The Days of a Man 1880 



secretary and assistant, in both of which capacities 

 he proved most efficient. 



Details Our special duty was to visit or communicate 



of in- with every post office within five miles of the coast 

 in California, Oregon, and Washington, to list the 

 various species of fishes and other marine animals 

 inhabiting adjacent waters, and to report fully on 

 their habits, food, and value; also to describe in 

 detail the past, present, and probable future of all 

 industries related to the sea. This investigation, in- 

 volving nearly a year of travel and research, was 

 one of the most important events in my scientific 

 career. 



Toward the end of December we left Chicago 

 for California, settling down in the train for the 

 seven days it then took to reach San Francisco. 

 Through Wyoming we saw great herds of antelope; 

 at Ogden we had a chance to climb a snowy peak 

 of the Wasatch range, which overtops the town and 

 gives a fine view of the valley and the Great Salt 

 Lake, then covered with ice. 



LOS Arrived at San Francisco, we decided to begin 



Angeles with the southern end of the state, and accordingly 

 went at once by rail to Los Angeles, whence we 

 planned to travel by steamer to San Diego. In Los 

 Angeles I was much impressed by seeing the boys 

 playing ball with oranges at Christmas. But it was 

 still a mere village, mostly Mexican, its only 

 hotel being the Pico House, a tienda on the old 

 Plaza, and the country round about was practi- 

 cally a desert of cactus and sagebrush. The steamer 

 for San Diego started, then as at present, from the 

 port of San Pedro. Having reached the little town 

 a few hours ahead of time, we climbed the inviting 



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