The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-07-20
in THE COLD FIELDS,
Cecil Carpenter writes kn,sr,aln,
ineiy o. the wett,


take The following extfaela, which will
be uf interest 20 the young mans
many frlende heie. Mr.. Carpenter h
travelling IN the wcst IN the interests
~ the Langley a Mlchnels Drug Co,
of San Francisco. Ills territory con.
sists OF that portion OF California ~.
Ing east on the Sierra range aud ell OF
the state OF Nevada worth visiting.
That includes the rich gold fields late.
ly discovered and known generally as
the Tanapah region. His headQuar.
tiers and permanent address Is Reno.
Nevada.
"Big Limb, Calf, July 1.--Slnce
leaving Bodie, whence last wrote,
have covered a new territory down
IN the Owen River valley, travelling
easy and living high. First will tell
you of my stage ride from Bodie TO
Hawthorne, Nevada. You will re.
member the up trip took nine and one
halt hours continual climbing with
fcur relays OF horses in the forty
miles. The return was very different.
| was called at three o'clock, hustled
out in the dark, and as there was no
express messenger that run, climbed
up on the box behind four as fine bay
horses as ever saw, the leaders
Weighing about 100 each, the wheel.
ers about 200 more. The dawn soon
appeared and the temperature was
just cool enough to BIO celebrating.
We reached the summit Just as the
sun came over the eastern range, and
there at FIVE o'clock had breakfast
Of bacon, eggs and hot cakes, long TO
be remembered Changing teams
there, werattled on over the elevation
three hours longer. The man on the
box" was fine type Of his class. He
had been staging for years all the
way from Carson to the Yosemite,was
full Of entertaining experiences and a
driver Of great skill. am told no
man who drinks Is allowed on that
run. About eight o'clock we reached
The second and eastern summit. From
this elevation one can see for fifty,--
possibly hundred miles, view or
Walker Lake and nearer the clump
OF poplars and cottonwoods marking
the town Of HAWTHORNE all the rest is
brown and gray desert, except for the
intense blue Of the lake with It's mar.
gin Of white alkall deposits around It's
upper end. The lake Is 40 miles In
length, and from FIVE to ten In width.
One would not think II TO be over
three miles. We changed horses
again and in another mile came TO
the last ana steepest descent. The
driver stopped and carefully examined
all the bolts OF the stage, as well as
tie harness, adjusted the brakes for
| the greatest amount Of pressure,
Traced himself on the box and gave
the word. The next seven miles down
the mountain the team has no control
OF tine stage, and we made q descent
Of about four thousand feet. ~ Is
accomplished only by q succession OF
sudden and sharp turns and curves,
that make the ride dangerous ana
very exciting. Four men have lost
their lives on this road, and any num-
Der OF horses. The teams easily be-
come excited and uncomfortable and
Jump over the edge. We made the
descent without trouble and dragged
over the sand into Hawthorne about
nine o'clock. Hawthorne Is not a
very pleasant place, but l had TO walt
there half day for down train 70
Bishop, Cal arrived at the station
about one a. m. Bisnop Is the best
town in this valley. stayed there
two nights and a day, and lived on the
finest OF fare. This is a highly irri'
gated and cultivated valley OF about
1900 feet altitude and the only district
between the gold field country and
the San Joaquin valley which raises
surplus for the market. Everything
raised here commands fancy prices
for the Tonopah country. over there
on the menu cards you find Bishop
milk, eggs, cream, etc.
The country all west Of here for
two hundred miles, also north and
south, has been called the Switzer.
land Of America. One Is In continual
sight Of the most majestic snow-cap-
ped mountains in height from 10000
TO $4,000 feet, Mt. Whitney being 15-
OsG feet, the highest point on the CON
tinent. This county, Iuyo, also has
the lowest level on the continent, as n
portion Of the famous Death Valley IL
within its boundary.
The government win soon take up
the irrigation question here. At pres
emit all irrigation IL from private com.
panies.
The Nevada Mining and Milling
Co. is now building an electric power
line from point near Bishop 70 the
gold fields, eighty miles east, across
the mountains and desert, making use
Of but small portion Of the water
power from the Sierra mountains
that falls into the valley. Power and
light plants are easy propositions IN
this region.
/ left Bishop at eight this morning
and drove Dy team to this place, ~
miles. The road runs through the