The Red Cloud chief., 1886-03-12
FROM UA1uoRN1A

FRIDAY. WA8C6, II. 1886
FROM CALIFORNIA.
GuRoY, CAL, Feb. q, 1885.
EDITOR CHIEF: l dare not treat your
reade1s 70 the fullness Of the glory of
this truly so-called paradise Of ali.
.oeuia until they arc gradually intro
duced from the snowy, wintry cline Of
Nebraska and Kansas, suffice it 70 say
that I len Red Cloud on the night q
February Is, 1t l0:l5. for Atcblson.
Kansas. After . pleasant night trip
arrived at Atchison Ut ! .. m, where
We prepared for the through trip 70
our destination. leaving the smoke
beRrimed city Of Atchison ct 1920 ..
m. We passed through rather rough
and rugxed country for some miles
south west when suddenly We emerged
from the hills upon . beautiful prairie
country, with here and there fine
farms. many fine, large. and thrifty
fruit orchards, beautiful towns, fine
farming lands - to soil. being . rich
and dark loan. Passing by ell these
We arrived 1t Topeka, having been
favored With first class ~accommoda.
tons On third class fare. Here We had
twenty-five minutes for dinner. and At
the same time completed arrangements
made Ut Atcbison by securing through
sleepers to San Jose, Cal. Here we
met IN excursion train for Los Angel.
e. All seemed delighted with their
trip thus TAR. Finally the excursion
train pulled out, and away they sped
across the vast prairies Of Kansas. We
now followed with the California ex.
press train. passing through - fine q
country - man ever saw. Fine stock
farms, thrifty orchards. And here let
met say mad I the choice of . home in
Nebraska and Kansas, the latter state
would bo my choice. There 10 more
good tillable land in Kansas to-day
than there is in Nebraska. Topeka
and Emporia are large cities and are
important railroad centers. All along
the route We noticed the usual thrift
and push for which the western farm
era are noted, and in turn the lively
and prosperous appearance in all the
towns q we passed through them. At
noon the following day we arrived at
La Junta, COL, the junction of the
Atchson, Topeka 4 Santa Fe and the
Denver 4 Rio Grande railroads. Dim
ner over We now pull out for New
Mexico. After having passed through
. rough, sandy and barren valley with
but here and there . sage bush and
stunted cedars, and cattle 80 poor and
starved that il was really painful to
look upon them. Late in the after
noon we arrived at Trinidad, COL, neal
the line of New Mexico. But what a
changed from the warm rays of the sun
upon prairie and plains we have
among the foot hills of the Rocky
Mountains snow on all sides, :.and the
atmosphere so cold that it was neces-
sary TO rekindle the fires and caused
us to huddle about the stoves to keep
warm. Trinidad is . queer looking
city with a varied population. A large
proportion are Mexicans. There
seemed to be but little life there in the
way of business. Here we began to
ascend the mountains over q very
steep grade. passing through pine and
cedar forests and mining camps, and
snow covering the mountains on each
side of the road. Near the top of the
mountains We passed through a tun.
mel said to be 1922 feet long, and here
at an elevation of near 1000 feet the
atmosphere wa 80 light that We were
all more or less affected. Passing
through this tunnel we emerged into q
warm sunlight. and being now on a
down grade it was but a short time
when we arrived at Ration, N. NJ,
where your fellow townsman, Mr..
Remsberg. formerly resided. His son
beng absent from town l failed to see
him, although ! met several persons
intimately acquainted with him, who
reported him we'll and all o. X. After
supper We started again, the excursion
train having proceeded us but Q short
time, and away we sped down the
mountain valley for Albuquerque.
passing ut times through pine and
cedar forests, witnessing until late in
the night the grand scenery in the
mountains by moonlight. with snow on
all the mountain peaks, and in the
heavy timber on the road side. Tired
and wesry we laid down to rest. Ar
irving at Albuquerque for breakfast
We partook of refreshments from our
we'll filled baskets, whilst the changes
of the trains and passengers were
being made. Then of We were again
westward on our way. At Rio Puerco
we entered the red lands. made 30 by
the washing down of the Red Rock
Mountains by the late rains, giving the
lands across these plains a very novel
appearance, being a. red Is well
burned trick. Ne now pass by mum.
erous Mexican towns composed of
adobe buildings inhabited by Mexican
Indians. The sun shining bright and
clear the weather became very warm
and rather pleasant and the scenery
beautiful and grand. really beyond
description. This red soil is nothing
but Q pure red sand, of which | pro-
cured . sample ut Rio Puerco. And
now for miles across these plains We
witness nothing but the distant noun
tain ranges and the barren, sandy
desert, with but little vegetation. We
noticed very little stock except at Q
distance in the small valleys OF the
mountains, and water very scarce. and
but for the recent rains We would have
suffered from the ridessover the barren,
sandy plains. We arrived at Holbrook
in thine ofor supper, moving on We
crossed the Canon Diahlo. . very deep
gorge, rs Ne begin 70 ascend another
range of mountains. Continuing on.
about midnight We reached the summit
at Flagstaf, . small town in Arizona.
surrounded by pine forests and high
mountain peaks, and snow in all d,.
rectione. Soon Ne began to decend.
and by breakfast time We reached the
needles at the crossing Of the COLORADO