THE SAN FRANCISCO ROUTE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3095, 7 January 1871, Page 3

THE SAN FRANCISCO ROUTE.

The " Lyttelton Times" _^>^l^pnfi]i^i^|l^^' letter from a Oanterbu*^ f tfstle*f, >*who^M^|^|;||| made the journey; which^is full of Jht^_|jftftd;il|^| strikingly suggestive. We make rbpto^fefe^j>^ concluding portion :-—'■' -'-•' " .- ; . Passing along we Boon oame to Cheyenne, which -yy; is an important station on the line, and is near a | town of 3000 inhabitants. Here there is a brarioh| line, which runs down fco Denver City, Colorado,; ;^: 110. This State of Colorado'is made a deial ;? of by American writers, as to ifcs great re worces, :;..-._.."' climate and splendid landsj From Cheyenne, ;'-we,l y?i passed through poor hilly looking couutry, and arrived afc Sydney station at eight o'clook in thd J . evening, having passed through a great country, : ; for prairie dogs. These little animals sit near their boles and squat on their hind legs looking; at the passing train quite innocently, and apparently without fear, for only a few out; of numbers ran into their holes. From this Bfcation fco Kearney station, a distance of 200 miles, which we chiefly passed in the night, the country was apparently a wilderness — of course 'here and there _■ it might bea little better. Nothing was to .be seen but; the passenger stations themselves, which are every four miles along the road, and here : and there, a camp of soldiers, "for all along this line from Wahsatoh fco Kearney, a distance of nearly 1000 miles are small fortß and camps of soldiers. I saw very few Indians 1 along the lint?, just here and there one or fcwo. I think they are afraid fco come near for fear fchey should be immediately shot or ill treated, for numbers of queer looking fellows were to be seen about, called [ ' Indian shooters, with a belt of hall cartridges buckled round fche waist. During the last two days we had orossed fche famous Buffalo Range, where at certain seasons of the year the animals cross, going north in summer and south in winter, but I saw no signs of any. From Kearney to Omaha are situated the lands which the company arfi now selling, of , which you have a plan in fche hook I send -you. Much of ifc is settled upon, and there are some very fine firms indeed fco be seen from fche train, and the small towns just formed afc the Btations going through have a moßt prosperous appearance. All the good land is rapidly taken xip, and that in favored situations commands a high price. At different points along the line of railroad, crossing to various districts, I could see emigrant trains travelling to find locations, &0., with all their goods and chattels with them. The sons of farmers in the Eastern States, add others wishing! to acquire their own farmes, form parties in this way in search of them, and a* delightful pleasure trip may be made of ifc in the summer time. They are in sufficient numbers for . mutual protection, if required. I had some splendid views from the railway cars by moonlight of portions of the Platte River, which is a very shallow but broad stream in places, dotted over wifch islands. As we approech Omaha, the whole country is ■ > settled and under cultivation, and looks well. , I remained at Omaha one night. Iss 'situation is very good and pretty, being on high wooded banks or rolling hill on the west, side of the Missouri River. Ifc contains many large shops and stores. The streets are finely laid out,.and they have the street tramways. In the vicinity are many fine residences of rich settlers. We are now away from the regions of waste, and desejtfc land witbin the Eastern States, whose wonderful progress strikes the eye and mind throughput the rest of the journey. The immense value of emigration becomes a once apparent, ao furthering the wealth and progress of the country. Starting on again behind fche iron horse, from Omaha, you have fche ohoice of several lines of travel through the Eastern States. I chose the Burlington and Eissouri River Railway, whioh runs through lowa and Illinois (crossing the , Mississippi a Burlington) to Chicago. The country is most interesting and fertile. Fresh towns springing up in all directions, splendid farms and prosperous looking Bottlers the whole way. The country is abundantly, wooded and watered. All this magnificent country, of immense extent, was two or three years ego almost unsettled. But tbe immense emigration encouraged by fche States gives suoh impetus to a prosperous aud thriving country, wifch every comfort and convenience of modern times. Chicago, on Lake Miohigan, is a very large town, doing a great business in graiu, with many manufactures. It is in communication by rail or water with all parts of the States, and in iniportance, I should fancy, oan be second; to no city in the Union. The shops and streets are very fine and extensive, while its suburbs of residences and avenues show at ouce the extent of ifcs riob6B and progress. From Chicago I made my next stop at ■ Niagara -Tails, travelling by the Michigan, Central, and Great Western Railway vi& Detroit. I remained at Niagara and its. neighborhood three days and you may be sure was well pleased with my visit. Bufc you know fcbe Falls well, bo I need attempt no desoription. The place waa ifiili of visitors. From Niagara I travelled across Lake Ontario in a fine steamer via Toronto, and ; along the Canadian shore of the Lake, of which I had a fine view. The countay is ail cultivated, with belts of timber, and numerous small towns and villagos to the Sfc. Lawrence River. The cele- " brated rapids, and points of interest upon this great river are many indeed, far too many to 'attempt mentioning in a letter. Steamers are going to and fro, and large timber rafts continually. The Grand Trunk Railway of Canada runs. within sight nearly the whole way to Montreal, where I remained a day and drove round fche suburbs, and then started onwardß to New York vih fche justly celebrated, pioturesque, and lovely country of Lake <Ohamp)ain, the Adirmdock mountains. Ticonderago, Lake George, Fort William Henry, Saratoga Springs, Albany ; and down that beautify river Hudson, with its sublime and lovely scenery, including the Catskill Mountains, &o. It would you may well iuiagme be quite impossible, to mention or relate all I saw or to 'tell of the magnitude, progress, and extent of the country ; its population, towns, buildings, manufactures, &c. It is sufficient for me to say tbat nothing could be better worth seeing and the accommodation of all kinds ia superior. Th country, afc that hot period of the year, waß full of pleasure-seekers, tourists, ko. The steamboats and Railroads are very cheap, but the hotels very dear— from 4 to 5 dollars per day. The whole of the journey bad been made during one of the hottest; seasons remembered ; in New York ifc was unbearable, and numbers were daily sfcrioken by sunstroke in that city. The only pleasure I had in New York was driving round fcheir splendid parks. I visited the Gold-room Exchange, in thafc city, whioh. was in a state of excitement; owing fco the war news, and the great rise in gold ; hut the noise,-^shout-ing, and to me nnintelligiblo uproar of voices, all speaking oufc some pieoe of news, at one and the same moment, were not very pleasant. Altogether, fche journey may be considered one greafc pleasure trip, especially if the traveller has rime to make occasional stoppages; months may be spent on the trip, so great a variety ib there in wild scenery and oities, and for the sportsman nothing could be better than the localities I have indicated. _Vgood hunter who knows the country may easily be hired. As regards' the fares charged, I found greafc incenvenienoe from there being no through fare when I started, and . > fche imperfeofc information afforded in New 2ea» r land. This, I have no doubfc, has been remedied, ; as I find through fares now advertised in -JSnjft -';.■'* land, and full information ; but they do not ,in- ; : elude the extras of Bleeping oar and meals, which; cost about 8 dols. a day, besides a short defcen tion: . ;- either at New York or San Francisc^.oirbbifc/ Passengers can remain at any stations they chodße /;_ y on the railways, and as many as they choose. T l£ \^y good fast and commodious steamers . aie put-lfjaj:.'^.): fche line between Ifew Zealand and San : Fran^-^,;;S;^y no doubt all the passenger traffic will be *^el_ljb^iM| this route, which would then he perfect 't^u^;;|||f out, and atfcwot travellers -frbm''aUvp^^:|a^MeVs||^ world, and it will be a greafc pity i^etaU*^|hw^^;p| not done. " </"' : ■.-'-:' --' :^-: ; ::&^y^k&^s I'think I have given you avery ,fair%|tlin^j)'f^p the trip by the new route Jfr-Engl^ not conclude this letter ..^thottlb^atiflg^t^^^^^ great fact was continually manifesting i^|-^^|?&fl in America (asifc'aWays'-waM^ that, in America... was^ta^ practically . developed* whilst in - oahfe.bl_S^-fe*^lp was allowed to languish .and die, away), "vi^-hafe ?M no oojotoy ca-aiißatisfaetqrpjf] -on-g-re^s 4 -witho^i»^*|^ migration, to stop -which/las Canterbury for, the last iew<vye^^^^^^^^p^S be itsruin, The Amerioan cwW^^^^^^pfe^ ore coming fcom Eor*6p« ,-_^^^^^^^^S

as large as Canterbury are ocoupied, settled, cities formed, manufactures springing up, and railways made simultaneously, the whole country reaping the advantage caused by constantly extending its commerce, productiveness and population ; wherever population flows there are the railways afc its heels. When I arrived at home I found thafc America and Canada have agents in almost every town and village in the United Kingdom, making known their advantages, &0., and the walls are placarded with tempting bills for that; purpose. Bufc nothing can I see anywhere aboufc New Zealand. All the troubles and failures of Canterbury of late years may be fairly attributed to fche want; of foresight iv not fostering the increase of population.