The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-11-23

(" My Prfrate Car"
couple Of trucks landed in its water-tank,
while two bOxcars flew the track entirely
aud lay by the roadside mass of kinding-
wood. broken timbers aud bent iron.
Well it did begin 10 look as il that acct
dent insurance policy wasn't so bad an
investment. though as had failed to realize
on it here tie company that wrote il was
probably ahead. TIE wreeking train
doomed up early. and with jaekscrews and
cables put where they would prove most
effective the cars that had got off their bases
merely we're soon restored TO their trucks,
the freightcar snatched out of the internal
anatomy of the caboose. and the work of
clearing the track proceeded so vigorously
that In abou. six hours what cars of the
two trains that had not suffered in the
melee were put together and we were soon
vending our tortuous way westward. We
also wended toward every other point OF
the compass. This road was originally
paid for by the Government at some thing
more than IL cost 10 build IL. The work
wasn't done by the job but by the mile, and
il the Credit Mobiier didn't get in miles
enough il wasn't for lack of loops and
curves among these hills.
Fhe following morning found US In tile
Bitter Creek region, and after seeing 1t
one no longer wonders that bad men hail
from there. In the valley grows little
grease wood. On either side, close at hand.
rise barren, stony hills, utterly destitute of
vestige Of vegetation, but showing SEM
blances of turrets and castles, the winds
and waters Of bygone days having worn
them into those fantastic forms which the
early explorers generalized under the names
n IN fayu
this stony desolation that involuntarily
suggests the thought that it is made ND Of
waste and refuse left over from the habit
able parts OF the world at the time of crea-
ton, l am tempted TO take back all said
little while ago aspersive OF the greasy
plains of Colorado. That section was
Garden OF Eden compared with this. Ard
certainly nothing worse than this can be
found outside of Dante's Inferno"
At Green River, so called because nothing
green grows there and there is no river in
sight, We enjoy some more switching. A
member OF the same family as the Pueblo
man was al the throttle, and as ii was in the
middle OF the day got a fair idea OF how
the b0mbarding was done. The secret of
the whole thing lay in making flying
switches and sending stray cars off at
lively speed TO hit as hard as they might
anywhere among yard full. One of these
runaways struck No. 80, 400 just amidships
and knocked me clean up from my chair
giving me the queer sensation Of flying of
into space.
Everything went smoothly now until
Ogden was reached, where days lay.o over.
waiting for the through overland freight
for Frisco. proved both pleasant and annoy
ing. Paradoxical. it is true. A trip out to
the hot springs. nine miles north, where on
the borders of the great Salt Lake, auid
salt as the sea gushes out at a temperature
OF 132 deg. and fills tanks and tubs. was de-
lightful, especially the two hours spent In
the great swimming pool, 100 by 80 feet in
area. albeit L emerged with the cutic!e
nearly burned from my face. When began
to hunt for my special and found that. after
beng shunted back ard forth all day be-
tween the Union Pacific and Southern Pa
cifc. Ii was now condemned as in 'Dad
order" and i must await its repair.
1t was Sunday, but found the railroad
officials very obliging and ready to do all in
their power 10 hurry up the repairs, which
consisted in putting several new wheels
under the car.
How soon can you put through this
jobP" / asked the Irish gentleman, who had
the work In charge.
"Oh, itll take coople OF hours" was the
answer. This was discouraging. but the
next question indicated o way to expedite
the work.
What bev We got in the joog there?'
Now the jug contained mineral water,
AID rather uDpalatable mineral water at
that. as was fain TO confess; but the cows
not having come home at Green River, l
was glad to get my bottle filled with brew
cry product which l hadn't found a very
acceptable substitute. Tastes differ. and
my friends speedily disposed of the contents
OF that bottle. Net result: The two-bour
Job was completed in forty-five minutes.
and was spared any further delay.
careful LOG" of the voyage thus far
showed that my special. attached every
where to the fastest freights. had averaged
eight miles an hour from Pueblo and Og-
den. Certainly the pony express. which
carried the overland mail in the days Of the
Argopauts, must have done better than
that.
For the rest Of the way our progress was
swifter. Wespun along down the 800 miles
the Central Pacific follows, the wlndlngs of
the Humboldt, at a schedule rate Of twenty
one miles an hour. aud on Tuesday noon
was enjoying the magnificent Sierra scenery
OF the Truckee Valley from the top OF a
frelgbt-car, making my entrance into the
Golden State a la brakeman.
Having expected something still grander
on crossing the range my disgust can be
Imagined when the afternoon was spent In
getting through the forty miles of snow
sheds that ornament this portion Of the
route and give the tourist aud tramp alike
such an unlimited opportunity to observe
hye-inch plank at close range.
And speaking of tranps. they often
seemed to drop from tho train like vermin
as we ran into citation. A goodly number
wanted me TO share my quarters with them,