, 1891-03-10
CLIMATE.
WONDERFUL CHANGES THAT ONE
EXPERIENCES GOING WEST.

months experiences a surprise which - OF
SO remarkable and at the same time agree
able A character that its e. Is never
lost. No matter how thicklg ,.e trip may
be crowded with events Of note, the first in
PRODUCTION to the Golden state stands out
sharp and clear in his memory.
Let the tourist leave his eastern home
after the winter season shall haze com
meuced. Journeying westward the same
climatic eXigencies common to all the Gun
try east Of the Sierra are encountered. Icy
winds sweep the plains, snow lies to n depth
Of many feet upon the face Of the earth, the
windows Of the cars are coated with frost,
and hot fires and loads OF blankets are nee
essary for even ordinary comfort. As the
boundary line Of California is crossed the
cold becomes more intense, the SHOWS are
deeper and a veritHble Arctic climate seems
to have been encountered.
Half a dozen locomotives become neces-
sary to move the train, and they puff and
groan and give rent to many an ear pierc-
ing shrek as they slowly and YEARLY climb
the steep grade. The snow is so deep that
the outlook from the window is entirely
cut of, the white walls rising p~erpendicu-
larly on either hand far above even the car
roofs.
Here may be seen the most ~pouderous
machinery ever devised for clearing the
snow from the tracks. Immense plows Of
different patterns, propelled by n dozen or
fifteen locomotives each, arc kept busy
fighting the snow, which lies twenty feet,
thirty feet or even deeper on the level, and
which is drifted by the gale in perfect ava
lanches. For miles and miles the track Is
protected by snow sheds, whose massive
TIMBER groan and strain with the weight
imposed upon them.
Here are armies Of men, their faces black-
ened with SCOT to prevent blindness and
their feet swathed in rolls OF gunny sack.
ing, shovelinE as if their lives depended
upon it, and yet unable TO keep more than
a few 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 cool the most ar
dent curiosity. II Thermometer be handy
1t will be found to mark 10, even 20 dogs.
below zero. The very air itself is 6lled
with icy needles and there is a penetrative-
ness In the chill atmosphere hat the heav.
lest and warmest wrappings are unable to
resist.
Perhaps a stop is made at some station.
One may %perch1nce learn by consulting the
guide book or an unusually obliglng eIi-
ploye that there is IA town Of a couple OF
thousand inhabitants close by. But there
are no proofs Of that fact visible TO the in.
experienced eye All tia; can be seen is a
confused tumble Of odd shaped mounds OF
snow, from the center Of many OF which
columns OF smoke ascend slowly into the
frost laden atmosphere.
II disposed TO be sarcastic he will read
from his guide bOok entertaining descrip-
tiuns Of outdoor midwinter picnics, with
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-tropicll climate this is any
how. II the train should he showed in a
week or two his sarcasm will become bit
terer and bitterer as the time YEARLY pass
es away, until the most ardent lover OF
this lovable state will be silenced.
But revenge. sweet revenge, is In store
for the silcnced Californian. Shivering
with the cold, the snow piled mountain
high, the wind whistling a gale, the skep-
tical and Disguised traveller buries himself
beneath a pile Of blankets and seeks relief
from the disngreeble sights and sounds Of
midwinter IN the Sierra.
a few hours pass, half a dozen, perhaps.
The train has been steadily pushing its
way westward. Tbs summit has been
crossed. The extra engines that. have been
called in TO assist the cars up the mountain
have been dismissed. The puff and snort,
the groan and whistle have ceased. The
gait has been accelerated, and the wheels
roll rapidly over the rails with a monoto-
nous click clack, click Clnck' at each
joint.
The traveller finds bis load Of blankets
becoming heavier and heavier. He tum-
bles and kicks about in his berth. That
Internal porter must have a terrible hot
fire going. Sleep becomes impossible, and
with many yawn and much stretching Of
limb the tourist dresses himself and finally
draws aside the curtain and peeps out to
see how deep the snow is.
But what is this? Is he dreamiugl He
rubs his eyes again and takes another look
from the window. Oh, there must be
something wrong about it. 1t is not posi-
BILE, Has he died and gone TO Paradisel
How eau suca n change have been accom-
plishedl lie went to bed cold and SILVER
ing. with snowbnnks twenty feet deep,
with the Thermometer out of sight below
zero and with the gale bowling in his ears.
He awakes to see-whatg
Nature in her most charming mood. Far
as the eye eau zee the swelling SUBMITS
and slopes of the hills are carpeted with
the loveliest green. Myriads Of flowers
deck the sward, while the foliage OF tree
and shrub spnrkles in the morning sun
like diamonds rs the rays catch the pend
ent drops of moisture. Here and there are
orchards, white and pink and red, with
their burden OF promise of al abundant
fruitage; the hillsidas are green with the
young foliage Of the vine, the dooryards
are n mass OF TO ,es, piuks and all manner
Of bloom.
To obtain a better view the bewildered
tourist throws up the window. The balmy,
inviEorating air pours in laden with the
perfume OF millions of flowers. The scent
of the earth is in the atmosphere, the pulse
quickens and there is an Irresistible desire
TO fling ones SELF from the car and roll
down yonder grassy slope. decked with
flowers of brightest hue.
Just then the door opens and a brakeman
sings out "Newcastlei' The traveller takes
advantage of the stoppnge TO go outside
and glance about him. Down in the hollow
youder is a sight which attracts his notice.
There are several acres of graceful, dark
foliaEed trees, which are a blaze OF gold as
the sun strikes them. What under the
sun are thosef" he asks. And a bystander,
following the direction Of the glance, re-
spends: Huh, them's oranges. Lots o.
them around here"
And, sure enough, so they are.
And this is the first introduction OF hun
dreds to California. To sleep at night in
the most arctic sort Of a winter that can
be imagined, aud wake in the early morn
ing amid scenes which the Garden Of Eden
could scarcely have surpassed. The-depth
of an arctic winter Ht niphttall and the
midst Of "a semi-tropiC spring at early dawn.
san Francisco Chronicle.
Remarkable Rescue. .
Mrs. Michael Curtain, Plainfeld, Ill,
makes the statement that she caught