The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-08-29
From Maine to California.
Note. Of Trim Across the Continent.

Notes of Trip Across the Continent.
To THE EDITOR OF The JOURNAL. We
left Winterport, Maine, for Boston on
the steamer Belfast at 8 p. M, July 10Th,
and had beautiful sail down the river
and bay, leaving Rockland about 8 p. m.
We had very pleasant night on the
water. About 8 a. m. the steamer stop
ped and we heard hurried footsteps along
the walk outside of our stateroom and
voice said: run slow" l got up and
went out on deck to see what was going
on and was told that there had been a
collision between the City of Rockland
and collier and that with great difficulty
the passengers had been transferred from
the then thought to be sinking steamer
to the llier. When we got to the col
lier the passengers were all on board;
some in steamer blankets only. Then
they were transferred to the Belfast and
carried to Boston, where we arrived safe
ly about $50 a. m.
We then prepared for our trip to Cali
fornia, taking few days in Boston for
that purpose We left Boston at 8 a.
M, Aug. 9Th. by the N. Y, N. H. & H.
R. R., and passed through the State of
Connecticut, which is a fine farming
State and has many fields of tobacco
along the Connecticut river. We changed
cars at Waterbury and soon passed into
the State of New York, and changed cars
again at Poughkeeps1e and crossed the
Hudson river on very high bridge near
ly one nile long. Then we passed
through fine part of the State and soon
reached Goshen, N. Y, where we
changed cars again and took the through
train from New York city to Chicago.
We left Goshen 20 minutes late, it being
nearly 5 p. M, and arrived at Binghamp-
ton, N. Y, about $50 p. m. Here we
went into the sleeper and did not see the
country through which we passed. Dur
ing the night we passed through New
York State and across the corner of
Pennsylvania and arrived at Youngs-
town, Ohio, at about daylight, and little
later arrived at Marion, Ohio. After
leaving New York, where it is billy the
same as New England, the country as
we go west becomes more level and is
we'll wooded in many places.
On leaving Marion we passed through
i'm ense fields of corn and grain, the
grain mostly harvested and stacked in
the fields. We saw no barns that were
large enough to hold but small portion
of the grain. Leaving Ohio city we
go into Indiana, which is about the same
as Ohio, with increased acreage Of corn
and grain. In Western Indiana we saw
them baling hay and threshing grain in
the fields. Arriving at Chicago at p. m.
we were transferred to the Union Sta
ton by the Parmalee Buss Co. After
refreshments and visiting the barber we
took the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul
train for Omaha at $50 p. m. and rode
through Illinois and part of Iowa and
crossed the Mississippi river in the night
at Savanna. About daylight we arrived
at Cambridge, Iowa, but it was so foggy
we could see only short distance from
the car. The fog soon lifted and we
could see the corn fields, which looked
excellent. The grain was cut and in
small punches in the fields. The land
here we judge is very fertile as the soil
is very dark rich loan. arrived at
Perry, Iowa, at us a. m. 1t is nice
town of 5000 inhabitants. On leaving
looked very stout. This truly was a
wonderful sight. We could not see the
end of some of the cornfelds from the
cars as we passed along. We also saw
droves of hogs and lots Of cattle grazing.
The crops are abundant and the land
very rich, with not rock to be SEEM
| We arrived at Omaha, Neb., at 1925
a. M, 20 minutes late, went up into the
city and got lunch and left at II. As p. m.
on the Union Pacific R. R. We were
now little over two days from Boston.
We now begin our trip across the State
of Nebraska, the eastern part of which
is somewhat like Iowa, but as we go
farther west the land is more like sandy
loan and the crops are not as good as in
Iowa. Along here many houses are in a
small grove of trees which seem as
though they had been set out to protect
the buildings.
We arrived at Columbus, Neb., at g IS
p. ma nice thriving toWn-and at p.
m. were passing through Grand Island,
Neb., and along here began to see fields
OF alfalfa, some being cut for the End or
Bird time this season. We next come to
North Platte, Neb., and our time table
tells US that we arrived at 7.30 p. m. and
leave at 6.35. The reason for this is
/ that at this place the time changes one
hour, from central to mountairItime, and
We stop five minutes, so our watch
had to be set back one hour Darkness
soon covered the land and We retired for
the night an, did not see the country
from North Platte to Laramie, Wyom-
ing, where We arrived at $50 a. m.
Thursday, 80 minutes late. Here we
stopped one day.
Laramie is place of 1910 inhabi-
tants, and is 7,145 feet above the sea.
At 7.3O m. we took the cars on the
Laramie, hahn's Peak & Pacific Ry. to
go over part of the road, in which we
are interested. Along this line are vast
plains where cattle and horses are graz
ing. The white-faced steers are such as
we have seen in the stock yards near
Boston, Mass, to be shipped to Europe,
and are of the very best stock. This
road is built across the Rocky Mountains
and goes as far as Coalmount, COL,
where are located vast coal mines, esti-
mated to contain 400, 100000 tons. The
coal is used for all steam heating pur-
poses. Fox Park, COL, is 5000 feet ele-
walton above the sea. The highest ele-
walton on the line is at Bear Gulch, 9,1O3
feet. To get up to this summit, which