Show from ogden to san francisco EDITORIAL correspondence y the trip from ogden to san francisco over the southern pacific railroad is one that gives the traveler or the tourist every change of climate at the disposal of the U S weather observer a great diversity of scenery from the unattractive stretch across nevada deserts to the most beautiful and delightful section to be found along any trunk line on an this continent and a variation of altitude ranging from feet almost in the clouds down to sea level while the train service equipment and quick time over this line combined with the features above outlined makes the journey a most pleasant one from start to finish the writer left lef t ogden for san francisco on the southern pacific about noon on the 2nd and of june the line between the gate city and corinne passing through a stretch of country the curves sharp and a double header is necessary to haul the heavy train around the north end of the lake this long and expensive haul however is now almost a thing of the past as passenger trains will soon be going over the lucin cutoff cut off the line but recently completed over the north arm of the lake in itself a wonderful piece of engineering one of the greatest ever undertaken in railroading and which saves fo forty i arty five miles in travel AJ QA 1 C Q CLIFF HOUSE AND SEAL ROCKS KOCKS SAN FRANCISCO CAL photo by will vill C higgins under a high state of cultivation and beautiful to look upon with its fields of grain and alfalfa its thrifty orchards and inviting groves whose limits were bordered on the east by the foothills of the great wasatch range of mountains and on the west by the briny and sparkling waters of the great salt lake from corinne to lucin the country al though barren is not without its scenic beauty the grades are heavy here and and nearly two hours in time between ogden and lucin travel over the lucin cutoff by the way will add greatly to the scenic attractions of the journey from utah to the pacific coast at lucin the double header was dispensed with and from there on to the foothills of the sierras much better time was made with a single locomotive about six in the afternoon toano boano was reached this is the point of depa departure arture for 13 the park valley region in box elder county utah the home of the century gold mine the sunrise and of other promising mines and prospects at 7 p m the train pulled into wells nevada the nearest railroad point from which spruce mountain ely and cherry creek all prominent mining camps can be reached at eleven the shrill whistle of the locomotive announced our arrival at battle mountain the commercial center of a number ot of rich mining camps noted for their production of mineral wealth galore a quarter of a century ago and which with the quickening touch of capital and enterprise are reenter re enter ing upon a new life of activity and production winnemucca another little railroad town surrounded by mountains rich in their ledges of gold silver copper and lead is reached soon after and then on into the night towards the setting sun the train moves onward carrying with it a hundred souls or more whose slumbers are no more disturbed than if at repose upon their own beds within the charmed circle of their own homes with the coming of early morning the truckee river a beautiful stream unfolds itself to the refreshed traveler just as the train stops at wadsworth and an hour and a half la terReno later reno is announced by the brakeman reno where one changes trains for virginia city the home of the great comstock lode which has produced its millions its billions in imperishable wealth reno from which point one can soon go by rail to the new camp of tono pah the only formidable ri vival in the west that the amstock has really ever had reno one of the most progressive enterprising and growing cities to be found between salt lake cl city ity and the pacific coast from reno to truckee the scenery becomes more attractive and beautiful at truckee the timber belt is reached and as we begin to climb the foothills struggling pines soon unite so as to form thick forests and from this place to the summit of the range and far down its western slope the train passes through miles of snow sheds and many tunnels near the summit we see lake donner a beautiful sheet of water around which for nearly half its gings aings and the hillsides hill sides are dotted with vineyards still a little mining is being done here and at gold run we saw one solitary stream baing hurled against a high bank of gold bearing gravel at colfax the first california cherries were offered by little boys the price ten cents a sack asked upon the arrival of the train dwindling down to five cents with the conductors cry of all aboard at rockland the grain belt was entered and from there on to sacramento and to benicia strait the train passed through immense fields of waving grain embracing thousands upon thousands of acres from benecia where the entire train is r run n on a ferry boat and is transported to the other shore the ride to oakland mole is brief as well as pleasant at the mole the passengers take the ferry boat of the southern pacific line and cress the bay to the wharf at san francisco completing one ell J 4 0 A V A X W ar conservatory GOLDEN GATE PARK SAN FRANCISCO CAL photo by will C higgins circumference the railroad winds its sinuous way at blue canyon the last of the snow sheds are left behind we are glad for they had become tiresome and then too they shut out the view of the rugged mountains the snow crested peaks and the stately pines soon after eleven we reach dutch flat and gold run run points of especial interest to the mining man as theae places are famous for their production years ago of millions upon millions in placer gold operations on a large scale being discontinued through state legislation because of the damage caused by the debris from the placer diggings the operations operatic ins at thee places having been carried on upon such a gigantic scale that the tops of the mountains were washed away through the process of hydraulic mining and the contour of a wide stretch of country was changed and yet this is a beautiful spot it is in the fruit growing belt and many orchards adorn the site of former placer dig of the most pleasant peasant overland trips that one can take in traveling from the far east to the far west of the 11 sights in san francisco we will not dwell long in this letter the tourist will not leave the grea tsei commercial center of the pacific coast without first visiting golden gate park the clift cliff house and sutro gardens three of the pleasant resorts of the golden gate city |