Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1908-02-20
My Overland Route From Iowa to
California

parents ana q number OF families from Powers
vile and surrounding neighborhood at a little
past noon on October %, 1907, and went to
Nashua, where we bought our through tickets to
California and were to leave at $40 but of course
our train was late so we did not leave until 5:45
p. m. We took day coach and went to Water
loo Iowa where we remained over night with
friends and spent very enjoyable leevning. The
next morning we left Waterloo several hours late
in a throug for Los Angeles, Cal. We had an
old fashioned pullman sleeper and it was very
low and got extremely dirty before we reached
Oakland, where we changed cars As 1t was so
very low papa bumped his head number of
times and would always say, There I've knock
ed another hole in that berth, :" but if that had
been so it would have been more holy than
righteous.
Coming through the western part of Iowa we
saw a great many bluffs and we slept one night
before reached the boundry of Iowa, and
though have Travelled quite a bit never before
rode so long id Iowa. We reached Omaha, Neb.,
about 1000 M, of the day, and left there
with eleven coaches and four baggage cars for
California. We did not have much scenery un-
til we reached Denver, Col, where we had to
wait from noon Friday until seyen-thrty that
night and had a good chance to see the city.
We went to the capitol. 1t is a massive building
ofwhite stone surrounded by beautiful lawn.
The capitol is built on q knoll that has been
graded down to a level and has great flights of
steps running up the grounds. 1t was foggy
when we in Denver so we could not see
the mountains, but before morning we were in
the beautiful scenery which we sat up in our
hunks to look at. By daybreak we were in the
most beautiful of all incuddg He'll Gate Canyon
wnere we had to go eleven miles to gain three
fourths of mile. and we could see tpe railroad
station far below us. As soon as we left He'll
Gate Canyon we came into the valley of the
Frying Pan tn followed the Frying Pan and
Grand rivers for miles, comm encinn when mere
stream in the mountains and growing until it
was a great river perhaps a halfmile wide and
very deep.
When we crossed the Coloado-Utah line we
cana upon pleasing sign wilh Colorado paint
ed on one side and Utah on the other with
heavy black line between. This was painted on
a great fiat rock. The train stopped here per
haps thirty minutes and as there was a great
many names written or carved upon the rocks
the young men of our cor got out and wrots
number of names, my own being among the
number so when you all cross the line next fail
look for my signature upon the rocks. Lucy
Barrs, of Charles City Iowa, and myself got ont
also and as stood across the line | feel las the
people of my acquaintance know is my faiing)
and landed in the cactus on the bank and so had
the thorns of Utah in one hand and those of
Colorado in the other which kept few days
and they remined me of the line because of the
constant pain received from them.
Sunday morning we arrived at Ogden, Utah at
430 a. m, and left OF 1ll0 a. m, during which
time we went to Ogden canyon by electric car
and there saw the mast exquisite sights | ever
saw. On both sides were mountains reaching as
high as one could see, with "A cut road between
and water running below for several miles. On
one mountain which was perhaps several hund-
red feet high, spring came from the top of said
mountain and fell into brook below, coming
down through a worn ridge several feet deep
and it was about one foot wide at the top widen
lug to five feet at the bottom. We had to run to
catch the car and wish you could have seen
mamma run, it was mighty comic I'll tell you.
After we left Ogden we crossed Great Salt Lake
on a bridge and the train stopped in the center
at place called Nldlake and there papa and u
number of others got off and got snlt water.
Papa had n beer bottle fun and said that was the
farthest he ever saw anything in beer bottle
so, for he had plenty to throw away. 1t took us
nearly two hours to cross the Lake. Soon after
we left the lake we came upon q box car where a
lot Of foreigners were drinking beer and here
comes the greatest joke Of the whole trip which
was on myself of course. Eot sec / was out for
all the fun / could have and 50 when / saw the
men drinking and as the train stopped l. held out
my hand and pretty soon [ saw fellow ran up
into the car and soon returned with % full bottle
and he had q half bottle in his hand so another
fellow took the fun bottle from him, OF course
that made the fellow mad SO he chased the fel-
and pretty soon l saw him come towards me and
hethrew the bottle and opener up into my win
dow which was open and said, ugh, being un-
able to speak English. Ofcourse gave it back
but he threw il in again and l kept it until Tues
day night, when papa opened it but it was so
warm it flew across the isle onto a lady of our
party and it ended in being tossed out of the
window that it came and kave the top of that
bottle yet.
The next two days and night was spent in rid
sage brush and sand.
We reached Oakland Pier Tuesday and as we
had three hours to wait a party of the young peo
pie ana mamma and papa went to San Francisco
by ferry. When we arrived there the first thing
we look for was breakfast. which we found and
made quick work of. After breakfast we went
around the poor shaken down city and the labor
and diff really remarkable. At one place
we saw them pull over piece of the ruin and it
made q fearful crash.
When wegeturned the car had been changed
and instead of the old dirty we had a nica
aurist sleeper and new porter.
We arrived at Los Aneeles just in time to find
the train for santa Ana standing on the track
ready ty start in a half hour and we were very
glad for we were very tired and hungry, for we
had been told we would arrive at 700 and did
not get here until 1000 a. m, Wednesday. Oh
no. we were not three hours late but forty-eight
instead, for we due here Monday morning
at 1000 a.
Well l doubt if Gour paper can find room for
any more, SO will close and am glad to state
receive our Press some time ago
am yours truly,
DAISY G. LEWIS.