The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-11-05

chains in places, close up so near each 9th
er as to barely leave room for the railroad
to pass through. On our approach Of on,
Of these gorgeg named DIagoon Summit
a large herd of cattle had taken posses
sion of the place and chose to dispute thu
passage with us. This dense mass of beef
armed with their widespread horns, com
PEELED even our fiery monster to check W
and give them time to retreat. When they
begin to move they offered us every me
mace their instinct could muster by snort.
ing, kicking and jumping.
Other portions Of those wide extended
plains, that have been partitioned off by
cross-chain of ridge or mountain, show
one other signs of harm than the wither-
ing rays Of burning sun leave as the
| stunted mementos of arid soil. No foot.
prints of man or beast are often nowhere
to be seen on the smooth surface of barren
sand. Away from this we meet with
thousands of acres, spotted over with a
rush-like cactus, whose branches grow
both upward and downward from the mid
die, aad are SO. close and compact in the
centre as to resemble our common half
worn scrub brooms. Countless numbers
of other kinds may bevseen, some black as
| coal, others in clusters green as grass
itself. Other kinds grow as large as a
mans body, IL or IA feet high, where no.
thing else is to be seen. standing like huge
green posts firm in the burning sun, yet
holding out their short, stubby arms, as if
imploring sympathy, pity, and aid from
the heated sand and cinders that surround
Them
Fort Yuma, with 1900 inhabitants on The
north bank of Colorado river, is in some
respects an important place. The river
here is the boundary between Arizona and
California, and being only 140 feet above
sea level heat has been known to rise as
high as 40 Fahrenheit. The town is 1913
miles from st. Louis, and near the natural
boundary with Mexico. Rain seldom ever
falls here, and when it does the rainfall
does not exceed three inches year. A
few large we'll conducted hotels are the
chief buildings the remaining ones are
miserable looking habitations Of sun dried
brick. These are square, one story high,
with low, narrow doors, no windows to
the streets, and but small ones elsewhere,
the roof fiat, Of dirt or gravel. The low
narrow doors are shaded either with an
old soiled eanyasssor the branches of trees,
brown and .crisped by the burning sun.
The streets are more than one hundred
feet wide, covered with pure sand so hot
to wade across them. A look Of very few
minutes will satisfy one, and especially a
timid eastern man will soon repair to his
hotel. Papago Indians, of both sexes,
nearly or quite grown up and almost en-
tirely nude, may be seen passing from
street to street, and from place to place,
as if treading the retired paths Of savage
wildness. Are these things merely an in.
nocent nuisance or are they scandal? If
so, who is responsible for it, the authori-
ties of Fort Yuma or those of Mexico?
The s. p. r. r. enters California near
the southeast corner of the. State in San
Deigo county, near the. boundary with
Mexico. 1t cannot then be expected, from
| the dry and arid nature of the territories
| passed over, that California should sud-
denly put Oh garb Of beauty. The Col
orado desert stares you in the face soon
after you get over the bridge that spans
the river. 4 long range of sand hills on
the left, drifted high by the winds of ages,
so desolate and parched that vegetation is
a stranger. Beyond this yellow, hot,
scathed desert, the San Jacinto mountains
begin, and in the north the San Bernardo
no mountains rise high in the air. Between
these ranges of mountains is the nysteri.
Gus Coahuilla Valley, which is even lower
than the ocean itself. This being passed, the
country gradually rises till San Pergons
pass is reached in San Bernandino county
South of this pass, new and more inviting
scenes present themselves. At the towI
of Cotton, railway station near The
boundary line of Los Angeles county, VIZ
find ourselves $40 feet above sea level, an(
in land of fruits and flowers.
A rejecting man viii of course cas-
about him for something TO account FOL
this change Of things. On the north arr
the white crowned San Bernardino ant
San Gabriel ranges of mountains. These
effectually shelter the Southern counties
in that direction. The valleys incline gen
tly from level to the south, and are gen
orally in quality a sandy loan. This high
rich, sheltered region, being famed by TIT
gentle breezes Of the Pacific, loaded will
the fragrance of the land, brings abou
many of these pleasing things which ar
said of Southern California. The sam
things doubtless aid in making this part o
the State land of Orange groves ant
vineyards, of flowers and delicious fruits
Its calm and cool nights, bright skies, AM
mild, uniform winters, invite the inyali'
from afar with the pleasing assurance
returning health. Social perils being a
few in communities here as elsewhere il
other states, he feels secure. Crimes 0
violence are no more feared here than else
, where, as they are now of rare occurrence
!, That horse Of. idle, vicious men Of by.gon
days, many of whom were banished out
laws of other lands, are now dispersed an
affairs move on peacefully.
: The leading impression made upon tn
) of mind stranger by the country and tn
objects seen around him, is rather that Q
: the Oriental style of things. We com
across many things here that are more 0
, less named i'll the Bible, vineyards, win
| presses, olive trees, fig trees, irrigatin
land, kind gentle animals, bleating Q
| goats, deep wells of water, shade tree
along roads and streets, dry beds of river
} and brooks, neat cheap houses, gardens Q
, herbs, wise, judicious economy, rain
!, seasons. People seem to look with a
much anxiety for the coming Of rains, q
Jesus did for the earlier and later rain
5 The greater number of the streams whlc
figure in the irrigation of the countr.
a have their origin in springs in the canyon
of the high mountains and remain faitl
7 full during the year. The system of irr
g CATION is chiefly found to be based on rule
f where wisdom. justice and economy d
/ n Of ct