Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1886-05-15
THE OLD MAN WRECKED.
ne Goes Across the Gcntfneut--
Dodges snow Biockades aud
Biizzards, and Fetches mp iu
n Wreck of n Freight Train
L0aded with Oraures

He Goes Across the Conttneut--
Dodges snow BIockades aud
BIlzzards, and Fetches mp iu
n Wreck of a Freight Train
Loaded with Oranges.
half WAY BETWEEN BARsTow AND
CoLToN, CAL, Feb. 8, 1886 /
Friends. Romans, Gonatrynlsn If
you could sec me now you would say l
was bald-headed old fool for leaving
nice snow house in Milwaukee, where
the wind whistles as it listeth, to ride
six days aud nights to fetch up stand
ing in cut on top of a mountain, with
a freight train loaded with oranges
scrambled all over the track ahead of
us, and no wrecking train within a hun.
bred miles. lis midnight's holy hour,
aud silence now is brooding like gentle
spirit Ger the smoking car, except for
the noise of fifteen sleepers snoring in
seventeen languages, and four travelling
men. who, like Pinkerton's detectives,
never Sleep" and who are playing
seven-up for the contents OF their sample
cases. There is no sleeper, the Pullman
having broken down at Barstow, and
the ladies and children and the sick have
been given the day coach, with beds
made from cushions from the smoker
have been mad at myself all the trip for
bringing my fur overcoat and cap. but
tonight those extra garments paid we'll
for tine trouble they have made me. A
little Wisconsin girl, who is in delicate
health. daughter of a friend of mine, is
rolled up in that astrakan overeoat,
as snug and comfortable as possible,
aud as | write she is sweetly dreaming
of the loved ones at home, only that oc-
casionally she wakes up and thinks that
maybe she is depriving me Of comfort.
The sealskin cap that is SO out of place
west of Kansas blizzards, is making
pillow tonight for poor boy who is
about as far gone with consumption us a
boy can be and live. 1t is whispered
around the car that he will not live till
and he is all alone here, search.
ing for health which will never come.
He has been two weeks on the roal,
blocked in by snow, and discouraged,
but the kind ladies on the train
have taken him in charge, and
they have made him feel that he
is among sisters, and he smiles be-
tween his fits of coughing, and whispers
his thanks, while there are great tears
in his eyes. There are several people
with terrible coughs on the train, and
there is nothing at all funny except in
the situation. There is bridal couple
on board. and how happy they arel
They snugele up together on one car
seat, and penny newspaper, which is
the thinnest kind of a paper, is too
much cover for them. Parties who
came through with them from the States
say it was Just so in a snow blockade.
They were always too warm. and con-
stantly asking the porter to open the
ventiIators. Well, such is life. have
seen all kinds of freight train wrecks,
but never saw one before that suited
me like this. can go out in the sand
aud wade in oranges. The cars are
knocked galley west, and there is a per-
feet food Of fruit. 1t looks rich, and as
the wreeking hands jerk pieces OF car
arou nd, by the light of lanterns and
the passengers send out de-
tails and bring In coat tail pockets full
ii oranges, and those who are awake
sat to their hearts content of fruit
picked from the Los Angeles trees yes
lay.
have got within hundred and fifty
niles of my destination, San Diego, and
have never been blocked minute by
snow. Have just skinned through be-
tween snow storms, and have now run
up a stump on top of a mountain. Up
TO this time, all the way from Milwau-
kee, across the continent, the train has
not been more than three hours late at
any point. That Is pretty good time to
make. But what trip it has been. to
be sure. From home, where it was
twenty degrees below zero. to the west
srn edge Of Kansas, it was all snow,
and all cold. At Kansas City the air
was biting, and pierced through fur
coat worse than it would at Winnipeg. |
All along western Kansas and Colorado |
The effects of the winter were shown by |
The thousands of dead cattle to be seen
along the road. In some places there |
we're hundred in pile. They had
-un along with the blizzard until they
,ame to fence, or a marshy place, and
n their weakened condition they laid
Town and died. In some places the car
asses had been skinned, and for miles
he fences along the track were GOV.
sTtu Will uluts. NC toss ~ tuC
,attlemen must be great, and the end is
lot yet, because half of the cattle in |
light are so poor it seems impossible for
mem to live until the snow is gone and
yrass appears. In Colorado the snow
vas left behind, except a little on the |
Along through New Mexico
he snow was gone aud the passengers
began to leave the doors of the car open |
md the cattle all along looked fat.
In Arizona the air began to feel like
and the windows were |
'aised. But what country it is
can stand joke as we'll as anybody.
,ut think If somebody should deed me
bout thousand square miles of the
portion of Arizona and California that
he train has passed through the last
wo days, aud / found it out, and knew
Who it was that played such a dirty
rick on me, believe, as peaceful man
IS am, that would hunt that man
Up and ask him to take it back, and If
le refused to do so / would kill in cold
Hood. 1t would be an awful thing to
hove any very large quantityof that land
vi onto man who never did anything
Sun.