Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1897-03-17
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.
A Journey Across the Continent
BY PIeasantviIIe Citizen.
~ y AlDLh L ENs

Los Angeles, Mar. 10th, 1897.
With Mr.. and Mrs. Andrus, newly
made acquaintances from Hackensack,
New Jersey, we started for a journey to
| Mount Lowe leaving Mrs. Lake behind,
| and in good hands, a lady acquain-
tance having discouraged her from tax
ing the trip. l was glad she was not
with us, for it is not desirable trip
for nervous person to take. We took
| the trolley route through Pasadena to
| Altadena, changed cars and gradually
ascended to the foot of Echo Mountain
| and Rubio Canyon. Here we took the
great cable incline, direct ascent of
400 feet in a distance of 5000 feet, to
the sumit of Echo Mountain. The car
is of peculiar construction, built in
three tiers, one above the other step
fashion. Each tier, or section, holds
about II persons. This car is hauled
up the almost perpendicular incline by a
wire rope that looks very frail to those
in the car, and on the strength of which
their life depends. Up, up, we go, with
no brake or other contrivance to hold
the car should the cable or machinery
break. Every one realizes the danger.
[ looked down and concluded if the
cable broke there would be no doctors
BILL and only one funeral for a shapeless
mass of human flesh. We heard many
regrets (more from men than women)
for undertaking such a perilous trip.
The men seemed to more fully realize
their danger. As we stepped from the
car at the summit, we all gave double
sigh of short relief, for the down passage
must soon be taken. We know of no
safe trail down. The summit of Echo
mountain is leveled and a neat hotel
built, and fine view of all the country
to the sea is had. Near by is mounted
the 100000 candle-power search light
that was on exhibition at the World
Fair. From its rays The Press can b
read 35 miles away and the light sef
$50 miles on the ocean. We boar
the electric car, and proceeded to Al
Tavern on the Mount Lowe road, W
is cut in the sides of the mountain;
winds around, back and forth, zig
for distance of four miles in whIcl
ascends 1000 feet. | asked the cS41
ductor "a jovial fellow" if he wasn't a
bit timid wnen be first came on the road.
He said he was out of job then, and
had not struck any other since. In some
places the track doubles and passes
above its self several times in making
the ascent The mountain sides are
very steep, and in The Canyons nearly
perpendicular. At one place a circular
bridge is built around rocky cliff. The
bottom of the Canyon, directly uader,
is nearly / 900 feet and the cracking of
the wheels as the car turns the sharp
curves is not soothing to the nervous.
safe arrival at Alpine TaverA causes
another sigh of relief, as nerves relax
their tension, and we stepped 1rUm the
car, to eat hearty meal of cOrned beef :
and cabbage and orange shOrt-cake, q
dessert was not familiar with in Jer-
sey, Two-thirds of the people went back
on the car without their dinners pre-
ferring to end the trip at once rather
than spend a few hours in this fine noun
tain resort. The attitude of Alpine
Tavern is 600 feet. 1t is a summer
hotel, but is patronized by tourists in
winter. 1t is of peculiar design, hav-s
ing been constructed to conform with
the romatic spot on which it stands.
The main floor is one large room, hav-
ing heavy girders OF Oregon pine finished
in natural color, resting on walls of
granite quarried from the road bed a
few yards away. Five large fire places
of the Long long ago." with their
smoulderiDg green log fires, serve to heat
the room. The centre OF main one Is IL
feet wide and feet high. Here the
guests ''in We olden style" eat, smoke.
and make merry, surrounded by live
oaks and mountain pine. Two OF the
latter measured each, over ID feet in
circumference. Squirrels were plenti-
full.
"And the little dog barked, at the
squirrel in the tree,
The squirrel chatted back "you can't
catch m, p
A wood-pecker picked for a worm in the
bark,
And on the snow covered brow, set
brown meadow lark"
From Alpine Tavern to the summit of
Mount Lowe, which is over 5000 feet
above the sea level, is three miles by
horseback and carriage. There being
much snow, sleighs were used. They
have no runners and the body slides on
the snow. After an exchange of snow
CONTINUED on Fourth paSs.)