Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-02-04
Voice From, the South Pacific Tells of
Experiences With King Neptune

Royal Gorge, is much more beautltul
than | anticipated. l always con-
sidered the colored photographs made
of the place were "far fetched" but
found out they really did not do it
Justice. The natural coloring of the
rocks is beyond description; person
has to see it in order to realize the
beauty After passing Tennessee Pass
(the highest point OF elevation we
struck on the journey, being several
hundred feet over the 10000 mark,
the trains were combined again and
we continued our trip to Ogden, Utah,
with only two engines for the fifteen
coaches we left Denver with
Meets Old Friend.
We struck Ogden, Utah, about 2 p.
M. Sept. 1, and were met at the depot
by an old friend of ours, and as the
train staid there for forty7five minutes,
hai quite chance of seeing a little
bit of that typical western town. From
Ogden we took the Southern Pacific
railway. Just about an hours ride out
of that city we reached the Great
Salt Lake, at which point the train
starts to cross a trestle work that is
twenty miles long and reaches clear
across the lake That trestle work
Is the most wonderful piece of en-
cheering l ever saw. 1t cost millions
of dollars to build it, but the railroad
company have made it pay since, for
in making that cut they shortened
their route several hundred miles, and
have the shortest route from Ogden
to the coast. After crossing the
trestle the scenery was miserable;
could see nothing but desert and sage
brush for hours, and remained so I'M
til we entered the Sierra Nevada
range of mountains late the following
afternoon. While going through those
mountains the train ran through
twenty-eisht miles of snow sheds at
one stretch, and most of that time we
were in total darkness which was not
very pleasant.
Visits Opium Den.
We arrived at Oakland. CAL that
being the terminus of the Southern
Pacific railroad about 7:30, Wednes-
day evening, Sept. 2, and by the time
we had crossed the bay on the ferry
it was o'clock when we got into San
Francisco We succeeded in finding a
fine hotel in that CITY, and, being very
tired, had fine nights rest. By the
| time | had my transportation fixed, up
my baggage transferred to the trans
port doctts, ETC., all of Thursday and
Friday morning had passed. Friday aft
ernoon l spent at Golden Gate park,
which is lovely place having thous-
| ands of acres in it, all public park. l
entered one of the middle gates, and
actually walked four miles in one con
tinuous direction, along one of the
most beautiful drives ever saw, until
arrived at the sea shore near the old
Cliff House. 1t was then getting quite
late so l took car back to the hotel.
In the evening / went through China
town with a crowd of others. If any
of you ever go to San Francisco do
not fail to take that trip. 1t is very
interesting. We visited several of the
rich Chinese bazaars, one or two
private families Zone Of which had
nine children, the youngest being
three years of age and the oldest four
| teen); their largest Joss house; their
best banquet hall and the opium den
The latter place was the most interest
ing to me. In it there was one man
who had been a slave of the drug fol-
years. He was SO much a slave at
that time that the doctors made the
statement If he were to go two hours
without the drug his heart would stor
do nothing but lie in a reclining posi-
ton all the time. He smoked Isl
pills of the deadly poison every day
one of which would put an ordinary
man into a drunken sleep for si2
hours. He seemed TO realize the
folly of his habit, because every per
son that visited him, he advised never
to touch the drug, and stated he woulC
stop the habit that very instant if he
was capable. 1t must be an awful
thing to get to that stage where yol
!, want to stop and cannot and still 20,
know it is killing you.
1t was a queer thing to see men OF
the streets of San Francisco will
heavy overcoats and straw hats, ant
it was not an uncommon thing t.
see men and women walking up on
side of the street with furs on, ant
: on the other you would see other
dressed in the thinnest summer cloth
> L
; about one year to get used to tn
climate and then it is as warm as sun
, mer; the climate being about the sam
the year around. If any of you eve
!. visit the city for the first time don
forget your overcoats, as they do no
, come amiss. I had my winter over
: coat and it was not too warm with
! in the evenings.
), Sails on "Buford."
! About $3.50 Saturday morning Sep
: 5, 1908 we boarded the IT, S. A. ]
). "Buford," as she was scheduled t
sail at noon that day and we wante
= to get our quarters Strengthened OF
.. and avoid the rush. 1t seems ths
> everyone had the same view, for whe
:, we got there, there was mob wal
7 ing at the quartermaster's Office to /
3 assigned. We however, managed
:, get good accommodations, considerin
= the crowd that was On board, as ha
- a letter of Introduction to the cor
= missary clerk. Owing to the fact tn;
> we had thirty school teachers on boar
: for Honolulu the vessel was Oli