Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1920-12-09
TOWARD THE LAND OF GOLD.

EulJOT hepuDnCan.
1t occurred to me that few lines
concerning our trip might be OF in
terest to Audubon county readers.
We left home on the evening of Nov.
18th, bound for California, and ar
rived at Los Angeles on Sunday,
travelling over two thousand miles
through prairie, mountains, deserts,
and flowers. No snow except on the
mountains, and no accident of any
kind to mar the trip. We did not
change cars and we ate, rode and
slept in the same sections all the
time, and with courteous treatment
and a most genial porter the trip
was a pleasant one. Leaving Car
roll at 10 p. m, we reached Kear-
ney, Neb., at daylight. This town
has an interest for me, for Buffalo
Bill in his writings often referred
to old Fort Kearney. About this
region is a wonderful country, muck
OF which has never been ruined by
pasturing. Thousands of stacks OF
wild hay are waiting to be shipped
to markets farther east Passing on
/ noticed a dilapidated old prairie
schooner, headed westward, and the
old-fashiored cowboy was still in
evidence, too. OF course, these only
to a small extent, but they brought
back old memories, just the same.
In Wyoming, / should judge we ran
fifty miles at a stretch with not
house in sight; just rolling hills OF
prfrie; a fine sight to me who had
seen Audubon county thinly settled
in an early day. The Lincoln High
way follows the Union Pacific rail-
road much of the way and there is
wonderful lot of work being done
on it at this time. The big corr
stalks which We saw in Iowa, that
are backing up the S400-land, were
not seen much farther west. They
kept growing smaller and smaller
and by the time we had reached
Cheyenne it was goodnight to the
corn field. But il was a sheep coun-
try then, and on account of being
so rough, was better adapted 20 that
than to farming. Pretty dry here,
too, even before the Constitution
was amended. In the country
around old Laramie the scenery
was pretty good and the many pines
made me think that we were almost
on The Trail OF the Lonesome Pine.
At Sherman, Wyoming, an elevation
of better than eight thousand feet
is reached-the highest point on
this route. The great plains which
were crossing were Buffalo Bits
old playground, but greatly changed
since his day. Several small prairie
fires l saw on the way brought back
memories of Audubon county in the
early days. The great American
desert pictured in my old geography
is true to quite large degree, for
we crossed over many miles OF coun-
try suited to that name. Salt Lake
City is a magnificent place. On
leaving there we had fine view Of
the Great Salt Lake region and for
quite a while we crossed through a
rather swampy country, the sides OF
which were bounded by beautiful
mountains, covered with snow. We
ran all day toward the far southwest
on a plain with mountain ranges on
either side, covered with snow. Pref
ty hard sometimes to tell where the
mountains ended and the clouds be-
gan. A lonesome county this, where
miles and miles were rolled off with
out sign of human habitation or an
imal life. Further on, however,
there were hundreds of little shacks
noticeable-the homes of home
steaders. They were nearly all va
cant now, for many of the home
steaders live here the required time
and then go back east or to the cit
les during the winter months, whers
home has more to it than merely Q
name. At Caliente, Nevada, the
scenery is excellent Beyond hers
we ran as far as eighty-one miles at
stretch, stopping only for water
Just before reaching San Bernardins
it began to look like the Californis
you read about. Beautiful weather
paved roads, magnificent scenery
grape fields, orange groves, etc., ga.
lore. The snow-covered mountain
stands by the side of the ripe to-
mato vine. We will begin putting In
our garden soon.
But / must close now. i am i'm
posing on the good editors OF Audi
bon county to reach my many ole
friends, for / can't write to all o.
them at once. However, expect Il
finish this letter at later date, Civ
ing a few details of life here which
believe might be of interest to thu
folks at home.
Audubon Shelley.
1877 Z. Bird Street,
i Long Reach Calf