The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-06-20
TO CALIFORNIA AND BACK.
A SkoWhegan Man at Home After an
Extended Trip.

Being obliged to go to California to
accompany an invalid, also having
other business to call me there,
thought perhaps you readers might
find some things of interest in the ac-
count which | will give of my trip to
and from California. We left Boston,
Mass, on the China & Japan fast mail
and in So hours actual running time,
arrived at our destination. Auburn,
Cal, So miles east of Sacramento, in
the foothills of the Sierra Nevada
mountains.
Our trip west was uneventful in a
general way. our route being by the
way of Albany, N. Y. thence to Buff
falo, n. Y, from there to Detroit,
Mich, through the tunnel and under
the Detroit, 13-4 miles long, through
the fine cities of Milo, Kalamazoo,
Battle Creek, famous for its fine
sanitariums, colleges, public buildings,
and last but not least, the home of
1 Oolull then Ou " tllS w iuus 1isy
on the shores of Lake Michigan. Chi
cago is the most bustling, noisy, wind
lest city In the United States, every
thing goes with a rush and vigor I'M
equalled in any other city in America;
leaving there, we went to Omaha
Neb., thence to Ogden, Utah. Across
the Great Salt Lake where the rail-
road goes directly across the lake for
% miles; the road was originally
built on piles but since has been fill
ed with rocks and gravel. 1t is a
great piece of engineering, the road
passing through lake in same places
nearly 100 feet deep and as straight as
a line. The Wasatch mountains could
be seen in the southwest covered
with snow.
The water in Salt Lake is so salt
that nothing can live in it, and SO
buoyant that nothing can sink, except
stone or iron. When we crossed 1t
the wind was blowing hard, but we
saw no white caps running there, the
water just rolled along and hardly
beat against the road-bed. After leay-
ing the lake proper, we passed
through a vast salt plain for about 100
miles, thence into Nevada to Reno, one
of the finest cities in Nevada, famous
for the ease with which the marriage
tie is broken according to the law
which prevails in the state, thence
to the summit of the Sierra, 1000 feet
above sea level.
The elevation is SO high that to per
sons not customed to it find con-
siderable difficulty in breathing, es-
pecially if they take much exercises,
and 1t is indicated by bleeding at the
nose, headache, and other ways. Soon
we were going down over and among
the Sierras through 40 and 80 miles
of snow sheds, built to protect the
railroad from snowslides from the
sides of the mountains through which
the road is built. 1t was wonderful
work of engineering to build a rail-
:oad through such a rough wild
mountainous country, and ii must be
seen to be ACKNOWLEDGMENT deep
CANYONS, skirtine the edge of lofty
mountains, across deep chasams,
winding around where we cannot see.
100 rods ahead, il seems truly marye-
lous that a road could be built in such
a place and under such conditions in
many places the grade is from d to
20 feet to the mite. The engines are
called Malletts compound, Is drive
wheels and have enormous traction
capabilities and they are surely tried
to their utmost caDaciiy hauling the
immense traits that they are called
upon to move On the mountain div
isi0h, ii is not unusual to see two or
those monster engines attached to a
train emo sometimes three moving the
heavy freight trains east.
| stopped nj Auburn two or three
weeks and then started homeWard by
the way of Sacramento, the capitol
city of California Which Is situated
on Sac river. L is semi-tropical in
appearance oranges, dleanders. mag
noias, palms and roses are seen eY-
erywhere The great valley of the
Sacramento lies between the Sierras
and Coast Range. a vast level country
and very fertile. Sacramento has a
population of 10000.
From there / went to Oakland. one
of the most attractive cities of the
coast 1t has an immense water front
and many industries are located where
ship and mail meet. The background
Of hills gives Oakland district for
fine residences and the outlook over
the bay is very fine the city is grow
ing rapidly and has a population OF
10000
From Oakland We cross the bay T
san Francisco, a wonderful city. i
las an individuality OF its own ana
for commerce or war. has 6
strategic position at the entrance o
The Golden Gate Its bay IS one D
the great harbors of the world
In going about the city We do not
see many evidences OF the great ca
!amity of 1907, some vacant lots. but
to stranger the destruction is not
noticeable. At present they are push
ing the work for the Panama EXPOSE
ton which is to be held there in 1919,
he city raised $l5.000000 to help d.
ray the expense and to build build
ings for<the event. 1t is the coole.t
summer city in any land and has l.