Connecticut western news., 1898-03-17
FEN ROUTE TO KLONDIKE.
Frank Emmons, Letter to the NEWS. The Trip From Great Harrington to San Francisco.

Tuesday morning. Feb 22l, 1898. at 9.14 a. m. we started from Great Bar rington, Mass ]. 6 party of four, consist ing of R. I. Taylor, Frank Emmons and Arthur Gleason of Great Harrington and Charley Abbott of Lee. We purchased our tickets of H. s. Thompson, the courteous station agent of the N. ' N. H. & H. R. R. at Great Burlington, who told us when we arrived in Washington the Pullman conductor would meet us at our train and conduct us to our sleepsr, which we found correct, as Harry Jones, our tourist conductor, did meet us and, not being able to secure good accommodations iu the sleeper, took us to the St. James Hotel and paid our expenses for the night. and right here let me say we found our conductor very courteous and this company re- fleets great credit upon itself by having such efficient men in its employ. We'd nesday forenoon we visited the White House. the Capitol, navy yard, Ford's theatre where Lincoln was shot, Wash ington monument and the Government buildings. At 11.15 8. m. we boarded our sleeper, which we found pretty closely packed, thers being 35 persons in all; party of l2 from Providence, R l., and vicinity, destined for Alaska, several other gentlemen travelling to different points in Cuba, and P. Van Valer of Hanford, Cal. with two lady friends. one being Miss Ray, whose pleasant ways and genial temperament added much sunshine to our delightful trip. Leaving Washington with its fine the Potomac and gre soon admiring the former residence of General Robt. E, Lee, whose memory is linked with our immortal Grant at Appomatox.
 Thursday morning we breakfasted at Montgomery, Ala, and at 30 D. m. stop at Scranton, Miss, where we lunch. seeing for the first time the Gulf of Mexico. At 930 p. m. we find our whole train being carried across the great Mississippi by ferry and ere we are aware of 1t we are gliding along Texas vast plains, where the palms mingle with the flowers in all these rich plains. The land is as level as far as the eye can reach. All a vast fruitful plain. From the trees hang brown moss that is col lected and used by upholsterers for making matressea, second only to curl ed hair. Over all these extensive plains large herds of cattle, horses, sheep and swine roam at will. At Housro we stop for lunch. At Galveston, with the mercury TO and with green lawns and flowers in full bloom, we think of summer in our old Berkshire homes At San Antonia, Friday at 6 p. m we took supper. This place is 5 900 feet above sea level. Through Texss we travel 952 miles, which territory was wrested from Mexico in 1885, and YVES made an independent state for ten years, but was annexed to the U ited States in 1845 Texas has many mem- ories, the first settlers being French, were expelled by Spain in 1921 Mexico threw oil the yoke of Spain and, Icing mostly settled by Americans aloI it's eastern border became province of the Republic. In '36 Texas declared her independence and in the war that followed the American Thermopyl@, Texas was declared part of the Great Republic.
 At Alpine, Saturday morning we stop ped 20 minutes for breakfast Just over the foot hills to the south is the Rio Grande. A little later we reach Paisano, the summit of an elevation of 6O82 feet above the sea. At g a. m. Sunday we cross the Pecus on steel bridge 2l80 feet long and 32l feet from the water, the highest bridge in Ameri- ca, and with one exception the highest in the world. At 1.19 D. m. we pass Malone, which station we pass three times ill our winding route in descend ing the Sierre Blanke range. We pass Fort Hancock with her red walls. Ap- proaching El Paso we see large peach or chards in full bloom. Here we stop 30 minutes and look over the fine town of l5 900 inhabitants. Five railroads ecu ter here. The Southern Pacific has it's car shops here. There is also smelt- ing furnace where gold is brought from Mexico and New Mexico. A refreshing breeze comes over the northern hills Here we cross the Rio Grsnde into New Mexico and rnsh along over vast stretch es of grazing land. upon winch the cattle of thousand hills roam at will and dot the plains. From these yards about 5000 carloads are shipped annually. Here the barrel cactus grow to the i'm mense sizs of IS inches at the base to 50 feet high. They stand out in the plain as sentiEels.
 At Deming five United States mar shals boarded our train No 20) heavily armed, each carrying double -barrelled buck-shot Winchester and, for closer range, two A calibre Colts revolvers, one on each side under loose coat which covered them from sight They circulate freely among tue passengers. but at least one never leaves the express car. Being unknown to the passengers 1t is safe to say not one in 50 suspects their identity. On this same train, Dec g, 1897, at Bensol. six robbers over. came the station agent, out the wires, and when No. 20 steamed in they jump ed aboard and but for the express mes- senger's quickness terrible robbery would have occurred. As it was the ex- press agent took in the situation. extin- guished the lights, seized his rifle and by we'll aimed bullet shot the leader dead and wounded a second man, while the other four took to their heels They were afterw ards captured and will soon be tried. Our marshals left us at Benson.
 At Maricopa the air is Hne. Eleva- ton 1173 feet above sea, clear Arizona weather. Phoenix, the capital, is noted for it's nice streets and hotels. The whole country is rich in minerals. For hundreds of miles this sandy country is being converted into hne agricultural lands by means of irrigation, this work being done by large irrigating compan- ies. whose tents dot the plains. At Yuma we have 20 minutes for lunch. Here we see luscious oranges hanging in the trees, large olesnders in full bloom, palm trees on every corRer, rosss.. lilies and other flowers at every turn. The Ynma or ztac Indiana xara hera