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A FEW HINTS TO OVERLAND TRAVELERS.

"THE ILLUSTRATED RAILROAD GUIDE
of the
UNION and CENTRAL PACIFIC RAILROADS."

(pp. 86-88)
Adams Publishing Co.
Chicago, Omaha, San Francisco.
1879


No matter how thoroughly he is "coached" and generally advised, everybody who makes the transcontinental journey is quite ready at the end of it to supplement all that has been said before with fresh ideas of his own; and, notwithstanding the fact that before starting he avails himself of the counsel of a most experienced friend, he invariably discovers many little things that ought to be arranged by intending travelers which have never been mentioned to him, and which, according to his mind, are essential to full enjoyment and comfort. The few hints that we have to offer are, therefore, presented — not with any air of infallibility, but simply as personal suggestions which may or may not be followed with advantage, though the writer's private belief is that no one will do amiss in giving ear to them.

The fare from New York, Boston, or Philadelphia, is about $137, and the cost of the sleeping-car, which is almost indispensable, must be added, although some tourists have sufficiently vigorous constitutions to endure the journey without more repose than they can get in the ordinary first or second class car. The sleeping-car fare for one berth is five dollars to Chicago; two dollars and fifty cents from Chicago to Omaha by the Rock Island, and three dollars by either the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy or the Northwestern route; eight dollars from Omaha to Ogden, and six dollars from Ogden to San Francisco, making a total of twenty-two dollars. A section is double and a drawing-room about quadruple these rates, the drawing-room having accommodations for four persons, and affording privacy and great luxury to its inmates. If four persons are traveling together they should by all means secure a drawing-room, by which they will realize the perfection that railway locomotion has attained in America.

The Pullman cars go no farther west than Ogden, but the Central Pacific road runs commodious sleeping-cars of its own to and from that point. In order to secure good locations, the lower middle berths being preferable, it is advisable to request them by telegraph in advance, especially as passengers cannot obtain a through sleeping-car ticket from New York to San Francisco, and must rebook themselves at Chicago, Omaha, and Ogden. All baggage also is rechecked at Ogden; and, speaking about baggage, we urge everybody to take as little of it as possible, for the reason that it is always an impediment, and also because anything in excess of one hundred pounds costs about twenty cents per pound extra from Omaha to the Pacific coast. Crossing the continent some time ago, our sympathies were enlisted by an English lady, who was vernacularly "stuck" to the amount of sixty dollars by extra baggage, which might have been left behind; and we beg to remind the reader that in pleasure-traveling as well as armies mobility is a most excellent thing.

It always seems to us that the young men one meets in the Pacific Railways who carry a small hand-bag are the happiest creatures on the train; and unquestionably the unhappiest are those who, encumbered by such unwieldy equipments as Saratoga trunks contain, are frequently compelled to lighten their pocket-books in settling accounts with the baggage-master. At the same time it is wise to carry wraps and overcoats; for if you leave Omaha with the thermometer at 90o on Monday, it is quite possible that, even in July, the air becomes chilly as you rise above the billows of the Plains and pause under the shadow of the Rocky Mountains at Cheyenne on Tuesday. In summer the common linen or alpaca "duster" is indispensable, the dust of the Plains, especially between Elko and Humboldt, being ruinous and dense. A pair of Lisle-thread or cotton gloves add much to one's comfort, and also give one the incomparable satisfaction of having clean hands.

In regard to the commissaire, the train stops three times a day for meals, which are usually plain but good, and in some instances they are excellent. It is a novel and interesting experience to alight at sun-down on the platform of a little station in the wilderness with no projection between the sky and the land as far as one can see, and to be ushered into a clean and substantially furnished apartment, with tables handsomely set for supper, the attendants being ruddy-faced, neat, modest girls, and the silver-ware and crystal-ware and linen being irreproachable. The inevitable hurry takes away from the enjoyment, but the food is ample.

Old travelers over the Pacific Railways are in the habit of providing themselves with lunch-baskets, which may be obtained and filled at either end of the route. There is much comfort and security in a lunch-basket. You may not be disposed to sit down at the regular table for meals; perhaps you are tired of the recurrent menu, or have not an appetite; and then the wicker repository, which, if it has. been filled with discretion, must surely contain many good things, is a consolation and a delight. The porter will adjust a small table in your section of the car, and forthwith you spread your napkin and contentedly sit down to so simple a lunch as a biscuit and a glass of sherry (let us hope that the sherry is genuine), or something more elaborate, in the way of sardines, boned-turkey, and a bottle of Extra Dry.

You have full possession of the car, probably, and can smile as you think of the haste and clatter that are going on in the dining-room of the depot. In winter the lunch-basket is to the overland traveler what the life-preserver is to the traveler on a dangerous ocean. It is not safe to go without it, and it is all the better if it includes a spirit-lamp; for accidents arising from snow and bad weather often disturb the culinary arrangements of the best-managed eating-houses. Both wicker-baskets and their "furniture" may be purchased reasonably at Oakland, Sacramento, and Omaha. The invariable price for the table d'hote at the stations is one dollar, but there are lunch-counters at which ten cents is charged for a cup of coffee or tea, and twenty-five cents for a cut from a cold joint.

Many side-trips, which will not only break the monotony of the continuous journey, but also afford views of interesting life and scenery, may be made by those who have time and money to spare. The hunter will do well to try the sport in the neighborhood of Evanston, and the lover of the picturesque and the scientist, especially the geologist or paleontologist, should by all means spend a few days at Green River. The tavern expenses will not be more than two or three dollars a day, and riding-horses, guides, and vehicles, maybe hired at fair prices. Alighting at Cheyenne, you should take the Colorado Central Railway as far as Denver, calling at the many interesting points on the line and ascending Gray's or James's Peak if the weather is favorable.

A good idea of what a wonderful State Colorado is with its mountains, canons, and mines, can be obtained at an expenditure of fifty dollars. Above all things, do not omit a run from Ogden down to Salt Lake City. The trains from the East arrive at the former station about 6 P.M., and connect with trains on the Utah Central road, which run by the borders of the lake to the city, the time being about two hours, and the fare three dollars. Returning to Ogden, the tourist leaves Salt Lake City at about four o'clock in the afternoon, and connects at six o'clock with the overland train. The side-trip to Virginia City and its mines require more time and money, and at the time of writing there is no direct connection at Reno.

CONNECTIONS OF THE UNION AND CENTRAL PACIFIC RAILWAYS.

The extraordinary rapidity with which railways are projected, built, and extended west of the Missouri River, makes a table of the branch connections of the main line imperfect very soon after preparation. Not many months ago the writer was at Fort Garland, Southern Colorado, which then over eighty miles from any railway, and it seemed to be the loneliest of outposts. It was a three days' ride from the nearest town, and only received a mail twice a week. A narrow-gauge road has since linked it with Eastern and Western civilization, and it is now surrounded by a growing city the same way, places that at present seem very remote, may soon be in steam communication with the principal lines of transcontinental travel ; for, work that in older countries would take years to complete, is done in the great protoplastic West in months. The following numerous connections were in operation, however, at the time of this writing. (April, 1878)

UNION PACIFIC RAILWAY.

At Omaha, with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, and the Chicago & Northwestern Railways to and from the East; the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railway southward to Kansas City; the Sioux City & Pacific, and the Omaha & Northwestern Railways northward, and the Omaha & Southwestern to Lincoln, the capital of Nebraska, etc.
At Sidney, with daily stages, six-horse Concord, for Deadwood, Custer, and other cities in the Black Hills, via Red Cloud Agency, Buffalo Gap, and Rapid City.
At Cheyenne, with the Denver Pacific branch of the Kansas Pacific Railway southward to Denver, with the Colorado Central Railway, completed late in 1877, to Denver via Longmont, Boulder, and Golden, and with six-horse Concord stages to Fort Laramie, Deadwood, Custer, the Big Horn, and Powder River regions. The Colorado Central, which had not been extended northward when the body of the text of this book was written, affords tourists a very near view of the mountains. Estes Park, Long's Peak, and Peabody Mineral Springs, are reached by stages from Longmont Station ; Boulder Canon from Boulder Station, and Clear Creek Cañon is followed from Golden to Central and Georgetown. Table Mountains, Chimney Gulch, and Bear Creek Canons, are near Golden, and James's Peak is only 18 miles from Central. Gray's Peak, Green Lake, Cascade Creek, Middle Park, and the Mount of the Holy Cross, are all to be reached from Georgetown, and the hot and cold salt-baths and sulphur springs of Idaho City are within five minutes' walk of the railway. It is anticipated that during the summer of 1878 a railway will be built northwest from Cheyenne to Fort Laramie. opening the wonderful country beyond.
At Bryan, with stages for the Great Sweetwater Mining District.
At Carter, with stages to Fort Bridger.
At Ogden, with the Utah Northern Railway to Franklin and the north ; with the Utah Central Railway to Salt Lake City, and with the Central Pacific Railway to San Francisco. The Utah Northern Railway is being extended with such energy that it is impossible to state where the terminus is its ultimate destination is Helena, Montana, with which thriving city it is now connected by stages, and it is already across the Bear River.

CENTRAL  PACIFIC RAILWAY.

At Corinne, with stages for Montana Territory.
At Kelton, with stages for all points in Idaho Territory, Washington Territory, and Oregon.
At Wells, with tri-weekly stages for Pioche, Nevada, Sprucemont, and Cherry Creek.
At Elko, with daily stages northward to Taylor's, Tuscarora, Independence Valley, Grand Junction. Cornucopia, Bull Run, and Cope. Also with semi-weekly stages southward to Bullion City, the town of the Railroad Mining District, and with weekly stages to the South Fork and Hunter-Valley.
At Palisade, with the Palisade & Eureka Railway to Box Springs, Garden Pass, and Eureka. distance 90 miles.  Also with stages to the celebrated White Pine Mining District of Nevada.
At Battle Mountain, with daily stages to Austin City and Belmont, the former 90 miles and the latter 180 miles distant.
At Winnemucca, with daily stages to Silver City, 210 miles, and to Boise City, Idaho, 275 miles distant, with semi-weekly stages to Paradise Valley, 45 miles, and with daily stages to Jersey, 65 miles southward.
At Reno, with the Virginia & Truckee Railway to Carson City and Virginia City, about 52 miles.
At Truckee, with daily stages to Tahoe City and Donner Lake; with daily stages to Campbell's Hot Springs on Lake Tahoe; with tri-weekly stages to Randolph, 28 miles ; Sierraville, 29 miles; Sierra City, 60 miles; Downieville, 72 miles; Jamison City, 55 miles; and Eureka Mills, 58 miles; and on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, there are stages to Loyalton, 30 miles, and to Beckwith, 45 miles.
At Junction, with the Oregon Division of the Central Pacific Railway to Redding, 170 miles.
At Sacramento, with the California Pacific Railway to Williams, 61 miles.
At Galt, with the Amador Branch Railway to lone, 28 miles distant.
At Stockton, with the Stockton & Copperopolis Railway to Peters, Milton, Farmington, and Oakdale, extreme distance 34 miles.
At Lathrop, with the Visalia Division Railway to Tulare, 157 miles, and with the San Joaquin River steamer.
At Niles, with the San Jose Branch Railway.
At San Francisco with steamers to China, Japan, India, Sandwich Islands, South-Sea Islands, New Zealand, Australia, and to ports on the Northwestern and Southwestern coasts of the United States, Mexico, Central and South America.
The total mileage of the Central Pacific, with its connections in California alone, is 2,362 miles.


Courtesy of the Cooper Collection of U.S. Railroad History
Transcribed by Bruce C. Cooper, BCC@CPRR.org


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