The record-union., 1893-06-10
OFF TO CHICAGO.
"Di Vernon's" Trip TO the Great
Worlds Fair.
something About the Journey and
Sights and Scenes on
the Way.

event in the worlds history ever attracted
so much attention as the Columbian Elk
position.
Livery person who keeps abreast of the
times must long to take advantage of
this wonderful opportunity to study the
progress Of the world. Those who can
not go do well to affect an indifference, if
1t be any balm to disappointed hopes. but
as for rs who are on the ground, there
Is nothing to say except Il am glad
came"
For some little time after the opening
Of the fair Californians waited for the de-
clared chaos to give place TO order before
they sailed forth. Many waited for the
school vacations to begin, especially San
tranciscans, many of whom desired to
take advantage of the excursions that
were being arranged tor the teachers and
their friends.
The San Francisco schools closed May
10Th. The eastward train that night car
rled hosts of Would-be Worlds Fair
visitors. SO did those starting out the
next morning. The o'clock boat was
crowded. Men, women and children,
Ola maids, young maids, thronged the
ferry. and not a few had started so early
that they We're glad to take breakfast in
The restaurant between decks.
l am a Californian, therefore 1 must
not allow myself to attempt to describe
the scenery along the route from the
Oakland mole to Truckee, for my love for |
the Golden State, my pride, my eXulting
IN her beauties will lead 10 too great |
length. The route is one series of beauti- |
ful pictures.
rs often as | cross from Port Costa and
Benlcla cannot lose my sense of awe and
Wonderment at the mighty, majestic
Solano that bears upon its broad body
the heavy trir,la of W Cal
1ornlans are accused of dealing exclu-
slvely in superlatives. Well, we have
the right. In this case the Solano is the
largest terry-boat i'll the whole world.
Cape horn IS a magnificent sight. l
can see 1t yet What fun to pass through
the snow-cOvered country after leaving
the waving grain fields nearer home. Not
a Jew OF us INDUCED in snow balling with
considerable zest.
1t Is delight to reach a station to step |
out and walk along the platform to meet |
the friends III the next car. But it is not |
always safe 10 get too far away from ones !
own car, because one might have the un-
pleasant experience Of getting left. Some
dld on our train.
1t was in accordance with a deep purpose
IN the heart of nature that she placed the
dull stretch of Nevada's sagebrush so
close TO the garden spot Of the earth, for
by forcing so strong a contrast nature
made California hold winning hand,
MANU- llll Ol IluSneS at every turn. I tan
IS deSOIatlOn as far as the eye can reach !
We San Frauciscans, who live on ozone |
1elt grateful to the salt air that blew over
us from the Great salt Lake; it revived /
rs; it was suggestion of home.
Wo never tired Of looking at the lake. |
l wish could have seen it from Salt |
lake City. They say the bathing is |
something superb from Garfield Beach, !
one of the Union Pacific conductors said |
~ me: - ou ought to 60 there. Why, |
think there is no grander sight in the |
world than Salt Lake" He was so polite: |
he had devoted so much time in pointing
out the beauties and notable points on the |
picturesque Union Pacific route that l |
did not have the heart to tell him that it
could not equal the ocean.
But all travellers are proverbially ieal- !
Gus for the charms of their own homes |
Californian carries this popularity to F!
the extreme. l said no word, though. But /
1 thought of our beautiful san Francisco |
Bay. l thought of our grand Pacific |
Ocean, with its breakers and its beaches !
at Santa Cruz its surf-beaten rocks at |
Cypress Point and Monterey. l thought |
OF the storm-bound coast of Point Reyes |
thought of our glorious Golden Gate, |
and smiled happy smile of content. |
The conductor had never been to San |
Francisco. | advised him to go. He |
thought he would, via Portland and the |
Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean.
l smiled again. You will see some |
thing to remember" said l; but | suppose
he'll be true 10 Salt Lake, after all.
At Ogden, we had changed our
watches, set them ahead an hour. We !
did the same at Omaha; it seemed so |
strange to the novices in travelling. At |
Sydney we saw soldiers; many OF them |
were full-blooded Sioux. An old scout, |
with triangular holes cut out OF his ear |
lObes, regarded me with so benign an |
expression that | ventured to address |
him, but found he could speak no Eng
Hsh. He seemed to understand when a
soldier told US that he was an old scout
who had magnificent record.
1t was a novel experience to climb to
the nights of mountain ranges, to spin
through mountain detiles, to follow the |
course OF rapid rivers, to stand on the |
rear platform and look up, up, up, and |
see the rugged rocks flung against the |
sky as if giant builders in sport had |
heaved great powders one upon the other |
TO rear strange monuments to a bygone |
age OF the world.
We saw the DEVILS Slide, a curious for |
nation that looks like a deep gorge be- |
tween two high walls of rock. We saw
the great bowlder where Brigham Young |
preached his first sermon in Utah. We |
saw the mountains take weird shapes in |
the moonlight. Palaces, castles, turrets |
and towers doomed up before us and van
ished from sight as we sped along.
The farming lands of Wyoming, Ne |
braska and Iowa are beautiful TO the eve |
and to Californian, who knows what is
meant by our dry season." the bright. |
clean, greenness of trees and fields is a !
most attractive sight.
/ must not forget to mention the Dig
ger Indians that we saw in Nevada, nor |
how proud they were of their funny little |
papoOses, strapped to a small ironing
board, like an upright hooded cradle |
For Il nickel the mother would raise the
cloth that hung down in front and let one
have a tiny peep at the youngster.
The further away we go from San Fran
cisco the more are we Impressed with the
depots, the train buildings, the under
ground ways, the bridges that bow over
the tracks Tor wagons and foot passen-
gers.
The Missouri is a grand sight-so ia the
Mississippi. OF course neither one can
come up TO the Columbia, but here they
do very well.
Only traveller knows with what inn
patience the inmates of a car await their
arrival in the place OF their destination.
We were so restless before we reached
Chicago. Some Of the passengers got up
at o'clock in the morning. AT last
we reached the great city. | am pre-
pared to admit it is a great city. Such
tall buildings, so much hurry and haste
and rush. If one wants to ask 0irec-
ton. even if you face q man you have got
TO turn and run alongside of him to put
your question 10 him and he will answer
1t without arresting his pace.
In the stores the people walk right over
one. l did not know before that CalifOr-
mans were as courteous as they really
are. Chicago is q city OF tremendous dis