Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-06-05
CALIFORNIA CORRESPOND
ENCE.
A Racy Letter From San Diego,
Cal, Devoted to Thatt.and
the Route Thither.

tWA-KEENEY TO DENvER.-PIKES PEAK
IRRIGATION. -CHEYENNE- GREASwOOD,
sAGEBRUsH, ALKALI, SALT MARSHES
TILE MORMoNs.-AIR WEIGHTED WITH
THE PERFUMES OF FLowERs.-GREAT
ENGINEERING FRIUMPHs.-THE QUEEN
OF THE ANGELS.
SAN DIEGO, CAL, May 20, 1856.
To the Editor of the World:
It would require an ADLER pen than
mine to adequately describe the wonders
of both nature and art that meet the eye
in trip across the plains. The mind is
bewildered with succession of Sights"
each grander or more beautiful than the
last.
Leaving Wa-Keeney, the face of the
country presents the same APPEARANCE, ex-
cept that the soil grows thinner and
lighter, until we reach Denver, at the
foot of the mountains. About daylight
Pixies peak becomes visible in the south
west, affording one his first view of the
Rockies. All of this country will one
day be covered with fertile and cult
waited fields.
From Denver we go north through
Greeley and similar colonies. Here we
see irrigation for the first time. Arrive
at Cheyenne about dark. This is STIR
ring place of about ten thousand inhabi-
tants. Here we begin the ascent of the
Rockies. In the morning we look out on
a vast plateau covered with greasewood
and little sage. An occasional ante
lope breaks the monotony. Alkali, salt
marshes, sage and crossword are the
rule now until we enter Utah. Toward
evening of the next day we sweep
Through Echo and Weber canons, past
the 1,OO0-mile tree, the Devils Slide and
numerous other sights. Above us tower
the rocky walls 1000 or 1,5OO it., almost
perpendicular On either side is fer
tile valley, from a quarter of mile to a
mile in width. Irrigation is now the
rule. Where forty years ago or less was
a desert now smiles garden. The
Mormons have literally made the desert
TO blossom as rose.
Leaving Ogden about shutdown, we
round Cape Horn about 4 o'clock the
next morning. This marvel of engineer
ing daring leads us around a mountain
where We stand on the platform and look
up 600 or 800 #. and almost straight
down LOGO to 1850. We are now going
down the Sierras to the Sacramento val
ley. In an hour NE are among fertile
fields, vineyards, roses in full bloom,
Oleanders out of doors. Down, down we
go, past numberiess homes tucked away
among the hills, until, about 8 o'clock,
We sweep into the broad Sacramento,
and about IL o'clock we see the Golden
Gate. The valley is one constant sue
cession of gardens; the air is heavy with
the perfume of flowers. Leaving San
Francisco at $50 p. NJ, we pursue our
course up the San Joaquin, the great
wheat growing section of the Golden
State. In the morning we look out on a
broad, level plain, that only needs water
. the only need of this country-to con-
vert it into smiling fields. From now on
We pass through some of the grandast
scenery have eyer seen between the two
oceans. Here are some OF the grandest
tsiumphs of engineering skill to be found
in the world. After passing the Morgan
desert and going through San Fernando
tunnel lover 5000 #. long-we emerge
IN the Los Angeles valley, and about 2
O'Clock steam into the City of Our Lady,
Queen Of the Angels.
Vrar0R