2<)4 Beyond (he Sierraa. 



cars of ihe lirst street cable road ever laid on this planet. It required San 

 Francisco to do that thing. We are whirled up to our hotel and rendezvous. 

 It is the Pidnce, my friends, and of the Palace something more by and by 

 Our journey from Kansa.s City, with the delays occa^jioned by the blizzird 

 and our .-several stoi)s and excursions a<< tH/trtm, has occupied eleven days; 

 and we are already hard run for time to reach San Jos^ in seasDn for the 

 opening of the session of the Society on the day after to-morrow. Our pres- 

 ent stay in San Francisco, therefore, must be merely a pause on the way ; 

 but before we go our reception must not be neglected. The California 

 Buard of Trade had provided for our coming. They had arranged all things 

 for our comfort and progress. Several of the officials of the board and other 

 distinguished men of the city and State were present to meet us and to greet 

 us. The board has its own rooms and halls of exhibit in the tirst story of 

 that part of the Palace formerly called the Grand. Here we were received 

 in a body, and announcement was made for some local sight-seeing on the 

 morrow. 



The softest bed in ihe world is that of a tired traveler. You sink upon 

 it with an inlinite sigh. Your ideas lose their form and swim into indis- 

 tinctness. Meanwhile, your body spreads out Matter and flitter on the bed 

 till, in the language of my friend, James Whitcomb Riley, you "drip over 

 the edges just like molasses.'" For ten days past we had done our sleeping 

 in the Pullmans— a pretty good job, too, in its way, but, after all, dry-land 

 sleeping is the best. It has more body and stability. A man asleep in his 

 close berth in a palace car will dream a long time before he sees the angels 

 or hears a voice out of paradise. 



On Monday morning the San Franciscan committee had us out bright 

 and early, or, rather, dark and early — for there was a bad rain, mixed with 

 fog and other ingredients— to see the city. The cable car lines of San Fran: 

 Cisco are among the best to be found anywhere. They carry you out yonder 

 to Golden Gate Park, and are there in a twinkling. It is said that when 

 John Wit Tee Man lirst saw the cable car he walked up to it, touched it, ex- 

 amined it, and then said: " Melican man makee funnee sing, allee samee. 

 Xo horsee, no mulee ; no pushee, no puUee ; go like h — ee, allee samee." 



This morning we have our first glimpse of the great park which San 

 Francisco has created between herself and the Pacific. We look out from 

 the famous Cliil' House to the Seal Rocks in the oiling, inhale the sea breeze, 

 walk a few minutes in Sutro's Garden, which may be said to have more fresh 

 air to the square inch than any other place in the world, and then return to 

 the city and the rooms of the Board of Trade. The Californians are great eat- 

 ers, but they never drink— hardly ever. A really sumptuous lunch has lieen 

 spread for us, and many distinguished personages are convened to welcome 

 us to the repast. Hon. M. M. Estee, of Napa, is present, and makes us a 

 speech. Sj, also, President Hatch and Professor Hilgard, and several other 

 gentlemen from ditlerenl parts of the State. The good things arc taken with 

 free hands, and Johnson, the prohibitionist, of Indiana, is discovered to be 



