Smyrna times., 1904-05-25
RICHARD NJ. COOPER WRITES
OF INTERESTING TRIP WEST
MAKES A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF COUN.
TRY PASSED ENROUTE FOR CALIFORNIA

Speaks in High Praise of the Delightful Cali.
fOrnia Climate and DeVOtes Some Space
to DOings Of the General Conference.
1t is hardly conceivable to any one
unaccustOmed to the sight of waste
land, that in travelling across the terri
tory of the United States nearly half
OF the distance would be little more
than barren plains. Some time before
passing out of Kansas we bid farewell
to every appearance of homelikeness
and see nothing outside of towns and
villages, but the cabins of hunters, and
huts and dug-outs of Mexicans and In
dians. Through the entire stretch of
these plains of more than fifteen hun
dred miles of dry land there is, to the
mind OF a Delaware farmer, nothing
that looks like sustaining animal life
except an occasional spot of irrigated
soil covered with alfalfa, an oasis in
the desert, yet there are large herds
OF cattle, some looking quite well,
some rather bony, horses in like con-
dltlon, ana flocks of sheep nibbling
the short dry Buffalo grass in content
ed happiness. At the rlany stations
at which we stopped by the way, we
saw specimens of the various tribes of
Indians that Uncle Sam is caring for,
the majority of the people outside of
some manufacturing and mining CEN
ters being Indians and Mexicans.
Lively Trading With the Mexican Indians.
At Albuquirke, New Mexico, the
Indian men and women offered their
blankets and other products of the
red mans skill, but not till we came
into Needles did the greatest surprise
greet us. 1t was eleven O'Clock at
night. most of us fast asleep, when the
train stopped and a dozen or more
women were awaiting the opportunity
of trade. DR.. Wood and one or two
others saw them through the windows
of their berths and raised the sashes.
and shook money at them, when a
lively traffic in bead work was carried
on, woven braid of beads of various
colors; some mixed, some white. some
delicate cream, in pieces of 2 to 3
yards in length were bought and in
the morning the fortunate possessors
paraded before Us in fine feathers.
while the only comfort left us who
were deep in slumber at the time, was
we still had our money and had, lost
no rest. We soon had an experience
of quite different sort. On my first
awakening l saw the glare from the
headlight of an engine upon the track
white like snow. We were in the al
kali desert and soon the fine dust was
coming, like driven snow, into all
parts of the train, stinging eyes,
mouth and nose. This was about sun
rise Of the last morning. The noun
tains soon began to lift their heads one
above the other, a few peaks covered
with snow above them all, old baldy
rising far above his fellows seeming
but short distance ahead, beguiling
us for several hours before we passed
him. We were nearing the land of
promise and our eyes were soon glad
dened by the sight of alfalfa aud other
promise of vegetable life and animal
sustenance. The change is sudden,
like dropping from the clouds to green
pastures. Our train stopped at the
station and the call was Sanbardina.
All hands rushed for the platforms,
not waiting for the porters to place
the steps, but jumping off the quickest
possible way to see this wonderland of
fruits and flowers. Ladies were stand
ing by banks of roses. pinks, carna-
tions and other beautiful and fragrant
flowers; and men at open boxes of
oranges. Were they for sale. No,
for free distribution, and soon we were
all decorated with flowers and each
with one or more orange in hand or
mouth, the latter their early destina-
ton.
Delaware Delegates Given Seats at Conference
At Riverside there was another short
stop. We were told what we had
missed by being a day late. A dele.
CATION from Los Angeles had come out
to meet us the day before, Tuesday, |
loaded with flowers and oranges,
waited till late in the afternoon and |
returned disappointed and gave up the
task, so we pulled into the station at
Los Angeles, the abode of angels,
without angelic greeting, each having
to find his abode as best he could.
We felt, tired and dirty as we were,
more tit for some place with name
less celestial. Too late for dinner, we
hastened to the toilet room, washed |
off the dirt and appearad at tba saot ~