The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-06
CALIFORNIA; CLIMATE.
WONDERFUL CHANGES THAT ONE
EXPERIENCES GONG WEST.

a Traveller Jumps noh Dfe-
iato Smiling Sanmer-Ieehelds sue
ceedea By Flower GArdens-sno"oAnAs
b5 RipeninS Fruits
The traveller who comes 70 California ~
the Central Pacific line during the winter
months experiences q surprise when Is Oh 4
so remarkable and at the same tine agree
able a character that its Char : never
lost No matter how thickis tae trip may /
be crowded with events of note, the first IN I
t-oducrion TO the Golden state stands OUT
sharp sad clear in his memory.
let the tourist leave his eastern home
after the winter season snaiI nave COM
meuced. Journeying westward the same
climatic exigeneies commouIo all the coan-
try east OF the Sierra are encountered. icy
winds sweep the plains. Snow lies TO depth
OF many feet upon the face Of the earth, tne
windows of the cars are coated with ffoss,
and hot fires and loads OF blankets are nee
essary for even ordinary comfort As tae
boundary line of Cahfornis Is crossed the
cold becomes more intense, the SHOWS are
deeper and averitabis Arctic climate seems
70 have been encountered
Half dozen locomotives become neces-
sary to move the train and they pun aud
sroau and give vent to many an ear pierre
ing shrek as they slowly and YEARLY CLIMB
the steep grade. The snow Is SO deep that
the outlook from the window Is entirely
e,1r of. the white walls rising psTpendlcu-
larry on either hand far above even the car
roofs
Here NAV be seen the most po1cerous
machinery ever devised for clearing the
snow frora the tracks. Immense plows oil
different patterns, propelled By dozen OF
fifteen locomotives each, are kept busy
fighting the snow, which lies twenty feet,
.birty feet OF even deeper on the level. and
which Is drifted by the gale IN perfect ava
Ianches. For miles and miles the track is
protected by snow sheds whose massive
:iubers groan and strain with the weight
imposed upon them.
Here are armies of men, their faces black
saed with SCOT TO prevent blindness and
their feet swathed in rolls of gunny sack
ing. shoyeIing as If their lives depended
upon it. and vet unable to keep more than
I fesz feet of the road passable. Step out
side the car and the cold Is SO intense that
a STAY of a couple of minutes IN the open
air is amply sufficient TO Good the most ar
DENT curiosity. II a thermometer be ha cdy
il will be found TO mark 10, even 30 dogs
below zero. The very air itself Is flied
with lev needles and there Is a penetratIve-
ness in the chill atmosphere that the heav-
lest and warmest wrappings are unable TO
resist.
Perhaps stop is made at some station
One NAV perchaace learn by consulting the
Guide book or an unusually ooE ging en-
plove that there is a town CT a couple OF
thousand inhabitants close by. But there
are no proofs OF that fact visible TO the In
experienced eye All that can be seea is a
! confused tumble of odd shaFed mounds or
snow. from the center of many OF which
| columns of smoke ascend slowly into the
/ frost laden atmosphere
! If disposed to De sarcastic he will read
/ from his guide book entertaining descriP-
| tions of outdoor midwinter picnics, VIII
| orange trees laden with golden fruit, the
| air heavy with perfumes, the earth car
peted with blossoms, and then ask what
| sort of a semi-tropical climate this Is any
how. If the train should be showed IN a
week or two his sarcasm will become bit
terer and bitterer as the time weariiy pass
| Is away. until the most ardent lover OF
! this lovahle state Will be siienced.
! But revenge, sweet revenge, Is In store
with the cold, the snow piled mountain
high. the wiad whistfing a gale, the skep
teal and disguised traveller baries himseii
beneath a pile of blankets and seeks relief
from the disagEeeble sights and sounds ol
mitiwinter IN the Sierra
4 few hours pass, half dozen, perhaps
The train has been steadily pushing IL:
way westward. Tbs summit has been
hat n hHa~
called ia to assist the cars up the mountain
have been dismissed The puff and snort
the eroan and whistle have ceased Th'
gait has been accelerated, AID the wheeii
roll rapidly over the rails with a monoeo
nous ''click-clack, ellck-elack" al eacL
joint
The traveller finds MS load OF blankets
becominc heavier and heavier. He turn
bIes and kicks about In his berth InA
internal porter mast have a TERRIBLE ho
fire going. Sleep becomes lnpossEoie- ans
with many yawn and mach stretching Of
limb toe tourist dresses himself and Hna1ij
draws aside the curtain and peeps out x
see now deep the snow Is
But what is this2 Is be dreaming, e
rlbs his eyes again and taxes another loos
from the window Oh, there must b
something wrong about it. II Is not posi-
bic. Has he died and gone to Paradise
|; How can such a change have been accom-
nIished7 He went 10 bed cold 1ad sHIver
/ ing. with snowhanks twenty feet deep
with the thermometer out Of sight Below
zero aHd with the gale bowling II nls ears
he awaxes TO see-what2
. Nature In her most charming mood Fa
] as the eve can see the swelling summit
: and slopes Of the hills are carpeted Wit
, the korci.est green MyrLads OF flower
> deck the sgart. while the foliage OF tire
and shrub spaFkles in tbs morning su
ike diamonds as the rays eaten the pend
ens dross of moisture Here and there ar
orchards. white and pink and red, Wit
.ueir burden of promise OF an aoundzn
fruitage, the hillS.des are green with IN
: voung foliage of the vine, the eooryaru
/ are mass OF roses, plnks and eli CAnne
: Of bloom
i To obtain better view the he-ildere
tourist throws up the window. Inc Satfnl
inxIgoratSsg air psHEs In Laden witk II
4 rserfuEne of Ia lions al flowers The seer
Of tie earth Is n tns atmosphere. tne 7ats
! au5ckeus and there Is an IrTesistlnis Gtsi'
] 70 hsng ones self frozn the car and TO
: down yosder grAssy slspe, cecksa VII
/ flowers of e1JgbteS. hUe-
, JUS: then the 6sor opens and brsksE1s
! SINGS out Newcastle" THe Traveller "a *
!, ! advantage Of the slsppage 70 20 c@tsae
! asd zlaaee sbSzt hiz- Down n sae Eoiio
yeucer IL sight which sstEacts his nossc
$ There are several acres u SrscstG!- oar
| sosagea sreee, which are esaze Of gold
/ The SKA strikes tAe.a- J" lat uI1sr Z
! sz,n are those ~ lie zx~s And 5ystaz1s
: fo!to~inz tas direction 81 TIE g-21cs- >
! sv.aa1s- s.Ffrf1. items oranges Los