The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1902-04-04
Penryn, California.

we nave reached the land of "sun-
shine and flowers" Our train was a little
late IN getting into Ogden, Utah, and at
noon, suggested to Mrs. Short we have
dinner, when some one called out, ''set
your watches back an hour and was
forced to go hungry for another hour.
This was the second day of twenty-five
hours we had run into. don't see how
a man in Ogden knows wnen to go to
dinner anyhow. Seems to me if lived
there l would carry Mountain time in
one pocket and Pacific time in the other,
and then go to dinner when my stomach
struck twelve.
For a long time after leaving Ogden
we were in sight of Great Salt Lake and
could occasionally catch glimpses of the
islands. One Of these i quite large and
has on it stock ranch. Itseems strange
that though surrounded by such intensely
salt water there are splendid springs of
pure fresh water on it. Our ride through
the desert was uninteresting and nonot,
onous.
On Monday forenoon we came to the
great snow sheds, built to protect the
road from heavy snow s4des down the
mountain. They were 46 miles in length
and cost S22, 900 mile. Aside from the
first cost there is great expense in main
tanning them. A force of track workers
are constantly patrolling, looking for
breaks or fires. The sheds are equipped
with complete set of fire alarms and
two fire engines with steam already up
and crew to go along are always ready
to turn out at any alarm. The Southern
Pacific Co. are now preparing to tunnel
through the mountains, distance of 5H
miles, which will do away with the snow
sheds, greatly reduce distance and re-
duce the grade Of the track from 18O feet
to 70 feet per mile. When one sees the
great snow fall up here it is easy to un-
derstand where the water GENES from for
irrigation purposes. So far they are
kicking, as they have emily had about IL
feet but usually get about 20. One old
sucker solemnly told me that he had
seen Is feet in single season. He
didn't say whether they were pigs feet
or what, and l didn't ask him.
At noon we were still in plenty of snow
at an elevation of 1000 feet, and at 1:3O
we had reached our destination, 64OO feet
lower down and were among green trees,
blooming flowers and singing birds. AS
l sit here writing tonight, the air is warm
and balmy, the festive bullfrog is singing
his sweet song and the industrious
mosquitoes are buzziug round making
hay regardless Of the SUMS absence. We
found the Ryan family, including Miss
Hazel Kneeshaw. all enjoying good
health, and don't believe I'd be violat-
ing any confidence if I told you Hazel is
getting fat on climate and scenery. We
found also my dear old sister and foster
mother who was even more surprised
to rec us than we to see her, a double
surprises planned by Mrs. Ryan.
Penryn is funny little old-fashioned
place, in that nearly all the people who
live in town, live in the country. They
grow nothing but fruit. but they do that
one thing we'll. The land is all either up
hill or down, according to which side
of it you happen tolbe on, and the only
real level place have seen so far was
the surface of the water in the bowl I
washed in. The soil is peculiar color,
inclined to redness, and is composed
principally Of decomposed granite. It
doesn't look like it would grow French
weed and do a good job Of ii, but it is
really very productive. The value Of it
depends upon what il win produce and =
tendertoot left to the mercies Of real
estate shark would soon need the
sympathy Of his friends. Common land
can be had for s8 or % an acre, but good