Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-25
THE EVENING STAR.
FROM THE PACIFIC SLOPE.



ABOUT THE CHISAMAN-FRUITs, VEGETABLES,
FLOWERS AND POLITICS
Correspondence Of The START
SAN FRANCISCO July15, 1881.
On the Fourth Of July we started for the Pa
cine eoast-my son and myself. There was
pail, as OF midnight darkness, hanging over the
nation As we sped westward, all along the line
OF travel, there We're anxious hearts, hushed and
eager questionings, sogrow-worn countenances,
and illy-concealed anathemas against the perpe-
traitor OF so atrociOus a crime as that which sent
a thrill OF agony through the national heart.
There was funereal sadness apparent every
where The poets thought was verified in our
country's organic life:
Break but one
VI Thousand keys. and the paining jar
through all viii run
President Garfield, in this mighty affection,
ton, and the fragrance of the ointment has been
scattered ABROAD. He has been anointed with
the prayers and tears ofra united people for his
recovery and return to his great work.
we whlsked along. in that triumphant device
OF luxurious ease. the palace car. with brace of
travelling companions that would have trans
formed desert into an oasis. Our party was
made up OF Hon. T. G. Pound, Congressman from
Wisconsin; Rev. DR.. Hemphill, delegate to the
general assembly, and Rev. DR.. Briggs, the last
all over with glory, with his. quntette Of calls
from prominent churches in the east. The towns
IaVel out into the vast praiIies of the west, and
Lhflfty-iooklng homes, with rich and productive
Iarhls are on every side. And, now, we sweep
ahead into the boundless monOtony of prairie.
Prairie to the right of us. to the left of us. in
Hront OF us, behind us-n0th;ng but prairie! We
pass Onaha-the news is still dubious from the
wounded President. Prayers go up and hope Still
cilngs to faith. We climb the heavy mountain
range. vast coverings lodges OF WaterwOrD.
lchen-covered rock stand out, bold and defiant
against the sky. AT Sherman we are 5000 feet
ABOVE the leyeAof the sea, and yet we seem to
DE scuddlnS over the plains on the top of the
mountain.
THE LAST TIE.
Promontory Point. immortalized as the spot
where the Union and the Pacific struck hands
laid their last tie and drove their last spike.
That spike has been scattered over the country
in the shape of some five thousand mementoes it
is ayerred, and yet it still survives. Like she
widows cruise, it is inexhaustible.s am not in
dehted to my memory for wit in this matter nor
to my Imagination for facts. Carlin-and such
magnificent scenery. Neither pen nor pencil
could do justice to such majestic beauty. Just
as far as the eye can reach, snOw-tipped noun
talns rear their lofty, glittering heads, defiant
alike of sunshine and of storm. Grand old pa
triarchs are they, with all their numerous pro-
geny of children, grandchildren and great--rand-
Children following hard after them until the
proud old mOnarchs of mountains melt away
into nfantile, grass-cOyered hillOcks. and finally
spread themselves out into yelvety lawns. rem
dolent of perfume and flowers, and musical with
the voices OF dancing brooks from the mountain
born. that go chrirruping in their gambOlS at cur
very feet. But now we come to the creme de la
creme OF the journey, as the tugging, snorting
engines pull us steadily up the grand and ma
jestic Sierra Nevada range Sublimity and gran
deur on every side! We creep, cat-like and eau
tious. over tremendous tresselings and mammoth
bridges, that bear US midway between. earth and
sky We go crawling around Cape HofI-a bold.
ugly. ragged Cliff that juts out in sullcn gran
deur. and seems to compel reverence by turning
us back again to the other side, to the exact
point from which We started. Bonner lake lies
like huge serpent on the mountains crest, A
tragedy that resulted in the death of nearly the
whole OF large family bearing the name of Don
ner renders this lake historic. They were over
taken by mountain storm and pelished
A CITY OF HILLS
San Francisco is not city set upon hill, but
a city made up of hills All the streets seem to
charge up hill. There is nothing of the proyin-
cial town about San Francisco All is hustle,
activity. driving. pushing, dashng life.
Strangers receive cordial welcome. New
corners are regarded with favor. 1t is essenti-
ally cosmopolitan city, and to be cosmopoli-
tan is to be generous. The Palace Hotel at
~ -
world in miniature. 1t is grand monument
to William RalstOn, whose memory will ever
remain green in the hearts of the people of San
Francisco. Open-handed hospitality is a con-
ssplcuous virtue in these parts. There seems to
be no counterfeit about it. 1t is of the genuine
order. 1t is a capital thing to have in the house
this Open-handed hospitality. 1t has q hint of
better things about it,
THE CABLE ROADS.
To me the cable roads are one of the most in
teresting features of the city. They go charging
up the tremendous hills, like things of life and
with far less effort. One keeps wondering ho,c
they go. sympathize with the amazement of
the bewdered Chinaman who rode on one of
these street cars for the first time Hisface was
alive with establishment. He peered out of one
end of the car and then the other He looked
this side and that side. He turned an exploring
gaze on the conductor. He seemed ready to
burst with compressed wonder In his utter
bewilderment he finally broke out in the follow
ing exhaustive announcements: 'NO hOssee no
pullee no pushee-go like -!' ETC. That
Chinaman will never rest till he invents cable
road for the Celestial Empire.
STROLL THROUGH CHINATOWN
Chaperoned by Rev. A. W. Looms, DID,, the
hOnored missionary of the Presbyterian board,
who has devoted lifetime to the Chinese, we
explored the inner depths of Chinatown. We
saw all sorts of homes. We cav the typical
Christian home in the very heart of the Chinese
quarter. There is very interesting school car
ried ON for Chinese children in the old Globe
Hotel, on the corner of Jackson and Dupont
streets This school has been in operation eleven
years, and several of the second generation are
now pupils in the school, The children seem
bright eager, patient facile, obedient, industri-
Gus. They speak English well. They write ad-
mirably They are up to the average American
child in the ordinary branches of primary Eng
lish education. They are well instructed religi-
ously They seem to have an intelligent idea of
God and of goodness. They sing their songs
with great fervor, but their tones are not of Sc
raphic sweetness. They make up in ardor what
they lack in harmony. This is the very best
method of getting at the Chinese. The hone of
the world lies in the children Of any nation.
THE CHINESE CONSULATE.
We visited the Chinese Consulate. Col. Bee
the American Consul, is man of great suavity.
and kindness of manner, and proffered us
every courtesy. Although the DAYS of
mourning for the Empress are not vet ended.
we were privileged an introduction to the Chi
nese Consul General, very dignified and
genial man, and a member of the First Presby-
terrain Church of San Francisco. Onleaming we
were from Washington, his first INQUIRIES were
concerning the President and he proffered us
the Bulletin, Extra, in Chinese, which is published
every day and scattered broadcast through the
~%n vyin fill