OPERATIONS IN CALIFORNIA IN 1873. 401 



7. — STATIONS AFFORDING SUPPLIES OF WATER. 



West of Humboldt all the water is good, and it is not necessary to 



test it. 



We took on water east of Omaha at Albany, Utica, Syracuse, Roches- 

 ter, Buffalo, Dunkirk, Erie, Painesville, Cleveland, Illyria, (well-water, 

 doubtful,) Edgerton, Elkhart, South Bend, (bad lime-water,) Chicago, 

 (Rock Island Railroad depot,) La Salle, Bellows station, Bureau, (rain- 

 water,) Tiskilwa, (spring-water,) Rock Island, (good,) Davenport, (from 

 Mississippi River,) Kellogg, Casey, and Avoca. 



West of Omaha, we took on water at Elkborn River, 50 gallons, 81° 

 F., roily ;* Big Springs, 10 gallons, 58° F., clear ; Laramie River, 50 

 gallons, G2° F., clear ; Evaustown, (spring-water,) 10 gallons, 57° F., 

 clear; Ogden, (Weber River,) 50 gallons, 00° F., roily; Humboldt sta- 

 tion, (spring- water,) 50 gallons, 65° F., clear ; Alta, 20 gallons, 60° F., 

 clear ; Sacramento, 20 gallons, warm, muddy. 



8. — TEMPERATURE OF WATER IN THE CANS. 



The temperature of the water in tbe cans was as follows : Hudson 

 River water, 70° ; Albany to Chicago, 70° to 74° ; Chicago to Omaha, 

 74° to GSc : Omaha to Laramie, 73°, 67° ; Laramie to Ogden, 67°, 65°, 

 G7°, 6G° ; Ogden to Humboldt, 0G°, 02°, 70°; Humboldt to Sacramento, 

 70°, 06°, 67° ; Sacramento to Tehama, 07°, 70° ; Sacramento River water 

 at Tehama, 74°. 



9. — CONCLUSION. 



I will close this account of the overland journey with the shad by say- 

 ing that, considering all the liabilities to accident and delays which are 

 incident to railway-travel, especially when encumbered as we were with 

 a dozen cans and pails, weighing in the aggregate half a ton, I think we 

 were surprisingly fortunate in getting along as well as we did. We 

 made numerous changes of cars and transfers of our freight from one 

 train to another, often in the greatest confusion and hurry, with trunks 

 flying about our heads and feet, and railroad-employes pushing and 

 thrusting us and our cans out of their way. We were often ordered 

 away by baggage-masters and express-agents, though we could not, with 

 safety, leave our charge for a moment ; and at times, especially at the 

 junctions of the great lines of railways, where we were hardly left a 

 place to stand, and where at the same time in all the confusion and 

 crowding we felt obliged to take on water and even to change the wrater 

 in the cans, it seemed as if some disaster must certainly come — either 

 that the fish would be injured, or that the cans would be upset, or left 

 behind, or that some of us would be left, or enter the wrong train, 

 or something of the sort happen. 



* I do not consider roily water at ail objectionable, but the reverse. I chink it much 

 better to take on large reserves at a few places than small reserves at many places, 

 because every change of water involves a risk. 

 20 F 



