Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-12-07
CORRESPONDENCE.
EN ROUTE FOR CALIFORNLA.

EAST Pasadena, Cal, Nov. II, 'SS.
Starting from White River Junction al
six o'clock in the afternoon Of Tuesday
Nov 9Th, we went through Montpelier and
| st. Albans To Montreal, where we crossed
the St. Lawrence 10y the Victoria bridge, q
mile and half long. Turning to the south
west we then followed the course of the
river, and delightful days ride it was
which took us through the low lands OF
Canada along the shores Of that beautiful
sheet of water, Lake Ontario Here we
saw many fine farms, but the houses, as a
rule, were small aud poor, One Of the
most noticeable features was the absence
Of stone walls, which seem, indeed, to be
peculiar to New England, for in Canada
they are replaced by rail fences, on the
| prairies by barbed wire, and here in Cali
forna by hedges The land was almost
entirely under cultivation, and was being
prepared for wheat, though it was very
wet, the water standing upon portions of
It, Kingston, Toronto and Guelph seemed
| large and thriving cities Reaching Point
| Edward, the st. Clair river was crossed by
boat to Port Huron. Shoutings for Harri-
son and assurances that he was 'all right
awoke every one from their slumbers before
we had been five minutes in Port Huron,
and left no doubt that We we're once more
in the United States.
Passing through Lansing, Mich, and
Valparaiso, Ind we reached Chicago ut ten
o'clock Thursday morning Thence we pro
ceeded by way Of Joliet and LaSalle, ILL.,,
to Rock Island, where we crossed the Miss
issippi river at Davenport, Ia, at 1880 in
the afternoon. Davenport seemed to be a
beautiful city. From the cars we could
look down the long. wide streets and see
the Mississippi flowing by. Wide and
handsome streets seem to be IA characters
tic of western cities There is plenty of
room.
Crossing Iowa and Missouri, Kansas City
was entered early Friday morning. a stop
Of four hours was made there, and the time
was improved 10y some to ride across the
city ON the elevated railway. While there
it began showing, and the storm increased
during the day into driving one, which
tore down telegraph lines and poles so bad
ly that We were obliged to wait twelve
hours in Topeka. Until we we're nearly
through Kansas, the prairies were covered
with from four to six inche, Of snow. At
ter that we saw none except on the noun
tain peaks
We crossed the corner of Colorado into
New Mexico, and stopped at Ration for
breakfast Sunday morning. This was not
a good place 10 make purchases, as one
young lady thought, who rashly said she
would take dozen doughnuts, and, on in
quiring the price, was told five cents
apiece Apples and bananas were also
five cents each, and bread fifteen cents
loaf a breakfast could be bought for -
cents. We passed into Arizona on Monday
morning, crossed the Colorado river into
California the next morning, and reached
Pasadena at one o'clock Wednesday morn
ing, the l4th Some grand mountain seen
cry was seen in New Mexico when crossing
the Rocky mountains 1t is an up grade
all the way from the Mississippi river, and
at one point among the mountains an alti-
tude of 5000 feet is reached-an elevation
greater than the highest peak Of the White
mountains The White mountains are
beautiful but the Rockies are grand. They
are rightly named, for they have almost no
vegetation and consist Of great masses of
rock thrown up in the strangest forms.
The soil is of a bright brick-red, and seems
peculiar to the mountain region, for that
of the level land on either side is very diff
ferent In some places among the noun
tains kind Of dwarf cedar grows, and the
dark green Of its foliage contrasts well
with the red soil.
In Arizona the sandstone bluffs and the
ravines where " Water must once have flowed
make wild scenery. One rayine or canon
21G feet deep was crossed 1t extends for
miles across the prairie, and must have been
worn down by flowing water, though now
perfectly dry. Most of the inhabitants of
Arizona and New Mexico are Mexican or
Pueblo Indians. They are short in stature
aud most repulsive looking. Their houses
are made Of mud-or adobe, as it is called,
Indeed there are not many frame houses
in the villages. 1t would seem that 'dobe
or not 'doben is the question in these coun-
tries. We saw large herds of sheep and
cattle, and in some places large piles of
bones beside the track, where they had died.
| could not see what they or the people
could live on, as We saw not a rod Of cult
waited land after leaving Kansas until with
~ L.. tI,,
grows naturally is mostly cacti and sage
brush. In some places there is light Gov
ering of grass, but the sandy soil and lack
of moisture prevents much from growing.
In New Mexico We passed quantities of
prairie dogs sitting ON their mounds. They
are cunning little fellows, somewhat resem-
bling our woodchucks, but smaller and
more nimble. An incident which occurred
in Arizona gave us a realizing sense of be-
ing in the region of cowboys. A young
man from the train refused to pay if-
teen cents for a glass of beer The saloon
keeper drew revolver-and the young
man paid the fifteen cents.
After crossing the San Bernardiuo noun
tains we came into a beautiful country.
Imagine large area of level land, with
snow crowned mountain peaks in the dis
tance and orange groves, vineyards, flow
ers aud beautiful trees everywhere, There
are roses and geraniums of all shades and
kinds The loveliest trees | have seen are
the pepper trees. They are a little like our
elm, but not as tall and more graceful, and
covered with red berries.
The rainy season has just begun, yester-
day being the first rainy day since last Feb
ruary. When the rains do come, they have
the same effect that warm rain does in
the spring at home, Everything springs
up and grows very rapidly. Today it seems
like June in Vermont the sky is blue and
cloudless, the fields fresh and green, and,
sitting by our open windows, we can hard
ly realize that it is November The one
disagreeable feature which | have seen as
yet is the presence of mosquitoes, They
are numerous, and apparently no better
hammered than Vermont mosquitoes.
Some account of this growing city of
| Pasadena and of the fruit raising for
which this region is so well adapted, must
| be left until another time, Notwithstand-
ing the beauties of this place, it is notice
able that people from the East almost in,
variably say "Oh, yes, it is lov ely here
but, after ALL the East is about as good q
place To lire i'm New England is not for
gotten. NETTIE +. WHITNEY
-
The December Forum.
In the December number of the Forum
Mr. George W. Gable, writing ON "A Sim