The daily gazette., 1881-06-29
Letter From California.

AZ
l. .arried here on, 18th May via Buffalo,
N. Y. thence BY Central Pacific q. R.
It would occupy too much space in
your valusble paper 10 depict the seem
cry and sights by the way. Suffice 1t
to say the trip Of seven days was de-
lghtful.
have visited sll places Of any note
within 100 miles Of Tho city including
santa Cruz, the Cape May Of the Pacific
Coast; went there by tho narrow guage
r. R., distance 85 miles. The country
and scenery along the route are grandly
picturesque stopped few moments At
FELTON, to see the "big tree grove" sever
al OF which measured from 10 to 20 feet
in circumference. The lumber from
these trees is OF . reddish color, and
termed redwood, generally used for
building purposes and the houses In
Ban Francisco are mainly Of It. pas
sed through six tunnels penetrating the
Santa Cruz mountainR, one OF which It
took six minutes by my watch TO pass
through. The lamps were lit and win
dows closed to keep out gas, dsmpness,
etc.
Santa Crua Is q growing town OF or
5000 inhabitants and many handsome
villas on the surrounding hills. For
bathing purposes the Beach 10 all that
could be desired, one long bold sweep
Of wide, gently sloping clean white sand,
the very perfection of bathing beach
and 20 safe that children may and do
bathe upon 1t with entire security. Whilst
there visited Methodist camp meet
Ing and half miles distant In . de
lightfully located spot, and heard some
unusually fine singing aud q very fair
sermon. The population Of San Fran
cisco 10 computsd at 250, 900 and will IN
the next decade be not less than 3O0,.
to see the street cars propelled without
horses or steam BY an invisible powsr--
wire cable insulated some IL or IA inches
under ground in middle Of the track
and cars 6lled with passengers ascending
and descending grades higher than any
In Wilmington with perfect ease, STOP
ping.at every cross street for passengers TO
embark or disembark. The cultivation
Of flowers is universal passion here the
rich and the poor indulging In their
luxuries according to their means and
their tases; and there is no State In the
union like California In this delightful
respect Almost every house not CONNER
cially used In San Frauclsco and other CAL
lfornia towns and cities, has Its garden and
the charming city of Los Angeles seems
one vast conservatory which fills the
air with fragrance from January to De-
cember. The building OF the Central
Pacific K. r., was indeed q matchless
achievement. On January 8, 1858, Gov
ornor Stanford turned up the first spade
full Of dirt al y .cramento, In the work of
constructing the western end or Central
facifc r. R., and on the 10 May 1860 hs
drove the last spike at PrOmontory, The
progress Of the road was slow at first the
company only building 20 miles In three
years; then In 1865, encountering unfor-
seen difficulties, and unexpected opposl-
tion 30 miles were built. In 1867 al
though snow and ridicule rlvalled each
other In the precipitation OF their ava
lanches upon the struggling civllizer 46
miles additional road were laid and The
summit OF the American Alps was pierc
ed, and during the last eleven months
Of the work $50 miles Of road were built,
over ten miles having been laid In one
day at rate a. fast as an OK team trav-
els. Thus was successfully terminated
the most colossal undertaking Of the are
and all along the route of this ms. ..niii- |
cent thoroughfare In ten years after the
driving of that silver spike into the back
bone Of the American desert, have grown
up cities and towns, and villages, a.
we'll in the numerous mountain heights
as in tho desert wastes, all which /
have seen filling the far West with an
enterprising population, carrying with
1t the wealth, the arts and refinements
Of the highest order of civilization.
Since the completion of the Central
Pacific r. R., the population Of Cali
fOrnia has increased an near az can be
computed not less than 800, 900 souls.
To contribute to this result during the
period of ten years, the road has
brought into the State in addition to
its first class travel, emigrants TO the
number Of 179, 1000. Estimates from
the passenger department of the g, p.
r. R., show that for tho ten years
ending December, 1870, the passenger
eAAONonAohb W A0AA 0ObWOOM buS 0tt18t 1
and California amounted to o26, 420. |
at an average of 500 currency. This
passenger travel IL made at the old
rates charged by steamer or stage be.
fore the completion Of the railroad, |
am told, would have cost In its move.
ment $50, 240. 900 more than 1t actually |
has cost, and from the freight depart.
ment for the same period, calculations |
showing tonnage and cost Of moves
ment which would have been, apply |
ing the schedule rates in force at the
time of and previous to the compile
tion Of the railroad, saving is shown
of sc, 300, 340, an aggregate saving
wholly due to the existence and suc-
cessful working of the Central Pacific
r. r. of over one hundred and fifty
millions Of dollars for transportation Of |
freight and passengers alone. BY the
old wsarisome, vexstious and danger
GUS route by sea aad by stage 1t took
from 8 to 4 weeks from New York
to San Francisco. and cost from $3.50
to $40O, now the trip is safely made In
seven days between the two places in
palatial equipages at rates only little |
more than half of those presented |
above. A striking fact 10 that oat Of |
the 026, 428 men, women and children |
carried over the O. P. X. r. as passen.
gers since its completion less
thsSn - Ill