Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-09-17
A LONG JOURNEY
G. w. KiTTERMAN DESCRIBES
TRIP TO PACIFIC COAST.

TRIP TO PACIFIC COAST.
TELLS An INTERESTING STORY
Saw Many Sights of National Interest
Garden of the Gods-Cave of the
Winds-RoyaI Gorge-GoIden Gate
and Cataline Islands.
G.. W. Kitterman, who has recently
returned from a journey to San Fran
cisco, Cal, where he went to attend
the annual encampment of the Grand
Army of the Republic, tells an inter-
esting story of his trip half way
across the American continent and
back again. Mr.. Kitterman left OF
tumwa Aug. going direct to Den
yer, where two days later he Joined
the special Burlington train carrying
the Iowa members of the G. A. R. On
this train he met J. 7. Hall and Mr..
Miller, both of Ottumwa, and in COM
pany with them made the balance of
the trip and the return home.
Visit Garden of the Gods.
The first stop of consequence made
by the special train was at Colorado
Springs, Col, where the train laid over
one day to allow the old soldiers to see
the many sights of the place. A great
nf o,fxyf pn 40 CIV T.
and went to Manitou, where they visit
ed the Garden of the Gods and the
| Cave of the Winds. In the afternoon
they made an excursion over Chey-
enne canyon and up the south side
OF Cheyenne mountain and down the
north side to the grave of the poetess,
| Helen Hunt Jackson, who made this
region famous and popular by her de-
| scriptive verses.
Extortionate Charges.
| Mr.. Kitterman states that practical
ly all the great sights of this section
1 of the state have been taken posses
| sion OF by companies who make eXtor-
| tionate charges for the privilege OF
| sight seeing. For viewing the Cave
of the Winds, the party paid 81 each
and for a sight of the Seven Falls, fif-
| ty cents. Mr.. kitterman is of the
opinion that since this ground is worth
nothing for agricultural OF mineral
purposes these companies have no
right to usurp these choice spots OF
scenery but that they ought to be pre-
/ served as public parks
| Great Oil Wells.
| Tho narty rot,,rpod RI tho tro;n and
| the next stop was made at Florence
Cal, where the Standard Oil Co, has
! between 200 and 800 oil wells. The oil
| state to the eastern refineries and the
output from the large numbers of wells
| is something tremendous.
AT the point where the railroad
crosses the Royal Gorge the traiI
stopped and the travellers We're allow
ed to get out and walk across the
bridge. This bridge is only about one
| hundred feet long but it spans gorge
| that is thousands of feet in depth. The
Arkansas river that flows in the bot
| tom OF the gorge is scarcely visible
| from the bridge. The walls of the
! gorge are of solid granite and are
| straight up and down. For many miles
the railroad runs along the edge OF
this gorge and often there is scarcely
room for the track upon the ledge OF
rock where the rails are laid,
Visits Mormon Capital.
At Salt Lake City. Utah. consider
able stop was made and practically al
1 of the party on the train were able tC
| see the sights of the Norman capital
Mr.. Kitterman brought home with him
| a salt crystal broken from the part Of
the pavilion extending down in the wa
ter of the Great Salt Lake. The crys
tai is about six inches in length and
one in diameter. The crystal is pure
white salt. At the beach salt sells fol
! seventy-five cents per load. The salt
shipping industry is a great one, car
loads going out in every direction.
Meets Former ottumwan.
/ At Salt Lake. Mr.. Kittersan found
Timothy Egan, formerly of Ottumwa
/ who is engaged in business at thai
point Mr.. Egan acted as guide fol
the party while they remained in town
An interesting feature of the trir
! was the passage through the Tennes
see Pass Tunnel. This passage con
i known as the great continental divide
and when the train passes through the
/ tunnel it comes out ON the west side
of the Rock mountains.
Seal Rock and the Seals.
After the Tennessee Pass no stops
were made until the train reached its
! destination at San Francisco. Mr.
i Kitterman did not wait for the great
parade of the veterans held during
the encampment hut remained only
long enough to see the principal OBJ
jects of interest. He was especially
impressed with the view of Seal Rock
and the seals, Seal Rock lies out in
the ocean apparently about quarter
u of mile Seals by the hundred are
to be seen on it, large and small, gray
/ and black. They lie upon the fla
rock and enjoy the sun bath and seen
to take pleasure in diving into the
ocean from considerable heights.
Il Mr.. Kitterman took great pleasure
| in watching the Golden Gate, where
: the ships are constantly going and
i coming starting on their long inur