The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-12-16

Aunt Kate and the cousins and Shook
ums in his sweater. With many invita-
tons for them to visit the East, and
many promises to come West again, we
boarded the Shasta train as it Numbered
in from the north. taking with US Uncle
Sam, who much to our satisfaction, h; d
business in San Francisco.
The train was late, and owing to its
crowded condition we could get no Pull
man section until we reached Dunsmuir,
two hours down the line. We passed
the intervening time rather uncomfort-
ably in the reclining chair car, which is
not at all the "chair car" of our Eastern
ideas, but an uncomfortable arrange
ment of head-rests, arm-rests and foot
rests that may be of service to the I'M
fortunate individual who has to sit up
all night, but is decidedly inconvenient
if he should happen to have any bag
gage. The scenery, however, helped US
to forget our discomfort, and the Road
of Thousand Wonders proceeded to
justify its name as we journeyed. Mt.
Shasta had its lofty head in cloud as
we passed. but the Shasta Canyon was a
revelation of beauty. At one point one
might leave the train, take en-min-
utes walk down the mountain, and beat
the train to its next stopping place.
Needless to say we did not try to test
the truth of this assertion, but it un-
doubtedly could be done, as the train
really goes through the canyon twice at
different levels. At Shasta Springs, in
the bottom of the canyon, the train &C.
commodatingly stopped ten minutes,
giving everyone an opportunity to get
out and take drink of Shasta water,
We decided that it very strongly resem-
bled plain soda water, with plenty of
fizz and no flavor. Shasta water is
bottled and sold throughout the West,
and seems to be as popular and has as
wide sale as Poland Spring water in
the East. In spite of the gathering
darkness, and my fervid exhortations
that the train would go off without him,
Will posed the camera on the car step,
and succeeded in getting a bulb expos
ure of the Springs, which turned out
very well. The last interesting spot we
saw before darkness closed in altogether
was Mossbrae Falls, where the water
comes down through moss and tree roots
in thousands of tiny rivulets, giving the
effect of great sheet of water accom-
modatingly close by the track, where
the tourist can get splendid view. We
were glad when the train stopped at
Dunsmuir, and we could exchange our
chair car for the more comfortable Pull
man sleeper, and visit to the diner was
imm diately in order. 1t was California
Raisin Day, and in honor of that we
were served with a delicious raisin
bread, and the menu contained raisins
served In all sorts of ways, new and old.
Early next morning we arrived in San
Francisco; or, at least, arrived in Oak
land to take the ferry to San Francisco,
which is somewhat in the position of
Peaks Island as far as we could Judge
since one has to take ferry to get into
or out of the city in every direction save
one. Uncle Sam had left us at Port
Costa, to go to Sacramento, but had
promised to meet US in San Francisco in
a day or two. We ate hurried break
fast on the ferry, and were on deck to
get our first view of the city as it loomed
up across the water, with the legend
california Invites the World! 1915,
Panama-Pacific Exposition" in huge
letters, Illuminated at night, over the
waterfront, that could be read at great
distance. Inviting the world seemed to
be like undertaking quite a contract,
cut quite characteristic of California.
We took taxi direct to the Hotel Plaza,
which had been highly recommended to
US, end hotel to which should unhesi-
tatingly 60 again, as the rates were
reasonable, and the service and dining
room excellent, besides which, the loca-
ton is central, in Union Square. Strange
to say was recognized at breakfast
next morning by the wife of one of the
proprietors, who turned out to be an
old Belfast girl. formerly Miss Rena
Shaw. She gave me most cordial in
vitation to visit her rooms, and l should
have been glad to accept had our stay
been longer.
The dsy was cold, windy, and threat.
ened rair, and we decided to wait until
the next day before visiting the Expo
sition, so after unpacking and settling
our belongings we patronized the sight
seeing auto. This time it was a fifty
passenger machine, which took us
through the residential district out to
Golden Gate Park, the Cliff House, and
finally through the Preside, or military
reservation, from the heights of which
we had truly wonderful and impressive
view of the Panama Pacific Exposition,
and beyond to the harbor and the far
famed Golden Gate to the Pacific
Golden Gate Park is a shining example