The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-08-06
CALIFORNIA LETTER.
Written by Mrs. Belle Markley, Formerly
Of Wells Valley, to Her Broth.
er James.

L Cdlne W OhtllOIuld blldO L WOulu
write and tell you about the coun-
try as | saw 1t from the car WIN
dow. or try to tell you something
about it. l left Altoona at II p.
m. the 2lst of October. We
passed Columbus, Ohio, just alter
day light on Tuesday morning.
1t was nice clear day, and [ en-
joy.d it so much. There are
many nice homes just west of
Columbus-no mountains, but
lots of timber. At 10:30 we
passed through Bradford, love
ly place, the buildings not high,
out large, and a good distance
apart, and so many nice shade
trees around the buildings.
From Union City on through In
diana, the country Is fine, seem
ingly as level as floor, and corn
as far as l could see-hundreds
of acres of it, Hartford City is
a beautiful place, 176 miles from
CHICAGO. l reached Chicago at 5
O'Clock Tuesday evening, and lett
there three hours later. When
l got awake on Wednesday morn
ing all could see was corn, corn
miles of it, and a cattle ranch
now and then. We were in Iowa
fences low-and looked like
smooth wire. AT 10 O'Clock we
passed Boone, Iowa. We cross
ed Desmolnes river. The bridge
is so long and high-length of
bridge 1855 feet and 185 feet
high, $500 tons Of steel used IN
building it. The river was low
when l crossed 1t. At 1O:30, we
passed Ogden, Iowa. From
there to Grand junction, the
country IS fine--such nice farm
ing lands. The farmers use the
snlky plows and the ground look
ed so mellow-not like Penna.,
farm land-but not many apple
orchards like we have IN Pennsyl
vanla. | think Iowa was the MIC
est state | came through. At
Fremont, large gram elevators.
saw several after leaving Oma-
ha. Thursday morning, $3.50,
Pine Bluffs, Wyoming. / came
through nearly all of Nebraska at
night. The Bluffs are covered
with shorts scrubby pines. At
noon we were passing through a
great hay country. They were
baling It, AT 3 O'Clock, Thurs
day, we passed Laramietwo hours
late. Then we came to the snow
brakes. They are something like
a board fence about ten feet high,
but IN a leaning posltion-some.
times three or four fifty yards
apart, and half a mile long. They
are to break the snow from drift.
ing on the railroad. We were
several hours passing the snow
brakes.
Friday, at s o'clock, we reach
ed Ogden, Utah. The city looked
grand on toward the lake The
ground seemed to be covered
with a dry salt crust. The bridge
over Salt Lake is SIX miles long,
just few feet above the water.
Before we got across, they stop
ped the train to give the passen-
gers chance to see the lake. |
stood on the end of the car cross
ing. l thought 1t was grand.
After we left the lake for 25 miles
1t was the dry salt crust, and at
65 miles from the lake was just
low sage brush ten or fifteen
inches high, and the dry crust
ash color. We reached Monletto
at 2 o'clock. From there to Car
lin, sage brush and Buffalo grass.
horse and sheep ranches. From
Carlin, on across the Sierra Ne
vada mountains, is lonely, dan
gerous place. At 3 o'clock on
Saturday we were on top of the
Sierra Nevada mountalns-snow
on the top rocks. There are
twelve miles of snow sheds. They
cover two tracks and overhead.
La winter there are as much as
30 feet Of snow MAKES 1t like a
tunnel. The sheds keep the
smoke of the engines in and
makes it. very disagreeable.
There are seven tunnels-the long