Year: 1875

| p0sedr at and around Lyons Station
| last week, and while in the section
now becoming so full of interest inn
proved the opportunity to dot down a
| few items for the benefit Of our read
ers. In making the trip from San
Fernando, the present terminus of the
railroad, to the Station some nine
miles further North, we occupied
snug berth on the top of one of the
Telegraph Lines stages, and never
have we enjoyed a ride better. Talk
about the


"POETRY OF NOTION


As found in the may circle or on the
light fantastic toe! 1t is not a COM
parison to riding outside a swaying
stage-eoach as it goes dashing along
with it's six fresh horses on jolly
round trot. The night air was cool and
exhilarating and well TO be appreci-
ated under good heavy wrappings; the
moon and stars, out in full brlliancy,
rendered every object along the line
almost as distinctly visible as by day
light. No wonder that we fell into "a
poetical humor and saw scenery where
otherwise it would have been simply
mountains and moonshine. Up the
rugged and serpentine road to the
summit" through the deep cut at
the top of the mountain and down the
other side to the valley, and we were
at


LYONS STATION.


Though unpretentious in itself, it is
an inviting place for the weary deni-
zen of the city, where he can play the
recluse if he wish, breathe the invig-
Grating mountain air and Danish all
thought of care and responsibility.
The station proper is well constructed
frame building about 30X60 feet in di-
mensions and answering at once the
purposes of a store, Postoffice, tele-
graph office, depot and tavern, being,
altogether, the head centre of the ada
cent valley. Besides this there is a
large stable, and, back towards the
foothills on the West, n little cottage
half hid by heavy growth of noun
tain oak. This makes UP the sum
total of Lyons Station.


Upon our arrival we found our old
friend Captain Kraszynski in charge,
who was doing the honOrs of mine
host in the absence of his brother, the
proprietor of the establishment. The
Captain is one of those whole-souled
men who never does things by halves
in the matter of hospitality, and we
have to thank him for the thousand
kindly attentions which we expert
enced while under his roof-tree and
which made our stay so pleasant.


THE RAILRAOD TUNNEL.


In going up the Southern slope of
the mountains we passed two camps of
railroad graders, whose white tents
gave a picturesque setting to the little
cations and benches where they nes-
tied. Other parties are scattered about
at convenient points, and all making
preparations for the grand work ahead.
The entire force now numbers some
$50 men, under the supervision of Mr..
Harris, Superintendent of Construc-
ton for the Southern Pacific Road.
Since the commencement of opera
tions the working parties have been
chiefly engaged in making roads,
grading approaches and altogether
getting a good ready. The line as sur
veyed runs almost due North from San
Fernando, taking up the cafion little
to the West of the Telegraph road.
The work of tunneling the mountain is


A sTUPENDoUs UNDERTAKING,


Which can scarcely be appreciated
until one sees the immense walls of
rock and contemplates the solid base
which must be worked through by
drill, blast and pick, meeting and con-
quering the fastness of Nature inch
by inch. The length of this tunnel
will be about 1000 feet. Last Monday
the Southern face was opened and the
real undertaking in hand commenced.
1t is the intention of the engineers to
prosecute the work simultaneously on
both sides 1T the mountain and at
three intermediate points. AT equal
distances from the extremities, in
clined shafts will be sunk from above
to the projected level of tunnel. In
each of these shafts two forces will be
employed, pushing their way in oppo-
site directions. This will give eight
faces, upon which as many parties will
work, and, by the nicely of engineer
ing skill, all will at last merge into the
completed tunnel. Long and stub
born toll will be required to accomplish
this, and if at the end of eighteen
months ray of light flashes through
the mountain, the most sanguine eX-
pectations will meet a realization.


THE OIL WELLS.


Much has been said and written
about the San Fernando oil region,
and, as hearsay usually makes it,
many unreliable reports have gained
circulation. The thorough investiga-
tion of this matter was one of the
main objects of our visit to the dis
trict, and we shall endeavor to report
fairly and fully what we saw. There
can be no doubt that oil eXists-per-
haps in large volume--beneath the
mountains and valley lying North of
Lyons Station. The many


SURFACE INDICATIONS


Which may be seen in the vicinity
would convince the most skeptical on
this point. But grave doubt has
been suggested that, as the region
shows unmistakable signs of volcanic
upheaval, perhaps the oil basin has
been shattered in like manner as the
surface. The springs or pools found
along the cafions may be, in this
event, only the natural seepage
through the rocks without indicating
any considerable volume. Be this as
it may, the question can only be set
tied by experiment, and hundred
wells might be bored without striking