Fresno, as seen from the railroad station, is not as inviting as it might be, and the thousands of travelers who pass by on the cars, headed farther south, can judge but little of the town and the district behind it. The country is so level, that the only way to get a good view of the country is to ascend some elevated building, the courthouse being the highest, and through its location the best suited building for the purpose. The early forenoon, before the noonday sun has acquired its full power, is the best time for this. Once up there, the view is decidedly magnificent, and more extensive than we had ever expected while below. Under us lies a lovely park of trees,--umbrella, elm, locust and fan palms, covering about four blocks. From it stretch the regular streets in all directions, lined by cottages as well as with costly dwelling-houses, shaded with stately trees of various kinds. The business portion of the town presents itself particularly well,--large and costly hotels, with comforts that the tired travelers enjoy so much, imposing bank blocks of brick and stone, with towers and ornamental roofs, solid structures with continuous lines of stores, etc., mark this part of town. For a mile in every direction the town stretches out, the center thickly built, the outskirts with sparsely scattered houses. Adjoining these the country begins,--vineyards as far as we can trace, groups of houses shaded by trees in different tints of green, while broken rows of endless poplars traverse the verdant plains and lose themselves in the distant horizon. The Sierra Nevada, with their snowclad summits, and the Coast Range in the west, cloudy and less distinct, form the frame for two sides of this attractive picture, while to the north and the south the open horizon, where sky and plains meet, limits the extensive view.