Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-11-12
ter from the head of Minerva, full
We Reach San Francisco.

18th, at 1885 p. m. and arrived at
Sacramento, CAL, at 9:10 a. M, hav-
ing covered the same route hereto
fore described. The California State
Fair was in session and a kind ac-
quaintance insisted on stop-over
to view the products of the golden
state displayed at their best, but
having had the privilege of looking
over similar layout at the land
show in Chicago last year, we de-
clined and continued our journey
toward San Francisco.
Much of the country between
these two cities resembles our Iowa
prairie. In localities along the line,
farmers are "leveling up" the land
in preparation for irrigation, and in
others, great swamps are being
drained, quite like we tile our
marshy tracts We sighted several
immense bands of sheep that seemed
to thrive on some substance that
was not visible to the eye of the
traveller on the train. If richness
of provender affects the quality OF
wool, / imagine our Iowa grown
product would outclass the western
ers aside from any tariff tinkering
by the Initiated Denuded hop fields
adorned the landscape--perhaps l
should say deserted-for while the
expanse of hop-poles remained, the
vines were neglected and dying, and
to the evolution of sentiment in
favor of natural and rational living,
instead stimulation that is detri-
mental to bodily tissues, we owe the
decline in the hop industry.
The early-day Iowa swamp has
been for years the despair of the set
tiers, and a perennial source of sar-
casm for the historian, but never
again will such statements affect
me, except as localized provincial
isms, for Immediately outside the
boundaries of the city of San Fran
cisco is a swamp SO extensive in
proportions that it covers thousands
upon thousands of acres and the
same is so near sea level that the
problem of drainage is serious one
Indeed the question of dykeing, as
is done on the shores of Holland, is
being considered. We are informed
that a famous shaker salt is dredged
from this great watery waste. There
is record of one company of men
holding title to 100000 acres of
land in the Sacramento valley. The
statement would not mean so much
If this swamp were included In the
area, though have no doubt but
that even this now unproductive
tract will finally yield sustenance.
If the creator planned the universe
for our benefit, he must have count
ed on the cooperation Of human
kind, for man has done strenuous
work in improvement, production
and distribution, and is destined to
further excellence along that line.
At Benetia our entire train was
pulled aboard the largest ferry-boat
in the world and after touching at
several points along the bay shore
we are landed at San Francisco. At
Benetia was located a government
arsenal. The building-of stone
was erected in 1859 and in which
was stored ammunition said to be
valued at $4,0O0,000. Within the
past two weeks this arsenal was de-
stroyed by fire, building and con-
tents being total loss. From the
great quantity of ammunition stored
one might infer that Oriental visit
ors were expected for entertainment
by these "Benetia Boys The story
is told of the commander of sea
fleet, who when notified by the man
III Tie CFOW ueSI tudt OtuCl NCSsCio
were sighted, said: II hope they
are enemies. / have ammunition
enough to fight a battle but not
enough to fire a salute" 1t should
be matter of congratulation that
Uncle Sam has gold mine in addi-
ton to sand bank. Despite the
fact that the government has
money to burn" we later found
when visiting the Preside that the
cofnmissary store houses, instead OF
being painted were whitewashed.
Whether this method was taken in
the hope of covering army scandals
or as means of exterminating
germs and vermin, such as was de-
clared infested these departments in
the south in 1898, I do not know.
but do know that the whitewashed
buildings were wholly out OF keep
ing with the splendid surroundings
and we'll kept and spacious grounds.
All work on these grounds is done
by the soldiers and / am glad the
II H., frs, hn