Jewels from Jane, April 27

Wednesday, April 27, 1870 Entering California

"About 6:00 o'clock a.m. we passed a place called Cape Horn. It is an ugly, dreary place. The railroad track runs along the side of a mountain that rises on the right and left. About five or six feet from the track there is a precipice said to be 300 feet deep, which extends about a mile along the railroad. On the opposite side of this precipice are mountains from whose sides issue several streams flowing into the chasm beneath, where, uniting, they rush along with an awe-inspiring impetuosity. At 8:00 o'clock we reached the California gold diggings. They are subterranean; consequently we did not see them. We dined at Colfax with Rev. Father Kelly, who took a fatherly care of us. We then parted with him, and in bidding us farewell, he presented us with a five-dollar gold piece, with strict injunctions to telegraph him in case we needed any funds, as he would not fail to supply them. He gave us an introductory to Rev. H. Gallagher, San Francisco, who rendered us important services when there. Father Kelly said he would apply for a colony of our Sisters for Salt Lake City, were it not that he purposed leaving the mission to enter the Congregation of Lazarists. He is the first pastor of that mission and has been there 15 years.

"At 7:00 o'clock p.m., we presented a beautiful sight after our week's journey, without arranging our toilet, the distance from Omaha to San Francisco being 1914 miles. At 7:00 o'clock p.m. we reached San Francisco. Mr. Deobeck saw us in the bus, and attended to our baggage, but owing to some mistake in the address, we did not reach the hospital until 9:00 o'clock p.m. We were received most cordially by the good Sisters of Mercy, who did all in their power to make us comfortable. We were sadly in need of rest, as we were completely dizzy from the motion of the cars."

From "Trek of the Seven Sisters" - Sister Monica Corrigan's diary