The Newtown bee., 1904-08-05
Ten Pages.
SAN FRANCISCO. As Seen Through the Eyes of an Esteemed Newtown
 Gentleman,
 E. L. JOHNSON. CONTINUED FROM PAGE SIX
CONTINUED FROM PAGE SIX
600 A3O';
E. L. JOHNSON.

then for the last 25O miles. The trail Of those who came across the plains, the men of "49" and later. At Cas- cade we cross the Tuba river. There streams of sparkling snow water rush. ing down these cliffs are all rivers though no more than 10 feet wide. As we descend beyond Summit,
 WE RUN THROUGH AN ALMOST UNIN.
 TERRUPTED LINE OF SNOW SHEDS
 for 40 miles before we reach the plains below. They very much interrupt the view but serve an eminently practical purpose and are indispensable for the winter travel. It is much like going kind that bridged the Housatonic 50 years or less ago and which seemed to me when a boy as one of the wonders of that time. LOOphOleS in the sides and an occasional want of sideboards furnished opportunity to catch tantal- izing glimpSeS of grand scenery. It is on this climb and descent we look down on Downer lake, three miles long, one and half miles wide and 25O feet deep. It gets it's present name from it's historical associations. In l846 8 man by name of Downer was leading party over 8 trail. to California and night overtaking them they camped beside this lake in one of the canyons so common hereabouts. A heavy snow storm came in the night and the the canyon so wildly that they were so showed in there was no way by which they could get out. In time their supplies gave out, they could get no wood and 8 party of 34 died either from freezing or starvation. The fol- lowing summer when the winters snows had melted in the valley, their bodies, the bodies of their animals, and camp outfit were found within 8 radius of 8 few rods. They were de- gently buried and articles belonging to the camp outfit are preserved and can be seen in building set aside for the purpose in the town of Truckee, the last station we reach before crossing about the relics was told us by our conductor. The lake is a beautiful sheet of water in 8 mountain valley at an elevation of 5000 feet, surrounded by peaks 20OO feet higher still and en- circled by forests of fir, pine and tam arack. We followed almost it's whole length far up the side of the noun tain, then the track doubled upon it. self at the level of the lake and we ran it's whole length in the opposite di- rection. Downer lake is but one of several beautiful lakes that have their home among these great mountain
 peaks. Not far away from Downer is
 Lake Tahoe in the heart of the Sierras
 62S0 feet above the sea. It is B miles
 in length and 100 to 1900 feet deep.
 The town of Truckee is in these
 mountains near to these lakes. The conductor calls out ''Truckee" and al
 the evening twilight gathers our
 train stops in hustling mountain
 town where lumber is the leading in
 dustry and here we make our last stoE
 in California. The town is the ship.
 ping point for the Sierra valley and
 the little hamlets found among the
 mountains and not far away from the
 great ComStock mines A run a few
 miles further on and we cross the line
 that separates the Golden State from
 the Silver State and we are in Nevada HE. L. Johnson.