Diary of a journey from Ohio to California; and cash accounts at Stanford University

Saturday October 21, 1893

After having spent a night of sound sleep, I find myself thirty miles west of Topeka where it is corn, corn, corn. Land is very productive. As we go west the land is less productive on account of absence of moisture. While riding in the hay car at [Barrton?] I saw a flock of fifty wild geese flying south.

Again while riding in the old mail coach which is found for San Francisco, we seea city of prarie dogs (The dogs, snakes and owls live together in the same holes.)

Dugouts are quite common. No trees. Prarie as far as eyes can see. Looks like the sea. Crossed the Arkansas river at Hutchinson at 11 A.M. Crossed the same river at Kinsley. Hardly any water. A broad shallow channel of sand.

We reach Dodge City at 6:45 P.M. where we stop for a rest of twenty-four hours. In the beautiful moonlight we take a ride with our horses across the open prarie about two and one-half miles to a [farm?]

house where we have a chat, water our horses and start for town. Reach town at 9:30 P.M. and retire. Price of land varies from $2.00 to $10.00 per acre. Kansas winds are immense.

Sunday, October 22, 1893 Take a wash and go to the Methodist Sunday School and Church. After changing clothes and filling water tank, take the horses for exercise up the Arkansas river bed about two miles. The bed consists of sand. It is from one fourth to one half miles in width and very shallow. [Much?] quick sand.

Paid ten cent for a loaf of bread. Kansas milk is bitter as gall. The horses seem much refreshed.

Monday, Oct 3, 1893

Had burglars last night. No damage. Sunrise on western Kansas plains. Crossed the Arkansas at [Granada?], Colorado at 6:30 A.M. Crossed Kansas line about sunrise. 7 o'clock A.M. finds me in the midst of the

irrigated lands of eastern Colorado. Alfalfa [nicks?] in the form of a semi circle. Have followed the Arkansas for hundreds of miles. Easter Colorado grows more nothing and [stony?]. Many stone houses. We arrived at [SaJunta?] at 11:30 A.M. About a mile from SaJunta at 12:25 P.M. I caught first sight of mountains. At 12:30 P.M. the first cactuses of the cactus plains of Colorado appeared. Several different kinds. On kind looks like small evergreen trees 4 feet high.

At 5:30 P.M. I reached Trinidad where a mountain engine was hooked on behind to push us up the mountains. At 7 P.M. we arrived at [Synn?] the summit where there is a tunnel about one-third of a [mile?] in length. This point is also on the line between Colorado and New Mexico.

At Raton Mr. Hawkins and I had many callers who wanted us to help them over the road. Shortly after starting from Raton I told the conductor to side track our cars at Las Vegas and retired for the night.

Tuesday, October 24, 1893 Adobe houses are very common in this region among the Mexicans. We arrive at Las Vegas at 3 A.M. Cold enough to "freeze a dog". I feel slightly sick and have to take a walk in the air. I return, open the doors wide and take a sleep after which I feel all O.K.

Snow is on the mountain peaks. The sun rises and the day is warm and pleasant. At 7 A.M. Stanley and each take a horseand go for a ride to Hot Springs six miles distant.

We go through many Mexican settlements which have adobe houses - mud and straw baked in large cakes, or bricks. Many of them have their yards fenced with a wallof about 8 ft in height, in which is found house, barn - such as it is - out buildings, corn fodder, ["burros"?], or donkeys, hogs, women, children and "other articles too numerous to mention."

We arrive at Hot Springs - a pretty little [summer?] resort, wash our hands in the hot water, take a drink and go up a

mountain. Beautiful scene.

Returning I see the pack mules carrying wood from the mountains. A Mexican cemetary with an adobe fence or wall 4 ft. high. We left Las Vegas at 11:30 P.M. Sunset over the mountains.

Wednesday Oct. 25, 1893 Shortly after sunrise the sun was clouded [in?] and the mountain peaks at a distance of some ten miles were enveloped in clouds. My first glimpse of such a scene. There are many Indian villages along the road to Albuquerque. The Indians live in adobe houses much as do the Mexicans but more rudely built. They raise corn and some other crops.

I arrived at Albuquerque at 8:45 A.M. where I take the Atlantic and Pacific railway. 8000 inhabitants. Left Albuquerque at 12:30 P.M. Saw the "red sea" of sand. Storms of red sand. Fences to keep the sand from burying the railroad. Deadcattle by the hundred.