Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1865-09-27
M istell mu.
From the Springfield Republican.
ACROSS THE CONTINENT.

EsTs--3000 MILES OF STAGING CON-.
PhBrED-ObYMprA-THE FooD QUESTION
ON THE PAoIFIo-PUGET SoUND-VIo-
ToRIA-'THE BRITIsH PRovINCEs-Ex-
PERIENCEs THERE--lHE CLIMATE AND
ITS PRoDUCTIoNs---A COMPARISON.
OAYMpIA, w. 7. July 26, 1865.
Unless you have been studying geogra-
ply lately, you will need to open your
map to follow us in our journey north
ward. SO near the northwestern limit of
the republic and not to touch it; so close
to John Bull and not to shake his grim
paw, and ask him what he thinks of the
preposterous Yankees now so near to that
rarely beautiful sheet of water, Puget
sound and not to sail through it, and
I know its commercial capacities and feel
its natural fDrmations--it would never
do. So, two days ago, we put out Of Port
land steamed down the Columbia for so
miles (all Of it is now navigable), and
landed on the Washington territory side
at two houses and stage wagon, bearing
the classic name of Monticello. Jefferson
was not at howe; but there was good
dinner with Mr. Burbank scion of your
northern Berkshire Burbanks; testifying,
like all the rest of these border settlers
away from schools and churches and So
ciety, that there was no such other coun-
try anywhere, and that you could not
drive them back to the SHOWS and cold
winters of the states.
The next question was how to put | /
passengers in an open wagon that only
held 7, for 80 mile drive across the ter
ritory. 1t was successfully achieved by
putting three of them on saddle horses
and off we bounced into the woods at the
rate of three or four miles an hour. Most
unpoeticcal rounding to our 5000 miles
of staging in these ten weeks Of travel
was this ride through Washington. The
road was rough beyond description; dur.
ing the winter rains, it is just impassa.
bic and is abandoned for miles it is over
trees and sticks laid down roughly il
swamps; and for the rest---ungraded, and
simply path cut through the dense for
cst, the hight and depth are fully cqua
to the length Of it, Those who worked
their passage, by whipping lazy mulc'
whose backs they strobe, and paid $40
forthe privilege, made the best time, an(
had the LATEST of it though since | OBJ
serve they show fundamental objections
to sitting in hard chairs, and quote thei
} hymns t. ON Stcrnhold and Hopkins instea(
of Watts
But the majestic beauty Of the fir anC
cedar forests through which we rode al
most continuously for the day and hal
that the road stretched out, was compen
sation for much discomfort. These ar
the finest forests we have yet met-th
trees larger and taller and standing thick
err so thick and tall that the ground the.
stand on could not hold them cut ant
, corded as wood and the underground o
= shrub and flower and vine and fern almos
tropical iu its luxuriance and impenetrabl
r for its closencss.
Washington territory must have NOR
timber and ferns and blackberries anC
snakes to the square mile than any othc
state or territory in the Union. We occa
sionaly struck a narrow prairie or threa'
; like valley perhaps once in ten miles
clearing of an acre or two, rugged ant
rough in its half-redemption from primi
tive forest but for the most part it was
continuous ride through forests, so higl
: and thick that the sun could not reacl
the road, SO unpeopled and untouched
that the very spirit of Solitude rcigne'
supreme, and made us feel Its presence a
never upon Oeean or Plain. The fern
t are delicious, little and big-more of then
and larger than you can see in New Eng
, land d,-and spread their beautiful shape
: on every hand. The settlers apply t
them other adjectives beginning with d
for they vindicate their right to the soil
| in plain as we'll as forest, with most tena
I. cious obstinacy, and to root them out is
Hong and difficult job for the farmer.
? We dined on the second day at Skoc
keen Chuch (Which is Indian for big wat
err, and came to the head Of Puget Scum
which kindly shortens the land passag
: E across the territory one half, aud thi
d town. the capital. at night, eneouuterin
: the usual demonstration of artillery, bras
! band and banners aud most hospitabl
greeting from Acting Gov. Evans and othe
/. Officials and citizens Olympia lies charm
{ inply under the hill by the water-sid'
2 counts its inhabitants less than 5OC
though still the largest town of the terr
|, tory, save the mining center OF Wallpl'
!. down in the southeast towards Idaho
numbers more stumps than houses With
r city limits but is the social and poll'lc'
! center for a large extent Of country put
!. on the airs and holds many OF the mater
r. ais of fine society; and entertained US
a soy Unclc Jerry and Aunt IhfPg Ivy
inn, whose presiding genius ia' any u
Il African of SO years aud 300 pounds, ROBE
ia - ,valcamed az with ti