go
ing through the desert you viii feel percepti-
Bile descent, and before you awake In the morn.
Ing, you will have gone over 200 feet below the
level OF the sea- About O'Clock In the morning
Yuma Is reached. Hot, sandy, dirty Yuma
At this point will take up my journey again
In my notes on Arizona / shall endeavOr to
avoid the two extremes Of former writer's
fulsome, highfalutin enthusiasm on the one
hand, and bitter abuse on the other shall
speak Of things as they are, and II any one
sQueals some one Is deservedly hurt. JAVA.