The San Francisco call., 1897-11-07

There IS no road III the civilized world
which has so dreadful record as tnat long, hot
sandy wateriess way between una and San
Diego Each year il adds 10 its heightened tale
of victims and despite It's horrors there are men
foolish enough to attempt the journey in mid
summer. Prospectors, tramps, even working
men anxious to reach Arizona have essayed its
trials, and 1t has been more through sheer luck
than management endurance that have en-
abled them to make the trip III safety.
1t is indeed hideous way 1t is lined by
the whitened bones of many brave man. What
suffer rings have been endured on that road the
mind cannot imagine. What peculiar form of
insanity impels the man to the task armed
only with small caneen of water is incred Bile.
The man no has never experienced the heat OF
the desert during these days has conception
of it. Even where there running streams,
verdurous patches OF alfalfa and tall trees the
oppressive heat often compels men to abandon
anv kind of exertion. So what can the heat be
along a sandy strip by courtesy called a road
where there is neither water nor shade? This
year. on a north porch, which the sun has
never reached the thermometer has already
marked ia degrees: what then can the heat be
where the sun pours his powers without the in
tervention of fee bic leaf TO shield the Wayfarer
from his all burning rays2
The tramps which infest these roads are of
quite different genus to that of which Josiah
Flint writes feelingly. The Wandering
Willies" and "Prooshuns' which haunt tie Cit
les are of a very different stamp TO the poor
wretches who here meet DEATH for 1t may be
acce pied as an axiom that he who attempts to
walk from San Diego to Yuma in summer will
never reach the river"
You may tell these men of many instances
where men have died the most terrible of deaths
and they will laugh at you. But this is not true
Tne average tramp never laughs. He simply
smiles at you the smile of supreme contempt.
What can you know of danger, you who ride in
railroad cars and Pullmans? Have we not faced
danger on the dusty track, before the wild and
sagacous bulldog over the deadly pie OF the
section mans wife, IN front of the brisk brake
man with a snort hose, and the brutal conductor?
Even we have faced the baleful glitter of the
eyes of that stalwart specimen of manhood, Mr.
Roadmaster Burr of Yuma. What then do We
care for the dangers OF the Yuma road
Something akin to pity surges through the
heart at the sight of these men. desire-a
keen one-to lift the veil of their impenetra biIty
and see into the motives that compel these
Ishmaelites to undertake such hardships There
NAV be glamour about the existence OF tramp,
where the journeyings back and forth are tn rough
pleasant PAGES, in and out of big towns and
graceful villages but there can be none when
the walk Is over the garlug sands of the Colo
rado Desert.
One day peculiarly villainous specimen of
the genus tramp camein TO Salton. His gar
ments were few-a rimless hat, pair of torn
overalls and a red shirt. His eyes bulged from
their sockets and appeared to be resting on the
cheeks by thin red igaments; his lips were cut
an blood oozed from the cracks. There
oil ier blood the chin, which had dried and
baked into Jumps like freshly squeezed opium.