The Press., 1896-04-09

rest of it is beautified bv trees, shrubs and flowers in great abundance and such as grow rapidly in that climate.
 Out in the ocean from this point are several rock islands that are known as the Seal Rocks. On these rocks may all ways be found large number of hair seals of the Pacific. They are great heavy, clumsy animals on land but alert and graceful in the water. In the garden on the Point quail abound in great abund- ance.
 Starting now from the business part of the city, at the wharves on the bay, we may take ferry and reach the lines of railway centering at Oakland on the east side of the bay and directly across it from the city.
 On the morning of the 18th of February ferry to Oakland, there taking the rail road to Benicia, military station of the | U. s. government at the northeast end of the bay, and where the united rivers, the Sacramento and the San Joaquin, come into the bay. Here I stopped for day, my purpose being to visit an old school mate, one known to all boys and girls who attended the White Birch school house at Ashford, Connecticut in the early '3O's. This old school-mate I had not seen in over fifty years. had learned she was still living, and was at Benicia. Arriving there, left my satchel at the hotel, and, after inquiring, started for her residence. readily found her. She is a lady in her seventy-eighth year, living quietly and very oomfo1 tably in her home at Benicia with her husband, who is now eighty-four years old, and with her chil- dren. She has raised a family of four daughters and one son. One daughter has passed on to the beyond, leaving four children with the grandmother to be looked after. Another daughter is widow ed and living with and caring for the father and mother. Still another is liv- ing in the village surrounded by family of children. The fourth daughter is in Europe, perfecting herself in some branch es for more advanced work in her line, which is that of teaching. The son is q young man in business in the village. 1 found also here a young man by the name of Horton, who is grandson of cur old time friend, Daniel Bartlett. This lady friend whom I visited, when girl was known as Jane Howard she is now Mrs. Garretson. found her we'll, cheerful and happy, and as good talker as she was in her youthful days. All day long she chat ted and inquired for old-time friends, some of whom she had not seen in sixty years. She went to California at an cary day when it was essential to cross the ist hmus, long before the days of Pacific railway. She has been there ever since, and has never visited the home of her youth since going there.
 On the evening of February 18th, a little before o'clock stepped on board the sleeper on the Central Pacific headed eastward, and did not leave it until reached Chicago.
 Leaving Benicia by night, necessarily came through the valley of the Sacramento by night and so saw little and can say nothing of it.
 Early on the morning of the 20th. of February was at Truckee, in the eastern part of California, having, during the night, past over the Sierra Nevada range of the mountains and thu Ough the thirty or forty miles of snow-sbed on therailroad through the mountains. Early in the forenoon we entered the valley of the Truckee River and all day and all the night following were in the valley of that river and that of the Humboldt entirely through the state of Nevada, reaching Ogden in Utah on the morning of the 21st. Nearly all the way through the state of Nevada the railroad runs through wide valleys. The soil looks good but the plains. On the 21th. we started eastward from Ogden, seeing more snow duri lg the first half of the day on the hills and in the valleys than we had seen before in all our trips.
 At early night-fall on the 21st. we reached what is known, as the "Continen- tai Divide" in Wyoming, and at o'clock in the evening past the town of Sherman, the highest point on the trip. From Sherman, we are on the down grade run ming down the Platte River Valley, and reached Omaha about night-fall on the 22nd. Again crossing the Missouri, dur Ing the night, our line is cross the states of Iowa and Illinois.
 Early in the morning of the 23rd. we reached Chicago and on the following day reached home "sweet home" On all this trip in going, and until left Los Angeles I was accompanied by my old partner Capt. R. J. Chase. He is much accus- toned to travelling and made very help full and interesting companion.
 Thus ends another trip of my life, and on this trip, have journeyed about six thousand miles. To say that it has been full of interest and delightful at every turn, does not half express it. I have dic- tated this letter and addressed it to many, because I have not the time to write to each of you separately.
 J. H. CARPENTER.
 THE DIcCOvFpv SAvE0 HIc TIEr Mir