The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1906-03-03
New Train to southern califo.nia.

4AokA4 " SO0tAC1h S3AA1ODu&Ns
Chicago and Los Angeles shook hands
last week fer the first time. The formal
Introduction was made by the Northwest
srn, the Union Pacific and the San Pedro
railway companies, and now the two cities
and warm friends. Heretofore the two
have been separated by deserts and Death
Valley and the Devils Playground, but now
an opening through these obstacles has
been made, and II is for the first time pos
sible to look westward from the city on
Lake Michigan andse at the far end of
the steel ribbons the sparkling blue waters
of the Pcaific ocean.
The first transcontinental train over this
new route from salt Lake to Los Angeles,
the Los Angeles Limited, left Chicago at
ten o'clock at night on Sunday, Dec. IL,
and reached Los Angeles Wednesday after
noon. The Distance of more than 200
miles which had always before, by the
roundabout Frisco route, required eighty
SIX hours, or four days and three nights,
was made by this new train in sixty-eight
hours.
"A straight line is the shortest distance
between two points" and the new Los
Angeles Limited train, over the North.
western from Chicago to Omaha, over the
Union Pacific from Omaha to Salt Lake,
and over Senator Clark's new line from
Salt Lake to Los Angeles, is as straight
line between the east and the west as
will ever be known across America.
1t is not great many years ago-not
so long ago, in fact, that it does not still
stand prominently in the memories of the
grandfathers of America-when trip from
sea to sea meant making faces at tedious
months of hardship, wild animals, treach-
erous rivers, sharp rocks, thirst, starva-
ton and death itself.
Today 10 yocssbla 20 c<ox> .pko 81
ace on wheels in Chicago any evening OF
the year, to see farms and railway sta.
tons and mountain ranges cash by with
microscopic fashion; to eat three meals
from an excellent menu of oysters and
strawberries and turkey and wines; and,
on the third afternoon, to stand in the
balmy atmosphere of Los Angeles, CAL
ifornia.
These nine trains are new from engine
to observation car. Darkness is cast out
by means of brilliant electric lights which
make coy every berth in the sleepers. At
the rear end of each train is a new style
combination buffet, library and observa-
ton car. In one corner is a bulletin board
upon which, twice or three times each day,
Is posted a bulletin of the latest teIe-
graph news from all parts of the world,
the Union Pacific having adopted this
unique scheme some months ago. The
train is a sister to the overland limited,
excepting that it cuts the wind at more
rapid gait.
1t was in such luxury that the thirty.
four newspaper men from all parts of the
country, including New York, Chicago,
Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Minneapolis, st.
Paul, Kansas City, Cleveland, Omaha,
Denver, Des Moines and Norfolk, made
the trip on the new train in its initial
run, with E. L. Lomax, general passen-
ger agent, and Adolph barlow, advertis.
ing agent of the Union Pacific Railroad,
and ether railroad officials as hosts; it may
be imagined that it was always fair wealth
er from the Mississippi to the Pacific and
return.
The first three days of that Maiden trip
of this superior train of cars, were spent
in getting to southern California. The
next four were delightfully."- and graph.
ically written upon thirty-four minds by
means of side trips out from Los Angeles,
and then there were three more in com
ing home.
Grades have been reduced until the
hard to catch the clicks of the rails in
trying to count them. And where curves
have seemed imminent, the builders OF
this road have paid many millions to bore
through the solid rocks, thus clinging to
the straight line theory with admirable
foresightedness. The outlay IN this con-
struction has been tremendous, but the
result has chopped off eighteen hours from
Salt Lake to the sea, and proportionate-
ly as much in bringing fresh California
fruits to the middle west, and in taking
Nebraska products to the coast either for
consumption there or for shipment to the
orient.
Returning home, a Christmas tree waa
Illuminated on board the train, and on
Christmas night formal banquet in the
dining car, with all present CARRIED in tux.
edo. became the novel feature of the day.
And. Christmas, the guests of the rail-
roads declared, next to being spent at
home. was pleasantest on board the LOT
Angeles Limited. N. A. HUSE.