Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-09-02
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.
Something About the Trip--by Washing
ton County Young Lady.

never seen one. We. from the platform
on the train, saw the grand and beau
tiful Mississippi River at Memphis.
We enjoyed the Missouri plains and
had the pleasure OF seeing the beautiful
apple orchards near the town of Cal ool,
Missouri. But we did not see the Dove
families, who live in Cabool, and who
used to gladden. their many friends in
Tennessee with description Of the
land OF the red apple. Coming to Kan
sas City we find it is city of hills and
BLUFFS. II was fTst landing piacs for
river steam boats, and was known as
'Vestport landing. The first stock OF
goods was thus landedin 1884. Kan
sas comprises an area Of $1,000 square
miles. Its length is 408 miles and its
breadth is 20S miles. 1t can not boast
of mountains nor much timber. Pro.
gressing westward the amount of rain
falls and streams decrease very greatly.
Kansas is land of pretty towns. We
were struck with the beautiful fields of
corn in the region just after leaving
TOpeka. The first place of interest
after leaving Topeka is Emporia; the
State Normal is visible from trains at
this place. The school has 200 stu
dents. Leaving Kansas we came to
Colorado. We learn that the first
American explorer was Zebulon NJ.
Pike. who came here in 1906 and gave
his name to great mountain peak whose
summit he vainly attempted to reach.
Colorado is divided into plains, foot.
hills and the ranges Of the Rocky
Mountains. They are treeless save
along the waters edge. To those who
who have never seen the barren noun.
tains In the western part of the United
States it is of great interest. After
reaching Colorado we we see no noun
tains except those whichlook as il they
were only solid mass Of rock. Pass
ing through the plains in Colorado we
saw little villages of Indian houses
called adobe houses, they are built of
mud and many Of them remind US OF
our hogpens in the east, with reference
tn size. lii miles west of ST. Louis is
little town In Colorado called Trinidad.
tits beautifully environed by mountain
scenery. Going west on the right 10
fiat topped peak known as Fishers
Peak. 1t Is several hundred feet high.
Upon lite top party of pioneers were
beseiged by Indians in the early days
and one of the survivors chose to be
buried there. Many years after this
when his time came to die, he was
buried here. A rude monument sur
mounts Simpsons rest, and may be
seen from the station above named.
Fifteen miles beyond this place is
Rattan Pass, which is at an altitude of
1899 feet; the entire ascent affords a
series Of exhilerating views The road
is tortuous and the pace is slow, two
heavy locomotives being required to
haul the train and during our ascent
we passed freight train being pulled
by three engines. 1t took us about
eight minutes to run one mile. The
Rattan tunnel is 2,0l1 feet and lies
just In the State of New Mexico.
Mexico, the oldest existing civilization
In the United States affords lot of
interest to an easterner. The Mexican
villages built of adobe give novel
interest. 1t is either built around
square or Is modification of that archi.
tectural plan. The adobe is bricks of
clay mixed with straw and dried in the
sun. The floors and roofs are of earth.
II is the house of the country, and we
are told they are extremely tidy. We
learn also that the Mexicans are cour-
teous, kind and intelligent. They pre-
fer to till the soil as did their grand
fathers before them. After these viii
lagos comes another mountain pass,
known as Glorietta. I learned this is
very picturesque, but we passed this
point in the night, hence we missed
the mountain scenery at Glorietta. Here
while we were sleeping we passed under
ground distance of thirty miles. For
several miles in Mexico we beheld lava
beds which arc like the flow of river
Winegate, a little town in Mexico, has
an altitude Of 8,736 feet. South of here
at distance Of three miles is garri
son of 800 soldiers. It is called the
Pueblo of Zuni. Coming to the terri.
tory of Arizona we find the further
westward we go the greater difference
we find to our eastern lands. An
easterner feels as though there is little
chance for life 10 the great deserts of
Arizona. 1t is land of high plains,
rich vallies, pine parks, towering noun.
tains, tremendous chasms, burned out
vocanoes, lava beds and deserts. It
is marvel Of geological revelation.
Unparalleled gashes rend the earth
more than mile deep and many hun.
dred miles long flour train had been
wrecked while passing over these can
yons we could not haye realized the
terror in this life. The deserts In Ari-
zona are neither monotonous nor life
less. For many miles over the plains