The record-union., 1892-06-25
IN BEAUTIFUL SACRAMENTO"
IAN Ideal Day in the Capital City of
California"
Under Those Headings a Mississippi
Girl Tells Of Her Visit to This
City in May.

The author of the following sketch is q
handsome young Southern woman of the
Mississippi delegation in the late Ma
tional Editorial Excursion. In Southern
California the Sacramento advance COM
mittee fell in with the Southerners and a
cordial and merry acquaintance sprang
up, in the course of which and humorous
banter about the Gulf States and the
Pacific States, the Mississippians gall
lantly pledged themselves to leave one of
their young ladies in California as type
of Southern grace and comeiness, pro-
vided that the Sacramento committee
would agree TO furnish her with hus-
band, backed by youth, an orange
grove, gold mine or bank.
The Sacramentans, not TO be oHtdone,
promptly accepted the offer. and agreed
to bring out wen-known bachelor
banker so soon as the train arrived in
this city. The young lady bargained for
in this merry strain entered into the
scheme with great spirit and wit.
But human hopes are oft fated to de-
feat. When the Sacramentans arrived
at home with their guests the bachelor
banker could not be found, and the merry
Mississippians to the last insisted that
Sacramento dare not attempt to produce
a match Tor their handsome representa-
tive. This young lady, Miss Chalmers,
has written in the Jackson Miss
Clarion chatty account of the visit to
Sacramento, which is given below. OF the
group Miss Power, daughter of one Of
the editors of the Clarion, is contributing
to the same journal a series of thoughtful.
critical articles on California, as seen by
the Mississippi party. Her papers are, says
the Clarion, TO be carefully revised and
printed in pamphlet form for circula-
tion," evidently for the purpose of in
spring Mississlppians to greater energy
and home effort, since the letters draw
some strong comparisons between the
push and hustle and industry the writer
observed here and the listlessness, want
OF faith in their State, aIeleSsness as to
appearances and failure TO avail of nat
ural advantages, charged against the
rural residents of the Gulf State.
In short, the papers, which testify to
tine observant powers, appear to be in
tended TO show the people Of Mississippi
that while they have soil fertile beyond
realization, section capable of yield
equal to that Of much of California, the
State is unfortunately fifty years behind
California in enterprise and improve
ment OF natural advantages, solely be-
cause the people lack in energy, win to
do and ambition to achieve.
Miss Chalmers running sketch re-
fered to is as follows:
Our next stop of importance was at
Sacramento, and be assured it was a most
important one. Little did | think, when
] used to sit swinging my restless feet
from the high bench at 'Fairlawn," with
my little third geography on my knees,
my fingers over my ears, and every en-
ergy, mental and physical, bent on learn
ing to say in the most approved sing
song fashion "Sac-ra- men-to, on the Sac
al a n-fA nr hot CHI .,1I
spend so charming day within the linn
It's OF CaIltornIa's beautiful Capital City.
But so 1t was, and / think the good angel
who stood by those hot summer days and
watched me, as | struggled over the hard
words and against my desire to be max
ing clover-chains out in the sweet May
weather, must have held this day in wait
ing to reward me. For that he has my
thanks, and also for the friend we found
awaiting us when we reached there. Sac
ramento, as city, left nothing undone
that could possibly conduce to the pleas
ure of her guests. Her treatment of the
strangers within her gates was such as
honored guests might expect from graz
clous daughter in her fathers home
whole-souled, cordial and courteous, in
the desire to honor both guest and host.
This was the city in which the editors
were not allowed TO pay for anything,
and they were not asked to take it ont
in Advertising" either. They had no
speeches inflicted upon them, nor did
they have to tear their hair and roll their
eyes in a mad effort to find suitable
language in which to express ETC., etc.
The city threw wide her gates and babe
us enter in. The street cars were at our
service; private carriages, driven by rep
resentative citizens, awaited us at every
corner; the service of the handsomest
hotels was at our command, and even the
children on the streets seemed glad that
we had come. 1t fell to our pleasant lot to
be taken charge of by Mr.. Weinstock, who
is not only one of the most progressive
young business men of the West. but
man Of the broadcast culture to be OBJ
tanned from knowledge of books, of peo-
pie and of affairs in general. Under his
guidance we visited the American dam
and the State Prison at Folsom. More
like some castle Of ancient story is this
beautiful structure OF granite, with its un-
limited slope of velvety lawn, its mass of
gorgeous bloom and it's picturesque
watch towers dotted about on the hills.
Not a trace of the tragedy within it's walls
could be seen from the outside. The
great rock quarries, where the convicts
usually work, were silent: thousands of
roses nodded their heavy heads sIeepily
in the heat, and the musical fall of the
water, as il rushed over the rocks and
down into the bed of the river, gave
Sabbath-like stiffness to the scene, which
was only broken by some weary editor
who, tinding the heat of the sun and
rocks too much for even his well-seasoned
frame, fell by the wayside, and wondered
''if Hades was hotter than this"
Being luckier than the men, in that |
had some one to carry my umbrella, |
toiled up the great flight Of stone steps
and into this most marvelously kept
prison. The floors, the walls, the roof,
look as II they were waXed and polished
ualIy. Their system of OUardinr y11l1ct
be perfect, for at every turn, inside and
out, we were confronted by an armed
sergeant, with "eyes front,p and gun
ready for action. The prisoners have a
recreation hall, reading-room and an
lnhrmary, and some of them seemed to
ENJOY lie. l stood and watched them
with interest, but it gave me queer, un-
canny feeling to walk down the cell
corridors. The great, heavy iron doors
Were bolted and locked, and bolted again.
and no matter where I turned / saw ewes
cleaning through the narrow slit in the
door. Eyes of every hue and of every
expressions; eyes through whose weary
depths one could read a sadder tale than
ever was written by pen, and eyes whose
every glance chilled ones blood, so
lraught was it with deviltry. Some of
the most desperate men in the catalogue
OF crime are hidden behind those bars.
AS we We're leaving the prison that even
ing, the Gatllng guns, which seemed to
our startled ears TO be thick as leaves in
NaIambrosa, gave an exhibition drill"
FROM every guaTd-houSe the guns poured
forth their deadly rattle, demonstrating
,he tact that prisoner from Folsom
would have 70 beat the jackson Rapid
Transit. If he hoped to get out alive.
trom the manner in which the editors
hustled" and rolled over each other and
down the bank at the first rattle of the
guns, l think some of them must have