Appleton's illustrated hand-book of American cities; . eyond this the road enters upon an extended plateau, about 60 ra. longand of the same width, known as the Great A7nerican Desert. Its whole surface iscovered with a sapless weed 5 or 6 inches high, and never grows any green thingthat could sustain animal life. The only living things found upon it are lizards andjackass-rabbits; and the only landscape feature is dry, brown, and bare Toano (1,214 m.) the Humboldt Valley, a comparatively fertile region, is entered ;here commences a long descending grade which extends to the Sierr
Appleton's illustrated hand-book of American cities; . eyond this the road enters upon an extended plateau, about 60 ra. longand of the same width, known as the Great A7nerican Desert. Its whole surface iscovered with a sapless weed 5 or 6 inches high, and never grows any green thingthat could sustain animal life. The only living things found upon it are lizards andjackass-rabbits; and the only landscape feature is dry, brown, and bare Toano (1,214 m.) the Humboldt Valley, a comparatively fertile region, is entered ;here commences a long descending grade which extends to the Sierra Nevada Moun-tains. Elko (1,307 m.) is the most important station on this portion of the line, andis the shipping-point for the famous White Pine mining district of Nevada. At IW HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN CITIES. Wadsworth (1,587 m.) the ascent of the Sierra Nevadas is began. The wearyingsight of plains covered with alkali and sage-brush is exchanged for picturesque viewsof mountain-slopes, adorned with branching pine-trees, and diversified with foaming. Salt Lake Citv torrents. The ascent soon becomes so steep that two locomotives are required todraw the train. At short intervals there are strong wooden snow-sheds, erected toguard the line against destruction by snow^-shdes. These sheds, which are verymuch like tunnels, interrupt the views of some of the most romantic scenery on theline. Truclee (1,65(3 m.) is the first important station in California. Excursionistsfor Donner Lake and Lake Tahoe leave the railroad here. Summit ?Station (1,671m.) is the highest point on the Central Pacific road (7,042 ft.), and the sceneryaround the station is indescribably beautiful and impressive. A grander or moreexhilarating ride than that from Summit to Colfax, says Mr. Nordhoff, you can-not find in the world. The scenery is various, novel, magnificent. You sit in anopen car at the end of the train, and the roar of the wand, the rush and vehementimpetus of the train, and the whirl around curv
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Keywords: ., bookcent, bookdecade1870, booksubjectcitiesandtowns, bookyear1876
