The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1901-09-05
CONTINUED from last weekly
TRANS-CONTINENT TOUR.

ra Nevada mountains, 1000 feet above
the sea. In crossing the mountain we
wound about it under 40 miles Of snow
sheds, reaching Sacramento beyond the
base of the mountains the afternoon of
the 18th, where met my relatives.
Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys
are great fruit and vineyard sections as
we'll as the southern portion of the state.
All this section is taken for such produce
great orchards Of peach trees joining
others vineyards of equal extent. There
had been no rain since early in May, yet
there was no sign of drouth. 1t was ex-
planned that below the fertile surface
there Is stratum of clay holding the
moisture. No rain is expected until Sep
tember or October. There are lands to
be reclaimed yet towards the coast, called
the tule lands, which when drained will
be very profitable.
The fruit belt Is about 150 by 500 miles
in extent. My nephew, q. L. Newton,
who is supervisor of the county which in
cludes the city of Stockton, gave me a
fine chance to see much of this fruit re.
gion. My brother found living al
Woodbridge. He formerly had mining
interests in lone valley, but has now set.
tied down with some of the pioneers who
went with him from Missouri.
My four days In San Francisco were
very interesting with relatives who gave
me every opportunity to see the city and
its notable places. The Seal rocks at
the harbor near the golden gate, the city
park and museum and Chinatown should
always be visited. Here we saw the
Chinaman as he is-a strange and filthy
people; saw their dried fish and meat,
imported from China, fit for fertilizers
only in appearance. Their children are
funny looking little beings. They have
braided ribbon attached to the back hair
In imitation of the pig-tail of the older
ones. Mission schools have been formed
to educate and Americanize them. They
are quick to learn. A few of them who
were born in San Francisco have become
truly citizens In dress and manner and
have the right to vote.
On July 2sth we left San Francisco fol
Seattle over the Southern Pacific. Cross.
ing the Shasta mountains the train drawn
by two engines wound about it in loups
The Cascade mountains were to the north
of us, the Sierra Nevadas on the east
On our right, as we neared the Oregon
line, was Mt. Shasta, IA 400 #. above ses
level-covered with snow and In sight fol
hours. Portland, Oregon, has a popula
tion of 100, ,00O-in 1860 a population o
2,S0O-at the head of deep sea navigation
on Columbia river This river Is tn,
Hudson of the Pacific coast, having large
and grander palisades. From this river
on which we went go miles to Cascad
Locks, we saw Mount Hood, Mount Ad
ANS and Mount Rainier. To the east W,
saw Mt. Hood standing alone against tn
eastern horizon over II 900 #. high. On
of Portland's Industries is the salmon
fisheries. At one part of the palisades
are vertical columns of basalt rock a
great height, arranged In colonades, on
OF the beautiful rock scenes, and said t,
be similar in appearance to the column
rocks at Stoffa on west coast of Scotland
From Portland we went to Talcom,
and Seattle. The latter city has mic
harbor, and is one of the Commercial
centers of the northwest coast.
From Seattle we went to Spokane, nea
line between Washington and Montana
and from there to Cinnabar, at entranc
to Yellow Stone park. Here are tn
mammoth hot springs and hotel, one O
the largest in the park, and going full
ing with guests and the former THROWN,
up hot aikline water.
Next day we went to lower and uppe
Geyser Basin, Yellow Stone lake, Cano
hotel, back to mammoth hotel, spending
six days. Yellow Stone lake is 19 mile
long, 16 miles wide, 7,741 #. above tn
sea. We travelled by old-fashioned stag
coaches with four horses. The road
were dusty but fairly we'll made by tn
U. s. government over 30 miles from en-
trance to fartherest place visited. Th
park is 65 by 75 miles in extent. Som
of the roads are cuts between rocks upo
rocks mountain high overhanging upo
one side and deepest gorges upon the 9th
er. Rocks rise vertically, broken, lyin
one upon the other, waiting only furthe
disintegration and breaking apart an
falling into chasms below. Tourists VIII
are looking for the widest rock scener
will find 1t here. They are In most far
tastic disorder. The falls of Yellowston
river are $50 feet. The road on the ban
is 1900 feet from the river bottom, whic
flows In rapids many miles In the cano
between nearly vertical rocks of variou
colors-yellow from staining of sulphu
and red tinted from iron in the rock
which Is limestone, and has same whit
appearance as the rock which Is forme
by the boiling Geyser spring. All hav
in solution lime, soda and sulphur, whic
dries upon surface, hardening into roc
as 1t overfows large areas. In all diret
tions we see arise the steam of the boilin
geysers. The center of this wonderlan
Is about the two geyser basins nine mile
apart. Here the subterranean fires ar
the hottest here the monstrous caldron
of boiling water are most numerous. A
we approach from distance the steal
quite resembles steam and smoke frol
furnaces. II there ever was place whel
the powers of fire and water combir
'down in the great caverns of the earth
Is here, and where they make their grant
est exhibit. One has the name of Ol
Faithful. Every hour 1t shoots up va.
volumes of hot water to height of 100 fe,
or more. We hear the deep rumble
Its coming and then the display. Mount
Washington and Sheriden are said to /
Il of volcanic origin. The great variet