Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-07-19
SANTA BARBARA.

Benton HarbOr at daybreak; | was very
much surprised with the country, but
am informed that it is very nice some
distance back. Saw lots of peach orch
ards and fine gardens all of which are
much ahead of Alma. When | first
saw the sand hills along Lake Michi-
gan in this locality, | took them for
young mountains. | saw the peak of a
house that is buried in the sand and
trees with only the top limbs in view.
The first view of Lake Michigan gave
me desire to be riding on il OF swim
ming in it.
Chicago is great city. | can't tell
you anything about it. could not see
it, there were so many houses; seven,
eight and nine stories high.
There is lots of stone in Illinois, and
quarries all the way through. 1t would
not be very hard job to walk ten
miles through the pastures, on the
stones, without touching the ground.
l believe Missouri is solid rock of
limestone or sandstone, and it is the
weediest state, believe, in the Union;
nothing but rocks and weeds! Kansas
City is beautiful city on the hills and
in the valley; one can see nearly the
whole city from any point. The rocks
along the Missouri river on one side,
were very high above the railroad and
nearly perpendicular; then looked as if
they might drop on the cars any min
ute. The state of Kansas is a most
beautiful state. Everything looks nice
and one can see for miles and miles.
There are great many coal mines in
Kansas. Corn, corn, cornl Thousands
of acres, all along, IN Kansas, and very
far ahead of Michigan corn; but wheat
and oats are very scarce. Lots Of stone
buildings, it seems to be the rule rather
than the exception. Fences are very
few after we leave Michigan. We saw
cattle all along the road, but they look
the best in New Mexico and Arizona,
where it looks as if nothing could live.
Kansas is Il grand country, but Uncle
Sam couldn't giue me Colorado; all /
could see of it, at least.
In New Mexico, the cattle all seem TO
be fat, but their feed is all dried up.
They say it is just as good as green, but
l could not see anything but sage bush.
We would ride for hours and not see
drop of water; where the cattle drank
| don't know. Have not seen but very
few sheep all the way.
We rode fer many miles in Colorado
without seeing any living animals, ex-
cept prairie-dogs and gophers. | saw a
cow with her head fast in some brush,
standing up, but she had been dead
for many weeks and locked as dry as
chip. We attained a height of about
seven hundrad feet in Colorado. When
nearly out of the state we could see
long, low, black range of hills many
miles away; we can see over many miles
of territory and not a habitation. Some
times wagon trail or cow path, GO
ing-the Lord only knows where.
Every little town the size Of Alma
and larger, has electric lights and many
of them have street Railways. As we
passed the boundary line into New
Mexico, we went into tunnel.
Whew 1t was so dark you could feel
it. 1t seemed so thick it choked me.
New Mexico is nearly all plains and |
deserts. / saw men digging holes for
telegraph poles, with big sledge and I
a kind of drill, and the stuff taken from /
the holes, was either solid rock or clear
white aka i.
saw little valley that had, at one .
time, perhaps last year, some water in .
it. There are now lots of dead. cattle .
around it. | think perhaps they had .
come long distance to get drink /
and was either disappointed in not get
ing water and died of thirst, or else /
there was water and they drank till I
they died,
There are many miles of great black .
rocks along the railrord i'll New MiXico /
and where they had to blast them out /
of the road bed, they were covered with |
pure white paste.
Arizona scenery is very much ahead /
of New Mexico; some fertile valleys: |
very much behind Missouri and Illinois.
We crossed nice bridge over Canon
Diablo, 2l6 feet from the water in the |
bottom. This canon is not so grand as
Greeley canon, a little farther on, where /
you jump out of tunnel onto another |
bridge, then OH the side of the noun
tain with solid wall of rock perhaps |
400 feet above you, and full as far below |
to the bottom; and almost straight up |
and down, AS we came into this canon
the porter showed us the Bottomless |
Pit. 1t is only small hole at the sur
face but no one knows how deep. n |
derrick was built over it once and they |
tried to find the bottom with lines, but |
failed; then they suspended cannon