Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-03-18
CROSSING THE CONTINENT
The Rock Island Tourists on the
Pacific Slope.
Graphic description of scene $ and In
San francisco IT acoma.

special correspondence tC the Argus.
TACOMA. w. t.. March 9-Stepping
on board train of ysstibule cars that
would be hard to surpass in elegance,
convenience, luxury and splendor, at
Ogden, Utah. we retire for the night and
wake up in the morning refreshed after a
good sound sleep. hundreds of miles 10
advance on our journey, feeling that dis
lance has been practically annihilated by
the railroad. With travel and luxury
thus combined there IS no hardship in
reaching given point, and, in the means
time, enjoying the comforts and con-
veniences of home, while being wbirled
across the continent ct almost lightning
speed in these palatia cars. The second
morning after leaving Ogden we were
awakened on the ferry boat while cross
ing the Sacramento river at BenIcia.
This is January the Slh, and we are now
in California Look ng out of the car
window as we are being rapidly whirled
along. we discover that winters snowy
mantel of the evening before has been
left behind and the vardure of spring now
clothes the hills and valleys. In an al
most incredibly short time we have
reached Oakland, the terminus OF our
trans continental railway, where the
lilies, roses, camellas and violets are
blooming unsheltered and the ground
never free les, and been ferred across the
bay TO San Francisco and find ourselves
costly eusconced in its Palace hotel, the
finest and largest in the world. The bay
of San Francisco extends in northerly
and southerly direction about sixty-five
miles with al average width of abou,
eight miles, giving it shore line of about
three hundred miles. The billy PENN
sClar upon which Sar Francisco is located
is about four and one half miles in width,
from bay to acean, by six and one-hsli
miles in length. San Francisco presents
great commingling of nationalities with
| u population of over $50, 900 souls, anC
is one of the most cosmopolitan cities oil
the world. Its educational facilities art
| unsurpassed; it has nineteen colleges
academies and art schools. Among III
other features NAV lie mentioned Its one
hundred and twenty seven churches; 1T
| thirty-tive banks; its mint. where a bill.
| lion of money has been coined; its thirty
nine hospitals; its immense iron works
its thirty libraries and reading rooms; it:
/
tiers, and its one hundred and sixty-eigh
newspapers. 1t is covered with csbl,
roads which are the marvel of the day
running up and down Its steepest hill
| sides and rounding the sharpest stree
curves while going with frightfu
| velocity. The cable roads have made i
possible to extend the city to the end o
| the peninsular throughout its entire
length and breadth. 1t is city of grea
| wealth and commerce al Importance; ship!
and sailing vessels from all parts of the
| world whitening lis harbor with thei
sails. and its water front may be sale
TO he fort of mastj. 1t would. indeed
he difficult matter to estimate the fu
ture limits of its commercial points, fOl
even now the value of its imports is sec
ond in tie United States, being exceeded
by New York only 1t will continue tC
be the great railroad center of the Pacific
coast, and. in time viii be one of the few
great cities of the world. The, least at.
traction. indeed the repulsive part of il
to me. at least, is the decByed buildings
and offensive. narrow alleys. which art
swarming with filthy hordes of 1.-The pig
tailed natives of the flowery kingdom.
1t had but little curiosity for studying the
celestial part of the place with its JOSS
houses, theatres and subteranean pas
sages. The Chinese are quite an element
IN the population, and one of its annoy
ing, perplexing and disturbing factors.
am a firm believer in an advancing
higher and better civilization of the hu
man race, but also firmly believe that il
III -.
these heathens adop, either the American
OF European plan.
Among the manv attractions in the
envrOns of San Francisco is the Golden
Gate Park. one of the finest in the coun>
try, containing 800 acres beautifully
laid out in broad avenues, elegan. drives.
lovely walks and promenades, gorgeously
blooming flower gardens, and the indis-
pensible, never ending race track. From
the highest point in the park may he had
a magnificent view of a portion of the
hay and city, the entrance of the Golden
Gate and the ocean. Aoout the bay on
all sides. the suburbs of the city contain
many elegant private parks and costly
residences, the suburban homes of its
wealthy citizens, surrounded by flower
gardens that are in perpetual bloom S65
DAYS in the year.
Just outside the Golden Gate at a rock
point on the ocean shore is the Cliff
house. the place of ell others most visited
by tourists and natives. Here stretching
away to the watery western horizon is
the grand old ocean that was infinity OF
ages ere we breathet existence" Loom
ing up from the ocean few, hundred
feet from the veranda OF the Gill house
are the seal rocks covered with hundreds
of sea lines and seals crawling and swing
ling in strange connection uttering theil
hoarse, dismal cries as they move from
place to place on the brown, repulsivt
rocks, but resting quietly, if undisturbeC
while basking IN the genial sunshine
Directly back of The Cliff house, at ,
higher attitude on this point, is the
quaint house and beautiful grounds of the
venerable Adolph Sutro. This gentleman
has been extremely lavish in his eXpendi
ture of time and money in embellishins
these heights, making them so lovely ant
picturesque. Here may be found almos
every variety of shrub. plant and flower
and the most beautiful evergreens lin,
the fragrant walks, The entire ground
are orname nted with diversity of costl'
statuary. IN the selection of which h
must been guided in his ideal concep
tons, by the inspirations that are EN-
| bodied in the Venus and the Apollo
These grounds are thrown open to visit
ors and must be seen to be appreciated
We spent very profitable. pleasant ant
| enjoyable day at those heights and on tn
verandah of the Cliff house.
The old missions of California, some o
which must haye been very wealthy. foun
ded by the Jesuit fathers during the latte
part of the Eightee nth century, are point
| of great interest to the tourist and trav
eler All that is now left of the oil
Mission Dolores a. San Francisco is tn
| anciant nic.urpsnna white front church