Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1914-04-10

nelSnt the train makes tunnel
loop" the second in the world, the
other being in Switzerland. A thous-
and wonders must count in the
many tunnels into which without
notice the train plunges, and after
, choking you with foul gas springs
out into the light Of day. One tunnel
however is 5000 feet long. Then the
windows and doors are carefully
closed. What was over our2aheads
we did not like to imagine. aaa
At Shasta Springs the train stops
to let all who wish to get drink
Of clear cold water alight and do
so. This is another Wonderland
the train stops for the passengers
to get a drink.
In California cold water is al
wonder, so here are two. A thru
wonder would be if you did not get
out to have drink Of Shasta wa
ter when you had one chance in
your lifetime to do so. We pass
through the county and town Of
Siskiyou. In this county has been
mined s15O,OOO,OOO in gold-the
mines in places are still active, and
dredges are engag d in cleaning UP
the river beds for gold. Holes have
been dug in the hillsides and
mountains. Along the banks of
streams the sand and rocks have
been panned out. In many Of
these pits lie buried mining stock
which eastern suckers still hold as
assets and perhaps want to invest
in more. This is another wonder,
but it is in the east and not on Mt
Shasta route.
Later the train starts down the
Sacramento river descending 16o0|
+, feet in altitude in twelve miles.
1t follows the river until it reaches
the capital city Of California, Sac
ramento. In doing this it must
| cross and recross the river 1SI
times. In the valley are great
wheat fields, near Sacramento. Trees
here are so rare and priced that
they are left growing singly through
the fields, if nature has planted and
spared them. They are low, heavy
oak, for the land at Sacramento
80 miles from San Francisco, is
but 80 feet above the level Of the
ocean. I will mention two more Won
, ders on this road The first is
, the Suisun lake boys. The road
/, bed has been filled in again and
again, but it keeps settling into this
bottomless bog. Frequent wrecks
result from this unusual condition
and for miles tie train creeps over
I It, and when you look out the win
dow something creeps over you.
At Oakland the train pulled to the
, wharf, and the engine and cars with
all the passengers went aboard the
ferry boat for Frisco. For four1
miles you have the privilege OF
sitting in the cars or getting out
and riding on the boat. To better
appreciate the novelty I went over
on the boat while wife went over
on the train. San Francisco is
built on the east side of narrow
strip of land, the north end of which
forms the south side of the Golden
Gate. The west side is Tapped by
the ocean. Here are the seal rocks,
the Cliff house and a fine beach for
bathers. The hill between the city
and the coast is traversed by street
cars and dotted with residences.
High and mighty dry. 1t was Aug.
Gil, but at midday the al was so
cool that ladies on the street were
wearing heavy plush coats, and
furs, and but one or two were bath
ing in the surf at the beach.
San Francisco hopes to entertain
the world next year at the Panama
exposition and is making great
preparations for it.
The grim evidences Of the dis
astrous fire which followed the
earthquake are readily pointed out,
where debris marks the sight of
many houses and places of business.
The down town district is nearly
all replaced with beautiful and
mammoth busir ess buildings, but
along many streets farther out the
bill boards try to fill up vacant
places. The restoration of the city
has been a modern miracle which
must be seen to be appreciated. The
Congregational churc'H being near
our hotel, the Berkeley, we listened
to vacation sermon by the learned
and gifted pastor, DR.. Aked. This
church was destroyed in the fire and
one Of the first to be rebuilt. The