Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1885-02-21
,hY FEBRUARY ~. iaas
SATURDAY
raea,ion Note. m

Vacation NOTES. ~
In response Ia eoqui,ic, relative to olscrya
ton. made during MY wish 20 ihr southern pan
Of California. I defer the account OF nv north
cm tour ull later Ia the SERIES
Probably few Press readers would catc to
wade though , detailed account ot the mono
tooous ride Of twenty three hours by rail, from
san francisco to Los Angeles, a distance Of
4ss miles and yet there were incidents that
Lent Interest and humor even to o dyspcpuc
Our train lch Oakland atA p ", and in all
the length Vi tho tip learned there were but
two stopping places iot meals, OF about twenty
minutes each. AT tho first, Lalhup, the train
stopped abou, eight O'Clock for dinner amid
an immense eleusf Of gong, and bells, and
shouiingS by runners lor rival hotels, with
flaming torches aud half rates proclaimed from
the house across the street to attract tho hungry
theatre. The next comieal experience was at
midnight as the train stopped at Fresno where
Flooding Chinese grape peddler entered the
cars aud proclaimed the good qualities Of his
produc, a. "hne gape, heap sweet Now |
had heard OF fruit being golden in the morn.
ing. silver at noon and lead at night" but
here was variation that rendered II cheap
sweet" at midnight.
Before daylight we reached the celebrated
Tchachapi Pass, made memorable by the .erri.
BILE aeeidcn, a year or two ago, when run.
away train dashed down the steep incline. nor
stayed its course till destruction wrought
misery and death to many helpless mortals
Just as the gray streaks OF light heralded
smother day we reached the summit station
and then began the descent among net work
OF mountain tops where the road formed
loop, crossing itself in so short distance as 10
evoke wondcment at the engineering skill dis.
played In its construction. At this elevation
storm Of few days previous had covered
everything with mantle OF snow. As the sun
rose and shed its glisenng rays on the snow.
clad branches OF trees and hill aides, OF ren.
dcrcd the iccles more transparent as we sped
past them, we were treated to sight more
glorious than any pen picture can portray
Natures frozen tears deeked caves, fence rails
and leafcss branches most literally, while the
telegraph lines looked like so many wires Of
glass. The air was crisp and bracing and
rendered individual motion so much necessity
that ON short stoppage OF the train number
INDUCED their snow balling propensities quite
freely.
AT about Q o'clock, a. ~, We reached the
Mohave station, where stoppage for breakfast
was announced Mohavc is place that has
striven against fate for an existence, having twice
been burned to the ground within a short time.
Its las, fire, occasionei by freight car ex.
plosion, took station. hotels, aud business
places and left but few habitatous to shelter
the unfortuna,es till they could rebuild l
noticed one hotel being pushed forward
rapidly while arough board shed supplied us
with temporary dining room few cars,
aside the track, served as ticket office and
depot for the railroad business done at this
point. On the return trip found the frame
work OF a large structure for the station already
up, but the day following |, was levelled to the
ground by a "bli1.ard" not uncommon to this
section OF country. This is the point where the
new southern line by way Of the Needles joins
with the S. p. r. X. Mohave promises to b. ar
importan, station, but it has the unfortunate dis
advantage tina, everything required has to be
brought TO it,
Continuing our journey we passed through !
long stretch Of level, sandy county, but barer
Of all vegetation save stun,ed cactus, though
quite variety of that lhirs,less and spine
armored plant was 10 be seen. This was The
famous Mohave Desert, Beyond this we came
into another mountainous section in which
were number of charming locations that wer'
gathering settlers from various parts OF tn
country, who were entering enthusiastically
into the development Of their new homes, tina
in time would prove important suppliers o.
freigh, to the railroad that doubtless induced
them ,hi,her.
Ere reaching Los Angeles. we passed through
the Santa Clara Valley, or creek rather, for il
realty the road ran along the bed OF this ereel
till the winter OF 1888, when freshets caused 81
many wash-outs as 10 damage the roai and de
lay trains that cos, the railroad company owe
a million dollars to repair. The new roa
through this section is now carried along an
side Of the creek. at good height, and havin
, several substantial iron bridges with solid con
crete abutments which make il now the bes
constructed section Of railroad in the state.
Al the end Of this stretch of road we pas
through the San Fernando tunnel, the longes
on the line, and emerge a, a s,rikingly pic
turesque bend on the ives, OF ocean side Of tn
San Fernando range. near the proposed Tu
junga park. some tweniy.six miles north Of Lo
Angeles. From III point into the city ar
slmos, continuous evidences OF cultivation {
grain, fruit trees or vines, and as the city is az
preached We run along for some distance an
cross over the fine stream tina, supplies no, onl
the needs Of the city, but Of the adjacent fru
farms below
The train reached Los Angeles station .
s'Sop ,. NJ, and notwithstanding the din {
rival runners with free coach" Inducements /
the ST. Elmo, St. Charles, Grand Contra
Cosmopolitan OF United States Hotels, OF Pic
House, | leisurely viewed the surroundings /
satisfy myself as to the extent Of an agreeahl
disappointment. had pictured tbs "eigy Of III
angels" as located in level stretch Of count.
similar TO San Jose, ha, found instead that
had rolling hills on two sides-to the norI
and wesi---,na, relieved it materially, viii
fifteen miles to the northeast ran the Sieu
Madre and Santa Ana range Of mountains, an
abou, the same distance west the Pacific ocea
washed It's shore. This then Is one Of d
secrets Of the repated excellence OF Il