Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-03-19
A July Trip from San Francisco to
st, IOuiS.

travelling by emigrant train was new
to many and sharp were the glances
to see whether probable neighbor
would prove an agreeable one on the
long journey. Bad luck to the bach
elor as well as the hall, and had it
not been that one who had long since
taken to himself that better half, and
who invited us to join his party, we
should have been obliged to go in the
car with the brother bachelors. Being
aboard and having arranged things TO
suit, we find it is bed time; so put up
curtains, make beds and turn in.
Were you ever in caboose or emigrant
car when the train was being made
up and wanted to sleep and couldn't,
and didn't swear? That was our
neighbours position, except deacon'S
run or two till 100 p. m, when the
train pulled out. At . a. N. we crossed
the Sacramento river from porta Costa
to Benicia, our train being run on the
company's ferry boat, Solano, then
on through the Sacramento Valley,
where there is much fine farming land
with many and beautiful homes. Sac
ramento, the capital of the golden
state, is reached about noon, and our
party take advantage of the short
stop, and visit the capitol building,
which is quite beautiful and Substan-
tial, but we like that Of the badger
state best. From Sacramento we pass
over continual up grade to ColfaX.
We are now i'll sight of Cape Horn,
which we soon round for the first time
| The elevation here is 1900 feet and
many are the beauties of vale or hill,
and numerous the birds eye views of
the valley below. We have hitched on
another horse, and SO on up hill to
the shabby mining town of Dutch
Flat. There is still some mining done
as in days of old by hydraulic power,
and it looks strange to see the hills all
torn up and millions of tons of dirt
and rock washed away. Then past
the paper mills where paper is made
from poplar wood, and past where We
view downright the beautiful Amer
lean valley and river in its many
windingS three thousand feet below.
Looking back and to our left is the
Giants Gap, formed by the river cut
ting its way from the outer part of the
range. There are many snow sheds
along this part of the road, and the
train is scarcely out of one before
it plunges into another. Soon the
station of Blue Canon is reached, and
on leaving we are soon at Il point,
where, on a clear night. one can see
the electric light in Sacramento, some
eighty-Seven miles away. Tired and
sleepy, we go to bed and during our
slumbers, the never firing iron horse
pulls us up to the summit, and guides
and controls our headlong pace down
the mountain path and along Truckee
river, bringing us into Reno in time
for breakfast, July 9th. Reno is much
like the eastern towns, except the
western style Of keeping the door open
and the windows clean, be it a saloon
or store. seems to be generally followed.
If saloons are good for the welfare
OF community, why screen the doors
and paint the windows?
At Reno we see several Washo and
Piute Indians, and it is noticeable that
the squawS bang their hair and try at
least in part to keep up with the style.
Ny friend who has been over the road
several times tells me however, that
the squawS were the first to start the
style of cutting the hair and combing
it down in their eyes, and that eastern
ladies were only aping their copper
colored sisters. All aboard" cut
hA Il ,.lx
whizzing along with little to vary the
monotony except complaint now
and then about the horrid dust, or the
horse gets stalled on some short up
grade. and we don't all get out and
push, but let the driver, more careful
of his noble steed than many. make
two trips up the hill.
The next two days have little of I'M
portance to note except the passing of
Humboldt lake, into which the river
of that name flows, and whose waters
there sink or evaporate; then the town
of Palisade with its pretty location,
but with little else to recommend it.
At $50 a. IN. of the 18th on CHANGING
out through the window. we see for
the first time the great Salt Lake: that
mysterious inland sea. with its dead,
dreamy, silent and tideless waters,
covering an are of $4,000 square miles.
at an elevation greater than that of
the Allegheny mountains. 1t holds
in solution IL per cent. of solids; and
the lake is frequented for bathing, and
hygelnic effect of its waters. We
reach Ogden on time. and our coaches
from this on are part of the regular
train. Ogden is the terminus of c. p,
[. p. and ID. X II. c. Rvs, which ne
cesSitateS a change of cars. and as
our tickets read differently we are
obliged to part with several kind
friends and fellow travellers This is
the r. Il. center of the state. and the
second city of Importance. with a
thriving business population of 1000.
From Ogden our course is nearly due
south to the east of the lake and
through some fine farming country to
Salt Lake City, the metropolis of the
great plain, with its population of
1000, and an elevation of 1920 feet.
IS rather an inferior looking place
from the train. Many of the houses
are built of adobe brick one story high,
long, and with as many front doors as
the man has wives. \ new wife means
an addition to one end of the house
and an extra door. Tho location is
beautiful. To the east is the serrated
WaSatch mountains from whose canons
rush the bright mountain streams
which are conducted by bitches to the
city, and in every street we hear the
careless chatter of the artificial brooks.
Temple square interests the traveller.
for here are situated the great ecelesi-
aStical buildings of the Mormon
church. the most prominent of which
are the Temple, Tabernacle and Assem-
bly, Hall The first being as vet in
complete, Leaving these We now pass
on south up the valley of the Jordan
river, whose waters are doubtless held
sacred by every saint. This river is
the outlet of Utah lake and flows into
the great salt lake. Across which lake
to the west is mount Nebo, the high
est peak in Utah, on which Brigham
was not supposed to have been buried,
neither did the angels upturn the sod
nd Low