The Newtown bee., 1904-03-25
80 degrees. The surroundings are quite pretty, the depot and it's grounds,
 which are located on the hanks of the

80 degrees. The surroundings are quite pretty, the depot and its grounds, which are located on the banks of the Colorado river separating Arizona from California. Palms, peppers and other semi-tropical trees made dense shade, while everywhere calla lilies, pansies, geraniums and other choice flowers abounded. We made long stop there, giving chance to get good dinner and to see score and more of representa- tive Indians of the Yuma tribe. In place of dinner l chose the Indians. There were between 20 and 30. mostly squaws, who had seated themselve upon the ground with blankets over their shoulders, and bare heads dense ly covered with long black hair hang ing loosely over their shoulders-fair specimens of fast disappearing race. In front of them they had a blanket spread out, on which they displayed various forms of bead work, pottery, etc., and from which many sales were made. To me they were pttiably in- teresting and I studied their stolid features until the signal blew for our departure. Some features are indeli- bly, stamped upon my mind. Two old squaws in particular, who, l am surey must be past the century mark, came down to the train scantily clad, with leather soles tied by thongs, on their feet. One was nearly bent double; with deeply lined furrows over her face, and long staff on which she leaned. She dropped herself upon the dry earth under burning sun, and looked up to us "pale faces" in way that excited both interest and deep pity. would not for anything want that picture of the Yuma Indians obliterated from my mind.
 When 984 miles west of New Orleans we had reached the summit of eleva- tion on the Southern Pacific, 5082 feet, from that point gradually dropping on our westward way, until at Yuma we are only 14O feet above sea level. Here we are in the extreme south western part of Arizona and have only to cross the Colorado river just above where it empties into the Gulf of Cali fornia to find ourselves in the Golden state. Our train speeds on until we reach Salton, 94 miles distant, to find ourselves 26O feet below sea level. Here are immense salt beds lying on the surface, that have only to be shov- eled up and cleaned, to become use- full commodity of commerce to be ship ped. All this desert section was at one time the ocean, as evidenced by the salt deposits and marks of the tur- bulent waters. Had our train been on schedule time would have missed what very much wished to see, for it had been one of the sights that had
 particularly impressed my wife on her previous trip, mirage on the desert. 1t was about o'clock in the after noon, we had been anticipating our near approach to the desired locality,
 myiwife had talked about it so enthu- siastically as we were approaching the spot, that she had been pleasantly call ed "the mirage woman," so that we
 were all we'll primed for the occasion. Our necks were craned and our eyes strained to get the first glimpses of it
 when the shout came, "there it is,
 don't you see it, way off in the dis
 tance near the foot hills!' And sure
 enough, we could have taken our oath
 that we were passing veritable lake
 could see the nipples glistening in the
 sunshine, and did not have to draw
 upon very vivid imagination to
 think there were sail boats upon il
 For long distance it seemed to us a
 great inland sea, very near at hand
 But, had we attempted to reach it,
 we would have been aStonished at tht
 distance and if we had at last come uI with it,'it would only have been to finc
 it desolate desert waste, that il
 years gone by, may have disappointed
 to the death overland emigrants, wht
 with parching tongues and weary feet
 followed after the illusion only at thu
 last, to lie down and die on the drear!
 waterless plain. There are also ex
 tensive works at Salton, where bora1 is taken from the mountains and pre-
 pared for the eastern markets. A Mecca, little station 12 miles beyond Salton, the United States government . is experimenting with the raising O. dates, an agent being already upol the ground with quantities of cut tings just brought from Egypt. It i expected that the climate and soi , will produce as fine grade of fruit a , can be grown in Africa. Next w , reach India, a veritable oasis in tn desert, where we see very invitin up- -to-date hotel. It is surrounde , with luxuriant growth of eucalyptus t palm and pepper trees and is delight 3 fully cool and breezy spot, notwitf ! standing it is 20 feet below sea leve F and is quite a noted resort for COT ] sumptives. Here the road enters tn g San Garzoni pass through the Sa S Bernardine mountains, and at the dis 2 tance of AS miles we reach Banning a e altitude of 2580 feet. Quite a climl !; but. with pusher and two engine !, ahead, our time was not so very slov q A long stop at Banning gave a chance for leg stretching, and som l made foot balls of tin cans, but or n fellow more practical, turned natura f ist and found as his reward a horne t toad. We are now upon. the thresl