The Normal Record. June 1905

              18 THE NORMAL RECORD
in the narrow canyon, a "backshot" was provided; that is the main track goes
up the canon to where the turn is needed, then the train stops; a switch is thrown,
and the train starts again. The train now is going in almost the same direction
it came, except that the engines are in front, slowly but surely pulling the winding
train in and out of the bends, and steadily getting the cars higher anl higher.
But a few hundred yards have been traversed until we realize we are rapidly rising, for the smelter which we hardly seem to have left, is a good distance
below, and the tall smokestacks, which a few moments ago caused so much
craning of necks, now look small and insignificant. A few hundred yards farther
and the town of Taylor is seen; but now we turn around the point of a mountain
and all is lost from view. Going about a mile farther and turning another point,
old Mt. Shasta looms up in the distance like a big white hay stack, and looking
North the town of Redding seven miles in the distance can be seen, Seeing the
town of Redding, however, from this point by daylight is not nearly so effective
as seeing it in the night when it is all lighted up.    .
Passing on we next come to Graham Spring, where the train is always sure
to stop, for the train crews always look for refreshment at this point. This time
at any rate they must stop; for here the picnic is to be held, and the meat must
be unloaded for the barbecue, in order to be ready when the people returned from
the ride to Iron Mountain. The meat and other baggage unloaded, the train pro-
ceds, but soon stops at the station of Minnesota for the engines to take water.
Six miles and a half or half of the distance has now been traveled and the train
stays some time to give the engineers time to oil their engines, for the load is
heavy and the grade is steep. From here the people can look down and see the
Sacramento river and the Southern Pacific Railroad, at the point where the
Copley train robbers blew up the baggage car, after killing the express messenger.
Minnesota is on a divide and no doubt the train robbers passed some where near
here on their journey to Copley from "Nigger Hill, where they were supposed to
have stayed before the robbery, for it is directly between the two places and is the
shortest possible way.
"All aboard," and again the train starts and after making two or three big
turns one can look down and see below Minnesota, the track we just now traveled
over. After more climbing, winding and passing in and out curves, Boulder Creek
is reached. There after crossing a high bridge the train enters a tunnel much
to the delight of the people for it is getting warm on the open cars; but great is
their disappointment, when shortly they come back again into the hot sun.
A couple of miles more of puffing, and slipping of the engines,, "Tin Can
Point" is reached. This is where the track goes around the point of a high ridge,
and is only about two miles from Town Mountain. From here the view down
into the Sacramento Valley is exquisite. Toward the East, down in a little cove
can be seen the old town of Shasta, while to the South one can see the old Sacramento river, winding down the valley, for miles. One could imagine himself
up in a baloon, rather than on a railroad train. A few hundred more yards of
winding and we come to the realization that the track is passing over a bridge,
above another track. This the loop and it stands for a great deal of engineering
skill. After finding that the track from "Tin Can Point", along the side of the
mountain would not come up as high as the Iron Mountain Mine, the elevation
was caught up by a loop. By this the track was run through an open cut, and
back over again, accomplishing the desired result, and also a novel engineering
feat.
From the loop, it took but a few minutes more to reach Iron Mountain.
After uncoupling, the engines left for Keswick, leaving the ears to be dropped
down by gravity. Sight seeing at the mine was short and the cars were soon
moving again.    This  time  at a  much  greater  speed  down  grade  was  attained.