Conservative. 11
Without water or food they slowly
perished. Two hundred and fifty died
in oiie place , not forty yards across ,
while the Apaches chanted , danced and
kept guard below and the vultures
gathered around to claim their own.
California.
At lost we crossed the Colorado river
and into the Golden State. A great
crowd was waiting for us at Needles.
There were Indians with the longest
black hair I ever saw. Massive cactus ,
Spanish bear grass , palmetto palms and
little dried up white people , that was a
strange group. Beer was fifteen cents
a glass , but they gave us pears and green
figs and wo were happy. The band
played some lively music , the Mexicans
grinned , the Indians grunted and the
white population sent up a sickly cheer.
Such was my first glimpse of the famous
country of " ' 49. "
Then came hours of dreary riding
past yellow hills , over alkali flats and
sandy plains , good for nothing except
centipedes , rattle-snakes , and tall
prickly cactus. The country became
rougher as we went along. I saw a
wheat field by the roadside , a house ap
peared in the distance and then we
looked down in the valley.
Down , down , down , through fifteen
winding tunnels. We could look back
and see the track far up the mountain
side. At times the train would go under
where but a few moments before it had
passed over. It was a grand descent.
On every hand were great boulders and
scraggy pines and little grey squirrels
running everywhere. So we sat in the
open door , drunk with the beautiful
scenery , laughed at the squirrels and
counted four wolves.
Then we reached the valley , and with
it came sage brush , telephoue poles and
jack rabbits without number. There
was but little shade anywhere and to
see half a dozen rabbits sitting on the
shady side of a fence post was a common
sight. As we went by they gave us a
sid e glance , elevated their ears just a
little anil , with a sign of recoguiti on ,
closed theii-eyes. I suppose they had
seen so many so Idiers pass it was getting
very ordinary ; but they were the coolest
jacks I ever saw.
One morning I awoke to find the train
at a standstill. To the left was a broad
archway over which was painted , in
gilded letters , "Oakland Ferry. "
Twas the Pacific at last. Half an hour
more found us on the ferryboat and we
were soon lauded at San Francisco. The
regiment marched out to Presidio. I
stayed back to view the town.
Everyone was happy , for the 1st
California Volunteers had just been
mustered out and were back again to
haunts so dear. Nowhere did I see such
whole-souled , warm-hearted people as
here. Officers and men were treated
he same and the boy in blue was the
man of the hour. I went out to the
grounds that night. The boys were
already in their new quarters and were
iiappy as could be. They stayed there
ten days and left on Sunday. The day
before I went over the old sea wall and
looked at the harbor defence out in the
bay. The battleship "Iowa" rolled at
her anchors. I walked out upon the
long ueok of laud that stretches towards
the Golden Gate , then down to the
beach and threw stones at the sea birds
until my arms.refused to act. I heard
the dull boom , boom , of the breakers
upon a distant rooky shore ; across the
bay a fog horn kept continually howling.
Steamers leaving long tails of smoke
went by. I looked toward the setting
sun. Somewhere in the broad ex-
pause it shone upon was the place I
longed to reach. Tomorrow would be
gin to tell.
( TO BE CONTINUED. )
CIVIC IMPROVEMENT'
A national convention is hereby called
to meet in the city of Springfield , Ohio ,
Wednesday and Thursday , October 10
and 11 , for the purpose of 'organizing a
national league of village improvement
associations and other societies which
devote their energies wholly or in part
to the promotion of public beauty. The
first session will be held on Wednesday
morning October 10 , at 10 o'clock.
Every village improvement associa
tion in the United States , and every
other society which is interested in out
door art , will be entitled to two dele
gates in this convention. All persons
who are interested in the success of the
wider movement for public beauty are
cordially invited and respectfully urged
to attend this convention , in the de
liberations of which they will be cheer
fully accorded the privilege of participa
ting.
Further announcements as to program
and other particulars will be made at a
later date.
John H. Patterson , president National
Cash Register Co. , Dayton , O.
Frank Ohapin Bray , editor The Ohau-
tauquan , Cleveland , O.
J. Sterling Morton , Ex-Secretary of
Agriculture , Nebraska City , Neb.
Helen M. Gougar , lawyer and lecturer ,
La Fayette , Ind.
Capt. Henry Metcalfe , capitalist , Cold
Spring , N. Y.
Louise E. Dew , editor , "How to Grow
Flowers , " Springfield , O.
E. J. Wheeler , editor "The Literary
Digest , " New York , N. Y.
Samuel M. Jones , mayor , Toledo , O.
Cynthia Westover Alden , president In
ternational Sunshine Society , New
York , N. Y.
A. L. Thomas , advertising agent , Chicago
cage , 111.
Jessie M. Good , warder Public Library ,
Springfield , O.
L. B. Logan , lawyer and lecturer , Al
liance , O.
Col. Prentiss In graham , author , New
York , N. Y"
D. J. Thomas , publisher "How to Grow
Flowers , " Springfield , O.
Albert Langley Brown , "The Dial , "
Chicago , 111.
Mrs. R. A. Foster , journalist , Chicngo ,
Illinois.
Mrs. W. H. Frey , president Improve
ment League , Stephensville , Tex.
Mrs. Henry Wight , president Improve
ment League , Thomasville , Ga.
The Danvers Improvement League ,
Danvers , Mass. , by W. W. Eaton ,
president.
The Springfield Improvement League ,
Springfield , O. , by Clifton M.
Nichols , secretary.
FARMERS , ATTENTION !
The Michigan Farmer , Detroit , Mich. ,
established in 1843 , is the oldest regular
weekly agricultural and live stock jour
nal in the country.
It is well printed on high-grade paper
and employs the most eminent writers
on the science and practice of agri
culture , horticulture , live stock , dairy
ing and poultry. It has a standard vet
erinary department for free treatment
of all diseases of farm animals ; contains
complete and reliable reports from all
market centers and gives the agricul
tural news of the country and an inval
uable literary and household department
every week.
The publishers are offering to send
this great paper every week , postage
paid , to January 1st , for only 20 cents ,
in stamps or coin. Here is a great
opportunity for our readers who care to
keep in touch with the conditions ,
ways , prospects of crops , etc. , in that
section , to get a good paper at small
cost.
cost.Address
Address your order to the Michigan
Farmer , Detroit , Michigan.
THE WAY TO GO TO CALIFORNIA
is in a tourist sleeper , personally con
ducted , via the Burlington Route. You
don't change cars. You make fast time.
You see the finest scenery on the globe.
Your car is not so expensively lur-
nished as a palace sleeper , but it is just
as clean , just as comfortable , just as good
to ride in and nearly $20.00 cheaper.
It has wide vestibules ; Pintsoh gas and
high back seats ; a uniformed Pullman
porter ; clean bedding ; spacious toilet
rooms ; tables and a heating range.
Being strongly and heavily built , it rides
smoothly ; is warm in winter and cool in
summer.
In charge of each excursion party is
an experienced excursion conductor
who accompanies it from Omaha right
through to Los Angeles.
Cars leave Omaha every Thursday
afternoon , arriving San Francisco fol
lowing Sunday , Los Angeles Monday.
Only three days from the Missouri
River to the Pacific Coast , including a
stop-over of 1 > hours at Denver and 2i
hours at Salt Lake City two of the
most interesting cities on the continent.
Write for folder giving full infer
mation. J. FRANCIS ,
Gon'l Passenger Agent , Omaha Neb.
