TRAVELING TO—DAY We can travel now as far in one day as people once could in a month. We can sit in an easy chair in a car and be as comfortable as at home. The train carries us across the rivers and through the mountains. It does not stop for anything.
One hundred years ago there were no railroads and only a few wagon roads. People did not then travel as much as they do now. Trails were made first. Over these they could walk or ride horseback. Then wagon roads were made. They were at first very rough and muddy when it rained.
You all know how roads are graded now. If there is a hill in the path of a road, powder is used and the rock is, blasted away. The road is made upon a gentle slope, so that the horses can pull a heavy load.
Roads are made smooth and hard by putting on them a layer of crushed rock and drawing heavy rollers over the rock. Where many people travel roads are sprinkled so that they will not become dusty.
Many railroads have been built through the valleys where the most of the people live. They have also been built across broad deserts, so that those who live upon opposite sides of the desert can go back and forth.
Mountain ranges used to separate people. Those living upon one side did not know anything about the other side. Long tunnels have been dug through mountains, so that now we can cross a mountain as easily as we used to cross a plain.
Great steamers move over the oceans. They are much swifter and more comfortable than sailing vessels. Steamers do not have to wait for favorable winds.
Let us take a trip from the city to a mine in the high mountains. We shall see how people travel in all kinds of places.
We will first go on board a steamer and ride up the river for a few miles. Our steamer does not mind the wind, and it can move against the current of the river. The steamer is like a floating hotel. There is everything on it that we need.
As soon as we get where the river becomes shallow the steamer has to stop. Now we leave it and take the cars. For many hours the engine pulls our train through a nearly level country. There are many people living here, and much produce to be carried back and forth.
At last the mountains come in sight. Now the train moves more slowly. The land slopes upward toward the mountains and the engine has to work hard. How it puffs as the train winds among the hills like a great snake! By and by we reach the end of a valley and here the railroad ends. The steep mountains rise alI around us.
We leave the cars wondering what we shall ride in next. We are not long in finding out. Near by stands a huge stage-coach with six horses hitched to it. We climb in and the driver cracks his Away we go up the mountain road. Up we go mile after mile. We ride along the sides of rocky canons so deep that we can hardly see their bottoms. The road is rough and we hold tightly to the stage coach to keep from being thrown off.
At last we come to the end of the road. Now we shall surely have to walk, for the mine where we wish to go is higher still. No, there is a string of mules waiting for us. Some of them have packs on their backs. Others are saddled for us to ride.
Now we are off again through the mountain air.
We go very slowly now. The mules are careful and pick their way over the rocks and past the dangerous cliffs. It would be hard work to build a railroad here.
The mine is reached and near it is a little town. Here the miners live and work. If we wish to go farther and reach the very top of the mountains we shall have to walk.
What an interesting time we have had.. In one journey we have traveled in many different ways.