The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-26
THEY VISIT THE PRISON.
Shown All the Sights at the
State institution and
Surrounding
ENTERTAINED BY THE CITY.
A Hearty Welcome Extended by the
People With Flowers and
Good Fellowship.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, April 25.-Ove1
1900 people, including the veterans Of the
G. A. R. and its adjuncts, left Sacramento
this morning to visit the Folsom State
Prison. As the long train of twenty-one
passenger coaches wound slowly along the
river front and through the city's out
skirts, the occupants were greeted by a
genuine ovation by all the residents along
the track. Flags, hats, handkerchiefs and
aprons were waved from the windows OF
every. rose-embowered cottage in Joyous
welcome to the city's guests.
Rapidly the long train gained momen-
tum, and was soon swinging along at a
thirty-mile gait through the beautiful en-
virons OF the Sacramento Valley with its
long rows OF young grape vines Just burst
ing into foliage, orchards in full leaf and
literally covered with fruit, fields of
bearded barley that dipped and swayed in
the soft spring air, and in vivid contrast
the poppys' yellow cleaned like the pre-
cious dust that in the days of 40 called the
pioneer to endure the dangers of the long
trip across the plains or brave the fevers of
the isthmus; prosperous farm residences,
with huge implanted hopdriers looming
up in the back ground, and the American
River, with its border of delicate green
tracery.
Reaching Mills Station the train was de-
layed nearly an hour on account OF having
to pass a local freight train that generally
wanders along with but little regard to
timetable rules or regulations and has
gained for this branch line among railroad
hands the title of 1.-THE Cow Path" 1t
was fully II o'clock when the twenty-five
miles had been covered and the train
arrived at Folsom. Here the members OF
the G. a. r. were compelled to change
cars to reach the prison grounds, as the
curves are so abrupt on the piece OF track
owned by the State that it is not consid-
cred safe for the long passenger-coaches to
traverse it.
The excursionists were courteously re-
ceiyed by Captain Murphy of the prison
force and were directed to the various
points of interest. The huge granite dam
and power-house and the quarries, where
the transgressors of the laws of the State
are compelled to earn their daily rations
Of beans by unremittent toll, everything
of interest that they were allowed to in
spect could be seen in twenty minutes
time, and then small parties of picnickers,
who haa brought huge hampers of lunch,
perched on the granite fragments and en-
joyed themselves to the full extent of
their bent.
Large numbers walked to Folsom, where
they were accorded every courtesy and
a warm welcome from the residents of that
busting little community. The hotels
had made ample preparations, and for the
first time in years. No one was turned
away without having the wants of the
inner man fully provided. The citizens
pIucked huge masses of vari-colored
flowers from their gardens and distributed
them to all corners, and acted as guides
and historians among the active and the
deserted mining grounds.
Promptly at 4 O'Clock the shrill whistle
of the locomotives recalled the struggling
members OF the excursion, and the return
trip was made without accident.