1900
United States, Canada
April 21st, 1900
Los Angeles, California
My Beloved Angee,
I see it is just one month since that I left England and it appears to me that I have gone over a lot of ground since then – well it is over 6 thousand miles - we reached here about 2 hours late in consequence of being obliged to travel slowly over a large tract of country in Colorado where storms of snow and rain had made the line very "soft" – our huge Pullman cars weighing about 80 tons each rolled about from side to side like a vessel rolling at sea – quite a new experience for me and not by any means a pleasant one – I had a narrow escape of being snowed up for 2 or 3 days – the train carrying me to Denver was the last over the track for 3 days – so it was a close shave as men say. I called at Pueblo for a couple of hours and opened an a/c with the best store there for which I was thankful – it has been a long a dreary ride down through New Mexico – most of the country very barren with plenty of cattle but what the poor creatures feed on is a mystery, for there is nothing visible except sage brush – then we came through about 5000 miles of desert – nothing but parched sand – most of the human beings we saw were Indians who flocked in small groups at our stopping places with a little of their own make pottery which they offer for sale – our train was not very full which made it all the more comfortable for the passengers travelling. When about 70 miles from this City, we suddenly came into a land of grass & orange trees, & it is such a change from the desert where no water ever touches – what a difference it makes the moment you enter a zone where there is a regular rainfall – all is smiling and fruitful directly. They have had a little rain here y'day and today & I was not sorry to see it. The Santa Fe Railway Company present each first class passenger with a beautiful bunch of flowers on entering this favoured state of California – the variety & perfume are very acceptable to the passengers, especially the ladies, after the barren desert gone through where not a blade of anything green can be seen. My letters have not arrived yet but will probably reach me tomorrow or Monday. Since arrival here have talked for a few minutes with the leading brother through the telephone – was rather too tired to call upon him this evening – he gave me a brotherly salutation and was glad to find I was here once more – thro' mercy a nice comfortable room is given me and the bed is looking very inviting I assure you and will certainly have a full benefit given when my body is upon it for rest and sleep.
Shall not be quite so cramped as in the Pullman car and rather more facilities for my ordinary morning habit in washing and dressing. You & Mildred would smile to see the straits I am in sometimes. But with many discomforts, goodness & mercy still follows so that I am filled with thanksgiving.