News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-07-20
California Letter.
NILES, Alameda Co. Cal.
Inlu 10Th 1890
Editors Ne.os &c Citizen

NILES, Alameda Co. CAL,
July 10th, 1882.
Editors Ne,cs &c Citizen:
As it may be interesting to some to
read my experience in making a trip
from Vermont to California, would
say left Waterbury, Vt, June 18th,
at 4.30, p. M, and arrived at Council
Bluffs, June 18th, at 1920, a. IN.
During this time the passengers got
very tired, as the most of them were
riding ON second-class tickets, and
they do not allow sleeping-cars to
those travellers. From Waterbury to
Council Bluffs is a distance of 1900
miles, made over rough road, and
the most of the way in hard-riding
cars. They were supposed to be first
class cars, but were no easier than the
emigrant cars that we rode in after
leaving Council Bluffs.
The Grand Trunk, which extends
from Montreal to Chicago Q0O0
miles) is, l think, the poorest road
l ever saw. | do not think the coun-
try is very attractive through Canada.
There is great deal of standing wa
ter through that part of the country,
and one would judge it to be an I'M
healthy place. From Chicago to
Council Bluffs $500 miles,, IS very
good road, and the scenery is very
fine; beautiful farming country.
The eastern part Of Illinois is the best
and most attractive of any portion Of
land that | saw on my journey. The
western part is a poorer quality of
soil, and rolling. | can not say much
of Iowa; we crossed large portion
of that State in the night. Nebraska
and the eastern part of Wyoming is
pretty good grazing land, but it is
poor-looking land as compared with
the State of Illinois, and the land
which L have seen here in California.
The western part of Wyoming and
Utah, and a part of Nevada, | pro-
nounce (what L saw of it as | rode
through, nearly worthless. For hun
dreds of miles there is nothing to be
seen except little sage-brdsh, and
some of that did not grow more than
three inches high. l saw hundreds of
acres that did not have green thing
growing upon it; nothing but COM
plete bed of sand. Before reaching
the Sierra Nevada mountains, a little
grass made its appearance, also once
in while tree could be seen.
We arrived at the summit at day break,
Thursday, June 22d. There we found
snow and ice. We also found our
selves in snow-shed 40 miles
long, and it took us about three hours
to run through it. 1t is not very dark
riding through this snow-shed, as there
are cracks that let in a little light.
On this mountain we saw very hand
some timber, and before noon we got
down where the miners had been min
ing, and before night We came in
sight of some good farming land, and
the next morning we were landed in
San Francisco.
/ will now give you description of
the emigrant cars that we rode in from
Omaha to San Francisco, a distance
of nearly two thousand miles. The
cars have an outside appearance of
being second-class. The seats are
put in just the same as first-class
cars, excepting two seats face each
other, bringing four persons face to
face, and SO on through the car. This
is done to give chance to make beds
in the seats. Just above the seats,
and high enough to clear a persons
head when they are seated, is a rack
hung on hinges that can be let down
far enough to give room for the pas
sengers to spread down their blankets
and have comfortable place for two
to sleep, two on the rack and two in
the seats as they are drawn OUT
Thus the four that would occupy the
MOI night YOU nT have Ssf no 5- Blanket to lie
upon, you can have the privilege of
lying on the bare cleats. Some bought
cushions at Council Bluffs. They were
made of calico sacks stuffed with shay
ings, about large enough for a Car
seat, fifty cents each. Some bought
blankets which they had for sale, at
from two to fifteen dollars per pair.
| bought pair for seven dollars that
did very good service, as | used them
for cushions by day, and a bed by
night, and when L arrived in Califor-
MIA, found | was just in style with
my blankets, as the most of the work
ing people are supposed to furnish
their own blankets, and half of the
time sleep out of doors. That is
mining style. But there is not sign
of cushions in the emigrant cars I'M
less the passengers furnish them. The
seat and back are fastened together
with hinges and move backward and
forward in slot In the frame of the
seat, and when drawn out the back
comes down on level with the seat.
" hen both seats are down they make
connection, and that makes a COM
Portable place to rest.
| am in San Jose valley, beautiful
valley of about fifty miles long by
twenty wide, where the soil is very
nice, and where nearly all kinds of
fruit are cultivated. Grapes are rails
ed here extensively. Large fields of
barley and wheat are being harvested
noao in this locality. The climate is
delightful, the atmosphere is very
light and pure, and about ten O'clock
we get the sea breeze that blows gen
tly until about four o'clock, p. N. L
find it but 2 little warmer here
than in Vermont, but it is not as warm
as it is some seasons.
l think the society in Vermont is
preferable to what they have here. as
a large portion of the inhabitants in |
the San Jose valley are foreigners of
all kinds. The Chinaman will eat
what Vermont hogs would stand and
squeal over, and others here are near
~ as bad.
CHARLES DOUGLAS.
Senator Edmund's daughter. Julia.