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Show FROM SAtT LAKE TO SAN FRANCISCO. FRAN-CISCO. Special Correnpondonce of the Salt Lake Herald. Scmiht Station, C. P B. K, Cal., June 20, 1870. Editor Salt Lake Herald : It is a cold, drizzling day in this latitude lat-itude (7030 feet above sea level), and as I have a few moments to spare, I think I could not improve the time be ter than by giving your readers some idea of the scenery along the line of the Central Pacific railroad of California, Cali-fornia, as it is called, and what there is to see and enjoy in taking a trip from Salt Lake City to San Francisco With the nature of the scenery from the interior metropolis to Corinne, most of your readers are familiar ; from the last named point westward, we commence com-mence our trip by riding over the barren bar-ren flats adjacent to the great Salt Lake, although in the uplands there is the finest growth of bunch grass to he found anywhere in Utah. The first point reached is Blue creek, where the railroad company has brought the waters wa-ters of the only v good spring to be found lor a vary long distance, iu pipes to the track. Soon alter leaving this place, the ascent of the Promoiitory begins. The building of the grade necessary to climb the Promontory range required the best engineering skill to plan and complete. The total height of the ascent as-cent from foot to "summ t is 700 feet. The 0. P. company have" abandoned the grade built by the U P. company, tor their own, located on higher ground. I think it is preferable being run over solid fills, instead of the tender looking look-ing trestlework built by the U- P. Co., which is still standing in many places. I looked at the spot where once stood the promising towns of "Blue Ruin," ''Last Cl arice," and "Deadfall,". and thought of the glorious civilization that was to be ushered into our community by the completion of the great overland over-land railway. Thank God 1 sucn civilization civil-ization did not strike in. Twelve mouths ago the Promontory Was'a bustling place ; it is now a deso lation. The mice and rabbits that were scared away by the advent of the railroad have returned to their quiet haunts; most of the denizens of the rum holes, gambling hells and brothels have taken ground to the east, to give character and tone to the "only chrif-tian chrif-tian town," according to some divines, in Utah Corinne. One is surprised to find that all the items of news in the California papers are sent from that place ; the maelstrom story stirted from there ; and many other sensational sensation-al stories find their way in to the papers from the same place. "JMufced." From Promontory the road takes you westward and northward of the salt lake, passing Monument Rock and the Red Dome mountains during the nighL I was glad of the privilege of sleeping over that part of the road, for at best it is a monotonous desert. Early morning brings you to Toano, the end of the Salt Lake division. The company have a number of machine ma-chine shops here, and it is also the outfitting point for the Meadow Valley mines. The next point of interest i the Pequop Puss. The elevation of the road at this point is 6, ISO feet. ' To the left is the Humboldt chain rf mountains. Clad iu winter garments, glisteuiug in the summer sun, they serve to break up the monotony of the scenery and bring to mind our own Wahsatch peaks, although this range is not so high. All along the road from Ogden to Humboldt Wells you see at times the rival grades of the U. P. & C. P. Each company did all they could to get as much as possible completed, and both met as it well known, at the Promontory, which decided for a time the terminus o' each road. After leaving Humboldt Wells we begin to see small streams running westward, and learn on inquiry that these are the feeders of the Humboldt river, which we shall not lose sight of for nearly 300 miles. Elko is the next point of interest It is a neat little town, the outfitting post for White Pine and other mining districts. Numbers of the western Shoshone Indians swarm around the train, with a pe-fect disregard as to the prevailing fashions in Paris. They keep up a lively begging business, and are the embodiments of squalor and wretchedness. Ample facilities are provided in the state of Nevada for the thirsty traveller, almost every other house keeping the necessaries to ''take a drink," if you have the coin, which, by the way, is the circulating medium. Meals are 75 cents in silver, and $1.00 in greenbacks; the shrewd traveler will easily see how he can make money by purchasing silver before be-fore starting on lire journey- Those of my readers who have trav eled up the Platte river will find the same character of scenery in the Humboldt Hum-boldt valley, now and then an occasional occa-sional cottonwood tree fringing the dull border of the stream. On the hill sides not a tree is to be seen. After leaving Carlin the road winds through a narrow valley, with the river on one side and steep rocky peaks on the other. At the Palisades the view is very fine. After leaving this point we emerge into a long, tedious, saleratus plain. At White Plains we leave the Humboldt, Hum-boldt, which forms at this place a lake known as the Sink of the Humboldt; the waters are so alkaline that fish soon perish. Soon after passing the lake darkness dark-ness overtakes us, and we pass during the night the towns of Wadsivorth and Reno; the last nanjed is the distributing distribut-ing d'.'pot for Virginia city and the mining county around. Daylight brings the traveler to Truckee, where he finds he has exchanged the Humboldt Hum-boldt for the Tiu 'kee river, by whose banks we have been slowly ascending since leaving Reno. It is a clear, beautiful stream, containing a plentiful plenti-ful supply of magnificent trout. We have exchanged the sage brush for the majestic pines; the hill sides are covered with a dense growth of the finest kind of timber. Millions of feet of lumber are cut along the banks of the Truckee, and it sells here for $13 per m. coin. The river is crossed many times by the railroad, and in every case on the finest kind of bridges. . Truckee is a lively place, fiHed with lumber mills, railroad shops and stores. It boas.s two neat little churches. The pastor of the Methodist Church is a live, hard working man. I thought, after hearing his statements, state-ments, that our divines at home have a splendid time compared with this hard-working, earnest man. Our folks have abetter thing; they seldom walk; they generally travel in easy buggies: they are tender-oored and can't stand it. I should think the S dt Lake heathens are pretty good to stay with. At Truckee you take stages for lakes Tahoe and Donner. These are favorite favor-ite places of resort, and are the gems of the Sienas. I calculate to visit thenr with some of my family when my big mining interests pay dividends. Leaving Truckee we begin the ascent of the summit in good earnest. Two engines are now attached to the train, and the ro'ad winds around the crests of mountain peaks, requiring an immense im-mense amount ol tunneling. The great fall of snow here every winter required the erection of snow sheds, which extend ex-tend over a distance of nearly forty miles. The eastern end is near Truckee; the western close to Blue Canon. The erection of the sheds is a. much regretted necessity, as most of the finest scenery is thus shut out from the traveler. The company are now engaged in removing some of the planking on the sides, so that you catch a glimpse now and again of the surrounding beauties. Far above the road as you approach the summit may be seen the high peaks of the Sierras, clad in their snowy mantle. At the summit you will find an excellent ex-cellent hotel. The weather here dur ing the summer months is delightful; while the residents of Sacramento, 7,000 feet below, are sweltering with the Thermometer at 110, here it is about 80.. . Beautiful water and the grandest surroundings, including two pretty little lakes, called lakes Mary and Angeline, are within a mile of the station. Douner Lake is in full view of the eastern end of the summit tunnel, fringed on each border with a magnificent growth of pines. Progressing westward we pass Cisco, Emigrant Gap, Blue Canon, Aha, Dutcti Flat, Gold Run. and take breakfast break-fast at Colfax. At Dutch Flat ind Gold Run may be seen the gravel waste caused by hydraulic mining, the principal source of revenue tor the Mountain Towns, a3 they are called. Before reaching Culfax we round the crest of a mountain called Cape Horn, and look from the dizzy height down to the American River 1,400 feet below. It is one of those scenes not easily forgotten. Leaving Colfax we soon perceive a change in the vegetation. e are leaving tVe tall stately pines ard oaks, and various kinds of -undergrowth begin to appear. The soil is a dark yellow, and the country, to a resident of Utah, looks very pleasing. The climate aloDg the foothills is sa.d to be beautiful. Fruits and garden vegetables grow more abundant as we pass Auburn, Newcastle, New-castle, Rhino and liocklin ; at the last named place the railroad company have built a commodious machine shop- We are now approaching Sacramento, and the country is level and very dry. Everything looks parched ; the graiu fields are turned yellow with the drought, for, as with us. while it may rain hard in the mountains, the valley may be drying up. After crossing the American river we soon enter Sacramento, Sacra-mento, the capital of California ; the dome of a very fine state house looming loom-ing above the rest of the city. This city is built upon the lands first settled by Gen. J. II. Sutter, iti 1839 and is situated immediately upon the banks of the American river, which is a broad muddy stream at this place. Steamers run from Sacramento further into the interior : and to the bay of San Francisco. The sight of shipping is always agreeable to an inland resident. resi-dent. H'Mel fares are moderate on the Pacific coast Fruit is plentiful I visited some fine gardens ; and, by the way, why don't we have the beau tiful flowering pomegranate in tJtah ?' It is very hardy and piretty, and is covered through the snmmer with beautiful rose-shaped flowers. The tree is very abundant here, and is a great favorite. Rhododendrons, fuchsias, fuch-sias, geraniums and other beautiful plants thrive in the onen air. Water from the hydrants is the source for irrigation. ir-rigation. I have often thought it would be a good thing for Salt Lake city if City Creek water could be conducted con-ducted from a well-built reservoir in pipes to the houses in the central part of the city. It would be a very great convenience in many ways. Sacramento is the terminus of the C. P. R. R., and before we leave the subject, I am much pleased to say that it is one of the best built and best managed man-aged roads in the United States. It is true you do not travel very fast, but the trips are made with regularity and comfort, and the road bed is beauti-tifully beauti-tifully smooth- I do not remember having experienced a severe jolt along the whole length of the road. At Sacramento you can go to San Francisco by tbfce routes : by the Western Pacifia, by steamer, and by the Vallejo railroad. The Valh-jo is the shortest ; fares from $1 50 to $2 50. I traveled the Western Pacific and passed through rich farming country, but at the time of passing over everything every-thing was drying up ; a hundred miles of grain was being cut for hay, owing to the drought. At Gait, you take the stage for the Big Trees ; at Stockton, Stock-ton, you leave for the Yosemite valley; val-ley; at Oakland, yon take steamer for San Francisco, crossing the bay. From the upper deck of the steamer you have a magnificent view of the bay and surrounding country. Of San Francisco I shall not have much to say. Visitors will find a great deal to interest them in a short !-tay there. In appearance it is something like New York, has a good deal of the business energy of that town, boasts several theatres, magnificent hotels and banks, and is the debarking point for Panama, Australia, China, Japan, and the Mexican ports. Fleets of sailing vessels and steamers give life to the harbor. Street cars take you fiom one end of the city to the ot,er for 6i cents. You can find in it the cheapest good restaurants in the United States. Hotel fares range from $1 00' to $40 0 per day. From the city by a pleasant road you can visit the Pacific oceanj Btay at the Cliff House, and, when you are taking a look at the seals on the rocks near by, I propose to leave you to enjoy en-joy yourself. Chiara Oscuro. |