Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-09-20

the Eugene Mts.. range of the Sierra Ne
vada. I secured several specimens of Alpine
plants and returned quite pleased with my
climb. Although the day was hot. it was
uncomfortabIy cool on the peak. the wind
having piercing quality. The outlook was
grand, extending over miles of plain and
| hundreds of mountain peaks, while at the foot
of one peak lay the pretty village, looking
! like the toy villages with which children play.
and at one side a considerable stream with
half dozen channels, cutting the green belt
which it watered, into numerous graceful
shapes At the station we saw several In
dams, both men and women, and. best OF all,
two pappooses strapped 10 their mother
| backs There was something bright and
winning in the little brown faces which peered
out at US with their bead like eyes. aHd the
mothers seemed as pleased as white mothers
would at the admiration bestowed upon
their babies In the afternoon the scenery
was not very interesting. but by this time all
| in the car were quite well acquainted, so we
passed the time very pleasantly in converse
ton and singing much as a company OF ac-
quaintances at home might do.
HumbOlt j. a very pretty station, where the
| best water on the line is found. There is
little park at the station, with a fountain in
the center, and the whole place with its trees
and green enclosures was pleasing contrast
to the waste plain we had been travelling
| across From this time until sunset we rode
along with the West Humboldt Range on our
left, and a very noticeable thing in regard to
the mountains is that the Sierras, although
not so high as the Rockies, have much more
snow upon their peaks.
The next morning we stopped for breakfast
at Reno, very bustling place, somewhat
larger than any of the stations we passed the
day before Soon after leaving Reno we be-
gan to ascend some pretty steep grades. and
three or four of the active ones of our party
myself included) assembled freight car to
enjoy the scenery, for at that time we were
passing up a canon not so grand and rugged
as those we had passed through in the Rock
les. but more picturesque, the sides being
clothed with tall pines and red woods and in
places sparkling cascades of water on the
mountain side. LAUNDERING camps and mills
began to appear. and in one place we saw
shoot for logs, where great tree trunks were
sent crashing down from the brow of the hill.
five hundred feet above us. We could see the
logs, looking about the size of yard sticks at
the start, gradually gather velocity until at
last they plunged into the river with great
splash, sending the spray twenty or thirty
feet into the air.
At Truckee we began to ascend IN Garment,
with three engines to draw us. Then for
thirteen miles or more we went up, up, up,
until we could STE the snow against the sides
of the sheds far below US But such glimpses
as we could get of the scenery were only
tantalizing, as the snow sheds shut
out the view before we had hardly
grasped it. Through AZ miles of continuous
snow-sheds did we ride that afternoon, until
was tired and sick of them and never wished
to see another At the best points of view.
though, windows had been cut so we got
some lovely views, especially of Davner
Lake, which lies in the very heart of the
mountains.
Round and round we went, ascending with
every curve, but still with that bit of deep
blue far below us, framed in hills, right in
sight. We stopped half an hour at the sum-
nit, about the middle of the sheds, and l
found flowers growing profusely just outside.
Blue larkspurs were very abundant and the
handsomest mint ever saw. Another flower
which interested me greatly was yellow,
which grows on large stalks, perhaps 10 on a
stalk. The flower itself somewhat resem-
bled the pond lily; though the petals were
yellow, the stamens showed graduation eX-
actly like those of the lily. giving the centre
of the flower quite resemblance to our ia.
vorte. Another flower which looked much
like what we call bachelors button, proved
on examination to be mint most delicate
and fragrant; this flower was so thick in
places as to hide the ground from sight.
After passing the summit, which is some
1000 feet high, we began to slide down rapid
", and after we emerged from the sheds it
was great fun. We got to going fast that
several times they were forced to set all the
brakes. We passed several mining towns in
our rapid slide and in one place saw the hy
draulic process in operation. Pipes 10 or II
inches in diameter, carried the water from
| far up in the mountains down to places where
it was to be used, and the stream from the
nozzle had such force as to slice cliffs
away as if they were made of sugar. The
country in that vicinity, where mining of this
kind had been carried on, was all torn up
and left lying waste. As we went farther
down the mountains the track ran along the
edge of high precpices, and made wonderful
curves. We could only see the engines once
IN a while. and once it seemed as if they
were trying to catch the last car, like cat
chasing her tail. The climax was reached
when we passed around Cape Horn, a cliff
where the track makes short turn on the
edge of a precipice, where one can look
down almost straight, seven or eight hundred
feet. We passed this point just before reach
ing Colfax. When we reached there, as l
had twenty-five minutes to spare. started to
hunt up Will Perkins formerly of Augusta).
was lucky enough to meet both Will and
Jennie before had gone a hundred yards
They had manv questions to ask about Au-
gusta people. Jennie, who was little girl
when she left A, 10 now a young lady
and very pretty.
Morning found US few miles from BENZ
cha, where we could look out through the
golden gate. E. C.s