The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-08-06


by the Shasta Route" Southern
Pacific Railroad. We selected the
latter. 1t was nearly 10 o'clock at
night when we passed through
Salem, the capital of oregon. The
next morning found us up early.
We were passing through the Rogue
River Valley. a gentleman in our
car, an extensive fruit buyer, gave
us some idea of the value of or
chard lands in this valley, brought
about by irrigation. He said that
seven acres planted in Newtown
Pippin apples, yielded six thousand
boxes, bringing the owner fifteen
thousand dollars-over two thous-
and dollars per acre. A Mr.. Young,
of New York City, told us a few
days ago, that young man left
Johnsonburg, N. j., eight years ago,
with six hundred dollars, bought a
farm in the northwest, put out fruit
trees, and a few weeks ago returned
to his native home, and deposited
ninety thousand dollars in the
bank. We make no comments.
These figures speak for themselves.
Leaving the Rogue River Valley,
we pass through klamath Valley
and soon come to the base of the
Siskiyou mountain range. The
usual features of mountain en-
gineering are seen here, heavy
grades, trestles, bridges, a pathway
gouged out of the sides of reluctant
mountains. The view isincom
parable, and as we turn with a last
low, there is a darkening and we
are in tunnel, crossing the range.
In a few minutes we emerge. We
have passed the summit at an eleva-
tion of ALA feet, and we go swing
ing down into the Sacramento Can
yon, the headwaters of the Sacra-
mento River. All along this part
spots, such as Shasta Springs;
Shasta Retreat, Castle Crag, Castle
Rock, Upper Soda Springs, Neys
Springs and they are crowded every
summer with visitors from the great
valleys below. Early in the after
noon, away to our left, we began to
catch glimpses of that grand, ma
jestic Mt. Shasta, whose snow-capped
peak pierces the clouds. Soon it
appears in all it's glory and we have
it in sight some two or three hours.
Mt. Shasta rises about 900 feet
above the valleys at its base, and
its total elevation is 14,3S0 feet
above the level of the sea. 1t is
said to have five glaciers, the larg-
est being something more than TWO
miles long, and the ice is several
hundred feet thick. Flanking
Shasta on the right you see a promi-
nent black butte, cOnical in shape,
noted on the maps as Muir peak,
but known in general as Black
Butte. While not being particularly
noteworthy, either as to actual or
relative elevation, it is very Strik-
ing and conspicuous object. Some
in our car were estimating the dis
tance from our train to the foot of
Shasta. One fellow said he could
walk there in half an hour, another
said it was at least four miles away.
We guessed ten miles. Upon in
quiry at Sisson station, our nearest
point, we learned it was twelve
miles to the foot and about twenty
eight miles to the summit of Mt.
! Shasta. \ stop of fifteen minutes
is made at Shasta Springs. We all
got out to take q drink of the noted
Shasta water. This water, gushing
up out of the earth, pure, sparkling
and charged with carbonic acid
gas, is fine. We were told that one
could drink it in large quantities
without fear of unpleasant conse-
QuenceS. AS we pass on, a grand
spectacular procession of old crags
presents itself on our right; a sheer
wall of rock thousands of feet high,
pointing skyward with spires, turrets
and towers, like a medieval castle.
They call them Castle Crags."
Seen from the train they form a
| beautiful picture with the blue sky
as a background. Leaving the
| crags, we follow the winding Sacra-
mento river down through the val
leys as we retire for the night. Early
the station at Sacramento, the capi-
tai of California. We can see the
dome of the State House in the dis
tance. After a twenty minutes
stop we again proceed on our way.
At Benicia our entire train is fer
ried across the straits of Carquinez,
to Port Costa. We follow the Bay
shore, pass 18th street station, Oak
land, to Oakland Pier, and cross
the bay by ferry to San Francisco.
We were met at the ferry build
ing by Mr.. Charles Cortright, cashier
in the ticket Office at the ferry sta
tion of the U. P. R. R., San Fran
cisco. Mr.. Cortright is son of
Mr.. w. c. Cortright, Erie agent at
Lackawaxen, Pa, and at one time
assisted his father there. Mr.. Cort-
right invited us to spend a day with
him on our return from Los An
geles. We accepted, and week