The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-10-16
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

tai, aud Of "a deep azure blue, so densely
brilliant that the eye was pained in
gazing long upon it. What had been
rain in the valleys had been snow on
the mountains but the warm sunshine
soon dried the former and melted the
latter in the exposed places, and our
ride of iifty-fiye miles on a buck board
from Yakima to Ellensburg, was far
more pleasant than it would have been
had the storm not occurred.
The first ten miles Of the journey lay
through the valley Of the Yakima, past
numerous newly taken ranches, and
near several farm houses, that were
tastefully surrounded by groves Of Lom-
hardy poplars Of from one to two years
growth, and ranging in height from
twenty to forty feet. Fruits, vegetables
and cereals grow IuXuriantly in this
climate wherever they have ghost Of
chance, aud the virgin soil is a sandy
sage plain tina: looks to be ft for moth
ing but the home Of jack rabbits.
At the ten-mile station in the valley
Of the Matches rapid river OF no mean
dimensions, which We crossed at a wide
and rocky ford we found our old
"Hardscrabble" friends, the Nelson's,
who literally live in clover. Mr.. aud
Mrs. Nansycle, formerly Of Portland,
the latter a daughter Of Mr.. Nelson, live
near, and Mrs. Frush, from East Port
land, another daughter, was visiting in
the paternal home. The reader may be
sure that it was pleasant to greet them
all SO unexpectedly in this far-away
home. As We drove up to the house, We
passed an orchard in which were a num-
Der Of huge piles Of white objects which
a fellow passenger mistOOk for two
bushel sacks full Of wheat, but which
proved to be common garden squashes.
Every species Of vegetation grows here
on the same gigantic scale. But we
must not linger here, much as we should
enjoy it, for the fresh horses arehlready
in waiting, and on we go again, having
received a temporary reinforcement to
our company IN the majestic proportions
of Brother Shafer, of whom We last
week wrote you, aud who managed be-
fore his two hours ride was over to
further prove himself the uncharitable
bigot who so impressed the citizens OF
Yakima the Sunday before With his
narrow seliishuess. He thinks that he
believes the world was made in six
literal days that God is a big man, on
big throne, somewhere in space that
heaven has gates OF eternal pearl aud
streets Of real gold, aud that he'll is a lit
eral lake Of liquid, burning birthstone,
in which everybody who dares to doubt
his views OF the Gospel will be burned
forever in unquenchable fire. And yet,
when not stirred by his peculiar hobby,
lac iss happy, genial, jolly sort of man,
aud 50 merciful to horses that be would
not let the vicious stage team pull him
up steep hill, because lac could not see
them suffer, even for season, IL he
could helpit. such man would do splen-
didly il he would obey the Scriptures
by tilling the soil aud eating the herb Of
the field, after earning it ia the sweat of
his face; but when he sets himself be-
fore the world as a vicegerent Of Jeho-
vah and repairer Of HIS bluuders, he
becomes laughiug-stock for every body
except thuse who are merciful enough
TO look upon his blaze of religious opiu-
ion as feeble demeutia and an incura-
ole disease.
Very different was our experience in
Elleushurg, where Brother Thomas,
the Presbyterian clergyman, and
Brother Hatfield, the Methodist pastor,
proved themselves the Christian gentle
men that they claim to be. They not
only came out to hear our lectures, but
in every other laudable way assisted US
in our mission Of peace on earth aud
good will to men aud women. But,
we're getting ahead Of our story.
For long way after leaving the
Matches River our road rau over the bills
and through narrow valleys, and at one
T.. N. we reached dinner station at tue
foot Of a range OF mountains through
which there is a natural pass. Here we
began to encounter forests OF ma
jestic pines again, and, as we wended
our way through the rock ribbed gap
that Nature had ages ago left for this
road in the primeval soliiudes, We con-
tinually and gradually climbed higher
by an easy grade, until we reached a
gap where the beautiful snow from the
recent storm still lay in patches upon
the prosIrate buuch-grass. Timber as
tall and stately as the mssts Of a mer-
chant ship, and in sufficient quantity to
satisfy the demands Of a mighty people.
grows here in lonely, graceful majesty.
The driver, an oracle TO whom we al
ways appeal for information during a
ride like this, informed US that a soli-
tary cabin near the highway was the
beginning Of an enterprise by three
brothers, who have pre-empted the tim
Der and design erecting "a saw-mHl here.
y few miles more OF delightful stag
ing, ami We reach the summit overlook
ing the valley Of the Kittitass. The
Happy Valley, native place Of Basselas,
could not have been more apparently
surrounded by impenetrable mountains
than this. Nor could it possibly have
been more beautiful. Far away, adown
the slope on which we were journeying,
opened a Zigzag caiiOn through which
the rnadWaY ran. md heVond this