Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-05-03
TRIP TO CALIFORNIA.

state Feb. I'd, when its hills and val
leys were clad in snowy white, and
the mercury down among the twen-
ties. What grand day to leave in
the memory of one who was born
and reared in the old "Green Noun
tain State -
[ arrived at Greenfield, Mass, at
p. M, where l joined party from
Boston and vicinity. The route took
I think has not been travelled very
much by eastern people, or at least,
a portion of it. 1t is called the
"Crescent" route to n. Orleans, and
the ssSunset" from there on. We
left Greenfield at 40 on the ''Hoo-
sic Tunnel route. All this part of
the country is too we'll known in the
minds of the readers of the MONITOR
to make description necessary.
: So we will pass on until we reach
CHM, Ohio. Here we arrived the
third day at Z a. M, took a good
warm breakfast, and moved on. For
miles beyond here corn stood in the
stocks all over the fields. We soon
passed into Kentucky. When Ver-
monters talk about mountains, just
take ride over this route through
Kentucky. First, the mountains are
almost as high as the eye can reach,
and in a moment you glance around
and behold very deep ravines, and
so on until you are tired of being
shaken about. A little farther on
| the country is all covered over with
trees, mostly dead. The states of
Kentucky and Tennessee were cover
ed with snow foot deep. and cat
tie were standing out all through
here, and nothing visible could be
seen for them to eat. Log huts
were about all the shanties on the
route. The first sign of any build
ing that looked like a church after
leaving Cincinnati, was at Rockland,
Tenn, and after that there were
small settlements scattered through
the rest of the state. We pass thro'
twenty-seven tunnels in going from
CHM, Ohio, to Chattanooga, Tenn,
the longest being about two miles.
When we awoke ON the 5th. we found
ourselves in the southern part of AL
ALBANIA, and no snow to be seen.
Sorgum, cane and cotton plantations
are all along the line. We passed
into the state of Mississippi at noon.
Pine forests abound here for long
distances. The soil is very red,
called red clay, and looks like brick
dust. The rivers are all very roiley,
and look like the small streams of
Vermont after a heavy rain. Hogs,
cattle and sheep are running wild all
through the forests, and very many
of the trees are cut around the foot
and left to stand and die, and after
falling down are burnt, and that
is the way they get clearing for a
log hut.
We arrived in New Orleans at s
p. M, went to hotel, and after
some difficulty managed to find a
place where we secured tea, and LAID
ourselves away for the night. One
only needs to step out and look over
a few of the streets of n. Orleans,
to learn why malaria and yellow fe-
yer are so prevalent in that city.
Sewers on the main streets are run
nlng along between the walks and
streets, and in many places the wa
ter stands dead. Streets are either
paved with rock OF left muddy. |
visited the Exposition in the after
noon and took a passing glance over
thousandth part of what there was
to be seen. One can certainly spend
a week very proftably at this Ex-
position. l must speak of one thing
| saw, viz: three live alligators
eight feet long, all roped up in every
visible form, lying on the ground.
was told that they were alive, and as
the old man stepped aside, l kicked
one and he grunted and moved his
: tail, SO l knew there must be life
The cemeteries are built up some
eight feet from the ground and or
them are built family vaults some
two or three feet higher. The next
day being Sunday l took life easy
) at the hotel until 1880, when W,
took our car and crossed the ferry
in it. This was the most unique anC
smoothest ride | ever had in a com
o mon car.
At break of day Feb. 9Th, W.
found ourselves in Texas. Her,
were large prairies extending as ia
each way AS the eye could reach
Large droves of cattle could be seel
. rowing over the prairies. Mex
came groves of oak trees that wer
covered with moss that hung dow
two feet or more. Then we reache,
> large plantations of sugar-cane AM
cotton.
The weather was magnificent
We reached San Antonio at Z 80
where we took tea. At dawn tn
next morning we were riding alonI
beside the Rio Grande. The seen
:, cry is picturesque there. On on
k side the banks are nearly perpendlc
ular as much as seventyfive or
It hundred feet high, and in places
;, would seem to extend out over tn
car, while the other was nearly a