arve 
11 
From our Special Correspondent. 
A TRIP ACROSS THE CONTINENT. 
(Continued from January Number.) 
San Francisco, Cal., Oct. 9, 1883. 
We are now getting over the effects of 
the long ride. It took us some time to get 
the jolting, jarring noise out of our heads 
and out of our brains. When we would 
sleep it would still seem to us that we were 
whirling on and on and we could not sleep 
much better the first night than we did on 
the cars. We have a pleasant room, well 
furnished and have good board and pleas¬ 
ant surroundings. We got here Saturday 
morning, and spent the forenoon in trying 
to sleep and rest up a little. In the after¬ 
noon we took a ride through the city on 
the cable cars, that run without horses or 
engine, over the hills upon which the city 
is built, giving us good general views of 
the city. Sunday we visited the Golden 
Gate Park, where, in a conservatory we 
saw the Victoria Lily, with twenty-four 
leaves five feet in diameter and a blossom 
large as a human head, and also many oth¬ 
er rare plants and flowers. Then we visit¬ 
ed Woodwards Gardens where were many 
plants, flowers, fishes, animals, museum, &c. 
In the evening I went to Church. This 
forenoon we walked through Chinese Quar¬ 
ters, and in the afternoon took a walk 
along the wharf to see the ships and steam¬ 
boats, and also looked in the stove shops 
and crockery houses for stove and dishes, 
but did not buy anything except a beauti¬ 
ful china cup and saucer we bought of a 
Chinaman. We got our trunks all right, 
only w T e had to pay $11.30 extra on them 
for over weight. Our friends who were go¬ 
ing to Seattle are at another hotel but we 
visit back and forth and like them first rate. 
Our Steamer, the Geo. W. Elder, will start 
to-morrow at 2 p. M. Since the first fore¬ 
noon (when it rained) we have had very 
pleasant w'eather here. The afternoon 
breeze from the ocean is a little raw, but 
on the whole the temperature is just about 
right for health and comfort. It is better 
now than it is in summer I am told. There 
is quite a rush for Oregon and Washington 
Territory, and the papers say that the ho¬ 
tels in Seattle are all full and people there 
living in tents. We feel very thankful to 
get through the rail road part of our jour¬ 
ney safely. We had good company, and on 
the whole got through very pleasantly, but 
it is a long tedious journey and were it not 
for the grand scenery, would be very dissa- 
greeable. We now'hope for a smooth sea, 
on our ocean voyage. Will drop a postal 
before we sail, but will then have to wait 
till we reach Seattle before we can write 
again. 
Tuesday Morning, Oct. 10th. 
We feel pretty well this morning. Shall 
pack our trunks and set out again for Seat¬ 
tle, to-day. 
San Francisco, Cal., Oct. 10. 
At the Wharf, 1, P. M. 
We are waiting to go on board our Steam¬ 
er the Geo. W. Elder. It looks like a 
strong, safe, nice boat and is a screw pro¬ 
peller Ocean Steamer. Our room is in the 
saloon near the center of the vessel. It is 
raining here again, but we hope to find 
smooth water outside. This is the last you 
will hear from us for about a week. We 
start off well and rested. 
Seattle, Wash. Ter., Oct. 15, 9 a. m. 
• 
We arrived here this morning at 5 o’clock. 
Got up and hunted for a hotel. Found a 
stopping place at the Occidental. There 
are several fine, large, hotels here, but ali 
crammed full. It beats all. how Seattle is 
growing, there is a perfect rush here. We 
bad a good breakfast, but can find no 
rooms yet. Our trunks are on the stoop 
and we are resting in the bar room and in 
the parlor. It rains as usual, but the the 
air is warm, soft, invigorating and pure. 1 
again get th° perfume of the fir and cedar 
woods. We are all well. I feel the best 
I have since leaving home. A steamer 
leaves here to night for La Conner, and 
another leaves in the morning. I had 
rather go by daylight and we want to buy 
some household goods here. I don’t know 
yet when we will start from here. I miss¬ 
ed the chance of a lifetime, that I did not 
buy a lot here in 1872, when I first saw this 
place. I expect just as good chances are 
open if I only knew where. I mailed a let¬ 
ter from Victoria, giving an account of our 
