Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1899-05-04

i TO west the traveller - treated 20 many
varieties of scenery. As be starts from
Baltimore on the 4:s5 p m train pleas
! ing panorama OF beautiful homes and
gardens and lakes passes before the eye.
Harrisburg. Pa, II reached at IT'S after
which night having closed in, natures
beauties are shut ont. Upon awakening
the next morning. We find ourselves in
Ohio. having run through Pittsburg ut
. m. Thursday ut 5 p m. We stop In
Chicago and have six hours to look into
the large, brilliantly lighted windows of
the business section. We have a few
minutes At Omaha on Friday afternoon
and breakfast in Denver, Colorado, on
Saturday.
Now begins Natures display of grand
scenery; the snow-capped mountains in
the distance heralding the fact that we
are about to enjoy the great pleasure of
Crossing the Rockiss" feel my incom-
potency here 20 do justice to the subject.
Let the reader picture to himself tower
ing cliffs on every hand the railroad
track beneath, running parallel to the
rushing stream which flows through the
canons; as one stands on. the back plat
form of the last car and looks up. noun
tains seem TO be moving. passing and re-
passing each other with graceful glide.
This interesting l. ION is produced by
the fsc. that our Train e constantly
rounding curves and thus mountain
peaks are ever whirling around each
other. Pixies Peak with It's hoary head
is conspicuous for some time, now COM
ing into view and then hiding again be-
hind It's companions. The Royal
Gorge Is the most noteworthy cut; here
the mountains walls are almost perpen-
dicular, for the train passes through
space so yards wide at the base, while
the width at the top is only 20 yards;
the height of these natural castles reach
ing at one place, it is said, 5000 feet
above the track.
Time and space will not permit full
description of all; suffice it to mention
the enchanting views at "Gienwood
Springs" at 0 p. m. Saturday where the
silent moon casts soft light upon the
surface of the charming lake; mountains
towering on either side, and on the
other shore the large hotel with its many
brilliantly illumined windows.
All the time we have been climbing
upward, upward. At Denver, Colorado,
we were 5197 feet above the level of the
sea; Palmer Lake. 1887; Cripple Creek,
9749; Leadville, 10000, and finally we
reached the highest point of the road at
Tennessee Pass, 1041S feet above tide
water. Some people are affected by the
rarity of air at this great height, but no
one in our car experienced any discom-
fort worth mentioning.
All this mountain beauty is followed
by the dreariness of the Great American
Desert in Nevada; fortunately for us
much of il is passed while we sleep-but
there is plenty left for daylight-miles
after miles of barren soil covered only
by worthless sage bush. Having left
the Rockies, we are next to ascend the
Sierra Nevada mountains not as high
nor as grand as the Rockies. We reach
the summit early Monday afternoon and
are rushed through long "snow sheds"
These are constructed of strong heavy
timber and are erected to shield the
track from snow ayalanches. helength
of these sheds ranges from 200 yards to
fifteen miles. The Sierras stretch out
over a great distance. During this time,
though it is early afternoon, we live in
twilight, for the light of the sun is but
sparingly admitted between the boards.
Upon reaching Wadsworth, Nevada,
we were treated to sight of many In
dams lounging around the r. II. station,
and it was quite amusing to see the
squaws trying to prevent tourists from
pointing their kodaks at the chubby
black-eyed papooses. We are hurried
ON across the mountains and now exper-
fence the unique sensation of passing
From cold winter to spring in one wonder
ful hour,
flower.
Yes, we had rushed through snow five
feet deep, but descending in California,
veritable paradise surrounded US; beau
tiful gardens and orchards on all sides
roses blooming in front yards and love-
ly yellow peoples skirting the track.
Indeed everything seems prosperous in
California; we had passed many houses
on the route but here we saw sweet
homes. Truly the residents of rural
California should be supremely happy.
Sacramento, the State Capital, was
reached about o'clock p. m. Oakland
at 10, and crossing the ferry we arrived
at our destination, San Francisco, about
IL p. m.
Perhaps / may be able to tell some.
thing of the city. % "Chinatown" and
wharves in next letter
JAMES l.. SMILEY.