Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-02-27


to Berkley to visit the State Univer-
sity This would not compare favor
ably with the Leland Stanford Jr.
University nor with some Of our older
colleges in the East. The next day
we started over the range, on our
eastern bound journey. We had a
novel experience in crossing the
Straits of Carquinez from Port Costa
to Benicia on the largest ferry boat
in the world This boat ca transport
fifty four loaded freight cars, and
consequently found no difficulty IN
bearing our entire train safely across
the straits In about twenty minutes
we resumed our journey by rail at
Benicia. Before we reach Sacramen-
to we cross belt of swampy country;
here the track is elevated above dan
ger floods by means of embankments,
then we cross the Sacramento river,
on bridge which spans it, six hundred
feet in length. We did not stop Off to
visit Sacramento, and as the most un-
satisfactory view of any city is OBJ
tained from the railroad, will make
no comments on what we did see, but
have no doubt we should have found
much to interest us in the capital city
of this remarkable state. Three miles
beyond the city we cross the Amerl-
can river and come into the region of
the plains. Here, broad expanses of
rolling country greet the eye, and
here are found some of the famous
wheat fields of the state.
The next scene of thrilling interest
was making the mountain pass called
rounding "Cape Horn" From the
solid roadway we pass to an en-
bankment, and from there to Rice's
Ravine, which is crossed by trestle
bridge 87S feet long and 113 feet in
height. AS we ascend, the roadway
just clings to the mountain side, with
a perpendicular wall climbing to the
clouds above and dropping to chasm
$500 feet below. Here the road was
carved from the solid rock, the work
men when building the same had to
be suspended from the cliff above un-
til they had blasted sufficient to gain
a foot hold Soon after crossing this
perilous place we come into view OF
the north fork of the North River
leaping in snowy cascade down the
mountain side, then to the north fork
Of the American river, which is seen
raging and foaming in it's rocky bed
4 Co. ha10
the track. Beyond this pass we come
come to a small place called Dutch
Flats, made historic by the men of '49,
for from here lies the stage route into
the mining regions where fabulous
fortunes were made.
AS we commenced the ascent of the
Sierra Nevada, fruit orchards in bloom
everywhere greeted the eye until we
reached an altitude of 5000 feet, when
the pink of the peach bloom blended
with the falling snow flakes. A
strange commingling of seasons 1t
seemed to US. [ heaved real sigh of
regret when the last blooming fruit
orchard faded from our view. They
had been such beautiful wayside COM
panions. We soon passed into forty
two miles of snow sheds, but through
the loop holes cut in the sides we had
| the most tantalizing glimpses of the
| beautiful mountain and lake scenery
, below When we reached summit,
| the highest railroad point on the ST.
erras, we were at an elevation of7,O17
| ft. From here ,travelers,i in the summer
time, can stop off and make tour of
this beautiful lake region, by stage.
Passengers going East can do this
and resume their journey by rail at
the foot of the mountain. Donner
! Lake. and Lake Tahoe are familiar to
many who have never crossed the ST.
erras, as they have been transferred
to canvas by some of our leading land
scape artists and many times copied
in print After passing Reno, thrift
ty looking town, we were oblivious to
our surroundings for time. and
awakened to find ourselves in the
Nevada desert. In the distance we
could see for many miles, mountain
peak rising abruptly from the plains
to the height of $500 feet. This was
fifty named Pilot Knob, for it served
as beacon in guiding the early emf
grant through the desert, knowing
that near it lay Humboldt Wells where
plenty of water and grass could be
obtained.
Soon after we pass into Utah, ,glimps-
es of the Great Salt Lake appear in
the distance Proceeding farther we