The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-10-25
FROM DENVER
TO NIAGARA.
Notes Of a Cdli0rnian's Trip to The
Eastern States.
Impressions Of Denver-A City Of Activity
Cornfelds Seen While Rolling Along
the Rail-Niagara Falls.
sreciaI to THE SUNDAY CALI

Editor Daily Morning Call: Denver is
beautifully situated on the east bank Of the
South Platte River; in fact. it has grown SO
Unexpectedly that much of it now lies on
the west bank as WE'LL and is fast encroach-
ing on the rolling farming land farther
west The Platte is the source of all its
water supply, and, as irrigation is neces-
sitv a fine system of canals has been dug
from several miles up the river, and water
rights are sold with the land, much as they
are in California
Coal, chrome, iron, stone of all kinds.
and gold and silver mines are worked ex-
tensively in the mountains to the north
and west, the river is lined with smelling
furnaces. In fact 1t is a city of manufac-
tories.
San FIauciscans are much inclined to
think of but one great city Chicago be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacific, but these
young cities of the mountains, of which
Denver is one, are destined, even il they do
not outstrip their Eastern and Western
cousins, to become mighty cities. The
march of progress across the continent has
managed to leave traces Of its course in
many cities before it reaches San Fran
cisco.
yer, electric lights are universal; all tele-
graph lines are under ground in the city
limits the street-car lines, which are gener-
ally electric. are always elevat ed over all
railroad crossings, and the denots are mag
nificent structures. They are usually union
depots. and the service and attendan ce are
good.
The buildings. both public and private.
are of stone. The run from Denver to
Ia m ia through
fair Nebraska" with the rolling prairie
covered with well-kept farms Of wheat, just
showing its green heads above ground, or
acres of sorghum, or fields upon fields OF
corn, with here and there blocks of cotton
woods, outlined against the sky, reminding
one of the ver-Dresent gums or eucalyptus
trees which have been planted in similar
manner in many parts of California. The
red-roofed farm-houses are comfortable and
cOmmodiOuS, and
THE GREAT RED BARNS
Speak of care and thrift. Here and there
are sluIted apple-treeS or pears, peach or
so and grapes.
Omaha lies on the elevated west bank of
the Missouri. but the train whisks through
and on down the bank of the river rap
idly that one cannot even catch glimpse OF
the place. Here, however, they are building
union de- OF, which promises to be as
large and handsome as any others on either
road.
To the to the west, the land OF the free,
Where the mighty Missouri rolls down TO the sea.
Where man is man, if he is willing to toll,
And the humblest may gather the fruits of the
Down the Missouri, under banks of au-
tumn tinted wO0dbine, with the slender
white-stemmed birch, or the ash with its
bright red berries high overhead. and here
and there a bit of bright meadow land,
fringed with purple asterS or tall stemmed
gracious goldenrod.
To the left the muddy Missouri, sluggish
and slow, spreading smooth from bank to
bank, a full mile wide, OF swinging close to
either side, leaving its winter bed, grown
| full of grasses where sleek cattle feed knee
| deep, or an occasional w00d-chOpper's slab
| Shanty stands close under the trees, with
piles of driftw0od near, and barefO0ted chill
| dren running wild.
| AT last over the river on slender steel
! bridge, into Iowa. Over streams. through
| villages, by acres and acres of cOrnfelds, by
| farms, into woods and out again, the best
| time on the whole route Is made. The still
! rolling country Is in a high state OF cultlva-
| ton, ard the cOrufields, always in sight.
| make one remember ne Is are living
| through the great corn-growing center of
| the world Still on into the night, with the
! full moon riding overhead 10 light US over
| the father OF waters. the majestic, silent,
! slow rolling Mississippi. The lights of
steamer are in the distance, and every now
| and then are seen the white sails of some
| slow moving craft. From the homes on the
! banks there are slender shadows dancing
! in the wake of the boats, and over all the
water the shmmering beautiful moonlight.
| Slowly the train puffS over and off the
! bridge into Illinois. where the same level,
| well-tilled com and cattle country still con-
! tinueS as far as the eye can see but oh, for
sight of the restful mountains of the West.
! On, on to Chicago, where a change Is made
to the Michigan Central, the same speed
continued, for the road-bed is well sunk in
the ground and
! STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW.
Michigan receives but a glance, so much
| of the trip is made in the night, but at psi
lanti, bright, thriving little town, several
| bright-cheeked lasseS came in with baskets
| of flowers and gave to every passenger a
| bouquet of flowers, dahlias verbenas, gera-
NUNS or pinks, with the compliments Of
the chief engineer of the road, whose home
| lies just in sight, surrounded by the choicest
| beds of flowers seen since leaving California.
| The great Detroit River tunnel is Just
| completed, but not yet used Detroit, a city
| of 25o,0 900 people, lies on rather high ground,
! sloping to the waters edge, where the
| amount of shipping in sight bespeaks the
| business enterprise of the place. The City
! Park, an island of thousand acres, just in
| sight up the river, is so easy of access-boats
| running every half hour and fares cents
| the round trip-that it is frequsnted by
| thousands on week days as well Sundays.
Ontario is certainly a newer and poorer
| country, farm-hOGSes are more scattered
| and smaller, the woods are nearer and
| thicker. the patches of corn or few apple
| trees grow fewer STILL the fields smaller,
but the effect, as we fly by. is picturesque in
| deed
| The woods are bright with early autumn
! tints the streams are many and blue, the
| skies are higher and bluer the few wild
| flowers are brighter hued and the weed
grown fields, filed with stumps, are bor-
! dered by zigzag rail fences. or broad-stone
| fences, or, what is more queer than anything
yet seen, fences made of uptorn tree stumps,
the stumps all one way, and the ragged in-
| terwiniug roots struggling skyward; with
in the cattle and meek-faced sheep Craze as
| c0ntenty as elsewhere
As you approach Niagara the noisy chat
ter in the train ceases and all listen for the
roar of the cataract. Over the famous
| Welland Canal, out into a more fertile and
better cultivated section. And now! And
nowi the first dull sound. grows louder andS
| louder, until, rounding curve, the train
pulls up. the roar of the Incompatible Mag
ara is upon you, and leaning from the bank
| you gaze in silent awe. Its the view of all
| others and the senseless comments of the
travellers about you fall upon senses dulled
/ IN oil hut apventn wondaI n the