Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1885-12-31
FROM CALIFORNIA.


o my promise to give you sKetcn y
# our trip to California will, after
ome delay, give you statement
somewhat condensed from the orig
nal notes taken down from day to
lay. Leaving Benton City October
23, via the Wabash railroad, we ar 7
rived at Kansas City at 8 p. m. the s
same night, stopping over till 10 7
o'clock Saturday morning. Taking /
en- emigrant sleeping car with four or .
FIVE families comfortably provided
with seated apartments convertible
into berths for sleeping, we arrived
at Denver Sunday morning at seven
o'clock. On learning we would re-
main in Denver until 1:2O p. m.,
concluded to perambulate little and
taking a street car leading to North
Denver and Highland Park / rode
to the termini of the road to the lat
ter place. where l had a fine view Of
some of the highest peaks in the
Rocky range, among which Gray's
Peak, one of the highest, through |!
which or under which tunnel is now
being driven through this mountain
range, a distance of five miles, which
when completed will open the way
for railroad direct from Denver to
Ogden, and thereby shorten the dis
lance between those two cities and
the Pacific coast by several hours of
travel. During my walk I called on
Mr. A S. Whitaker at his residence
in North Denver, being president Of
the Atlantic Pacific railroad tunnel
Co. mentioned above, whom found
to be gentleman possessed of ener-
gy and perseverance; expressed in a
very conflicting manner that the tun-
mel would surely be driven through
liz good time, cutting rich veins of ore
that would prove good investment
to it's stockholders.
After enjoying a view of Pixies
: Peak, 81 miles distant, l returned to
the depot in time for the starting OF
our train for Cheyenne, where we ar,
rived at $50; stopping here one
2 hour where three more emigrant anG
: as many passenger cars are ready
and connected with our train, al
b we'll filled with passengers. Leaving
l. Cheyenne at Z p. M, passing 10 o
C II stations through the night, run
e ming northwest 100 miles then Yves
d $50 miles brings US to Rawlings
e where railroad shops are established
n Here the train was detained thre
II hours to have bridge repaired te
miles west of that place that wa
burned the night previous. Leavln
~ Rawlings at II ~, (with cold raj
), storm ard west wind and thermom'
20 ter at 4O,) this in Wyoming Terrific
y ry (about the latitude of Chicago
we arrive at Ogden about IL o'cloe
h p. m; here change cars and stal
AS about 1890 for Sacramento, Califo
u MIA, distant about 500 miles. "
10 pass near the great Salt Lake. Rock
- hills, deep gulches and other MAZE
ne tic views with only moonlight glim
as ses, at night, when by 8 O'Clock Tue
of day morning, all having partaken
y, the morning repast, find our ira
os halting at Tecoma, small town
of Nevada, where, with powerful e
tel CINE, we commence climbing hi
.th after hills by circuitous winding
.e with lofty mountains in sight f
.. westward. We continued til
ur ascent until 10 O'Clock brings US
90 apparently near the highest elevate
9o; with the snow peak now in vie
a3 a9 where we halt five minutes, perha
10 to rest the engine, then proceed
ell grade or miles farther and arri
nth at Wells, the highest level base
e'' the snow top range, apparently ne
@ of but perhaps ten miles south OF Wei
aid Stopping half hour at this der
Au- we see several Chinese and India
Au of the Shaw-Shaw tribe, perambul
OF ing about the grounds. Passl
~ Halleck at II M, weather warm a
, of excessive dry, we approach the All
and line plains, destitute of vegetati
re. with the exception of a small we
,ihe vi known as the wild sage. Here
~ about 100 miles travel a thick d
of rises on the track equal to the thi
din est fog, finding its way in all the C
rendering this part of our jour
,on, c, very uncomfortable. Passing thro'
mr., the western part of Nevada and
Sierra Nevada Range, during I,
day night, we missed seeing m
aso' interesting views we would other'
'eis, have enjoyed, but by 6 o'cl
'sso Wednesday morning we arrived
och- Colfax, i1s California, some so Il
ne- east of Sacramento, and the app
ldig o,oo of tho conntrv Grew bet,er
scIy better as we moved westward till
Ai" irving at Sacramento at 8 oc
'"" Wednesday morning, waiting
Ii VI hours for the northern railroad Il
nave taking us to Williams, and t
0 'he there by stage II miles to Co
'h's the county seat of Co!usa cou
hos' our place of destination.
49, With this tedious description
close by saying l am well pie
with what [ have seen OF this pa
the Sacramento Valley and the
n the mate is delightful. All vegets
'he has the appearance similar to 81
l