The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-06-09

Ipsssrip tlcn 81 tse PACING Ftees snd!
Same yvohdsrs 81 ths west. q



shoenix rizoha
insS ~ 1905
Since i have been re1negteds by sex
Eera1 To- write ID desert lion of my trip
TO the coast and tas my hsr letter
published + reached M several s fnys
friends to whom / had not time TO
write personally, Il will endeay5r To-
speak OF some 81 the things which 4,
saW5and describe the country through
which IS passed.
Twenty miles out from shoer!x We
began to pass through the desert and
continued . SO for three hund FED IpnIs
fifty miles, and the only signs Of 5clfis,
Ilization that we saw were now and
then watering station or abroad
junction. N 55ST
q Our trip through the d csert tnoil US
over the Gila and Colorado rivers. the.
former being entirely dry. q thnug tE Mt
food time It swells5 to 4 he brehtlth OF &
nilea Soon after We cross the Colo
RADIO at Yuma we en- ter a arel. si,rss;i
sion Of the earth's surface. being
two hundred and sixty feet below sea
level. Part of this depression ] S now
"a tvi.t water and Is called the
Saiton Sea, as its water Is very salty
This sea over one hundred mics tong
and thirty miles wide: Twas made by
the Colorado River overlooking its
banks and flowing downtinto this de-
preston. No doubt many OF sou read
about two years, ago Of the great effort.
the Southern Pacific r. r. Company.
was making to stop this flow Of water.
for 1t had not only already covered.
miles OF its track but threatened to:
destroy Its route TO the coast entirely.
a few small towns were Endangered.
but fortunately the water was checked
before It reached these. 1t Is; said That
during the two months that the South
ern Pacific worked to divert the Colo.
RADIO back In its old channel; they spent
oyers.a million dollars and were only
successful at last by having fifty train
loads of rock on hand at ono time to
deposit into the break. II ...5Fss
About one hundred milesEfrom s:11ton
sea is the Great Death Valley: where.
the famous twenty mule team boraxS
Els manufactured. .,l3;j L; ~ n
The last. one hundred and fifty! miles
of the trip is over mountains and:
through valleys. The valleys; are Cow
cred with orange. lemon. olive and
other fruit groves and vineyards. It,
was a beautiful sight to see the orange
groves covering thousands of acres,
laden with bloom and ripe fruit: ami
then to lift your: yes to the TIN OF the
Sierra Madre mountains and see their;
tops white with snow. California is u
famous fruit country.Il passed enc
rineysrlfcoverin three thousand. five
hundred anil fifty acres and there were
many others equally as large. sj.5i
Los Angeles is beautiful city OF
three hundred Thousand Inhabitants
and It was especially beautiful during
the week was there as 1t had put on
its gala dress in honor of the fleet. 1t
was most beautifully decorated und,fts
main streets We're almost a moving
mass OF human life, for the whole coast
went Wild over the feet and It was
estimated that there were over one
hundred thousand visitors in Los An
geles to, see the fleet. did net lingcr
long in the city but took a car. TO tn.
beach which is twenty miles from Los
Angeles. ] had a greater desire to,
see the fleet. ] will not attempt to
describe my feelings as We rolled in
sight OF the broad Pacific. which was
anything but pacific tho morning saw
it. The breakers were lash,ag In al.
most mountain high and tho whole sen
was covered with white caps. 1t was
said to be the toughest It had been the
whole winter and The launches anch.
ored out next to the war vessels would
ofttimes so clear out OF sight In the
troughs OF the waves. No boats were
permitted to go out from the wharf to
A..