\mf\r. imfvJJjmJ}J^i :mif\f.v' «bAiJ(^o AaaAAa^^a- fimm^m^ AA^^>^ LIBRARY OF congress' Shelf H.(i'-.(a, ■ 'v,. UNITED STATES OP AMURIOA. WmMkhf, mm^00^^^^ kmi hmi.^.^^^m -J,^,^A%/^nn^^^; m^^^rmmmmm^^ ^^f:t(m^m^''^r^^rr^^ I'^^A'^^A.^OWAA-AAA^i A^M^A^iA^s- BANCROFT'S PACIFIC COAST 3UIDE BOOK JOHN S. HITTELL, iuUior ol " The Commerce and Industries of the Pacific Coast," " The Resources of California, " The History of San Francisco," " A Brief History of Culture," etc. WITH MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. .: 15 SAN FRANCISCO: '^'^^OPWA /L. L. Bancroft & Co., Publishers, 721 JIarkct Street, " "^" ^: 1882. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1882, By a. L. BANCROFT & COMPANY, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. .H«aU PREFACE. The main purpose of this book is to present, in a small space, such information as will be of most interest to travelers generally, visiting the Paciiic Slope of North America. The notable views along the line of tke Union and Central Pacific railroads, from the Mississippi River to the Pacific, are pointed out ; the various climates of the vast region west of the llocky "Mountains, from Panama to the Arctic Ocean, are described; and the tourist is taken through the dilTerent districts and supplied with such explanation of the features of local nature and art as will enable him to enjoy them readily and to con- verse about them understandingly. The work is not designed exclusively for the pleasure tourist from abroad. Special attention has been paid to the needs of invalids, especially those of the consumptive class, and the chapters on the climates and mineral springs of our slope, (the former copied from the Commerce and Industries of the Pacific Coast, by the same author, and issued by the same publishers), are the most comprehen- sive essaj's ever prepared on their respective subjects. The author did not consider it advisable in a compendium like this to give a nummary of the opinions of medical authorities, on the therapeutical cilccts of different classes of natural medicinal waters, or of the in- fluence of meteorological conditions on diseases of the respiratory '.ans. He does not hesitate, however, to claim that the best eli- te in tlie world for consumptives, and the best mineral springs in United States, so far as a judgment can be formed from published listics, are in California. i '.C'sides the wants of invalids and stranger tourists, those of a third -s have been kept in view — the residents who wish to know the list places for picnics, camp grounds, summer idling, and country walks and drives. The wild and romantic canyons of the San Mateo, Pilarcitos, San Leandro, San Pablo, Wild Cat, Nicasio, Reed, Lagu- nitas and San Geronimo creeks, within tw.enty miles of San Fran- 4 PREFACE. cisco, are unknown to many old residents of San Francisco, even to rich pleasure seekers who have made the tour of Europe. Atten- tion is called to them here. Camping is one of the specialties of California, and a chapter has been devoted to it. The area of which the work treats, is the entire region west of the summit of the Rocky Mountains, from Panama to the Arctic Ocean ; but a large share of the space is given to the metropolis, for the reasons that it is the home or chief stopping place of a majority of the tourists; that most of the travel for pleasure is within 100 miles of it ; and that the information is fuller and more precise in reference to it, than to otlier districts. The publishers expect to issue every spring a new edition, with such corrections and additions, as will make it one of the most com- plete works of its kind. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Chapter I.— NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. Page. Four Routes 11 The Steamer Route 11 The a. T. and S. F. Route. 12 The Central-Union Route. 12 Council Bluffs to Chey- enne 12 Cheyenne to Creston 14 Creston to Granger 15 Granger to Evanston 17 EVANSTON TO OgDEN 18 Yellowstone Park 20 Salt Lake City 21 From Salt Lake South- ward 25 From Ogden to Palisade . . 26 Page. Palisade to Battle Moun- tain 28 Battle Mountain to Reno . 29 South from Reno 30 A Silver Mill 32 Carson and Colorado R. R. 33 Reno to Truckee 36 Lake Tahoe 36 The Donner Tragedy 38 Summit to Emigrant Gap . . 39 Scenery below Emigrant Gap 41 Hydraulic Mining 42 Sacramento to San Fran- cisco 43 Chapter II.— THE CLIMATES. Page. Comparative Meteorology. 45 Standards of Temperature 46 Meteorological Regions . . 46 San Francisco Summers ... 47 Hot Days 48 Cool Nights 49 Warm Winters 49 The Early Spring 51 San Francisco Rains 51 Page. Fog , 53 Relative Humidity 54 Warm Belt 57 Sacramento Climate 59 Los Angeles Climate 62 Oregon Climate 64 Utah and Arizona 64 Alaska's Climate 65 TABLE OF CONTENTS. Chapter III.— CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. Page. The Pacific Slope 66 Pleasure Resort Districts 66 Characteristics 68 A Mountainous Country . . 69 Geological Con^'"ulsions. . . 70 Mineral Wealth 70 Peculiar Vegetation 70 Flowers 71 Field for Sportsmen 71 The Californians 72 Romance of the Present . 72 The Name California 73 The Missions 73 Mexican Dominion 74 American Settlers 74 American Conquest 75 1850 to 1882 75 Californian Agriculture. 76 San Francisco 76 The City's Origin 77 A City of 100 Hills 77 Telegraph Hill 79 San Francisco at Night . . 80 A Treeless City 80 A Great Seaport 81 A Pleasure Resort 81 The Streets 82 Architecture 82 Notable Buildings 83 Mint 84 City Hall 85 Hotels 85 Safe Deposit 85 Stock Exchange 85 Nob Hill 86 Churches 87 Page. Clubs and Libraries "87 San Francisco Drives 88 San Francisco Picnic Grounds 89 Golden Gate Park 89 Presidio Reservation 91 Point San Jose 91 Cliff House 92 Woodward's Garden 93 San Francisco Cemeteries. 93 Chinatown 94 Joss Houses 95 Sunday in Chinatown 96 Chinese Holidays 97 Funerals 98 Chinese Theatres 99 Merchants 100 Restaurants 100 Chinese Missions 100 Conveyances 101 Alameda County 101 Oakland 101 Lake Merritt 102 Sunday Parks 102 Berkeley 102 Piedmont 103 High Peaks 103 Drives 103 MoRAGA Pass 103 Telegraph Pass 103 Laundry Farm 104 Haywards 104 Alameda 104 Fruit Vale 105 Contra Costa 105 Mt. Diablo 105 TABLE OP CONTENTS. Page. San Mateo 108 Palo Alto 108 Summer Kesorts 108 Santa Clara 109 Santa Clara Towns 110 Pleasure Eesorts Ill Santa Cruz Ill City of Santa Cruz 112 Santa Cruz Big Trees. . . .112 Santa Cruz Mountains. ..113 Santa Cruz Ruins 114 Fata Morgana ,114 Various Resorts 115 Monterey 116 Town of Monterey 116 Monterey Groves 116 Hotel del Monte 116 Pacific Grove Retreat. . .117 Carmel Mission 117 San Benito 118 San Luis Obispo .118 San Joaquin Valley 118 Marin 118 Saucelito 119 Point Bonita 119 San Rafael 119 Tamalpais 119 Various Resorts 120 Sonoma 121 Geysers 121 Petrified Forest 123 Page. Volcanic Overflows 123 Sonoma Valley 124 Russian River 125 Guerneville 125 Fort Ross 125 Sonoma Springs 125 Napa Valley 125 Napa City 126 St. Helena 126 Calistoga 127 Mt. St. Helena 127 East-Napa Ridge 128 Lake County 129 Clear Lake 129 Borax Lake 129 Thurston Lake 130 Cobb Valley 130 Blue Lakes 130 Sulphur Bank 130 Bartlett Springs 130 Adams' Springs 131 Harbin's Springs 131 Highland Springs 131 Other Lake County Springs 131 Mendocino 131 Humboldt 131 Sacramento 131 Tehama 132 The Foothills 132 Shasta 134 Chapter IV. -SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. Territory Included 135 Los Angeles 136 San Gabriel Mission 137 San Gabriel Valley; Sierra Madre Villa. Anaheim, Etc 138 138 138 8 TABLE or CONTENTS. Page. Santa Baebaba 139 Santa Barbaea Mission.. .140 montecito 140 Hollister's Rancho 141 Cooper's Rancho 141 Santa Inez Valley 141 Santa Barbara Islands ... 141 Ventura 141 Ojai 142 Matilija 142 San Bernardino 142 Pago. San Bernardino Town 144 Riverside, Etc 144 San Bernardino Springs., 145 San Diego County 145 San Diego City 146 Mud Volcanoes 146 Below Sea Level 147 Mission of San Diego 147 Mission of San Luis Rey..147 La Jolla 147 Chapter V.— THE SIERRA NEVADA. The Chal^ 149 yosemite 151 General Effect 152 A State Park 154 Routes .154 Programme 156 Trails 158 The Walls 158 The River 158 EiRST View of the Valley. 159 Ribbon Fall 159 The Ca-pitan 159 The Bridal Veil 160 Cathedral Rocks 160 The Three Brothers 161 The Yosemite Fall 161 Sentinel Rock 164 Sentinel Dome 164 Glacier Point 164 Elevations 164 The Half Dome 166 Royal Arches 166 Washington Column 166 North Dome 166 Mirror Lake 166 Vernal Fall 166 The Nevada Fall 168 Cap of Liberty 168 Mt. Starr King 168 Cloud's Rest 169 Tooloolweack Fall 169 Snow and Hail 169 Saddle Horse Charges. . ,170 Carriage Charges 170 Guide and Trail Cil\rges.170 Guides 170 Horses 171 Guardl\n of the Valley. 171 Yosemite Valley 172 Method of Formation 172 Other Yosemities 173 Mountain Topography 174 The Californl\n Alps 175 Big Tree Station 176 Mariposa Big Trees 177 The Sierra Forest 178 TABLE OF Page. Calaveras Bia Trees 178 Other Groves 180 Shasta 180 Ascent of Shasta 181 View from Mount Shasta.. 181 Descent from Shasta 182 San Francisco to Shasta. .182 Scenery near Shasta 183 Mt. Lassen 183 Snag Lake 183 Cinder Cone 184 contents. ^ I Page, Recent Volcanic Action.. 184 Boiling L^^-KE 185 Lassen Basaltic Columns. 185 Lassen Geysers 185 Ascent of Lassen 186 Cottonwood Cave 186 Redding Cones 186 Cedar Petrified Forest . . 186 Sierra Lava Beds 186 Mono Lake 186 Glaciers 187 Chapter VL— OREGON, Scope of Chapter 189 Columbia River 189 Cascade Range 189 Hood River 190 Tillamook Bay 190 Clatsop Beach 190 WiLHOiT Springs 190 Mystic Lake 190 Washington 190 PuGET Sound 192 Snoqualmie Fall 192 WASHINGTON, ETC. Seattle Resorts 192 Olympia Resorts 192 Gray's Harbor 193 Ilwaco 193 Oysterville 193 British Columbia 193^ Alaska 193 Arizona 194 Ruins 194 Atlantic and Pacific Rail- road 194 Chapter VIL— CAMPING. Outdoor Life 197 Camping Tours 198 Time for Camping 198 Saddles 198 Tents 200 Personal Outfit 200 Provisions 200 Cooking Utensils 201 Table Ware 201 Bedding 201 Tools 201 Books on Camping 201 The Camping Party 202 Santa Cruz Camping Tour. 202 Marin Camping Tour 203 Hunting 204 10 TABLE OF CONTENTS. Bear 205 Buffalo 205 Deee 205 Rabbits, Etc 206 Wild Hogs, Etc 206 Carnivorous Animals 206 Turkey 20G Grouse 207 Quail 207 Pigeons 207 Water Fowl 207 Fish 2O8 Chapter VHI.— HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. The Group 209 Honolulu 209 Tour of Oahu 210 Maui 211 MOLOKAI 212 Lanai 213 Hawaii 213 Kauai ;216 Chapter IX.— MINERAL SPRINGS Medicinal Value 218 Localities of Springs 219 Chemists 219 Alkaline Springs 219 Alkaline Springs, Table of 220 Purgative Waters 222 Purgative Springs, Table OF ...223 Thermal Springs 225 Thermal Springs, Table OF 226 Sulphur Springs 226 S ULPHUR Springs, Table of . 227 Other Springs 228 General Remarks 228 Chapter X.— DISTANCES, ETC. Explanations 230 Distances from San Fran- cisco 232 Distances from Portland. 258 Distances from Ogden 264 Steamboat Routes . . 266 Rules for Travelers 267 Railroad Time 270 CHAPTER I. NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO Four Routes. — Four routes are open for travel from New York to San Francisco, by continuous steam conveyance. Of these, the first is the one by the Central-Union route, that is over the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railways, by way of Omaha and Ogden. The second is over the Atchison, Topeka and Santa F6 Railroad to Doming, and thence over the Southern Pacific. The third is over the Southern Pacific and its connected roads across Texas. The fourth is the Steamer route, by way of the Isthmus of Panama. Roads are now being built on the Canadian Pacific (52d parallel), the Northern Pacific {47th parallel), Denver Pacific (38th parallel)*, and Atlantic and Pacific (35th parallel) routes, across the continent, but the work has not ^et advanced far enough on either of these routes to carry travelers through. The Southern Pacific route, on the 32d parallel, is to be fully opened before December, 1882. The Steamer Koute. — The trip from New York to San Fran- cisco, by way of Panama, occupies from 25 to 28 days, there being a difi"erence of 3 days in the length of the alternate trips. The pas- sengers by one steamer leave Panama on the day of their arrival at Aspinwall ; those of the next one spend a night at the Isthmus. The steamers leave New York on the 20th and 30th of every month, and touch on the western coast of Central America and ^lexico, at Libertad, San Jose de Guatemala, Acapulco and Mazat- lan. Punta Arenas, Manzanillo and San Bias are visited on alternate trips, and those who wish to visit or avoid either of those, should examine the time table carefully before purchasing a ticket. The cabin passenger is allowed to have 200 pounds of baggage. Per- sons wishing to spend two or three days on the Istlimus, will find an opportunity to do so when returning from San Francisco, as they will discover by studying the time table. The Panama route gives facilities to see the tropical vege- tation and Spanish-American life at the Isthmus and various landing places, and is considered a very pleasant sea voyage, the accommo- dations being excellent, and the company on the boats usually agreeable and the voyage smooth. The steamer on the Atlantic side does not usually stop l)etween New York and AspinwalK 12 NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. The steamer line between San Francisco and New York, by way of Nicaragua, was withdrawn a score of years since, and there is no prospect that it will be reopened until the ship canal shall be constructed on the Nicaragua route. The A. T. & S. F. Route.— The distance from New York to San Francisco, by way of St. Louis, Kansas City (or Atchison), Albuquerque and Los Angeles, over the Atchison, Topeka and Santa F6 Railroad to Deming, and thence over the Southern Pacific, is 3,700 miles, and the time required for the trip, under the present schedule, is 6 days and 20 hours, or 164 hours, which is reduced to 160| hours after allowing for the difiference in meridian. If the traveler starts from New York at 6:25 P. m. on Monday, and goes through without delay, he will leave St. Louis, 1,063 miles distant, at 9:10 A. M. on Wednesday; Deming, 1,431 miles beyond, at 7 A. M. Saturday, and, after passing 1,198 additional miles, will reach San Francisco at 2:35 p. m. on Monday. The Central-Union Route. — Of the various routes from New York to San Francisco, the shortest, by way of Chicago, Omaha and Ogden, is 3332 miles long, and occupies 6f days, or 159^ hours, or 156| hours after allowing for the difference between the clocks of the terminal points. If the traveler leaves Manhattan Island on Monday at 9 P. m., he will reach the Golden Gate at 11:35 A. M., on the following Monday. He leaves Chicago (913 miles from New York by the shortest route) at 12:30 p. m., (noon), on Wednesday; Omaha at 12:15 p. m., (noon) on Thursday, and Ogden at 6 p. m., on Saturday. The time between Omaha and San Francisco is 4 days. The trains between Omaha and Laramie run on Omaha time which is 1 hour 28 minutes slower than New York; 33 minutes slower than Chicago and 1 hour and 46 minutes faster than San Francisco. Council Bluffs to Cheyenne.— At Council Bluflfs your baggage will be re-checked, and crossing the Missouri on an iron bridge 2750 feet long, in 11 spans of 250 feet each, supported by 10 high piers — a structure that cost $2,650,000 — you reach Omaha, a thriving city of 30,000 inliabitants, in Nebraska. From Omaha the Union Pacific Railroad runs in the Platte basin for nearly 500 miles. The name "Platte" is the French for flat, and was given by Canadian hunters because the stream for much of its length is broad, shallow, and flows but little below the wide, level valley. It is pre-eminently the flat river. From Valley station, 35 miles west of Omaha, the Omaha and Republican Valley Railroad branches off southwesterly, running to Lincoln and Stroms- burg, distances of about 75 and 100 miles respectively. From Dun- can, 64 miles further west, a branch road is built about 125 miles in a northwesterly direction to Willow Springs, and another about 50 miles north to Norfolk. At Grand Island Station, 154 miles from Omaha, connection is made with the St. Joseph Line, and also with NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. 13 the Grand Island and St. Paul Road, running northwest about 100 miles to New St. Helena. The track, at the Omaha station, 966 feet above the sea, ascends with an average grade of about 64 feet to the mile to Den- ver Junction, 3,500 feet above the sea. For 200 miles from the Missouri the road runs through a district of rich and moist soil, well tilled in productive farms; then the country becomes poorer, the farms smaller and rarer, and at Denver Junction we have reached the pastoral region. Although we are at a high elevation, and are ascending the Rocky- Mountains, we see no high peaks, no forests, nor indeed anything that reminds us of the proximity of a great continental divide, though in length, number of high peaks, and many other respects, the one we are approaching is the greatest on the globe. The country about us is less mountainous in appearance than in the Alleghanies, the summit of which on the Pennsylvania Railroad is below the level of Denver Junction. From the last named station, which is 371 miles from Omaha, a branch road, running about 200 miles in a south-westerly direction, connects Denver, Colorado, with the Union Pacific Railroad. Julesburg, or Weir, 377 miles from Omaha, is the residence of Mr. Iliflf, who has a herd of 26,000 head of neat cattle, which pasture over a district 150 miles long. About 5,000 head of fat cattle are sold annually, bringing an average of $140,000. From Sidney, 43 miles west of Denver Junction, stages run to Deadwood, 267 miles distant, and much freight is sent to the Black Hills mines. Jour- neying on 89 miles, we pass a small station called Atkins, and on a clear day can begin to see the high peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Southward 160 miles is Pike's Peak, whose summit, 14,147 feet above the sea, is 12 miles west of the meridian of Cheyenne, and 156 miles south of its latitude. This peak is not on the main ridge of the Rocky Mountains ; the waters from all its sides flow to the Atlantic. South-westward is Long's Peak, 14,271 feet high, and the highest point on the main divide of the continent visible from the road. It is 75 miles south-west of Cheyenne, and occupies the angle in the most notable bend of the chain. From the Mexican boundary the divide runs for 600 miles to the east of north, till it reaches this peak, when it turns to the north-west, which general direction it follows till it reaches Alaska. The mountains to the north are the Black Hills ; and in a southerly direction, the Span- ish Peaks, respectively 13,620 and 12,720 feet in height, are seen lower in the horizon and more distant. We cross the Nebraska line about 470 miles from Omaha, shortly before reaching Pine Bluflfs, and enter Wyoming at its south-east corner. The peaks seen to the south are in Colorado ; Elk is in Wyoming, and the Black Hills in Dakota. In this region intense cold prevails in the winter, and snow falls in sufficient quantity to give much trouble to the railroad superintendents. The road in this vicinity is protected in many 14 NEW YOKK TO SAN FEANCISCO. places by fences built on its windward side, and under their lee the drifting snow collects before it reaches the rails. A short distance east of Cheyenne we go through the first snow-shed, a building whicli in winter, when covered with snow, looks like a tunnel, and in summer, like a bridge built in a dry cut. Cheyenne to Creston.— Since leaving Denver Junction the ascent of the mountain slope has become steeper, averaging for 139 miles 18 feet to the mile, until 516 miles from the Missouri, and 0.041 feet above the sea, we reach Cheyenne, the largest and busiest town on the line of the main road between Omaha and Sac- ramento. This town owes its prosperity to the combined influ- ences of the junction of the Denver Pacific and Colorado Central roads with the Union Pacific, the extensive workshops of the com- pany owning the road last mentioned, the terminal business of an important wagon road from the ' Black Hills, the proximity of the national military post. Fort Russell, 3 miles distant, and its selec- tion as the Territorial capital of Wyoming. Cheyenne is also connected by railroad with Fort Laramie, 89 miles to the north, and is distant 106 miles from Denver, the capital of Colorado. It has 5,000 inhabitants, an active business, and many substantial Iraildings. It is situated exactly half way between Omaha and Ogden. At Cheyenne commences the longest stretch of steep ascending grade on the road in our westward course. For 33 miles the aver- age ascent is 66^ feet to the mile, ending at Sherman, the highest railroad station on the continent, 8,242 feet, or more than one and a half miles above the sea. When first opened in 1868 this was the highest railroad station in the world; but others still higher have since been constructed in South America. Sherman is 549 miles from Omaha, and its superior height might lead the tourist to infer that it is on the summit of the main divide ; but it is on a spur which runs out to the northward, between the headwaters of the South Platte and of the Laramie rivers, the latter a tributary of the North Platte. Two miles west of Sherman the road crosses the canyon of Dale Creek on an iron bridge or trestle work 650 feet long and 130 feet high. Near Sherman are some piles of granite known as Skull Rocks. From Sherman we descend with an average grade of 46| feet to the mile, for 24 miles to Laramie; the direction of the road" having changed from the west, to north-north-west, which direction we take for about 60 miles. Red Buttes Station, 15 miles from Sherman, is so named because of some pinnacles of fantastic shape, north of the road. They rise to a height of 600 or 800 feet above the level of the adjacent land and probably owe their elevation to superior hardness, the softer material that surrounded them in a remote past having been v/ashed away. NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. 15 The Medicine Bow Range and its chief peak, Sheep Butte, 9,7*22 feet high, are visible in the west. At Red Buttes we have reached the Laramie plain, from 6,500 to 7,500 feet high, and 60 miles long by 40 miles wide. It is the most northerly of a series of similar high valleys in the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by ridges considerably higher. The most notable of the sister valleys, the others being called "Parks," are superior in timber and scenery, but inferior in indigenous pasturage. The town of Laramie has a population of 4,000, and the only rolling-mill between Omaha and Ogden. Looking westward from Laramie we see Sheep Butte with ;^iount Agassiz on its left. Besides cattle, large flocks of sheep graze on the adjacent plains. Cooper's Lake Station, 27 miles west from Laramie, is named from a lake about 2 miles long and half a mile wide, visible from the water tank. At Lookout, about 5 miles further on, we may observe a grayish green shrub, with a trunk which appears as if it had been split by twisting, and leaves which have an unpleasant odor. This is the sage brush, a common feature in the landscape for the next 1,000 miles. Soon after leaving Lookout, we get a view of Laratiiie Peak, 10,000 feet high, to the northward; and, at the same time, the ^Medicine Bow Range is in plain sight on the other side of the road, Elk Mountain, its principal peak, being 11,511 feet high. After passing Aurora Station, 55 miles from Laramie, the traveler can see Como Lake, 3 miles long and 1 mile wide. It is fed by warm springs, and abounds with newts — lizard -like amphibia, which can breathe under water, and live in the open air. They attain a length of 18 inches, and sometimes may Ije caught on the rocks. Medicine Bow River, which wo cross beyond Aurora, runs north- ward, and is a tributary of the North Platte. Beyond Medicine Bow Station we get a good view of Elk Mountain, which, however, is seen to the best advantage from Percy, 15 miles beyond. Carbon derives its name from valuable coal mines in its vicinity. The principal vein is 10 feet thick and the annual product is about 100,000 tons. At Separation, 722 miles from Omaha, water is obtained from an artesian well 860 feet deep. There are many of these wells along the line. Approaching Creston we have a good view, and the last one, of Elk Mountain and of the Black Hills. Shortly after leaving it, we see the Wind River Mountains, with Fremont's Peak, 13,570 feet high, to the northwestward. Pilot Butte is visible to the west. Creston to Granger. — West of Creston 2h miles, and 89^ miles from Sherman, we reach the main divide between the two oceans at an elevation of about 1,140 feet less than that of the last named station. As the water flowing eastward from Creston reaches the Atlantic through the North Platte, 1,200 feet of ascent could have 16 NEW YORK TO SAN FEANCISCO. been saved by following up the canyon of tbat stream, but the greater distance, the more costly grading and the steeper grades on that route, in the opinion of the railroad engineers, more than counterbalanced all its advantages in other respects. The waters flowing westward from Creston go to the Green River, a tributary of the Colorado, and so find their way to the Gulf of California. Of all the large rivers of the temperate zone, the Colorado is the one that has the greatest amount of desert and the smallest proportion of land suitable for tillage, in its basin. It receives all the waters flowing down the western flank of the Rocky Mountains through 10 degrees of latitude, and has not anywhere a tract 10 miles square of fertile and moist soil suitable for tillage in all its basin. Indeed, through a great part of its length it has no valley, but instead, an immense if not an unparalleled canyon, more than a mile deep between nearly vertical walls of rock for a long distance. The scenery about Creston does not suggest the summit of a great moun- tain range. The road is not steep, nor when it has reached the top does it find a narrow gateway. Looking southward from Creston we seem to be in a wide plain, but this is Bridger's Pass, and Bridger's Station is on the old stage road at the base of the distant hills. Red Desert Station is in a little alkaline basin with a scanty rain- fall and no outlet to the sea, at least none in ordinary seasons. Table Rock Station is named after a steep bluff", 600 feet high, with a level top, south of the road. Bitter Creek Station is in a valley which we follow down 60 miles to Green River. The waters of Bitter Creek derive their name from their alkaline taste which is strongest when the stream is low. The scenery in some parts of the valley is interesting. When approaching Black Buttes Station, observe the large, loose rock north of the road, and about 20 yards distant. The station derives its name from some hills that may be seen to the southward. Point of Rocks is named from some columns of stone, the summits of which are 350 feet above their bases, and 1,100 feet above the road. At the base of these columns there are 7 springs of sulphur and several of iron- water. From, an artesian well, 1,000 feet deep, water is pumped by steam to supply the station. There are pi"0- ductive coal mines near Point of Rocks, and also strata of rock con- taining remarkable petrifactions of oyster shells, and of the leaves of elm, maple and fan-palm trees. Rock Spring has an artesian well 1,145 feet deep, and in the vicinity there are productive coal mines. Here the cars enter the deeper portion of the gorge of Bitter Creek, where we are in sight of wild scenery for 13 miles ending at Green River. The village of Green River, at the crossing of that stream, has 500 inhabitants. Here moss agates and samples of petrified wood and fish may be found for sale in the stonss. East of the river and north of the bridge are remarkable cliffs of sandstone. This rock NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. 1/ formation consists of thin strata in whicli numerous petrifaction.'.; occur. In many places near the river, rock columns of singular shape have been left by erosion. Among these the most notable arc Castle Kock, the Twin Sisters, the Giant's Club and the Giant's Teapot. When approaching Bryan, 13 miles from Green River Crossing, by looking to the south and southeast, we obtain a view of the sum- mit of the Uinta Mountains, a high ridge running nearly east and west from the Wasatch to the Rocky cliain, except where inter- sected by Green River, and about 70 miles south of the road. At Bryan we strike Black's Fork of Green River, and follow it up with an ascending grade for 30 miles. Near Marston may be seen hills with vertical sides, looking like towers, (ilranarer to Evanston. — Granger has been selected as the start- ing point for a railroad that is to run through Idaho and Eastern Oregon to Umatilla on the Columbia River. Work has been com- menced from both ends. After passing Granger, excellent views of the snow-covered Uintas are obtained. Church Buttes Station is named from a remarkable hill about 10 miles south of the road, with vertical walls worn by the water to resemble long lines of columns. Moss agates are more abundant here and at Granger than at any other stations. Within a radius of 20 miles from Carter are numerous coal beds and springs of sulphur and chalybeate waters. Fort Bridger, a national military post, is 10 miles from this station to the south- ward. In the neighborhood there is much game, including grouse, deer and bsar. Bridger Station, and also the Fort, are named after a noted trapper and guide, who died in 1875, when nearly 80 years of age, after spending most of his life in the Rocky Mountains. After leaving Piedmont look out on the left to see the track and the snow-sheds. The longest shed on the Union Pacific, more than half a mile in length, is found on the summit, two miles west from Aspen, which has ai^ elevation of 7,835 feet. The ridge which we cross here — the eastern boundary of the Utah Inclosed Basin — called by some persons the Uinta range, is properly the W^asatch. It is worthy of note that this mountain is higher on the line of the railroad from Omaha to San Francisco than either the Sierra Nevada or the main divide of the Rocky chain. Aspen Station is named from Quaking Aspen Mountain, 8,688 feet high, seen in the north. At Milliard Station the train passes under a V flume, the first on the road. It has a current of water which conveys timber, lumber and firewood from the forest on the side of the mountains, a distance of 24 miles, in which it descends 2,000 feet. Many Sulphur Springs are found at distances within 20 miles from Billiard. Soon after leaving Millis, four miles west of Hil- liard, we come to Bear River, which we follow for two miles and then cross. This stream rises on the western slope of the Wasatch 18 NEW YORK TO SAX FRANCISCO. Mountains, flows nearly clue north 200 miles, and iheu making a sharp turn runs as far nearly due south, and empties into Salt Lake, of which it is an important tributary. A branch of Bear River widens out into Bear Lake, 15 miles long and 7 wide, one of the few fresh water lakes in the Utah Basin. From the Bend to Snake River the distance is only 50 miles, and there is no high intervening ridge. Evanston to Ogden.— Evanston, on the bank of Bear River, just half way between Omaha and San Francisco, 957 miles from either terminus, has 1,500 inhabitants, most of whom obtain their support from lumbering and coal mining industries. The chief coal mines are 3 miles from the Union Pacific to the northward, and are reached by a branch road. The line between Wyoming and Utah crosses the road west of Evanston, and is marked by a sign which stands on the south side of the track, and has " Wyoming " on one side and "Utah" on the other. The Utah Inclosed Basin, one of the remarkable features of the world's topography, has no outlet for its waters. Its rivers flow into salt lakes, which rise every winter on account of the rains, and fall every summer under the influence of evaporation. There are also irregular periods, that may last from 5 to 20 years of predomi- nant rise, alternating with other periods of fall. Not more than 2 per cent, of the whole area is covered by water. This great basin is divided into many smaller subordinate basins, which never, since they were observed by white men, have sent any water to the sea, or to any of the adjacent basins, and never will, so long as the pres- ent climatic conditions continue. The most notabFe of the subordinate basins are those of Salt and Sevier lakes in Utah ; of Humboldt, Pyramid and Walker's lakes in Nevada ; of Owens, Mono, Amargosa, Mojave, Seven Palms and Honey lakes in California, aiid of Harney in Oregon. Some of these lakes are also called "sinks" of their streams, the water of which spreads out in the winter over a considerable space of flat ground, and in August or September, after a dry summer, almost disappears. Our road takes us through the basins of Salt, Hum- boldt and Pyramid lakes, for a distance of 631 miles. The soil and atmosphere are too dry for vigorous vegetation, except in a few places where there are facilities for irrigation, and the Utah Basin, as a whole, is a desert. It includes portions of California, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Nevada, but not all of any one of these political divisions. At Castle Rock, 20 miles from Evanston, we enter the canyon of Echo Creek, which we follow down 30 miles to the larger canyon of Weber River, and in that we have an equal distance to travel, mak- ing 60 miles of canyon, with steep rock walls, which have many strange forms and colors, with a lieight that often rises to nearly 2,000 feet. The crooked course of the canyon, and the wildness of its rocky scenery, make this one of the most interesting portions of NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. 19 the road. We enter the canyon nearly on a level with the top of its walls, and gi-adually descend as it gets deeper. It is customary at Castle Rock to attach an observation car at the end of the train, so that passengers can have a view not obstructed in any direction, save in front where the other cars are. Castle Rock is so named from a rock resembling a tower with a large gateway east of the station, and near it are some needle-shaped rocks. Perhaps a mile west of the station are The Swallows' Nests, a name given to some holes high up in the rocky wall of the canyon. Most of the attractive scenes are on the north side of the canyon. Near Emory is Hanging Rock, a point at the summit of a high cliff, projecting several hundred feet over the valley beneath. Seven miles below Hanging Rock we come to Steamboat Rock, or the Great Eastern, a high point which beavo some lesemblaucc to the prow of a large PULPIT ROCK. o^ean steamer. Just before reaching Echo Station, and near the bend of a bluff called Bromley's Cathedral, on the right of the road is Pulpit Rock, the summit of which is about GO feet above the track. It derives its name from its supposed resemblance to an old- fashioned pulpit. Echo Station, at the mouth of Echo Creek, is notedfor the echoes which suggested the name. A square column of rock, perha])s 50 feet thick and 250 high, styled the Monument, is one of the remark- 20 NEW YOUK TO SAN FRANCISCO. able features of the canyon. Branch railroads run from Echo south to Coalville and to Park City. Coal-beds'are worked in this vicinity and yield at present about 400 tons daily. Some irregular columns, yellow, reddish and gray in color, about 100 yards north from the road, and as far above its level, are known as the Witches' Rocks. Four miles below Echo, the train enters the Narrows, and soon passes a solitary fir tree with a sign "1,000 miles from Omaha." Below this ti-ee the road crosses to the south bank of the river, and back again to the north bank, and then we come in sight of the Devil's Slide, where two parallel, vertical strata of rock, each about 15 feet in thickness, and as far apart, project in places 100 feet or more from the steep side of the canyon, leaving a deep trough be- tween them. At Weber Station, 25 miles east of Ogden, the traveler may ob- serve a sign, "Z. C. M. I," which is prominent in many of the Mor- mon towns. It means "Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institu- tion." The Latter-Day Saints have made a remarkable success in trading on the co-operative principle, and a branch of this "institu- tion " is to be found in all their large towns. Devil's Gate, at the lower end of Weber Canyon, is one of the grand scenes on the route, and then we emerge out into the valley of Salt Lake, and 13 miles beyond Ave reach Ogden, the point where the Union Pacific road ends and the Central Pacific begins. It is, moreover, a terminus of the Utah and Northern Railroad, which is completed as far as Sil- ver Bow, Montana, 409 miles; and of the Utah Central which runs south 280 miles, to Frisco, Utah, making 689 miles of road nearly on the meridian, crossing the line of the Union and Central Pacific at right angles. Ogden has a population of 6,000, most of whom are Mormons. Situated at the southern base of steep mountains, the summits of which are covered with snow most of the year, it is 4340 feet above the sea, and 1,032 miles west of Omaha. A small canyon in the mountains back of Ogden, has pleasant scenery and deserves a visit from the tourist having a day at his disposal. Yellowstone Park, — Ogden is also the best point from which to reach the Yellowstone Park, a National Reservation, containing within its limits many natural wonders. The visitor leaving Ogden by the Utah and Northern Railway, crosses the Ogden River, and after a ride of 9 miles reaches Hot Springs Station, where there are several mineral springs, the temperature of the water being 125^. About 3 miles north of Richmond, and 74 miles from Ogden, we cross the line separating Utah from Idaho. At Arimo, 125 miles north of Ogden, we find a stage running to the Great Soda Springs, 35 miles east of the railroad, and near the bend of Bear River. There are about a dozen of these springs, all of them surrounded with a whitish deposit of lime. One of the springs blows, out steam at intervals. The waters are considered valuable for their medicinal qualities, and it is expected that wlien NEW YOKK TO SAN FKANCISCO. 21 better known, they will attract a great number of people. A small liotel provides accommodation for visitors. At Eagle Rock, 204 miles from Ogden, the road crosses Snake River, which here, 250 feet deep, affords tine salmon-trout fishing. Near Spring Hill Station, 300 miles from Ogden, we enter Montana. At Ddlon, 348 miles from Ogden, we take stage for Virginia City, 84 miles distant, each passenger being allowed 40 pounds of baggage. From Virginia City to the hotel in the park, the distance is 95 miles, and the time IG hours by stage. The park embraces an area of about 3,400 square miles, being rectangular in shape, with sides 54 by 64 miles; the east and west line being the shorter one. On entering by the Virginia City Road the visitor first comes upon hot springs, and then sees the lower group of the Fire Hole River Geysers, the upper group being about 10 miles distant from the lower. Between the two groups is the Midway Basin where are some of the largest hot springs known. The Upper Basin contains the principal geysers which are 8 in number, with jets, in some instances, 18 feet in diameter, 250 feet high, bursting out at intervals of an hour or more, and lasting from 20 to 30 minutes. We then go to Yellowstone Lake, a sheet of water 20 miles long, over 15 wide, and 7,427 feet above the sea. It is studded with tree-clad islands, and abounds with fish. On the western shore of the lake are hot springs, one of which is so near the lake that it is possible for an angler to catch a trout, and, turn- ing in his tracks, drop the fish into the hot water and cook it there. The outlet of the lake — the Yellowstone River — is at its northern extremity, and passing down the stream 18 miles, we come upon the Upper Fall, measuring 140 feet in height. Near this point Cas- cade Creek falls 129 feet. Less than a mile below the Upper Falls we reach the (xreat Fall, where the river makes a descent of more than 350 feet, and then tlows for 30 miles through a canyon whose walls are 1,500 feet high in places. Near the northern line of the park are the Mammoth Springs, the most remarkable grouj) of hot springs known. Good views of mountain peaks, over 10,000 feet high, can l)e had at several points. Salt Lake City, — Ogden, however, is a point of interest to many travelers, chiefly on account of its position at a terminus of the Utah Central Railroad, which leads to the Holy City of the Lat- ter Day Saints, 37 miles to the southward. At Summit Station, 8 miles from Ogden, we are in the region from which Salt Lake Valley derives its supply of coal. At Centreville, 20 miles from Ogden, the lake approaches nearest to the mountains. The road from Ogden to Salt Lake City is nearly level, and runs half way between the mountains and the lake, which are about 10 miles apart. The soil is fertile, but some of it, not provided with water for irrigation, is covered with sage brush. Most of the small towns along the i-oad are supported by agriculrural regions, and 22 KEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. orchards are plentiful in all settlements. The following extract from Through the Rocky Mountains, by A. K. McCIure, is intro- duced as being here j^ertinent. "One of the first duties required [of a Mormon] when a new farm is opened, is the planting of all kinds of fruit, and the result is that in every settlement the houses are first recognized by the clusters of green foliage or fragrant blos- soms that surround them. As an industrial system the Mormon Church is a positive success, and challenges the admiration of the most embittered foes of this peculiar religious faith. I did not see a single home of a Mormon where there were signs of dilapidation or decay. " Salt Lake City " lies at the north-west base of a spur of the Wa- satch Mountains, 12 miles from the south-east extremity of the Great Salt Lake, with an expansion to the south of more than 100 miles of plains." It has an area of 5,730 acres, with 25,000 inhab- itants, and an elevation of 4,300 feet above the sea, and 50 feet above the level of the lake. The straight streets, 132 feet wide, cross each other at right angles, and most of them have a small current of clear water and a row of trees along the edge of each sidewalk. The blocks, containing 10 acres each, are about 700 feet square, and their greater part, except in the business portion of the city, is occupied with gardens and orchards. The houses have a look of solidity and comfort ; the business of the city is active, and there are many evidences of growth. The most notable building is the Tabernacle, 250 feet long by 150 feet wide, with an arched roof 65 feet high in the middle. On the main floor and its galleries there is space for 8,000 people, and in its acoustic design it is su- perior to any other large hall in the United States, and probably on the globe. A good speaker, even if his voice is not strong, can be distinctly heard in all parts of the hall. It contains a fine organ, made in the city, and mostly of material produced in Utah. The Tabernacle is the principal place of ^Mormon worship, and tourists spending Sunday in the city sliould not neglect to attend the services. On the same block with the Tabernacle is the Temple, which is to be 184 feet long by 116 wide, and about 96 feet high, exclusive of the towers, the spires of which will reach an elevation of 192 feet. The interior is to be 120 by 80 feet, and the building will cost, it is said, $15,000,000. A quai-ter of a century has elapsed since its foundation was laid, and at least three-fourths of the work are still to be done. The Stake Tabernacle, the Theatre, the City Hall, and the building of the Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution, are among the most prominent buildings. The principal hotels are the Towns- end and Walker houses. Within the city limits, and only a mile from the principal hotels, and accessible by horse-cars for those who do not wish to walk, are some warm springs, supplied with comfortable bath-houses, where the Russian or Turkish baths can be obtained by those not content with the natui-al water, which has common NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. 23 salt and sulphate of magnesia among its mineral constituents, and a luke-warm temperature. A mile beyond the Warm Springs are the Hot Springs, which have a temperature of 200". Camp Douglas, a national military post, 2 miles cast of the city, on elevated ground, commands a beautiful view. The high mountains are near the city, and grand in their forms. One of the favorite pleasure resorts for the people of Salt Lake City, is Lake Point, on the shore of the lake, 20 miles distant. It has a hotel, bath-houses, a nice beach, and is reached by the Utah West- ern Railway, which is completed to Stockton, 19 miles beyond the Point. A small pleasure steamer makes the tour of the lake when parties so desire. Great Salt Lake is 80 miles long, about 50 wide, and 4,200 feetabove the sea. It has mountain views on three sides, and several islands dot its surface. Advantage has been taken of the density of its waters, and from 10,000 to 15,000 tons of excellent salt are annually produced by evaporating the brine in tanks, into which the water is lifted by pumps. The tourist when visiting Salt Lake City, will be led naturally to reflect upon the strange religion of the people among whom he finds himself. Mormonism is one of the wonders of the XlXth century, and a most unnatural product of a skeptical age, in a land of the highest average of popular intelligence. Many forms of ancient superstitions may have been the natural and innocent de- velopments of imaginative ignorance and credulity, but every in- telligent person who carefully reads the history of the founder of Mormonism without becoming a convert to his doctrines — this ex- pression admits that intelligent and sincere men are to be found among its converts— is satisfied that his so-called revelations are a studied fraud, devised to aggrandize himself by giving him control of the faith and money of his followers. His scheme was well de- vised for his purpose, and partly on account of the sound judgment, steadfast courage, and eminent tact of his successor, Brigham Young, it has secured a foothold that seems to be permanent. But prejudice against Mormonism should not blind the observer to the good points of the Mormons. No other community has done moi^e, with equal means, in the same space of time. After they had been persecuted and mobbed in Illinois and Missouri, they determined to establish a home beyond the Rocky Mountains, where they would have the predominance and could defend themselves. On the 24th of July, 1847, Brigham Young, with 151 otlier Mormons, encamped on the place now occupied by the Mormon Temple, in Salt Lake City, when the territory still belonged to Mexico, or at least had not been ceded to the United States. There the Mormon Presi- dent determined to build the Holy City of his Church, and there it has been built. Poverty, privation and arduous toil have been the lot of his followers generally, but they have enjoyed peace and in- creasing prosperity. Their numbers and productive industries have 24 NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. shown a constant and large growth. In their methods of settling disputes by arbitration, and of conducting mercantile business by co-operation, they are unequaled. They have less drunkenness, less gambling, and fewer public women than any other American community. These are undeniable and important facts. Their "plural marriages," as they call it, objectionable as it may be, is not associated with slavery, concubinage and the seclusion and gross ignorance of the women, as in Mohammedan countries. Tliey have a good common school system, and do not discourage free in- quiry. Their church members are allowed to read, and their book- stores to sell books attacking their creed ; they even go so far as to open their churches for discussions with Christian clergymen. They have few lawyers, and few criminals. The administration of justice is prompt and cheap; the Courts do not make themselves ridiculous by trying cases over half a dozen times. Their leaders have been men of serious character and of superior capacity. When President Buchanan devised a plan for diverting attention from the. slavery question, by getting up a Mormon war, Brigham defied, out- witted and frightened him. The Mormons have been accused of general responsibility for numerous murders and thefts, but such charges when made against an extensive community, living in la- borious poverty, with unexampled harmonj^ and mutual helpfulness, rebound against the malignity or prejudice of the accusers. The loudest denouncers of tlie Mormons are men who have never ex- amined the evidence needed to support their assertions, and do not understand the importance of weighing both sides with an impartial mind. Until the tourist finds conclusive proof that the Mormon community, or its leaders, as a body, are responsible for serious crimes, let him look upon the error of belief here established as one of the singular phases of humanity — as on Mohammedanism — a step in the march of our race, not necessarily indicative of any moral obliquity or grave mental inferiority on the part of its ad- herents. Some Mormon women dislike polygamy, but generally they avoid conversation with strangers on the subject, for fear that they will have to hear offensive remarks about their religion, and they believe that the women, as a class, are happier in Utah than in any other part of the world. The signs of poverty are far more abundant than those of discontent. One chief trouble in the way of the Mormon Church is the prom- ise of our National Government to suppress polygamy, the practice of which, however, does not seem essential to the perpetuation and spread of the creed. Since the death of Brigham Young, John Taylor has been the head of the Mormon Church. George Q. Cannon, who will probably come next in the order of succession is considerably younger, and by many persons is considered the ablest man now in the liierarchy. According to a newspaper repox't, Mr. Cannon gives 2,500 as his estimate of the number of polygamous families in Utah, averaging NEW YORK TO SAX FRANCISCO. 25 three wives to each. In a few cases, one husband has twelve wives. Brigham Young had a larger number. From Salt Lake Soutlnvard.— The road bearing the tourist south of Salt Lake City, a continuation of the one that brought him into it, is known as the Utah Southern Kailroad. Its general course is up the Jordan Valley and along the eastern shore of Utah Lake. The scenery is varied ; to the east the peaks of the Wasatcli range, and on the other hand a succession of cultivated farms, with thriving villages interspersed. At Junction, 12 miles south of the Mormon metropolis, the Bing- ham Canyon and Camp Floyd Xarrow Gauge Railroad leaves our line and leads to the south-west about 20 miles, to the Bingliam Canyon mines. The principal business is transporting ores, and the traveler can visit the silver mines by this route without discomfort. Sandy, a mile further south, is the point of junction with the Wasatch and Jordan Valley Railroad, also a narrow gauge line. This road runs into Little Cottonwood Canyon, 17 miles in an easterly direction to Alta. Between Wasatch Station and Alta the grade is so steep, in one place (nearly 600 feet to the mile), that a loco- motive engine cannot be used, and the cars are drawn l)y animals. Returning, the descent is made under the impulse of gravity. This portion of the road is completely covered by snow-sheds. There are falls in the canyon, and the general scenery is wild. In ]jlaces where the approach to a mine is too steep for the use of ordinary vehicles, ore is brought down in a sack of ox hide, drawn by mules. The granite for the temple at Salt Lake City is quarried near Wasatch. Between Draper and Lehi, both farming villages, the tourist conies in sight of Utah Lake, 30 miles long, 6 to 10 wide, and 500 feet above Great Salt Lake. To the south is Mount Nebo, 11,992 feet high, the loftiest peak of the ^N'asatch range. At a distance of 34 miles from Salt Lake City we reach American Fork, an incorporated city having about 2,000 inhabitants. From this point a narrow gauge road formerly ran 17 miles to Deer Creek in American Fork Canyon, but the mines with which it connected having proved unprofitable, the rails were taken up. The canyon, with steep walls, 3,000 feet high in places, and wild scenery, is well worth a visit. The wagon road in the canyon is good. Provo, 48 miles from Salt Lake City, is a city of 5,000 inhabi- tants, situated on the Provo River, a tributary of Utah Lake. Here are the largest woolen mills between Omaha and San Fran- cisco, Springville, the terminus of the Utah and Pleasant Valley Nar- row Gauge Railroad, running to the Pleasant Valley coal mines, has a population of 2,500, and is 53 miles from Salt Lake City. From Santaquin, our next station, it is al^out 15 miles to the Tin- tic silver mining district, where several stamp mills and smelters may be seen in operation. 2(5 NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. At Neplii, 91 miles south of Salt Lake City, we have an excel- lent view of Mount Xebo. After leaving Jnab we enter the Sevier River Valley, and crossing the river follow down on its left bank. This stream, rising in the Wasatch range, flows northward about 100 miles, then making a bend runs southward 50 miles to Sevier Lake, a sheet of salt water 20 miles long, 10 miles wide at its widest point, and 4,600 feet above the sea. At Milford, 226 miles from Salt Lake City, our road tends to the westward, and 1/ miles beyond we reach the present end of the track. Frisco (named after San Francisco by an abbreviation in com- n^ion use), a mining town, situated at the eastern base of the San Francisco Mountains, is chiefly notable as being the nearest point to the celebrated Horn Silver Mine, a vein of ore remarkable for its size, general uniformity of assay, and large production. We are now in a subtropical climate, and the surrounding val- leys produce cotton, tobacco, rice, grapes, and fruits ranging from the apple to the pomegranate. From Ogden to Palisade.— Starting west from Ogden, we change our Avatches to San Francisco time (2 hours 26 minutes behind Omaha, and 1 hour 56 miuutes behind Laramie). After going 8 miles we pass the Hot Springs, the stream of which rising at the foot of the mountain, may be seen from the cars in cold weather. Corinne, 25 miles from Ogden, is a Gentile town (all per- sons not of their faith are termed by the Mormons Gentiles), and the only one of note in Utah under gentile control. Promontory, 53 miles from Ogden, is the place where the last spike was driven. May 10th, 1869, connecting the Central and Union Pacific railroads, and completing the track from the Sacra- mento to the Missouri rivers. Communication with the wires at the roadside was so made that the blows of the hammer with which the spike was driven were telegraphed to the expectant people in all the great cities of the nation. A sign-board, 4 miles west of Promontory, at the side of the road, says : ' ' Ten miles of track in one day." The day was April 29th, 1869, and 4,000 men were employed to put 2,000 tons of rails, spikes, fish-plates and bolts, together with the ties, in place. The two companies had been rac- ing, each expecting to hold all it could build, but after the meeting at Promontory, President Grant decided that the two roads should meet at Ogden, and the Uilion surrendered all west of that place to the Central Company. The Union had extended its grade 53 miles to the westward of Promontory, with the expectation of building so far. Between Rozel and Lake Station a sign-board shows the western limit of the 10 miles of track laid in one day. Monument is the last station near the lake, but the view is not so good as from a liigher elevation a few miles west of Kelton, en- abling us to see the further shores of the lake, and the W^asatch NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. 27 and Oquirrh mountains. Beyond Keltou is the terminus of an im- portant wagon road used by nmch of the freight and travel of {Southern Idaho. The great Shoshone Falls of the Snake River, 190 feet high and 700 feet wide, are 110 miles from Kelton and 10 from the Kock Creek Station (on the Idaho stage road), where a carriage can be obtained. .The landscape is desolate, but the scenery grand. At Matlin Station we are near the northern border of a bare flat, that seems to have been tlie bed of a lake, the beach line of which may be seen at the base of the hills on the right. Beyond Terrace we obtain a view of Pilot Peak to the south-west, one of the promi- nent landmarks of this region. It is 36 miles south of Tecoma, shortly before reaching which station we see a granite monument at the roadside marking the boundary between Utah and Nevada. Since leaving Kelton the road has lieen rising gradually to cross the Pequop Mountains, which have an elevation of 6,184 feet at Pequop station. On this ridge half a dozen snow-sheds are neces- sary for the protection of the track. We descend into Independence Valley, obtaining some fine views as we go down the winding road, and then ascend to Moore's, 6,166 feet high, in Cedar Pass. Leav- ing the summit we enter the basin of the Humboldt River, and remain in it with a continuous descent for 318 miles. We enter the valley of the river soon after leaving Cedar. Wells, 676 miles from San Francisco, tlie end of the Salt Lake Division of the Central Pacific, and a place for changing conductois and locomotives, is named from a score of well-like springs half a mile west of the sta tion. They do not overflow, and though not warm, never freeze over, though the thermometer goes to zero in the winter. The ground round them is elastic, and some of the residents express a confident opinion that this soil is merel}- a thin shell covering a sub- terranean lake, the "v^ater of which fills the crater of an extinct volcano. It is said that sounding with aline 1,500 feet long failed to find bottom. The facts that the wells contain indigenous fish, and that the water never freezes in the intense cold of winter, nor becomes offensive to the taste or smell in the heat of summer, are evidences of the lake theory. Southward from Wells the traveler . will observe a mountain ridge, the northern end of which is called Castle Peak, and is snow-capped through much of the year. This ridge, like most of those in Nevada, runs parallel with the meridian. Bishops is named from Bishop Creek, which enters the Humboldt from the north, through the canyon which ^ttracts attention on the right. Camp Halleck, a National military post -which gives its name to Halleck Station, is at the base of the mountains, distant 13 miles to the southward. After passing the station, we see Elko Moimtain on our right, but the road turns and the mountain then appears on our left, to the southward, and stays there, till out of sight. Below Peko, the North Fork of the Humboldt enters the Hum- boldt River, breaking through the mountains in a large canyon. It 28 NEW YORK to SAN FRANCISCO. is about as large as the main stream. From this point westward, "the Humboldt River grows smaller under the influence of evapora- tion and absorption in the summer and fall. The Osino Canyon be- gins near the mouth of the North Fork, and before entering it, we cross that stream. The canyon is remarkable for its sharp" curves. Elko is an "eating station," and some travelers assert that it is the first place on the westward line where you can get first-rate bread made in Californiau style. The town is supplied through pipes with water from the hills, 17 miles to the north. Here we see for the first time the Piute Indians, a filthy and degraded race, Near the town, to the northwest, are mineral springs, three hot and three cold. One of the hot springs has a temperature of 185°, another is a "chicken soup" spring, being thickened naturally with an unctuous clay, to the thickness and color of restaurant chicken- soup, and the resemblance in taste is complete approximately, when well seasoned with salt and pepper. The springs have a bath- house. A daily stage runs northward from Elko to Tuscarora, Cornucopia, Cope, and other mining towns; and southward to Bul- lion there is a semi-weekly stage. A few miles west of Elko, iu cool weather, the steam may be seen rising from hot springs on the south side of the river near a bridge on a wagon road. The canyon on the left is that of the South Fork of the Humboldt. After leaving Moleen we enter the Five Mile Canyon, and near the en- trance are some eroded ledges of tower-like forms known as the IMoleen Rocks. Carlin has the repairing shops of the Humboldt Division of the Central Pacific Road, and before the construction of the railroad to Eureka, was the termiims of the main wagon-road to that place. Palisade to Battle Mountain. — Below Carlin the track enters the 1 2-mile, or Palisade Canyon, which has steep rock walls from 500 to 1,000 feet high, and much wild scenery. In this canyon is the Palisade Station, where the narrow-gauge railway, 90 miles long, starts for Eureka — now, in spring of 1882, the most productive sil- ver mining district in Nevada. Its ores are argentiferous galena, which is reduced by smelting, the first product being base bullion, or lead, containing usually from $300 to $400 of silver in a ton. Some of the mines send their base bullion to San Francisco to be re- lined; the Richmond refines at the mine. At Curo we emerge from the Palisade Canyon, and soon see the Cortez Mountains to the northward. Beowawe, said to be tlie Indian title meaning "friendly gate," — and the topography of the vicinity renders the term suitable — is a station at Copper Canyon where the Humboldt breaks through a ridge, crossing its course at right angles. Below Beowawe, willow thickets line the river for 20 miles, and pelicans are numerous there in the summer. It is said that some of these birds, while breeding, go every day to Humboldt Lake, more than 75 miles distant, and bring back a load of fish in their pouches for their consorts and NEW YOUK TO RAN FRANCISCO. 29 young. It is a good story, whether true or not. On tlie southern border of the valley below Bcowawe, there is a cluster of 100 hot spi'ings, the steam of which can ])e seen from the cars in cold weather, especially when they have one of their spouting fits, during wliich, besides steam, tliey throw up water and mud to a height of 80 feet. At Shoshone, Rock Creek enters the Humboldt from the north, and is its last tributary worthy of notice. The stream has increased little in size in the last 50 miles — we have followed it for 220 — and below this point the quantity of water decreases under the influence of evaporation and absorption. Between Shoshone and Argenta, Dnnphy and Hildreth of San Francisco, have a cattle ranch, measuring 20,000 acres, and their cattle kept here and in Southern Idaho number 40,000 head. West of Argenta we pass the outlet of Eeese Eiver, a tributary of the Humboldt, but its tribute is never paid, except in seasons of exceptional rainfall. At all other times the waters of Reese River evaporate or sink into the ground before they come within 20 miles of the Humboldt. Battle Mountain to Reno.— Battle Mountain is the starting point of the Nevada Central Railway, which extends 93 miles south- ward to Austin, the chief town of the Reese River mines. The road is of narrow gauge. About 40 miles south of Austin, by wagon road, the tourist can find a natural curiosity, called the Devil's Punch Bowl. At the top of a smooth, rounded elevation, 1,200 feet in diameter at the base and 100 feet at the siimmit, is a deep, well-like opening, partly filled with boiling water giving off steam. Battle Mountain was named from a high ridge, the summit of which is about three miles from the station to the southward, and the ridge was so named because of a battle which occurred there about a quarter of a century since, between some Piute Indians and a party of white men whose cattle had been stolen. Many of the noble red men were sent to the happy hunting grounds, and after- wards cattle were more secure property in that neigh boi'hood. Near Iron Point is the mouth of the Little Humboldt, which drains Paradise Valley lying north of the road. This is the last valley of note opening into the Valley of the Humboldt. There is nothing worthy of mention at Golconda, save some very hot springs west of the station and north of the road. They are used for irrigating gardens, and occasionally for scalding hogs. Since leav- ing Omaha our general course has been due west, and starting from latitude 41° 15' we have not deviated 50 miles on either side from that parallel, in a distance of 1,450 miles. At Tule we reach the Big Bend of the Humboldt, and for the next 500 miles our general course is to the south-westward, the direction for 150 miles being south-south-westward. Winnemucca, named for a chief of the Piutes, is 475 miles from San Francisco, and is the end of a railroad division. Here we 30 NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. change conductors and locomotives, and have a good view of the Santa E,osa Mountains to the northward. Humboldt Station is noted for its orchard and garden kept green by irrigation. South-eastward, distant 10 miles, is the summit of Star Peak, the highest point in the East Humboldt range ; north is the Eugene ridge ; west is the Trinity ridge ; north-west, between the station and the river, are the Lassen or Humboldt Meadows, and in the same direction, 30 miles distant, is the most productive siilphur mine on our continent. We cross the river, 5 miles beyond Oreana, and after leaving Granite Point, looking to the left we see Humboldt Lake, 30 miles long and 10 wide. This lake has an outlet 10 miles long, leading to the sink, 40 miles wide and 25 long, into which the waters of Humboldt and Carson lakes both flow after rains more abundant than the average. The White Plains Station, west of the sink, has an elevation of 3,894 feet, the lowest point between the Sierra Nevada and the Eocky Mountains, the lowest indeed between Colton, on the Union Pacific, and Shady Eun, on the Central Pacific, a distance of 1,296 miles. Mirage Station, 366 miles from San Francisco, is so named from the frequency of the atmosj)heric illusions seen in the vicinity. An enlargement in the channel, connecting Humboldt Lake with the sink below it, is called Mirage Lake. At Hot Springs Station we can see the steam rising from springs about half a mile from the track on the left. Wads worth, in the basin of the Truckee, was the terminus of an extensive freighting business, by mule teams, to the region on the south until the Carson and Colorado Railroad was built in 1880. The stretch of 250 miles between Palisade and Wadsworth, is very unpleasant to travelers in hot, dr}' weather. The heat in midsum- mer is intense, and the dust is alkaline and acrid, causing soi'eness of the nose and chapping of the lijjs. At Wadsworth we reach the banks of the Truckee River, which we are to follow 30 miles, going up stream. The Truckee has no existence except between Lake Tahoe, 22 miles long, 10 wide, and 1,700 feet deep, fresh, and 6,167 feet above the sea, and Pyramid Lake, 35 miles long, and 12 wide, saline, with an elevation of 4,890 feet. The river is 97 miles long, and serves to drain one lake and feed the other. With an average fall of 13 feet to the mile, it is for most of its length an impetuous stream, and often carries a very large quantity of water. Usually all its water goes to Pyramid Lake, (so-called from the shape of a rock rising from its midst 600 feet above its surface), but when the lake is high, part of the supply flows into Winnemucca Lake, which is 8 miles distant, and separated by a high ridge from Pyramid. Soutll from Reno.— Reno, near the middle of tlie Truckee Val- ley, with much fertile soil and water for irrigation in its vicinity, has one of the best situations in the state for a town. Practically, NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. 31 Reno, 50 miles from the summit, is the eastern base of the Sierra. It is the point which has been selected by the railroad builders as the best place from which to start raih'oads running to the north- vrard and to the southward. The Virginia and Truckee Railroad is 52 miles long, and so crooked that its curves put together are equiva- lent, it is said, to 17 complete circles. This unsurpassed crookedness suggested a fiction, that an engineer, scared at night by the proximity of two red lights on the track, jumped from his locomotive to escape a collision, though the lights were those on the rear end of his own train. The general course of the road is southward for 31 miles from Reno to Carson on the bank of the Carson River, and then northeastward 21 miles, with an ascent of over 100 feet in a mile to Virginia City, 6,205 feet above the sea. The distance from Reno to Virginia City, by tiie Geiger Grade wagon road, is 21 miles, and in a direct line 16 miles. Four miles from Reno, beyond Anderson's Station, we come to a V flume which brings lumber down from the mountain side, 15 miles above. At HufiFaker's, 3 miles beyond, we come to another flume, and at Brown's another, and there are others at Washoe, Franktown and Carson. Steamboat Station, 11 miles from Reno, derives its names from Steamboat Springs, which issue from a mound, 1,200 feet long by 400 wide. Fissures in the mound about 12 inches wide and of irregular shape, emit pufis of steam. The temperature of the water varies from 60" to 212°, and it is im- pregnated with sulphur. Bathing-houses, with a hotel and cottages are built on the premises, the altitude of which is 4,500 feet above the sea. The springs have neither so much steam nor so much water as they had 20 years ago, and the decrease is explained by many persons on the theory that the water conies from the Comstock Lode, the surface of which at Virginia is nearly 2,000 feet above the level of the springs. The miners find water with a temperature of 160° in the lower workings. Steamboat is not far from the course of the vein. ]\Iuch of the water of the Comstock mines runs ofl" through the Sutro Tunnel, and there has been no decrease in the water supply of other hot springs in the vicinity, so the theory is not without plausibility. The water supply at Steamboat has fallen away so much that borings were made to increase it, and the result was successful. Washoe, 16 miles from Reno, once a busy town — its name was used to designate the mines at Virginia City for years after their discovery — is in a valley which contains a lake 4 miles long and a mile wide. West of the southern end of the valley is Mount Rose, 6,448 feet high. Washoe has a picnic gi'ound on Capt. Dall's place near the lake, and another at the Bowers' Mansion. When the rich deposit of auriferous quartz was discovered at Gold Hill, about 1860, Sandy Bowers, an uneducated miner, owned a good slice of the vein, and he soon became a millionaire. He built a magnifi- cent dwelling, obtained furniture and upholstery from France at enormous expense, planted the grounds with beautiful shrubbery 32 NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. and had the most elegant home in the State. His fortune went as it came, swiftly; his widow survives in poverty; the garden has dis- appeared and the dwelling is a curiosity. After leaving Mill Station, we rise to the summit of the ridge south of Washoe Valley, and have a comprehensive view of the valley and lake. At this ridge we cross the line of the Virginia City water-pipe, the most remark- able work of its kind in the world. It is of sheet-iron, seven miles long, and sustains a pressure of more than 1,700 vertical feet of water. The pipe is a foot in diameter, and the quantity of water delivered daily is 20, 000, 000 gallons. Soon after leaving Lake View Station we can look down on Carson Valley and Carson City, the Capital of the State, and the site of a National Mint. A favorite picnic ground near Carson City, used also by the people of Virginia, is the Treadway Place on the banks of the Carson E,iver. It has a green lawn, fruit trees, and pleasant shades. About a mile west from Carson City are Swift's Springs, which have a hotel, bath- house, swimming bath, and an abundant supply of natural hot water in the midst of a plain covered with sage brush. One of the springs is of the kind known as "Chicken Soup," described on page 28. A coach makes regular trips from the principal hotels and the railroad station to the Springs, and the charge for a bath with a ride both ways is 50 cents, A hot spring in the State Prison Grounds, a mile from Carson, is not open to the use of the general public. Genoa, in the vicinity of Carson, has some hot springs, one of the features of which is a mud-bath. There is a hotel to accommodate visitors. A Silver Mill. — Three miles east of Carson, on the line of the railroad, is Empire, which has a large silv^er mill on the bank of the Carson River. A silver mill pulverizes the ore under heavy iron stamps, which are arranged usually in sets of 5, side by side, in an iron box or battery, and they are lifted and then allowed to drop successively, making a loud, rattling noise. A stream of water run- ning into the battery on the upper side, and out through a wire or sheet-iron screen on the lower side, carries off the ore as fast as it is sufficiently pulverized, and deposits it in tubs from which it is shoveled into cast-iron pans, about 5 feet across and 2 feet deep, in which it is mixed with common salt, sulphate of iron, quicksilver, and enough water to make a thin mud. It is stirred around for hours, by which time the silver is sufficiently amalgamated or mixed with the quicksilver, and the pulp runs off to a settler in which the amalgam falls to the bottom and the water and worthless material escape. The amalgam is pressed out in a canvass bag to get rid of the loose quicksilver, and the thick, remaining mass is heated to redness which drives off the quicksilver, and leaves a spongy mass of precious metal. This is melted and r^a into bars. The processes of pulverizing, amalgamating and separating the precious metal from the amalgam, are all included under the general term of reduc- tion, which is the business of silver milling, while the mining de- partment has charge of the extraction, which finds the ore and NEW YORK TO SAN FEANCISCO. 33 brings it to the surface. The ore reduced at the Empire Mill is brought down from Virginia City by rail. There are other silver mills, below the Empire, on tlie Carson lliver, and each has its chute on which ore is sent down from the cars. The Santiago Mill is 500 feet below the road, Carson and Colorado Railroad.— Mound House, 41 miles from Reno, is the terminus of the Carson and Colorado Kailroad, 3 feet gauge, which extends to Belleville, 150 miles in a southerly direc- tion, and accommodates the traffic of Bodie with its gold mines, Columbus witli its borax deposits, and a number of silver mining districts. Mound House is also the station nearest to Sutro, the outlet of the Sutro Tunnel, which is 19,790 feet long, and cost $4,500,000, without interest, for construction. It strikes the Com- stock 1,898 feet below the cioppings of the Gould and Curry mine, and is of great service for the drainage and ventilation of the lode. Unfortunately, since its completion in 1879, the mines have pro- duced relatively little. The Carson and Colorado Railroad crosses the Carson River at Dayton. G miles from Mound House, ascends Churchill Canj-on, a tributary of the Carson, crosses over into Mason Valley, in the basin of the Walker River, follows that stream to Walker Lake, a sheet of water 25 miles long, 7 wide, and 3,840 feet above the sea, skirts the lake on the west, and passes on beyond to the region of the borax deposits. Hawthorne, 100 miles from Mound House and 4 miles south of Walker Lake, is the sta- tion whei-e the trains connect with the wagons and stages of Bodie. Virginia City. — Eleven miles noi'thward by rail from the Mound House we arrive at Virginia City, the terminus of the road. Vir- ginia City stands on the side of a steep hill, and offers little oppor- tunity for the construction of level roads. The only pleasant drive is that to Steamboat Springs, 8 miles distant, on the Geiger grade, over a romantic mountain, with wild rocky scenery, but no trees near the road. The city, with its suburb, Gold Hill, has about 7,000 inhabitants, and for its existence depends on the Com- stock Lode, one of the largest and richest argentiferous veins in the world, and without excei)tion the most productive in the last half of our century. It has been distinctly traced for a distance of 3 miles, and has an average width of 20 feet, though in one place where the ore was very rich it spread out to 300. The deepest workings are 3,000 feet below the surface, in the Belcher and Yel- low Jacket mines, 2,800 in the Imperial, 2,700 in the Crown Point, 2,600 in the Ophir, jSIexican and Union, and 2,500 in the Consoli- dated Virginia, California and Sierra Nevada mines. The total yield since 18G0 has been about $325,000,000. The lode croi)s out ou the eastern slope of a ridge, which culminates in Mount Davidson. The engraving on the next page is intended to show a vertical section of the Comstock Lode, drawn on a scale of 2,000 feet to the inch, as seen in imagination from the east, looking westward. The baseline is 3,000 feet below the level of the Gould & Curry MiL; 34 NEW YORK TO SAX FRANCISCO. the top line follows the level of the surface where the main works were originally established. The little marks at the base line indi- cate the limits of the different mines, which are numbered consecu- tively, beginning at the north, and the name of each mine is placed with its numberbeneath the engraving. Between the Belcher and Alta Mines, a distance of 3,000 feet, no mines are mentioned as there is a dispute about the course of the vein. The dark strips in the engraving show the barren portions of the vein; the middle tint indicates the supposed situation of "pay chutes" iu which rich ore bodies may be found; the light tints respresent the rich ore bodies ; and the white lines running down from the surface are the main shafts and inclines. Five pay chutes each nearly a quarter of a mile long horizontally, appear in the engraving, and between each adjacent pair there is a barren chute of equal length. The first pay chute commencing at the north, contained a body of rich ore in the Sierra Nevada and Union Mines, but produced neither dividends nor any considerable quantity of mineral. The second pay chute discovered at the surface in 1860, was very profitable for three years, then yielded nothing for ten years, and for six years, from 1874 to 1879, was profitable. It paid $140,000,000 gross, to the Mexican, Ophir, California and Consolidated Virginia companies. The third, appearing in the Gould and Curry, Savage, Hale & Nor- cross and Chollar Mines, has turned out $55,000,000. The fourth, known as the Gold Hill bonanza, was worked at first at the surface as a gold placer, then mills were established to save the gold, losing most of the silver, and silver mills have succeeded them. The ground now owned bv the Imperial, Yellow Jacket, Kentuck, Crown Point and Belcher has produced $110,000,000. The fifth pay chute has jnelded several millions, but has paid no dividends. Auriferous quartz is generally, and argentiferous quartz sometimes found in pay chutes, the remainder of the veins being nearly or quite barren ; but many intelligent miners familiar with the Comstock Lode believe that it has no pay chutes, and that the ore bodies are scattered in it without discoverable system. Most of the rich de- posits so far found liave in general form approached the shape of beans, standing upright or nearly upright, but many of them were too small to be shown on the engraving. The Comstock Lode is, in many respects, the most remarkable silver- bearing vein in the World. The Veta Madre, or Mother Vein, at Guanajuato, ISIexico, and the great vein at Cerro Pasco, Peru, are similar to it in length, width and great production, but in three centuries neither has yielded much more than did this lode in twenty years. Potosi, in Bolivia, has turned out considerably more silver, but it has no one large vein equal to the Comstock, This ridge has a north-north-east, and a south-south-west course, and its eastern side has a descent of about 25" from the horizontal, while the lode dips at an angle of 45", The first streets of the town run along the mountain sides near the croppings, and the NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. 35 OC000--:iC50x*>.Wt0l-' /-v IT: o Ml— I i-^jr'»T"zr' P ^ b: >^. 5" <^ 2 r^ o p CO t;::^ >3i— ' td o W Kl ^ > H W - Q 2 2 g- 5- ^ 2. fsT C_( f Q W ?p O Oi O Ci O >f>> O Oi CO 00 ►- w -J ca 1^ O tf^ >*»• O h^. o o o w o o SB NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. deeper the shafts the farther down hill the hoisting works and mills were built. The summit of Mount Davidson, 7,827 feet above the sea, commands a view of an extensive region, most of which con- sists of numerous mountain ranges, rocky in their material, steep and angular in their forms, dull and monotonous in their colors, and bare of vegetation. Virginia City, only 2 miles to the eastward, shows no gardens, grass-plots or trees. The meadows of the Truckee, 25 miles to the northward ; the farms and pastures of the Washoe Valley, 15 miles to the westwai'd, and of the Carson Valley as far to the southward, have distinct green tints, which are much modi- fied by the haze of distance. The coniferous forest of the western slope of the Sierra is dark brown rather than olive in its color. To the eastward, we see the lower part of Carson Valley and the Hum- boldt Desert, both as cheerless as wild sage and bare sand. The higher portions of the mountains visible from Mount Davidson are covered with snow through much of the year. The scene, though not without its grand features, is always desolate. Among the prominent features of the landscape are Mount Lincoln, Silver Mountain and Job's Peak, and the Humboldt range may be dis- cerned on the eastern horizon. Geneva and Dayton may be seen, but Carson City is hidden. Keno to Truckee. — Ketuming to Reno we notice the Nevada and Oregon Railroad, the construction of which has been com- menced recently. The road connects with the Central Pacific, and the main reliance of its projectors in the near future is the trans- portation of timber from a magnificent forest about 30 miles from Reno. Taking an overland ti'ain again, we resume our westward journey. Shortly after passing Bronco Station, about 285 miles from San Francisco, we see a sign by the roadside, bearing the words '• State Line," and marking the 120th degree of longitude west of Greenwich, the boundary north of Lake Tahoe between California and Nevada. Boca, 207 miles from San Francisco, is situated at the mouth of the Little Truckee River, the name Boca being Spanish for mouth. The town has lumber mills, extensive ice-houses, and the largest lager beer brewery on the coast. Prosser Creek is chiefly notable as the terminus of a V flume. Ice is cut and stored here in winter for the San Francisco market. Lake Tahoe. — Truckee is the point where the Truckee River, after running northward from Lake Tahoe for 15 miles, makes a rectangular bend to the east, and where the railroad in its westward course leaves the river and begins its steep ascent of the mountain. Truckee is the centre of an active lumber trade, and is the point where most of the tourists for Lake Tahoe take stages. The wagon- road leads southward and upward in the canyon of the Truckee, between steep hill-sides, in some places covered with timber, and elsewhere spotted with stumps. The outside seat with the driver is desirable for the scenery is interesting, and cannot be seen so well KEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. 37 fi'om the inside of the stage. The driver, if requested, will point out a log-slide, where logs or bolts of wood are sent sliding down the steep mountain side, in a channel made with the trunks of small trees. At the lower end of the slide, the wood jumps with a tremen- dous splash into a pool of water, which protects it from being split by the concussion, and holds it in readiness to be carried down to Truckee by the V flume, alongside of which the stage-road runs. The canyon, though it has no large bend, has many little ones, each of which makes a change in the landscape. The forms of the hills, rocks and trees, the colors of the foliage, the dark green of the still water, and the white foam of the rapids, present many beautiful scenes. The willows and aspen-like cottonwood, on the edge of the river, are light green in the spring and summer, and red and yellow under the autumnal frosts, and here and there some other deciduous tree serves as a contrast to the more sombre colors of the conifers. Every minute brings some new object of interest into sight, until the stage drives into a village called Tahoe City, at the north- western corner of the lake, where we find a wharf from which we can step aboard the steamer Governor Stanford, bound for different parts on the lake shores, or we may stop at the hotel. Lake Tahoe is 22 miles long, 10 wide and 1,700 feet deep. Its surface is G,247 feet above the sea; its waters are clear and cold, and abound with large trout of fine flavor. Steam and sail-boats on its waters, and hotels on the shores, ofier their accommodations to the pleasure seeker, and the locality is much visited during the summer. There are hot springs on the shore near the north-east corner of the lake, on the line between the two States, supplied with a hotel and bath-houses. When the steamboat leaves the shore for a trip round the lake we look down with astonishment. The boat appears almost as if suspended in the air. The bottom, distinctly visible to a depth of 50 or 60 feet, instead of being mud or sand, as is usual in lakes, is composed of clean gravel, showing that no slime is carried into the lake from the surrounding moun- tains. The rock of the lake basin is nearly all granite, and when it disintegrates|, usually takes the form of a clean sand. The color of the water, when the depth is not over 20 feet, is of a delicate yel- lowish green, and under a clear sky, the rays of the sun are collected in streaks of brightness by the waves, and the lights and shades thus formed, dance over the bed of the lake with singular eflect. When the boat passes over greater depths — the deepest point is 1,500 feet — the color of the water, as seen from the sunny side, passes to a light indigo blue. As seen in the shade, the color, in places a deep black near the boat, at a distance shows deep blue, and rich pur- ple hues near the middle of the lake. At the immediate edge there is a seam of brilliant emerald, even where there is nothing in the bank or sky above to furnish any similar tint by reflection. At the southern end of the lake there is an extensive shallow^ ranging from 5 to 20 feet deep, and suddenly the bottom pitches off to a depth of 38 NEW YORK TO SAN FIIANC1SC6. 500 feet Or more, the position of the sharp and crooked edge of this under water cliff being clearly indicated by the light green water on one side and deep purple on the other. The route of the boat is, the greater part of the way, near rocky shores, with abundant forests of pine, and occasional fringings at the water's edge of deciduous foliage. Here and there on the mountain sides, at elevations of 7,000 feet or more above the sea, snow is visible in patches. The last port touched in the round of the lake is Glenbrook, on the eastern shore. This place is the site of several saw-mills, and the terminus of a railroad, on which tim- ber is carried to the top of the mountain, and thence sent in a flume down to Carson City, whence it goes by rail to Virginia City, there to be used in bracing up the great excavations made in mining, or as fuel. The trees are cut on all sides of the lake, and made into rafts, to be towed by steam to Glenbrook, whicli thus is an immense base of supplies. The shores of the lake abound with delightful nooks and valleys, and there are comfortable houses for the accommoda- tion of visitors. Lake Tahoe is remaikable from the fact, that not- withstanding the intense cold of wdnter, its water never freezes, and it remains so cold through the summer that the bodies of persons drowned in it never decompose, and therefore never come to the surface. At least 12 white persons have been drowned in it. We now return again to the Central Pacific. Truckee is 5,819 feet and Summit 7,017 feet above the sea, and the distance by road is 15 miles, an average ascent of 79 feet to the mile. This may be a good place to say that the word Sierras, as applied to these mountains, is incorrect. The primary meaning of the Spanish Sierra is saw, and the term is applied to high mountain chains, the comb or edge of which, seen from a distance, suggests saw-teeth. As it would be improper to say "the Rocky Mountain chains," so it is improper to say "the Sierra Nevadas, " or "the Sierras." The Donner Tragedy. — Leaving Truckee, with a new conduc- tor and a fresh locomotive, we are on the Sacramento Division of the road. Northwest of Truckee, and 2| miles distant, is Donner Lake, a beautiful little sheet of water, 3i miles long, a mile wide, and 250 feet deep. Aside from its natural attractiveness, the locality has a tragic interest as the site of a camp where the Donner party of emigrants, (so styled from their captain, George Donner,) on their way with ox -teams from Illinois and adjacent States to the Sacramento Valley, were arrested by snow, in October, 1846, and detained until many died of starvation. They arrived at the lake on the 28th of October, and, after spending a few days there, came to an understanding that they would kill all their cattle for food, and start afoot to cross the mountains; but that night snow began to fall, and continued falling for several days, covering up their