Mexico weekly ledger., 1915-03-04
FORMER MEXICO GIRL
WRITES FROM THE WEST
Miss Sylvia WyIde, Formerly Of This
City, Is Touring West For The
Various Papers.
RESIDES IN SPOKANE NOW
Interesting Letter Tells of the Beau
ties and Wonders of the Pacific
Slope Today.

!. Mexico Ledger,
!, Mexico, Mo.
( My Dear Mr.. White.
: As ! am touring the coast cite
J and writing articles for various enter
prises, if you have a little space il
! your columns to spare, will send q
, few lines to the Ledger, for old times
sake. No matter how far removed
one may be from familiar scenes nor
how attractive his new surroundings
old friends and the old home paper
can never be forgotten.
Seattle, the first stopping place on
my route from Spokane, with its var
ious docks and mammouth steamers,
is an interesting city. The new L. C.
Smith Building, built by L. C. Smith
of typewriter fame, is forty-two stor-
les high and a valuable addition to
the business district. Seattle has
100000 inhabitants and is very
busy and prosperous city.
l Travelled on the large steamer, In
dianapolis, from Seattle to Tacoma,
which latter city, from it's location
upon the bluff, commands a good view
of the bay. An interesting feature of
the city is the long drawbridge recent
ly completed, the erection of which
cost one million dollars. 1t connects
the manufacturing district with the
residence portion of the city upon op-
posite arms of the bay.
Portland, the "Rose City," is sit
uated upon the Willamette River,
twelve miles from its confluence with
the Columbia, has about 100000 in
habitants and is said to be the larg-
est lumber producing city in tne
world. 1t is attractive during the
summer months because of its abun-
dance of fine roses, and entertains
thousands OF visitors each year DUR
ing its famous "Rose Festival"
Among the chief points of interest
on the ride from Portland to San
Francisco, are the Shasta Mountains
and Shasta prings. Mt. Shasta, "The
Sleeping Titan," is 14,444 feet hign |
and possesses distinct air of royalty
as it proudly holds aloft its crown
of never melting snow. Cold unap-
proachable, but very beautiful, it can
be seen from the train for several
hours ride.
At Shasta Springs, the train stops |
five minutes to allow passengers time
to get drink of the water, which is
famous as a mountain drink, and, |
being mineral, is used extensively for
medicinal purposes. 1t has an inn
mense fall from away up the noun
tain presents wonderful picture and
makes pleasant music as it leaps and
gurgles down the mountain side, al
most to the very track. At night,
electric lights CLEAN from different
points of the springs, which enable
one to get pretty view of it even
through the darkness.
When we first crossed Frisco Bay, |
it was by the novel method of running
the train on the transfer ferry and
thus sailing across. Our train had
thirteen coaches; another passenger
train, the same length, and a large
freight train, occupied tracks parallel
to ours, the three trains taking up
just half of the floor space of the
boat.
In crossing the bay, one goes with
in sight of three insular military re-
servations, Goat Island, the Govern
ment Naval Training Station, Alcat-
raz, the Military Prison, and Angel
Island, the Quarantine Station. All
are high, rocky islands, and can be
reached only by Government steamer
in the Bay, to enter which one must
have pass from the Quartermaster at
the Preside.
The Preside is beautiful tract of |
1,500 acres, where are stationed the |
United States soldiers. The driveway |
through these grounds winds through |
continuous groves of fine old oaks, |
frs, cypress and many other varieties |
Of trees. Cannon, fortifying the har-
Dor, line this portion of the Ocean |
Driveway.
Near the Preside, is Golden Gate
Park, the pride of San Francisco, and
delight to every tourist. Here, in
the glory of the California sunshine,
even at this time of the year, flowers
bloom in riotous colors, while the
stately Eucalyptus, the graceful palm,
the dainty pepper tree, and others
too numerous to mention, contribute,
in their own way to the rich and var
led beauty of the spot. The park COM
prises 1912 acres, contains 267,000 diff
ferent varieties of small flowers and
Towering shrubs, and has trees, flow
ers and plants from every climate in
the world. 1t also has fine Conser-
vatory containing all kinds of trop-
ical fruits, large fruits, a large
Museum with one of the finest col
lections of curiosities and ancient and
modern works of art on the Pacific
Coast, an aviary with hundreds Of
living birds, parks containing elk,
deer and buffalo, and natural water
fall which comes sparkling down the
east side of Strawberry Hill, so named
for the abundance of wild strawber-