SACRAMENTO. 371 



evening to Sacramento, where, at the " Golden Eagle," 

 I was indeed glad to get into a comfortable bed, and on 

 the following morning I found myself flying along in 

 the Silver Palace car of the Central Pacific Railway to 

 Ogden. These luxurious carriages are a great institu- 

 tion, especially on long distances, and I availed my- 

 self of the Silver, and its twin the Pulman, car as far as 

 Chicago, a distance of 2,200 miles, in consideration of 

 an extra payment of sixteen dollars, or one-third of 

 a penny per mile, — an extravagance I had no reason 

 to regret. 



After leaving Sacramento, the first 100 miles were 

 one continual ascent, the engine, and at times a 

 pair of them, groaning under the pressure put upon 

 the boiler. Here we reached the top of the Sierra 

 Nevada, at an elevation of 7,042 feet above the tide, as 

 the Americans term it, after having passed through 

 some magnificent wild scenery, pine forest, and canons, 

 or gorges, of dark, mysterious depth ; we also 

 encountered a great deal of snow, which in exposed 

 situations required wooden sheds, often for miles, to 

 keep the rails clear. Between the two mighty chains, 

 the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains, we 

 never descended more than 3,000 feet, and early 

 next morning we passed " Sink Humboldt," a small 

 lake formed by a river, likewise bearing the name of 



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