Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-11-23
SOME OF THE MISERIES OF TRAVEL.
BY lady Correspondent.

WAf-SIDE INNS CONSIDEEED-HUNGRY PAS
sENGERs AND DAINTY FARE" RoUGutNG
T'-DELIvERANCE.
The day We left Olympia it rained al
most necessarily, but we did not feel or
fear the dampness, as we We're in q COW
cred carriage; but my heart went out
towards the open wagon, containing q
blind music teacher and his companion,
who were sitting among the baggage in
the numbering old stage, exposed to
the discomforts of both wind and wa
ter. About noon we drove up to way
side inn, or stopping place rather, and
alighted with appetites sharpened by
anticipations of wholesome country
fare. A woman with sharp yisage and
restless eye met us at the door, and
with forbidding aspect bade us enter.
Our English fellow passenger, with
characteristic promptness and in loud
tones, called for crackers, cheese and
hmle. She appeared offended and said
they did not keep such things. I de-
murely asked for tea and bread, but it
did not prove to be peace offering, for
our hostess fairly screeched, "You can't
get anything here, the bread amt
baked" This, of course, ended the
matter, and we went back to our car
riage and drove off wondering why the
bread was not baked, and if the condi-
ton of the 'eoren after all might not
have been affected by first appearances,
which, with the Englishmans bluff
manner, we admit might have been
somewhat against us.
The "next house" appeared to be
more pretentious establishment and we
approached it with renewed confidence.
The Englishman had moderated his de-
srcs, and now called for heggs and we
all joined in the cry for this palatable
dish. We were promised it in short
order, but when we had entered the
house the sight almost took away our
appetites. The house and everything
pertaining to it were, think, the dir
test / ever saw, and I have attained a
somewhat varied experience and seen
much while Roughing It." 1t con-
tained two rooms and a sort of a rccep-
ton room. This was furnished with
three chairs, small table with tin
jug and few glasses and tin cups for
drinking beer, or something stronger
maybe. The fire was out and the room
cold, damp and cheerless. One of the
other rooms contained an old cooking
stove perched on three legs and brick,
a few slab benches and board six feet
long by about eighteen inches in width,
covered with dilapidated and greasy
oil-cloth We waited and waited for
the eggs, and they were finally placed
before us boiled hard as bullets. Some
body asked for tea, which was soon
brought on, but it had a strange taste
after eating the hard boiled eggs, so we
drank rain water, paid fifty cents and
continued our journey, glad to escape
the greater ills thai might yet be in
store for us.
But listen! What is that prolonged
sound that awakens the echoes? The
scrccch of the locomotive! A strange
reyerberation to disturb the solitude; of
this wild country. Yetit is true, as the
familiar snort of the rapidly approach
ing iron horse soon verified. We left
the carriage, and stood in group near
the track, the gentlemen with has in
hand, ready to signal the train as it
approached. 1t came aud was gone!
Dumbfounded we gazcd at each other
in despair. We had sent the carriage
back, the rain was falling in torrents,
night was setting in, and as Miss An
thony says--there we were! But it
would not do to repine or give it up
So" The gentlemen commenced to
gather fuel to make fire, and appeared
to derive some comfort from large
black bottle. can only surmise what
it contained, but it appeared to be hope,
for it revived their spirits wonderfully,
and one declared that the conductor
lookrd as if he intended coming back
for us, an opinion that found ready be-
levers, and they frequently placed their
ears to the track to listen for the rum
bic of the returning train. I sat mean
while on trunk, silent but much i'll
teres.ed observer, holding an umbrella
over the blind professor. We waited,
patiently waited, two long, weary hours,
when suddenly we were gladdened by
sight of the train. 1t came like an
angel of mercy to guide us from the
slough of dcspondency and minister to
our temporal wants. How joyfully we
awaited the signal down brakes!
Why, they are again leaving us! Alas,
it is too true! 1 can only liken our con-
dition and thoughts to those of Mark
| Twain and his companions when lost in
the snow-drift and had scratched his
last match which had hckered andgone
out. The rain appeared to increase in
volume as the darkness did in intensity.
Finally, however, as the prospects of
deliverance grew less, the very discom-
forts of our situation were made the
subjects of humor and mirth, so reck-
less we became. Out of sympathy, l
suppose, the fire began to burn, and
we were engaged in an animated con-
versation, when the cars again thun-
dered up-and stopped! We. could