Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-06-16
N. {. GENERAL CONFERENCE.
TOUR TO PACIFIC COAST.
Mr.. EDITOR

ing our trip across the continent, we shall
try to conine our brief account to the little
events and circumstances that usually es-
cape notice in the description of our ex-
tended tour. We are fully aware that the
brief stay we made in the majority of
cities visited would not allow us to give an
intelligent description, and we shall, there
fore, largely refrain from such attempts.
OF course, we must have starting place in
this very informal account of our trip, and
few words regarding our train and the
personnel Of our party may not be amiss.
Our train, the sixth and last section
which pulled out of Broad street station
about noon Wednesday, April 81, consisted
Of the regulation engine, baggage and
dining cars, and five Pullman palace cars.
We were lucky, or unlucky in being placed
next the dining car; lucky because so
handy at meal time, uulucky because we
were accused by those in the rear car Of
always getting to meals first. This accusa-
tion was libel on the most of us; but the
dominic who had been so instrumental in
launching us on this trip had lost so much
flesh and was so hungry, that I declare Cd.
E. Clair) he had right to sit at the first
table-and he usually did.
Our Pullman, the Cameo, was called the
New Jersey car because occupied almost
entirely by New Jersey people. Among
the cities and towns represented were Cam
den, Atlantic City, Cape May, Asbury
Park, Mullica Hill, Pitman Grove, Black
wood, Elmer and Millville. The states
represented on the section were Vermont,
Ney Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and probably
others. The fraternal delegate from Ire
land Rev DR.. eruik. hank, was also ca
this section.
Our Pullman conductor and porter were
from New York city, our tourist agent and
chaperon from Philadelphia, our acting
baggage master was the genial conductor
Robbins of the Pemberton division, and
those who felt sort of solicitous care over
us were Messrs. Ackley, of Camden, and
Clair, of Mullica Hill. The conductors and
brakemen were local men on the lines
traversed, and we found them bright, in
telligent men ever willing to give us any
items of history and tradition current in
their special localities. The service render
ed as was excellent in every respect; and,
although we met with unexpected delays
we elassed them as unavoidable and arrived
in Los Angeles with tempers unrufled as
was becoming a party of good Methodists.
We we're fortunate in having cool weather
until we struck the Majave desert in south
ern California; but half days journey
carried us over it, and even the desert
winds were on their good behavior and had
gone to sleep.
Had pleasant trip across Pennsylvania
and strained our eyes to see the Horseshoe
Curve, but the darkness baffled us.
When the porter commenced making up
the berths for the night their somewhat
contracted dimensions brought forth amus-
ing comments, and those who had to go
"up stairs received full share of guying
(By the way, in the far west people are not
''guyed, they are 'joshed'').
Although we did not reach Pittsburg
until after midnight, we set our watches
back before retiring that we might not
know upon awakening that we had lost the
hour.
The next day we stood on the rear plat
form as we sped over long strip Of Indi-
ana. Entering Fort Wayne is a section of
track thirty y-three miles long, level as a
board, and without curve The conductor
told US we went over it at speed Of at
least sixty-five miles an hour Were de-
layed at Chicago three hours on account of
a damaged wheel, and found the second
and fifth sections delayed for the same
reason. Stood on the rear platform on
Thursday evening while we descended the
five mile grade west Of Galesburg, Illinois,
a grade without foot of straight track.
The engineer knewT what he was about, but
it was wild ride and the train rocked like
a cradle. About 1890 we crossed the
Mississippi and had our first view of the
Father Of Waters lying placid and shining
in the perfect moonlight. A ride Of nine
teen miles over the southeastern corner of
Iowa and we crossed the DesMoines into
Missouri. Arrived at Kansas City Z a. M.
Friday, and had good viewof this pictur-
esque city. Crossing the muddy mission
we entered smiling, not bleeding Kansas
now, and found fruit trees in bloom and
the delicate new leaves Of the forest trees
peeping shyly ont. Were all day Friday
and until Il p. m. in crossing this great
State. Moved our watches back another
hour at Fort Dodge. Thie hourishing town