Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-05-03
Vine Thousand MiIes orerInnd.

/ Col. r. j. Kimball was in town from
Saturday until Tuesday. Next week
with members OF bis family, he Will CONF
to occupy Montague place for the sum.
mer.
/ At the HERALD's request. Col. Kimbal
described his recent trip to the Pacific
coast. The party, consisting OF Col. and
Mrs. Kimball, their daughter, Clara, Mrs
Charles Pratt and II. L. Johnson, a stock
holder in the Iowa Central, OF which Col
ktmball Is president, started from New
York Mar. 18TH. Their connection with
the Iowa Central OF course brought them
a great many courtesies along the route.
BY the Atchison, Topeka and Ste. Re
road, they reached the coast, visiting Col
aud Mrs. A. b. Chandler at Pasadena,
Cal, for ten days, where the Col. Is
stopping Tor the benefit OF his health, hich
is constantly improving. Col. Chandler
anticipates complete recovery and will
come TO Randolph for the summer about
June lst. From Pasadena, accompanied
by the Chambers, the party went to Santi-
ago and Coronada Beach, at the southern
border OF California.
Turning north, the Kimball party
stopped at Los Angeles, Santa Barbara,
Monterey and San Francisco. They
found southern California as salubrious as
ever, but on account of the scarcity of
rain for three years past, the soil was very
dry, except where irrigated, and the veg
citation looked parched People on the
Pacific coast are very enthusiastic over the
opening Of trade with the East, which has
already begun.
From san Francisco, uorthward, the
route skirted the base OF the Shasta range,
with Mt. Shasta, IA 400 feet high, snow
capped the year around, towering above.
Then down the beautiful and fertile Will
lamette valley to Portland, Ore. One of
the principal towns on this river is Ore
gon City, where the late Rev. +. Gerry of
Randolph once had a charge. The fruit
OF this region took first prize at the
Worlds Fair.
At Portland, the party found several
former Randolph people, with whom they
enjoyed a nice visit. Tacoma, Wash, is
suffering relapse from a former boom,
but Seattle is pushing to the front fast, as
the result of the Alaska and Klondike
trade. The general manager OF the Postal
Telegraph Cable Co. at Seattle is a Mr..
Blake, born in So. Royalton, and once a
telegraph operator in Randolph.
From Tacoma, connection was made
with the Canadian Pacific railway near
Vancouver, the party having travelled
1000 miles up the coast. Turning east
wsrd, the route lay up the Frasier river
Here in 1850 was the scene OF the great
gold excitement, rivslling the Klondike.
groups OF men washing the gold out in
pans, making about day paw.
The scenery, as the train crosses the
Selkirk Mountains, passes up the Column
bia valley and crosses the Rockies is rot
excelled for grandeur anywhere in the
word. Snow capped mountains are on
all sides. The railroad is a triumph OF
engineering skill. Great difficulties were
overcome in its construction. The grade
on the western slope of the Rockies is 4 1-2
per cent, rising 1000 feet in 10 miles,
passing up the side of a mountain from
which the view Is indescribably grand.
The eastern descent is more gradual.
Then came the great plains, once the
home OF the buffalo, now largely devoted
TO cattle and sheep ranches. forming off
at Moose-jaw station, the party stopped
at Minneapolis and st. Paul, then at
Chicago, arriving finally at the starting
point. Time, six weeks. Distance, 5000
miles. Visited fifteen important places
and realized as never before the immensely
OF our great country.