The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1906-11-30
ALETTfR FROM CALIFORNIA.

Tuesday morning after attending to
their toilet the ladies started to get
lunch ready, while the porter, a genu
inc African, was folding up the berths.
As one lady said, ave had to be quite
neighbOrly." Nearly all had their
lunches. We had fine place to warm
the victuals. Some had alcohol stoves
TO make coffee, tea, toast, etc. There
was a sink in one end with warm water
To wash the dishes in.
There was no party of more than
four on our car. Several depended on
restaurants along the line. The rest
resorted to their lunch baskets, and set
tables, each of which accommodated
four persons. While somewhat short
of utensils and some eatables, yet the
people were real neighborly and Dor
rowed and lent and treated each other
TO a cup of coffee or tea, cake or sugar
or "A grin and smile.
Breakfast over, the porter came with
his housekeeping outfit, brushing and
sweeping out the car. Later the visit
ing began. Tourists inquired of each
other, "Where do you live and where
are you gOing?" -"Are you going to
stay for the winter" was a common
saying. Some were from Chicago, from
Cleveland, South Bend, Croswell and
others from various places in Califor-
MIA. While the common coach was UNI
comfortably crowded. our tourist car
was quite comfortable averaging only
one person'to berth.
a days journey through Missouri
and eastern Kansas saw rich land,
some level black farming land and
again high rolling prairies. Many corn
fields have not yet been harvested. All
through Missouri it was cloudy, and
the roads muddy. Through eastern
and central Kansas the land looks very
productive, consisting mostly of deep
rich soil. southeastern Colorado is
mostly ranching country, but in New
Mexico, along the Sante Fe, il looks
like barren wilderness.
There are however some villages and
small towns along the road. In some
places you see the genuine North
American Indian, clad in blankets.
Squaws with pappOoses strapped on a
board came to the station to sell bas-
kets for six bits apiece, or to show the
baby's face covered with cloth. You
give her nickle. She uncovers its
face quickly, then down goes the cloth,
until she can get no more. Then she
they are great beggars.
At Peach Springs we had to stop five
hours until freight train with sever
al derailed cars were cleared out of the
way by the wrecking train. During
the time many of the passengers amused
themselves with these Indian women
and children. Within half a mile of
Peach Springs there is dairy with
about 140 COWS, for supplying milk and
cream to restaurants and hotels along
the railroad. All the feed has to be
shipped to this dairy in Arizona from
California.
Friday morning before daylight we
crossed the Colorado river, perhaps 300
feet wide, over well Reconstructed wood
EN- bridge. The water seemed to be
low. Then up the bank we went, onto
level plain, with mountains i'm the
distance on either side. Here for hours
the train sped over sandy and gravelly
desert, covered sparsely with sagebrush
and some kind of bushes. No trees ex-
cept a few, planted at the stopping
places Then we came to the alkali
lands, large tracts as bare as clean
summer fallOw. The mountains i'm
general are whitish or gray, though
some are black as coal.
Crossing the Colorado brings us into
California. From daylight until noon
we go through eastern California, over
the desert, along the mountains, and
through the gorges looming up like
castles. Then through fields of big
boulders, with now and again a patch
of trees. 1t was nice indeed to sit i'm
the train and watch the grand scenes
but il we Michigan people had to live
there like the Mexican i'm his shack, or
the American, there would be many
heartaches. AS we were nearing san
Bernardino, we came to green spots of
alfalfa and garden spots. Places look
ing like home nestled in the narrow
valleys. We have seen many rivers
but all are nearly dry. Here i'm the city
of San Bernardino, you can get fine
large grapes for cents pound.
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