The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1899-10-07
Wv ROUTE oveR rHE sIERRAs

=
Of the United States, attracted By tn
remarkable climatic and health condi-
tions. visit Southern California, the
region Of perpetual spring. flowers and
fruits. In their journeylng they are
unmindfuI Of the fact that there are
other sections Of this great state that
are In many respects as attractive ano
In some more interesting than are
found along the beaten paths.
The writer and q companion had the
pleasure OF venturing during the heat
ed portion Of the past summer into
one of the remote sections Of Califor-
mia and by a happy chance Toasted up
/ on the delights Of the mountain
heights Of the Sierra Neyadas.
In passing It must be acknowledged
that the Southern Pacific Railway Co.
has shown a wonderful amount c. fore
highway heretofore known as the Gen.
tral Pacific. Mr.. Huntington and his
colleagues have been steadfast In their
confidence In the future Of this great
road and have veritably startled the
financial world by perfor. ming the al
most incredible task Of redeeming this
great property from the burden of the
mortgage held by the United States
The passenger department of this
road as well as its freight has respond
ed finely to the able management OF
Mr.. Mccormack, who accomplished the
great work of building up the Big Four
for the vanderbilts. and demonstrated
to the world that he was an organizer
Of the highest ability.
At Reno our party, by q happy
thought, concluded to try a new route
to the mountain district Of the Gold
en- State. and through the courtesy Of
Mr.. e. Gest, manager, and Mr.. r. R
Lewis, general ticket agent, had the
pleasure OF travelling over the new line
Of railroad now being rapidly built
northward to and into Oregon, namely.
the California, Nevada and Oregon
Railway. We rode northward over
mountain spur, from whence magnih-
cent view Of the beautiful city Of
Reno is had, into and up Long Valley.
q great and prosperous pastoral re-
gion- This road has q large and in
creasing trafic in stock and merchan-
disc and when extended will open up
and develop a fertile agricultural and
an extensive mineral region In the
north. --H-
At Plumas Junction we changed cars
to the Sierra Valleys Railway, and
crossed the Sierra Nevada Mountain
divide over Beckwith Pass. and enter
ed the interesting and prosperous
Feather Valley.
This pass, the most feasible railway
route over this great mountain range.
a but $500 feet above sea level, and Is
traversed with the lowest grades OF
any Of the mountain passes OF this or
any other mountain range in the Unit
ed States. II seems astonishing that
this natural road over the range should
have been passed over by the projec-
tors Of the trans-continental railways.
The pass is almost entirely free from
snow, is not exposed to driving storms,
can be approached both from the east
and west by easy and natural grades
and admits one at once to q veritable
Eden.
The Feather River Valley Is q well
developed and attractive country and
seems formed by nature for a great
railroad highway. By gradual de-
scent from the headwaters Of the river
one Is conducted down into the great
Sacramento Valley at Oroville, whence
San Francisco harbor Is easily Access
sibie.
The country Is fairly teeming with
resources and with the requisite capt.
tai viii respond to the enterprise Of
man and yield him wealth like that
flowing from Aladdin's lamp.
After lying vacant for many years.
almost Stunned by man in his blind
ness and perversity. II remained for
Mr.. e. G. Bowen Of San Francisco to
take the one all important step Of
building q railway over Beckwith Pass
into this magnificent valley. II was
rare stroke of enterprise, and upon the
extension of the road down the valley
viii yield q splendid and permanent
return To this enterprising man. The
railway is now completed to Clairs-
Vile, Plumas County, California, thirty
miles west of Plumas Junction, and n
already developing fine traffic.
The road Is managed by Mr.. Albert
Smith Of Clairsville, thoroughly pop
ular man, who appreciates the needs Of
the country, has unbounded confidence
in its future and has the ability to 30
conduct the road as TO foster its mate
rial growth.
The contrast between the old meth
DDS Of gaining access to the world and
the modern railway Is too well seen By
the people of this section to in
duce them to do anything other
than foster the influence that has con-
tributed so much to their well being.
Mr.. Smith and his able coadjutor, Mr..
Geo. T. Holman, conductor and train
manager, are well known to their
patrons and are universally esteemed
and respected
In 1919 California gained the SOU
briquet Of the Golden State, but Of late
years has had to share the honor of
producing the standard Of monetary
value with Colorado, Montana and 9TH |
- states, which have latterly attract
cd 80 much attention by the stream of
golden wealth they have poured into
the business world.
California has since then digressed
into the field Of agriculture and horti- |