The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1894-06-21
Letter from Judge KnudsOn

Having promised a number of my
friends to give an account of my
journey to Southern California I
thought would do so through the
columns of your paper if you will
kindly allow me space for same.
April 5th at 1:52 a. m. we boarded
the train at Heron Lake, taking the
night train SO as to make better con-
nections at Council Bluffs, which was
not any too good as we had to wait
from $40 a. m. to $40 p. m. This is
about as isolated place as you will
ever find for place of it's size, and
there is no place near where
person can buy any provisions or get
a meal except at the restaurant in
the depot where they charge robbers
prices; ten cents for cup of slop,
called coffee and everything else in
proportion. After a while we got an
opportunity to see the Pullman ticket
agent and after considerable party
ing secured sleeping berths; promptly
at $40 p. m. we were started on our
journey soon crossing the Big Muddy,
Missouri river, into the city of Omaha
and after few minutes pause we
bounded on over the Nebraska prair
les to Julesburg in the north east
corner of Colorado. then passing over
the Rocky Mt'ns; the scenery was un-
important, the highest point being
8247 feet, on which point monument
has been erected; from this point
with favorable atmosphere, Pixies
Peak is visible. We passed through
the whole of Wyoming from east to
west and saw nothing but black
tlmberless hills and deserts; the only
town of any importance being Chey-
enne. Old Laremine is also within
the boundry of this vast desert. We
next arrive at Ogden and are now in
the boundary of the once Mormon
dom; there was nothing very striking
about the city or the surrounding
country and as for the great salt lake
at this place it looks more like a
slough than lake and resembles
Devils lake in N. D. only it is not so
appropriately named. Leaving o.
den we soon reached the spot where
the golden spike was driven and are
here allowed to spy gilt iron spike,
substitute for the original one.
We now have before us Nevada from
norteast to western boundary which
is sandy and a dusty desert like
Wyoming. Fl. Reno is at the west
ern boundary. We now soon reach
the California line and begin climb
ing up the Sierrie Nevada Mt'ns. and
are soon in the snow covered peaks,
and begin to 60 through long snow
sheds which they tell us will take
two or three hours, it being about
bed time we retired to our humble
couches prepared for us by the cour-
teous Porter, one of Gains relatives.
Next morning on awakening we find
ourselves in the capitol city of the
Golden state. From the reports of
some we expected to see fog and
rain, but it's not SO. the atmosphere is
balmy and it is necessary to put out
the fire in the cars. The capitol city
is very fine place and I think it has
a very good climate. 1925 we are on
our way south to LosAngeles, our OBJ
jective point. and as we proceed south
it grows warmer, the thermometer
reaching as high as 80 degrees mid
day and we are getting farther out on
which seems to be a vast prairie which
is from sixty to two hundred miles
wide and about three hundred miles
long-quite valley. Nearly all along
we could see immense tracts of grapes
and other fruits; and we also pass
through numerous towns among
which was Stockton and Lodi, and
during the night we passed Bakers
field and the next morning about 600
we passed through tunnel and then
find ourselves west of the Coast Rg.
Minis. and in different climate,
the day before being scorching hot
and now we are 500 miles farther
south and yet it is cooler which de-
creases to about 20 degrees and at
mid day we find it about rs degrees
in Los Angeles. On the day of our
arrival, the city was decorated with
Spanish and American flags, a good
deal on the same order as the Nor
wegians do on the 18th of May. This