Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-11-13


railroad ride I have ever experienced; to
give my best but yet feeble expression of
the grandeur of the ride will turn to my
journal. The engine with the construction
train was standing upon rails which l had
seen laid that very morning, waiting foT
the days work to end and to carry the men
back to their camp, near Dunsmuir. In
front of the engine was placed caboose
car into which | climbed and standing at
the open door had the whole grand pan
Drama spread out before me.
BARS OF SUNLIGHT
From the west shot through the smoky air
between the trunks of the pines. whose
ribbed bark, covered with golden-green
moss, caught and held the little beams of
light among their broken branches. In the
near foreground lay one of these giants
faIlen-in length more than fifty PAGES
among the hazel bushes, seeming, with its
scaly bark, huge serpent, while several
breaks, which it had received in falling.
added to the resemblance by giving a sinu-
osity unnatural to it. Through clearing
in the forest, towering above the purple
evening color at its base, where the shad-
ows seemed each moment to grow darker
and reach higher up the canyons, showed
the mountain which biesses this love
Hest of regions with its benevolent
streams A whistle from the en-
CINE behind the caboose, and tie scene
has vanished, while | am pushed By
the invisible power out into space. High
above the white thread of water which
dashes among the rocks and ferns, above
the tops of frs and pines where a buzzard
is floating in the air beside ME, wondering
at this strange invasion of his kingdom,
with no sight Of the trestle which holds
me up, fly over the canyon and amid the
forest gloom again. Passing through the
shadows and changing green, where needle
covered floors give forth delicate aroma,
while here and there some tent village, all
astir with supper preparation, mlngles a
delicious though somewhat homely per
fume from frying-pans and kettles,
emerge upon the edge of deep canyon.
The train moves along the narrow shelf in
the sunlight, which still finds its way over
some low western hills; opposite is
WALL OF FABRICATED coLoRs,
Deep olives and chrome greens are blended
with woody brown and gray, forming a
background upon which are painted the
brilliant scarlets and yellows of deciduous
trees. The autumn foliage in these noun
tains is as fine in coloring as that of the
renowned Berkshire hills, and were it not
for the masses of Jagged powders and the
great hight of these srn-tipped peaks the
mind might easily wander away to the
banks of Green river, or the winding
Housatonic. Making turn and constantly
descending for about eight miles, the road
passing over a massive bridge of blue
stone, the piers of which are as
solid and time-defying as the mountains,
runs along the opposite side Of the canyon,
from which the precipice and the dizzy
shelf, where we were so short time ago, is
thrown into bold relief against the sky. l
would that | were able TO make you see
what l saw as l looked up from the log
choked river in the depth of the canyon,
but have not the power.
The sunshine disappears from the tops Of
the tallest trees which fringe the lodges, and
with wonderful rapidity darkness comes
on, the colors changing from pure to tints,
and then fading away. There is misti
ness in the air, which at first is visible only
as blue, filmy veil, but that, too, is soon
lost in the black night. There is touch
of frost in the air, which makes doubly
welcome the kind hospitality and warm
"haggis offered me beneath a friendly
roof at the end of the days journey.
a fitting close for day so full and over
flowing with pleasure was TO fall asleep
upon sweet clover bed in the white still
ness of tent, the only sound being the
constant murmuring of the river. So did
fall asleep with a heart full of praise to
Him that so often " He maketh me to lie
down in green pastures He leadeth me
beside the still waters He restoreth my
soul" CHAs. a. GUSNIsoN.