Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1886-12-17
oonHrSNArEo.
ross the Continent.

Editors Of he Times:
| DEAR SiRa Having recently had occasion
to make trip to California, perhaps short
| narration OF the incidents that occurred on the
route and succinct description of the more
| important cities and country passed through,
| viii not prove uninterssting, at least to some
When so rnnch iranspired to attract Alteration,
and even 81 hant the mird, it is a matter OF
more difficuay to picture thta everyday sig hts
| and occurrences
The trip began from Norfolk, V. on the
morning of October 3Oth. An hours ride on
the boat, down the Elizabeth River and across
Hampton Roads brought US to Newport News
the terminus of the Chesapeake l. Ohio r. r.
Nethiug so far OF interest. except d. oiled
barge at anchor that had been run into tn pre-
vious night BY ii steamship, and looked on the
point OF sinking. We boarded tie trrin IN 1
after ride Of few hours arrived in historic
Richmond. sMany Of our people were arq lint
ed with her years ago, nsd in less peaceful
| lines, but the Richmond of to-'ay can well nr
proud OF her fair fame ami beauty and
boast Of progress by no means slpw t,ohd.
What strikes one parriru arIy unexcrlIrd, is
tne magnificent park, near the cit, hiil AT
dusk We took the train for Gin 'nnari II was
with regret that darkness closed in SO fast, A..
We were fail TO see as much OF the Oti ID II
| ion a. possible. Bat h.d 10 content our
selves With sleeper, aud everyone knows the
comfort OF sleeper, aud after nigh OF sleep
lessnsss and fatigue the dawn found US some
where near lhe rocky region of West Virginia
IL was Sun day. and the frs, sign OF civlnz .tion
seen. wssan imme nse furnace beside the track
ell ablase. On either side rose gigantic ruts
often . bed Of solid rock and stream ol water
rtppied In the valley between Ia seemed It
jsst space enough had been let on one side OF
the river or the other purposely for the RAFT.
road. No one knows the wealth hidden in
these ruts. A Ire tidy coal and iron are extern
sisely mined. But il Was with a feeling OF re-
lief wea' last emerged fot, the rocks and came
on open laad. Later in the day. We passed
into Kentucky, the land Of the blue grass
Considerable parts are mountainous aud it is
not unfreaeent 10 see stone fences, extendj 2
for miles. As We netred Winchester, We ,aw
some of thefamous bluegrass fields /, is on
this the noted Kentucky stock is raised About
night We reached Cosingtou, AMI crossed the
Ohio 10 Cincinnati. Fog, muf, and roughs
we're most ronspieuous here. Cincinnati can
oosst of its hnr buildings, especially hotels and
depots, bot II was ilh feelings OF relief, when
left the city.
Out West where there is so much travel and
several lines between important points. consid-
cradle competition often exists Thus. some
lines viii take you mans miles out vi the Way
diansPolis 10 ST. Louis snd from ,asas City
one conld 70 by way of S,u Francisco to Los
/ Angeles. for same fare as the direct route.
| Dur stop In -. louis was too brief to note
more than The enorm. US d~poi. ADD fog aud
mud ! do not mean To omit The Mississippi
but ssw notbiug in il to grow enthusiastic
over. did notice the 6ue bridge and the
crafts on its waters seemed OF a peculiar build
or course we all know that east ST. Louis VAS
the scese Of the great strike last winter. %
election day We journei through | iinois and
Missouri The lands looked fertile, and well
cultivated Fhe wheat in most Place, vas
6ne. At nightfalI X ,nsis Civ Vas reached
Wcwere glad to have some rest, despite the re-
turns OF the election. All vas IN excitement
over the local contest, Betting .vm-d IN yer.
sal, and l-might add. s.earinx There we're
many sors heads, AMI A.boy purses nest mora
I ing Kansas City like Omaha. ST. Paul and
aIaoeapolIs Is one Of those large cities. Shase
gEosta 70 almost marvellous aevsr saw 40
iarge depot anJ where, aud il 4, most Of The
/ time densely picked Mon, and even " haze
families, snigrsu's. ! might al,nos, s.S Of vY-rv
creed aud .AuouAiIty -gniny West think OF
at Kansas CITY not considered ..sr. Ia fact
( the Safe OF Kansas is not vet ent~tri
| The cry Is one Of great stir Asd activity 1t
DO 's's, among other things, OF a fiae cable
road, sni LATELY OF a new elevated lice Tler-
are a so soms magnificent p1"lic aud private
buildings | noticed that the mi lrIty of tho
people ssre sroai and health, looking, ,ut il
10 also ~aisp.rrd that \ .nss. Guy is GA. of the
hardest pl,tes West. hare h-ssd It s.id. 20
stranger sHh moaey 70 safe on tie streets 1t
night. lASa' wiIh joy. admit | resumed
snS TRIP II u nos VET taff over and - %
miIe' .re 10 De ,d- In IS hours run withoa,
change
We bad a tram Of eleven coaches, and every
class Of passengers I,,~reacr, Topeka. Sa-
psTia and Fl@renvr. towns 81 c s,idcr.hir ~.
we passed The hrst day 4 boat ia-k We CAM
upea the famous Cotton God Valley. o,e
uow beg as 10 See tie country is more wt.d
aud unsettled. Immense herds ~ cattle an,
gr~zag on the ptrvise,i pr.lfte. tnd b .h,t,lIoa
seem ies snt lar tetse-n The prairi. dog
caused some Amusement, anf i'd oct nhI 'cl To
teiac shut 1t the lest. Net, mlrntas, a.
biessiast II l., IunI,, O. o. do IL ). aer~
the splendid MOUNTAINOUS, sr-n-ry a,'r ,uis the
eye. 10 ia- di.tsncc may b. Sea loft, $40 ,
capped peaks, AID on rith-r .'ie tn rat, fol
low % an almost unbrosrn rh,Ia II mat be
as the poet says:
''' It's distance lends enrh .ntmen, TO the tie~,
And robes the mountain IN its azure hue
Thus, from sfsr. each dim discovered scene
More pleasing see rs ihaa all the past hath
teen
So it appeared 10 all on hoard all agreed
Colorado vas more interesting tasn K, nsas
snd that Aew NEGRO Vas ahead of both Ne
~s'e usbered into this last sia,e through a Ion 7
tunnel At Raras Piss soms / 600 feet high
Here the eoua'ry Was more ~ ana untouched
still, eIr ept by miners som. M.si,an .nf
Iadisn in~ rs on The roai- are cert,in'v uaiqr-
after their fashion Oa- asks how IL ih-se
2-"pi- live? Very poorly, /, would SEN IA
Ariz ~. il - even worse. Fire sui water srr
often scarce and food too. IL woail spp-tr
The houses g-n-rsilv cunsrurt-d If mud
and sometimes rock The Indians We saw
we're poorly clad hut iii not mind ~ TIE,
are vrrr inirre.ung TO n str,ng~r Bar must
hasten without iurih-r disression
A dsy ,nd righl ~-re s,-nt an -rrossin bar
rem Ariz ma, aud its dessert. Here ~ The
fIr-of ru,s cscirrs, lara, concrete and sill nee,
a picture long 10 be remembered, ~h-n sutdiu,.
ity forms the csiorng.
Ga the morning OF the fourth dsy wr crossed
the Colorado River ito Caliiornis. That
hdeous crack in The face Of the earth" called
Canyon Disb,o was passed during the MI b.
and perhaps TO the greater composure Of all
We breakf4sied al The NEEDLES. There An
African on one side of me, Chinese on The
other, and Mexican waiter. hut time was too
short, and appetite too keen for protests. Alter
nourishing our wesried bodies resumed
our seats, with the consolation of completing
the trip thai day. This part OF the state Is /,
bout as barren and mountainous as Arizona.
| forgot to speak OF the o d esthtic volcano.
II must have been terrible. The burnt lava,
that resembles cosl-cinders, is scattered for
miles around and the ground is elevated CON
siier.bly thereby.
At Bsrstow, the junction for San Francisro.
our Car was condemned rs unsafe, but We soon
got another. and sped on to Los Angeles. A
bout one half WAS BOUND tor San Diego. 1t
was with feelings of great relief when we
steamed into LIS Angeles at IL ", although
ordeal ia the shape Of hotel porters, yet
awaited US. A. l. G.
The sons of Mrs ] Dhn Beunor Of st Louis
a few weeks ago spoke to her about the birth.