The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-08-05
Brief Sketch of the Country
Between San Francisco
AID Benson.
An Account and Description
of the Wreck Of 1888, and
How it Occurred.
An Interesting Letter From Mr.. ].
81. Bonnell in Regard to His
Western Trip.

you would hear from me again. | will
now try and give you a few more points In
regard to my western trip.
left San Francisco, July 22nd and
crossed the bay to Oakland. | left Oak
land at o'clock over the Central Pacific
and crossed the bay on the steamer Pied
mont, one Of the largest transfer steamers
IN the world. The ride across occupied %
minutes. 1t is very hay over the bay,
although the weather is pleasant 1t may
be the reverse to morrow, as an earthquake
rs liable TO occur at any moment, so change
able is the temperature.
While waiting for my train there was
four trains OF eight coaches each pulled
out OF the depot on one track. Every
coach was crowded with passengers tor
Oakland, who do business in San Francisco.
July 23.-The first town We came TO to-
day, was Lathrop-a few miles from Lath-
rop is the
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER,
which is a conside rable stream, with draw
bridge. The country adjacent is nearly
all under water. l suppose it must be
back water. Still the soil is good and the
country fine.
Lathrop is a railroad junction. From
here road runs TO Sacramento and Vale
10. Lathrop is only junction, but it is
splendid location for city, and L don't
see why it would not be a good trading
point as it is 81 miles from the city.
Ripon is town 104 miles from San
Francisco. We met three trains here, two
of them passenger trains.
Modesto is quite large place. Substan-
tiaI hotels, houses, a brewery and such.
The country surrounding is magnificent
and ii is a
SPLENDID TRADING POINT.
All of these towns have large ware
houses. You can see nothing but wheat
as far west as the eye can reach. Thou
sands upon thousands of acres. The best
wheat have seen in the state is III Stains
lans county. The =. neral resources ere
excellent.
A short time afttr We lesS' nsthrop the
snow-topped Sierra Nevada's can be seen.
There is plenty of snow on them yet.
I arrived at MERGED, in MERGED county.
The Ell Caption is a splendid building.
Ii is depot, hotel, eating house, telegraph
Office, all combined. 1t is the best house /
have seen since leaving the city.
The town of MERGED is splendid town
5000 inhabitants and is the county seat of
Merced county. 1t has a beautiful court
house. The wheat is good and stretches
out as far as the eye can see. The only
trees here
ARE ORNAMENTAL,
having been planted by the citizens. 1t is
q town in the open plains.
Going through the San Joaquin valley
is splendid climate but quite hot. There
is breeze always stirring from the coast and
Sierra Nevada mountains, which can be
plainly seen from MERGED.
ALI at once We jump into country that
would puzzle one to tell what it is good
Tor. You can see nothing but gopher hills,
and am sure they are good for nothing.
A peculiar species of weeds might be ex-
cepted saw one tract of land fenced in.
There were several thousand acres and
suppose it was for a stock ranch. There is
fine breeze here from the mountains, but |
the sun is awful hot. We are getting near |
the mountains, and are about thirty miles
from the snow caps. This little station is |
named Berenda, Fresno county. The
THE STREAMS ARE ALL DRIED
mp in this part of the country. There is a
proposed railroad from Berenda to the |
Yosemite valley. / think the people down |
mere live off the people above. / don't see
anything growing down here or any stock |
either. ALI this country has to be irrigated |
or nothing will grow. Artesian wells are
the only means of irrigating, or they resort |
TO great expense to bring the water from
the mountains. The foot hills are about |
twenty-six miles distant.
We stop al MADEIRA. This is the stage
station to the Yosemite valley and big tree
district, about ninety miles distant.
The country looks better here. At MADEIRA
Is located very large planning mill, with
an extensive lumber yard. / see some fine
corn here MADEIRA is good little town of
about 800 or 400 people. / see fine
young orchard. We are now in the coun-
try where coffee can be raised. MADEIRA is
building up with good houses, frame. A
short distance south / see them construct.
ing a canal, and boring artesiau wells
There seem to be good many Catholics
around here.
Arrived at Borden, another small station.
However, all this part of the country has
20 be irrigated. See wheat, alfalfa, and
more fruit trees, and several fields of sugar
cane. 1t does not grow tall like it does in
the East. The average here is six or eight
feet. They do not plant It in rows.
BUT SOW IT BROADCAST.
This is a splendid climate here but is rath-
er warm in the middle of the day. Just be.
fore we get to Sycamore we cross the San
Joaquin river for the lasti time. 1t is now
only q short distance to the mountains.
There are some very high trestle works
here. The river is good sized and the
WATER CLEAR AND COLD.
After we leave Sycamore the ground is
not so good again. This country is very
spotted. One peculiarly of this country
is the fact that there is no dust here. You
do not ger your clothes soiled and il looks
"a though it has not rained since the cres-
ton of the country. 1t is owing to the
peculiar sand and species of small weeds
which grow. From Sycamore to Fresno
the land is not 30 good on account Of the