The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-07-03
CAME BY HAND CAR.
A Long, Wearing Ride From Tehsche
Pass.


A Long, Wearing Ride From rehachepi
Pass.
A hand car arrived in this city at S45
Sunday night from Mojave. 1t had seven
men on board and they were more dead
than alive. They left Mojave at 80 in
the morning and had therefore been at
the brakes for 134 hours, save for 80
minutes spent at Palmdsle for dinner.
The distance ia 102 miles and for up.
wards OF rs miles is over as hot and dis
agreeable a piece of road as can be
found in the state.
j. H. Mason, who was one OF the
number who made the journey, was
seen by q HERALD representative and
told an interesting and thrilling story of
his experience. He left Plumas county
last Tuesday Tor Ventura. The journey
was began on Wednesday from Sacra.
mento, by rail, where the first difficulty
WAS encountered. The regular train WAS
laid out because OF the Pullmans.
Finally local WAS sent out IN the even
ing. At Lathrop the passengers we're
put upon a mixed train for Fresno and
sent through in very fair time. At
Fresno, however, the train was
tied up and in order to proceed
MIR. Mason climbed aboard freight
train the following morning. This
train succeeded in getting as far as
Goshen, not far south of Fresno, whore
it too was laid out. Another freight.
train lett short while afterwards and
upon this the journey was continued.
AT Bakersfield the train was again
brought to dead standstlll, and prob
ably is still standing. The next morn
ing Mr.. Mason succeeded in getting on
another freight, one which had pre-
viously arrived at Bakersfield, and made
the journey as far as Mojave. He was
congrstulating himself on getting
through pretty well on his 500 mile
journey, when it was learned that the
train he came in on, and no other tram
for that matter, would be allowed to
continue. Friday and Saturday were
spent in the vain hope OF some relief
coming to them, but it did not come.
The only thing which did move was
hack load consisting OF four persons,
which started out for Los Angeles.
Finally on Saturday night hand car
came in from Tehachepi with Mr.. Stew
ems. an official OF the Southern Pacific
company whose home was in this city,
uHu dCCOIu pulcu ny u Iuhu lTUul
that district and two section bosses.
They remained all night and on Sunday
morning as they were starting for Los
Angeles Mason and two others begged
permission to take their chances with
lives began. The first 30 miles, to Palm
dale, was made by / clock. The dis
lance is nearly ell up hill, and for many
mi n n,h
the car. Arriving at the top OF the hill
the trip down through Soledad caiion
was hsade with comparative ease, bus
it was hard work most OF the way, par
ticulariy hard and severe to one
not used to the broiing-h hot Gun
of the desert over which they
had TO come. Aside from the stop
at Palmdale no other stop was made of
more than minute or two until San
Fernando station was reached Sunday
night. IL was very severe journey to
all concerned, and when MIR. Mason
staggered into the Holen beck last night
with thick coating of akali dirt upon
him he made q sorry spectacle.
In speaking OF the situation at Mojave
he ssid that nothing but freight trains
had arrived there. but by this means a
number OF passengers had congregated
in the hope to find some way to keep on
going. Two Pullman cas- we're side
tracked, in one of which was young
lady from Los Angeles, who was very
sick with typhoid fever. Her name
could not be learned. He thought if
provisions were not procured soon that
Mojave would shortly have famine, as
nearly everything had been exhausted
when he Left