Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-26
THE DAILY RECORD-UNI0N.
IN THE WEST.
A sACRAMENTAN IN ILLINoIs-wHAT
HE THINKS OF. THE COUNTRY.
The weather-Iced sidewalks and Pedes-
trian Experiences California Com
pared with the West
FARmINGToN (IlI.), January 10, 1850.

incurred In making the trip here. | am
enjoying myself ever so much. The peo-
pie here are very genial, kind aud hospita-
seemingly cannot do enough for their
own personal friends, but also cannot do
enough for their neighbors and townsmen' 5
friends. Here, in fact, the guest of one
family is the guest of all, and all strive
and are uEtiring in their efforts to make
one comfortable and happy, and l must say
that they certainly succeed most admira-
bly,, for never had time pass more un-
noticeably and rapidly than since my ar
rival here, and you might say the same
rule would apply as to time ever since l
left Sacramento. The system OF
RAILWAY TRAVELLING
Has been reduced and brought to such a
degree of perfection that but few persons
while travelling nowadays realize the fact
that they are making a journey which a
few years ago would have been regarded as
a great undertaking, one requiring the sac
ritice of many of the comforts and enjoy
ments of life. Now the wants and COM
forts of the travelling community are so
carefully provided for and. supplied that
not only distance but also time Is to great
degree annihilated. The great revolution
brought about by the completion of the
Central Pacific and Union Pacific Rail
roads in the manner of "crossing the
plains is wonderful and at the same time
very gratifying to those who have had eX-
perlence of crossing the plains under the
old style--with oX-teams in the days OF
40. Then it was not unusual for noun
tains and peaks to remain In full view Tor
days and sometimes weeks, until the tedl-
GUS monotoAy of the scenery had shorn it
of all It's beauty and interest Now the
rapidity with which one scene follows an
other has tendency to present them in
manner which portrays to the view and
mind of the traveller their true beauty and
grandeur, and the superiority of natures
art over that of all human arts. Because
of these facts time is almost made CELEBRITY
itself, and before l was aware of 1t found
myself in
PENNINGTON, ILLINOIS,
My first stopping place. l arrived about
half-past six in the evening, when 1 saw
scenes altogether different from those
| had been used to witnessing While we
in California have almost every luxury in
the known world, and especially in the
way of cool things, from iced lemonades
to the frigidness of the cheek OF a conf
dence man or stock operator-synonymOus
terms-yet we do not have iced sidewalks
as they do here. The iced sidewalk is a
grand thing, and often the cause of many
ludlcrous scenes. and incidents, which
make many people happy, for you know it
is but human nature for some to feel happy
at the discOmtitures of others, when they
are not of too serious a character. The
iced sidewalk is one of the results of
NATURES art that is, man furnishes
the boards or brick for the foundation,
and nature the ice which is of very SUI
perior quality, usually from a quarter to
half an inch in thickness, and of very
hard, tiinty character, which makes it sus-
ceptible of receiving one of the most beau
tifully polished and smooth surfaces imag
Unable; French plateglass is not to be com
pared with it except as the opposite and
extreme of smoothness. In order to have
a tirst-class sidewalk of this kind it should
be raining with the thermometer about "a
above zero. The thermometer should then
gradually fall to about % above, when the
storm should cease, and then the Their
mometer should go down to about l6' be-
low Zero as it was at intervals the first
two days | was here. As l was about to
step out of the carriage which brought me
from the depot, | was somewhat surprised
to see two ladies who were passing near by
fall. They laughed, of course, got upon
their feet again, and, by the aid OF fence,
passed on their way rejoicing. As [ had
not vet been introduced to the new style
sidewalk, | knew nothing of its peculiar
characteristics, and consequently | was ig
norant as to the cause of the ladies falling,
and asked the driver what " such conduct
as those meant?" He informed me that
such cases were quite frequent, and
were caused from ice ON the side
walks, and at the same time admon-
ished me to be very careful or
| would meet with the same fate, and l
was careful and made my way into the
house all right The next morning /
started out on tour of inspection and in
vestigation, and found to my great surprise
and satisfaction that | could navigate the
iced sidewalks with about as much ease
and skill as any of the old residents. Only
once did l think l saw something of value
on the walk, and being of an acquiring
mind and disposition, felt impelled to get
down on my hands and knees in order to
give it a more thorough and critical exam
nation, which very soon resulted in prov
ing to my entire satisfaction that there was
nothing of value there that it was an op-
teal or some other kind of a delusion
I H. J,,,aI laon,,-al or,J 70
the
UNsUSPECTTSG VICTIM
OF misplaced confidence, or something else.
However, l soon regained my feet without
much difficulty, and went on my way re-
joicing, happy in the fact that it was not
any worse, and with the full determination
not to permit the same thing to occur again
if | could help it. Another popularity of
the iced walk is that, notwithstanding the
fact you may start with company for a
walk, you frequently find yourself left
aloue-unless you CONCEAL to (which is
caused either by the company or yourself
suddenly and without previous notice
or warning seemingly taking a notion
to slide-which is done in the latest inn
proved, most artistic and graceful style
for a distance of ten or fifteen feet in one
direction or another, and it is just as likely
TO be another as one. In order to be able
to navigate iced walks well and with entire
safety, one ought to be a tirst-class gym
nastic and acrobatic performer.
THE WEATHER
For the last two weeks has been very sim
liar to California weather during rainy
times. 1t has been damp and fOggy, rain
ing at times, with the thermometer rang
ing from 40 to 5S' above zero in fact il
has been fair sample of the most disagree
able weather we have, and l do not fee
satisfied with it, because, as | tell my
friends here, / did not travel 1000 miles
and over for the purpose OF experiencing
much bad and disagreeable weather, sucl
as we regard of the very worst character
in California. WHAT l want is cold wealth
er, so that | can test whether Californian
can stand it here with any satisfaction o.
no+ Tho idea entertained by most Cali