The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17
Los Angeles, CAL, Jan. Z, 1901

got in Colorado we could begin to see
the mountains miles and miles away.
We came in Colorado in the morning
and we thought we say Pixies Peak but
were not sure. But we saw the Spanish
Peaks and many others, too numerous
to mention, and also Fisher Peaks 300
feet high, and along the road were those
large coal smelling places, and the Rat
toon Tunnel in Arizona, ] believe a mile
and half through, and several places
we wound around through the noun.
tains where we would make horse shoe
and could see many feet below where we
had started to climb around the noun.
tains. 1t was the erandest sight l ever
expect to see. 1t is worth whole lot
to young man or any one else to take
a trip like this. The Grand Hotel at
Los Vegas, New Mexico, a health resort
and intirmary, was grand place, and
Starvation Peak, 10 miles from Los
Vegas, where regiment of soldiers
were starved by the Indians. You
could see these mountains for miles and
miles and didn't seem to get any closer
or farther away and the Canon Diablo
was grand sight. They call it about
23O feet deep and about 100 or $50 feet
across 1 should guess in the place
where we crossed, and the Cantilever
Bridge across the Colorado River at
Needles, Ariz., and when we crossed it
we were in California. don't see how
any one could live in Arizona, the part
saw any way. The pine trees, small
ones, were very near covered up With
the sand and it was regular desert.
Nothing can grow there at all ] guess
only few small pine trees and cactus
and different kinds of bunch grass.
From Colorado all along the line the
inhabitants are nearly all Mexicans and
few Indians at several places. The
Indians we're out begging or selling
souvenirs for little money. But none
Of these states are like old Iowa for
raising all kinds Of grain and fruit; but
| / will stop riding on Che cars and tell
you a few things in this great place fol
FCalifornia is great place. When
arrived at the depot and saw SO many
nice flowers and the fine flower parks
at the depot could not believe they
were natural hardly and the sun shown
SO warm and has every day ! have been
here and the people at home are having
snow and ice; but it gets very cool here
Of evenings and mornings so you car
wear your oyercoat the first day or So
took in the city and few Of the nice
parks, and then l wanted to 60 to work
and see the things as l could. MY
cousin and got good recommends fol
me here and with what had I think
can get plenty Of work. So ! thought
would tackle the post Office during the
holidays and went in and showed him
the write up you gave me and my let.
ters and the post master said nothing
only, "Come up in the morning with
your oldest clothes on and be sworn in
and go to work with the boys. He il
a fine man and all his helpers treated
me nice. worked nine days at the
worst rush and it was rush too. l have
thought handled lots of letters al
home and done hard work in the post
office at home, but changed my mind
when got in here. But you got paid
for it and that was what | was after.
| commenced to work at 8 a. m. and
quit at 8 p. M. and had about one-halt
hour at 1890 10 lunch and never got 9
minute to rest only at lunch time
Well, when quitting time came l was
ready for my bed. They put me il
several departments at first at the ma
chine for stamping letters, l could
stamp about 800 at time when all faced
up and it kept me busy nearly all day Al
the machine. asked one of the clerks
when we had big table full Of letter.
which had been dropped in and brought
4 in by the different carriers about how
many letters there were and he saie
about three thousand. 1 never seer
the like of letters. 1t would take thre,
and four men to get them faced vi
ready for the clerks to throw. Then ii
4 the easel throwed some letters in thu
Eastern case and tied up q few but no
many. They also put me out in tn
sack department with the sacks, throw
ing packages and papers to the EASTER
states, and done very good for a ne'
man. They thought was all right
And the packagesit would take to-
long to tell about them. They came il
! by the car loads it seemed to me, an,
they telephoned to the small station
!, in the city not to send any more pack
ages to the Main Office as they coul'
not handle them. II was great sigh
and the carriers were days and days be
hind and j was up to the Office one da
last week and they were just inishin
everything up with registered package.
etc. Well, will 60 on q little farther
The next thing wanted to see was tn
coast, and my cousins son.in-law and
went down to Santa Monira, about /
miles from the city and it was a gran
sight for me on the street car, SO cent
round "Trip, Lots Of people there bath
& ing and laying around in the SAND, an