Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1910-11-24
Letter From California.


long time 20 tell all we saw and the trials and rou-
! bleS We encountered on our way and there were
| so many people who asked me TO let ther' know
how we were getting along, that lind II would be
quite task 10 write them all so know oil no other
way of reaching them except through your paper,
which know they all take have many reasons
| TO believe that we have many friends in old Jeiler-
son who are anxious about us. II some OF mem
| had known lust our circumstances before ana when
we LETT they would have been more anxious. !
must confess that am little too independent ioI
| my own good sometimes But 10 give you good
| people an idea what We experienced on our long
| journey, will have TO humble myself somewhat 10
tell you all OF what we went through with, and also
the nerve il took TO make the start must say tlat
! our encouragement came from source lar ABOVE
| uS-itiS He who made our tourney bright ana our
landing safe.
Well, we left Shepherdstown Wednesday morn
| inc, October 18th, for our new home When we
| reached Shenandoah Junction and paid lOr our
| tickets We had left Tor our long journey Az
lust little over 90 apiece for trip OF 5000 miles.
| Don't YOU think il took 4 little nerve had FULLY
| made up my mind 10 go. andgO we did. viii say
| now that il was the best days work that have
| done for many day. One thing that helped TO
| make person a little Shaky was that iour OF the
children were over age to 90 Tree and Tor hall fare,
| and 10 know how would manage II they refused
10 take them. Al S460 apiece II would mean $40,
more, and where that was 10 come from, caused
| many thoughtful moments. Il Just seemed that
| higher being watched over us on our way Tor not
word was said all the way here, except on leaving
Chicago, an old gentleman came through taking up
the tickets and when he came TO us he counted the
tickets then counted the children and then looked
atme We'll, he said, the railroad ought TO be
satisfied with this whether il is or not" and went
on smiling Then again. when al Salt Lake City,
| they had sign up over the gate saying no person
| would be allowed through there without ticket,
and another saying the rules OF the company IN re-
| gard 10 the age OF children would he strictly en-
| forced. So YOU can imagne my feelings again. But
we went through and not word was said. We
had so many changes 10 make, unexpected 10 us as
| we were informed by Mr.. Allen that we only had
he nFfRc han IN no ln and
we changed six times after leaving ShepherdStown.
| The scenery along the B. q 0. Railroad was
beautiful, indeed. We arrived al Chicago o clock
| Thursday morning. Here We were informed we
would have 10 wait until 1890 O'Clock that night.
| SO We lust had TO settle down and wait Here we
| met quite number OF people who were gong TO
| California. The noise around here was Just awful.
| You could hardly hear person talking standing by
| them. Everything and everybody seemed 10 be on
| the 90. We LETT Chicago over the Chicago and
| Northwestern for Omaha. where we arrived Thurs
| day evening about 4 clock.
We travelled through Illinois and Iowa, which
was The finest section IN all our travels until we
reached California. Iowa is great corn State
We saw thousands and thousands OF acres OF corn,
and every town we went by had some kind III manu-
featuring shops, and they all seemed TO be running.
Alter leaving Omaha We saw the country For miles
and miles there was nothing TO be seen but the
ground, with now and then prairie dog, and once
| N while you could see little old shack with
| couple OF old, bOny horses standing around. On
getting into Wyoming we found II very hllly and
| mountainous. Here you see the SnOw-ShedS, one
| after another. Night came on, and the next morn
| ing we were out OF the mountains. Here we
| reached 5000 feet above Sea-level. Just before
reaching Ogden, Utah, we saw some grand sights,
one the Devils Slide. and many Others One place
ne conductor showed us was the rock from winch
| Brigham Young preached his first sermon; On
reaching Ogden We changed 10 the Oregon Short
| Line 10 Salt Lake City. Here we could sc the
/ great Salt Lake.
We reached Salt Lake City about 10 O'Clock
Sunday morning. II was z beautiful day 10 spend
1 II =
| a great place The streets are very wide, with
beautiful buildings, and everything Just as clean as
pin; We took in part OF the city and the great
| temple OF the MOrmonS. The buildings and The
| grounds are IN the enclosure, and have high
BOARD fence all around II. think II covers )Out
1--WE acres. We were all over It, except IN the Tenn
| pie. There they say very few MormOnS have been
able TO enter only those high up in the church get
| IN. But anyone can 90 in the tabernacle. While
| we were here services were beginning and they
| mad 1--we hundred IN the choir. We T0anled about
the grounds for awhile, and gathered up some sow
| enrS TO remember this muCh-talked-Oi place. II IS
| luSt grand without doubt tell you their Sunday
laws are strict and are enforced right TO the letter
| An amusing thing happened while here. was
walking up the street. when ! came 10 a barber
| shop, and gn old COlOred man was cleaning up the
| room. asked as ! entered ii | could get shave.
| The old man looked al me. No, sir, boss, the
proprietor is out but he can't do anything Tor you,
did they would take our license, fine us $50 and
put us in Jail Tor 80 days But can do this VIII
rent you the shaving QUILT Tor . cents, and you can
| shave yourself. So Just shed my coat and went
20 work, and that was the first time ever paid 10
| shave myself
They have beautiful station here. Its cost is
near hall million dollars and II is fine. We were
| here from Sunday morning until II O'Clock Sunday
Ight, when we left over the Salt Lake route Tor
| Los Angeles When we could see out Monday
morning we were out on the great Mohave desert,
and II took until late IN the evening TO get across.
This was something long to be remembered by
us all You could look Tor miles and miles and
SOuld see nothing but sage brush aud sand. Our
had
rack, TO let other trains pass SO II gave us an op-
portuny 10 get out and gather up small stones Tor
souvenirs. Often hundred people or more would
DC out " aking about, Tor sometimes we would wait
twenty minutes or more. Now and then we would
come 10 an oasis where you could see great herd
| 81 sheep, with the waChman and his dog guarding
them. AT the farther end OF this desert IS what IS
| called Death Valley where no man has ever been
able 10 cross Then we came TO the mountains
again. and this was great sight, Tor the others we
crossed IN the night. Indeed, God surely planned
all this tor how man was ever 10 cross II II were
not Tor the great canyons do not know. Our tram
would follow these great cuts through solid walls OF
rock on either side oithe tracks hundreds oleeth
and you could often look out the car window ana
see the train winding It's way through these great
| cuts and every now and-then 90 through tunnel.
This amused the children very much Little Kenneth
would say, Pop, going 10 run INTO dHOtlleT mole.
| You would think the children would have gotten
very tired OF being so long on the cars but not So
not one OF them ever asked II we were nearly 10
California. They enjoyed the trip very much. hey
Drought forth many comments as they romped up
and down the aisle, and when night would come
they would get their pillows curl up on the seat and
sleep until the next morning, as though they were
nome in their little beds OF the SIX days travelling
not a tear was shed amongst them.
One doesn't know he IS IN California, II he doesn't
watch his time table, until he reaches the city OF
san BernardmO. Here you see YOUR first orange
groves, and oh, but they are beautiful. The chill
lren lust went wild over il. Then we came 10 an
english walnut grove, and they were Just gathering
the nuts. Then II grew very interesting as we
travelled on our Journey. On reaching Los Angeles
we changed TO a short line OF the same road, and
we only had about eight miles farther 10 60. So we
soon finished that and our long journey was al last
ended. God was so merciiul TO spare our lives
and kept us from the many dangers that 20 with
railroad travelling.
About | o'clock we landed in Pasadena. uhe
city OF ilOwerS. We were lust six and hall days
on the road On arriving, gentleman met us, and
after talking little he introduced me TO areaeS-
tate man, who took one OF the girls and myself and
we started to look Tor house. We went flying
over the city in fine big automobile, and ii you
could see them going out here, you d say flying, tor
they 90 so last Well when we found house II
getting late In the evening II was already fur
| nIShed-three bedrooms, dining room, kitchen and
bathroom water and gas in the house: dishes and
all kinds OF Cooking utensils. The rent was SO IN
advance, so now came the rub. As had stated
before, we started with SLAP our lunch mad gwen
out, so my pOcketbOOk was very slim, indeed So
called my dear friend into service again. We soon
mad our rent paid and $3.50 LETT Tor ratOnS
Well, we were pretty tired by this time. We got
bite 10 eat and went TO bed, with not word from
any what they thought OF Pasadena. Next morning
We were all up bright and early. This was WedneS-
day morning, and Oy Thursday morning four OF us
mad gotten work. We managed TO get along some
now until Saturday night. when drew our first
pay III California. God in Heaven only know, how
we did manage until then. Monday morning tive
OF us started out 10 work. My dear readers, you
can't imagine how proud felt Things begin TO
look very bright indeed We are now bringing in
little ov-r $40 week and we all have the promise OF
RAISE is soon as we learn their way OF DUNG things
out mere, whch is quite different from our old way.
UOd Oelng our neper, we expect 10 accomplish great
things alter awhile
Pasadena IS a wonder. Il is impossible for me 10
describe H. II has population OF 1921 In 1900
II had only 9ll1-an increase OF 232 per cent And
II Is Sun on the so, you can see houses going up
eVerywhere-l should say bungalows. Tor more than
twO-lhlrdS are such.
These Bungalows all set back 30 to 40 feet from
the pavement and all this is set IN flowers and trees
We are begnlng 10 have few showers now, and
people are beginning to make garden Now know
you people won't like TO hear tina, but il is so. Yet
we can get anything in market one wishes 10 eat
and II is not high. either We get nice beei-Steak
Tor fifteen cents pound. potatoes Sl5O per hundred
pounds, and other provisions run about the same,
except butter and eggs butter is 40C and eggs are