The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1909-06-17
Good Letter About California
E. N Metcaf Concludes Description of the Wcst-.kept
His Eyes Open..-Some Interesting Facts

acres in it. You could see some of
the quake scenes at Frisco. The u.
IS. battleship Colorado was there
when l crossed the bay going back
Toured.
Ito Oakland. I went along side. Did
mot like the looks of their little pop
gums. All up the bay are situated the
,oil refineries. In plants and sugar
plants. We crossed the bay on the
largest ferry boat in the world. It
takes on 3 passenger trains, engines
land all. Then we were in the beau
'tiful Sacramento Valley. From there
1T was aught sure. 1t was very
warm at 9 p. NJ, but when we got
up at 4 a. m. we were in the land
of perpetual snow, went through
snow sheds 40 miles long and the
con said snow was 16 feet deep in
places in them. There was a lot Of
men shoveling snow off. Then you
drop from snow to grass fields in a
livery hort time. We got church at
Truckee at 1880 and from Truckee to
1.-THE great salt lake was most all a
sand desert. We crossed the lake for
40 mile. The track is laid on pilings.
There is two passing station in the
lake From the lake to Ogden is very
nice and the same for about 100
miles from Salt Lake City then sand
until we reached the Royal Gorge,
Colorado, then rocks hundreds OF
feet, looked as though they had
been laid by man. The railroad runs
down the gorge and is very crooked
They only run 20 miles an hour
There are two roads, one on each side
of the river You cross a hanging
bridge. 1t is hung by large chain
from four long stul beams. The foot
rests on solid rock and the tops
touch forming v. We were al
lowed to walk across this bridge.
Glenwood Springs, Colo, is a beauti-
full place. The seven falls of Chey-
!, enne canon is grand. There are
stairs that go up to the top. You
see Pixies Peak from the train, 5
miles away. Steamboat and balance
rock and gateway garden OF the
Gods colo is fine, so are the por-
tails mount Of the holy cross. Double
tunnel. There was one gOad that
was so seep that it required four
engines to handle the trains and
at the top of this grade 1000 It,.
We had a wreck that delayed US
II hours, No one was hurt much
it was caused by the train break
ing in two and the pushers jamb-
ing the cars together. 1t looked
strange to see water come down from
the mountain and divide and run
part towards Denver and part toward
Ogden. A little ways from the sum-
nit there are large pipe lines running
along the side of the gorge. They d.
vide through the rock in places
and then they rest on steel frame
work over the gorge. They run
up hill then down and up for miles
to Palmer Valley for ,irrigating the
land. This valley is summer re-
sort. with a fine little lake OF about
10 acres fed by this pipe line. l
was three hours in Denver. 1t IS
a very nice city; from there to Oma-
ha. It was a nights run. Most OF
the way they were still planting corn.
From Omaha to Sioux City crops did
not look any better there than
around Minot. From Sioux City TO
Minot was over the same route in re-
turning from Herman. Travelled
1854 miles, the fastest tire V'HS -
miles, the slowest 81, averaging 81
IL miles for 1O4 hours travel. After
all the. beautiful country and things
| saw must say that Ward county IS
all o. K. for people that are we'll TO
do, not expect people to believe THIS
that YOU can stand with one foot In
the land or plenty 49, WHY
one in a barren track. Why? Just the
one word water. the mean temporal
ure at Fresno, is 81 IL degrees. You
can raise four crops of small vege-
tables in a year or one crop Of bar
lev and crop of corn. II any one
wants to know more about the San
Joaquin valley I would refer them to
w. e. Mansfield who has been all
over the valley or am Wiling 10
answer all inquiries myself. l could
write about more but fear tnat l
have made this too long and will say
good by. yours, E. N. Metcalf'
t. u0nH