Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-08-13


has been told in prose and poem by
those who have right to claim the
best knowledge Of it; those who toiled
over the plains driving oxen in spans,
which pulled great caravans of freight;
those who hopefully bore the heat and
burden of the day, buoyed up and en-
couraged by the hope Of an Ell Dorado
in the mountains of the west-great,
noble hearted men who sought in the
glorious west the reward which seemed
never to come near their doors in the
populous east. They were brave, and
kindhearted, bold and gentle, and the
writer loves to dwell on their advent
ures and depict their hair-breadth
escapes and tell Of their hopes and their
ppointments. In one sense theirs
is the story Of the lives of many who
read, and a chord of sympathy is
touched by the skillful telling of the
story. Everyone who has read these
tales of the west has felt an instructive
desire to see the spots, hallowed at
least in memory by some story, which
has served to pass an hour away; and
each one has longed for an opportunity
Those Of the present day have the best
of the earlier members of this mutual
admiration society, for they can now
make the trip in comfort, free from
peril, and surrounded by all the luxu-
ries incident to modern travel. Instead
of toiling over the calcined track OF
those who preceded them the traveller
Of the day simply selects "The Over
land Route" the Union Pacific system,
and, as much at home as though in
the quiet of some New England village,
glides swiftly over splendid roadbed
and allows his eyes to feast on the mag
nificent scenery afforded.
The route through Kansas is a varied
scene of thrift and growing greatness,
agriculturally, and when night has low
cred her shades and the hours of rest
are passed, the grander beauties of the
Rocky Mountains are in view, and one
instinctively prepares himself to drink
in the wonders which nature has strewn
in profligate plenty within touch, al
most, of the passing train. From Den
yer to Cheyenne there is spread a
panorama of hills and fields, dashing
rivers "and the complaining brooks
that made the meadows green" and
mountains whose snow-capped tops
seem to reach to the very skies and
mingle their glistening peaks amid the
shadowy clouds. The highest point on
this Overland Route" across the con-
tinent is 8,247 feet, at Sherman; hence
those who fear the results of great al
titudes are relieved Of that apprehen-
sion, as very little difficulty is expert
enoed. One Of the wonders of the
American continent, artificial but in
teresting, is the Ames monument,
erected in remembrance of the work
done by Mr.. Ames in connection with
the building Of this great east and west
artery of commerce and which reminds
one of the Pyramids of Egypt, and
makes one wonder whether they, too,
commemorated ability and power as
well as served to keep the sacred re-
mains of their projectors. The Dale
creek bridge is another magnificent
specimen of human skill, and one COM
pares the handiwork of man with that
of nature, which all around vies with it.
While the route just described has
been through Colorado, Wyoming, Ida
no and the northwest, have not been
unmindful Of still another pleasant
journey which every traveller through
the west should take, viz: Utah, Nevada
and California to Portland, Oregon.
On this trip the Sacramento valley is
traversed it's entire length, much of 1t
being oaked like an English park and
at certain seasons no Persian tapestry
can rival it's wild flower beauty. The
trip to Redding for eighty miles along
the Upper Sacramento is made con-
slant delight by aromatic conifers,
beautiful wild flowers and the musical
waters of the river; thence passing
Castle Brags, Soda Springs is soon
reached, where the train stops for few
minutes that tests may be made of Ma
lures laboratory skill. Bottles and jugs
are here used by experienced travellers
for future refreshment. One of the
most notable features of this interest
ing route is Mount Shasta, 1898 miles
from San Francisco on the line of the
Southern Pacific Co., connecting San
Francisco with Portland. The sail
bay station at Sisson stands on one of
it's buttresses and the summit, 14,444
feet above the ocean level, is unveiled.
with nothing to mar it's transcendent
vision. 1t is trip which everyone
should take varying the climate, the
altitude, and general environments of
business and care, and 1t can be taken
so comfortably and at such reasonable
expense, in the splendid cars of the
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