The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-07-31

through the Alameda, only to find a little
later, that the way they had chosen lead
through the Valley of Desolation.
Keep the secrets faithfully. dear old trees
let no wltch's wand take them from you, for
if hearts must ache, and if hearts must
break, better far that it be in silence for the
world would pause for one moment tt
hear the tale and then go on trampling the
bleeding hearts beneath their feet.
Vineyards and fruit orchards were also
planted by the padres. Now the country is
one of the main sources from which San
Francisco obtains her fruit and vegetables,
and notwit hstanding the greed OF the middle
men, the profits realized are very satisfacto-
~. Strawberry beds are measured here by
the acre. and yield fruit from April till No
vember, sometimes even later; for find from
nv memoranda that we had Strawberries and
cream for tea on the 26th OF last Deem
| Der.
| It takes eastern people little while to
| accllstom themselves to the freaks of nature
manifested here on the Western slope. Peo-
pie who eat turnips, cabbage, and onions for
six months and return thanks for such va
iety Of food, get their mental calendar fear
fully disorganized when they come here
where we have fresh vegetables OF every
description, in season and out OF season, too.
| One may date letter June when it should
be December. without being careless or for
getful, for Strawberries, rich and ripe andlus-
cious, eaten by an open window, are apt to
suggest to an eastern man the month OF
roses instead of the Christmas holidays.
Fourteen miles south of San Jose the AL
madn Quicksilver mines are perched up In
the Coast Range. know the ride there is
very charming and the process of mining
interesting, but have not time to en-
10Y the ride or investigate the mines, for I
must take you back to Frisco by the other
branch of the Central Pacific, which skirts
the bay on the opposite side from the road
| over which we came,
Some of the San Franciscoans, who have
forgotten how many millions they are worth,
have their summer residences in the Valley
on this side, and. as cat may look upon
king, we will use our eyes as we go home
ward.
Nine miles out we are again reminded OF
the Murpheys, as the station bears their
name, and wonder If all the intervening
miles between the two railroads pay tribute
to the Murphey pocket book. While muse
on the strange taste whieh Dame Fortune
sometimes manfests in selecting her favor
ties, the train moves on through the valley,
''the green things growing" nodaing their
good morning as we pass, and the flowers
filling all the air with delicious perfume.
know my heart ought to beovertlowing with
peace and Joy and sweet content; perhaps
it would be il the poor, care worn face .of
the old man in the next seat could be for
gotten. His shoulders bend beneath bur-
den of anxiety and care, and suggest
thoughts which make me quarrel with Dame
Fortune again. May be the man hasn't used
his chances we'll, and only reaps as he
has sown, but someway never found worm
wood any sweeter when I prepared it for
myself than when some other person poured
the draught.
But we chose this route because it passes
by rich mems gates, and even though there
be lying at each OF them Lazarus, we must
lift up our eyes and behold them not.
We halt at Menlo Park, eighteen miles
from San Jose, in the vicinity of which sew
eral men OF wealth have summer resi-
dences, that of Leland Stanford, pres
ident of the Central Pacific railroad, being
about a mile from the station. The estate
comprises two thousand acres, forty of which
are laid out in lawns, gardens and vine
yard, in the midst of which is the house,
villa with broad verandahs, from which is
had fine view of the bay and surrounding
country. One Of these days, if Gov. Stan
ford does not find that his path to the Cat es
of Never is shorter than he thinks, he will
erect new house, and the three or four hun
bred acres which are receiving the attention
of the landscape gardener, are very sugges-
tive of park which will be fitting setting
| for the grand mansion in view.
Leland Stanford likes good horse as well
as any man, remember; some prudent,
careful man, who has logged to church and
to mill and to funerals behind the same nag
| which carried him to see Nancy Jane in the
old counting days twenty years ago, might
say he has an entraUagont love for the animal,
| in view OF the fact that it takes q mile Of
stables to furnish room for him to indulge
his fancy. In these quarters are over three
hundred horses, and every one has royal
blood in his veins; many OF them with
pedigree as long as the moral law, and with
a record under 2: 30-the Prussian Maid hav-
| ing trotted her mile in 10. There are
three horses on the place which cost the snug
little sum OF fifty thousand dollars, and the
entire collection is worth between two and
three hundred thousand dollars.
Itrequires small army of men to attend
to the comfort of these dainty bits of horse
flesh and cultivate the fourteen hundred
acres OF land which contribute towards their
lord and ladyshIp's sustenance.
| But the horse with the most royal blood
and the longest pedigree would forget to be
fleet OF foot if not kept in training, so a
trotting stable has been constructed 150xS0
feet in dimensions. where the friends of the
Governor are often treated to exhibitions OF
fine racing.
You would hold up your hands in amaze =
ment. we're to tell you how much money
that gentleman expended to secure series
Of photographs which show the actual posi-
ton Of the horse at every stage of motion
while trotting. Don't hold your breath; 1
shan't tell you; cannot, have forgotten
but it was rather more than most OF us
carry about us for pocket-money.
suppose the pictures were great triumphs Of
skill and ingenuity, but whether it was mere
ly to gratifya whim OF wealthy man or to
advance the science of horse trotting, am
unable to say. TRuFAX.
OUT WEST, June 26, 1870.
1t was at the aquarium. The crowd wa