The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-04
in SIXTY HOURS.
From SnOwfelds and Zero
Weather in Kansas
To the Orange HarFests and
Balmy Air.
IN CALIFORNIA CLINE.
The Santa Fe's New Oriental
Fast Mail.
Quick, Popular Transit From
Winter to Summer.
IN CALIFORNIA CLINE.
IRON a staf Correspondent.l


Riverside Gala. Jan. 25.-The man
who first said that Kansas is only three
days from summer, even in the middle
Of January. knew what he was talking
about It is less than three days-it Is
only two and a half. It seems almost
incredible when the thermometer is be-
low zero in Topeka that one can step
on a Santa Fe train and in few hours
step off again in a land of almost per
petuaI summer; a land where roses are
in full bloom and the land owners are
just harvesting their greatest crop
oranges. The identical cars that pass
the Santa Fe depot in Topeka west
bound every night, in less than sixty
hours are whizzing along through the
orange groves of southern California
Indeed the change is much quicker
than that. One may almost go to sleep
while looking out upon snow drifts two
feet deep in central Arizona, and wake
up in the morning in summer land,
where the birds are singing and men
are at work in the fields in their shirt
sleeves as though it were May in Kan
sas.
The Santa. FEES new California Fast
Mail. which has just been inaugurated,
has brought California several hours
nearer the east. 1t gives daylight
ride to the more enjoyable parts OF the
journey and allows a Kansas man 70
localities. This applies to the trip af-
ter one leaves Kansas one sleeps
through Kansas, but Kansas, OF course,
IS not disagreeable-
BY taking the California Fast Mail in
Topeka at 1920 at night. in twenty
four hours one is in Albuquerque, New
Mexico. One has made better time than
even the far-famed California Limited,
and you have gained six hours over
Number T." another of the Santa FEES
California trains. The Santa Fee by the
way. is now running four CALIFORNIA
trains every day as far west as Albu-
querque, but there the California Fast
Mail is combined with Number z,
which it has overtaken-
Nv last view of Kansas was in a
binding snow storm from the northeast.
The California Fast Nail stops for
breakfast at Syracuse The snow lay
several inches deep and was still fall
ing 1t was doubtless good for the
wheat country further east, but the
cattlemen of the range country did not
enjoy it. The train ran ahead of the
storm. however, and at La Junta All
traces of snow had disappeared. The
Fast Mail dimes at Trinidad, and
there the real southwest begins. Just
out of Trinidad one sees the beginning
of adobe huts, and there IS scarcely
anything else. The mission style of
architecture comes into prominence at
Trinidad. and one begins to notice such
names as y. Fernandez" on the bust
ness signs. At Trinidad, too, the seen
cry. changes. The Santa Fe enters the
mountains and the climb over Ration
Pass begins. Shelters and coal mines
take the place of cattle ranches and
other agricultural industries.
At the top of Ration pass the Santa
Fe goes through a tunnel which IS
near the line between Colorado and
New Mexico. On the Colorado side of
the tunnel the weather was prlght
and sunny when the writer hereoI
raj
emerged from the tunnel on the south
side it came into a snow storm, which
covered northern New Mexico Ihere
is usually comparatively little snow in
that region, but the second week in
January this year saw a big snow
storm throughout the northern half of
New Mexico. At Las Vegas, where
the fast mail stops for supper, several
although Las Vegas is noted for its
mild climate.
New Mexico is not so "deserty'' as
eastern ColOradO-at least that part
not. and between Las Vegas and AL
buQuerque the Santa Fe goes over
GlOrietta pass. What may lie in New
Mexico west of Albuquerque deponent
sayeth not, for the traveller on the
fast mail, or Number Seven as it
is called west of Albuquerque, next
awakes in the dawn of a bright Ari-
IONA morning. As the train deScends
from an altitude of 5000 feet in west
ern New Mexico. to something over
1000 feet across the Arizona line the
snow disappears, and something ike
a desert appears. In the distance to
the north and south are mountains
but to the east and pwest are long
stretches of plain. 1t takes the sun a
long time to get up in that region.
The dawn continues for an hour or
more before his sunship finally ap-
pears.
At Winslow, Ariz., where No. :
stops for breakfast, there is Just a
little crust of ice on the standing wa
ter. and the air is so delicious and in
MIGRATING that the travellers desert
the train entirely during the STOP
They congratulate each other on get
ting out of the land of snow into a
SUMMER, warmer region, when they