Louisiana capitolian., 1880-09-04
LETTER FROM GEN. MORROW.

LETTER FROM GEN. MORROW.
From the Niles, Mich. Republican,
We are permitted to publish the fol.
lowing interesting letter written by
General Morrow to Judge Coolidge, this
city:
VANCOUVER BARRACKS W. r., I
June 10, 1880.
My Dear Judge Coolidge:-I have
seen in the Niles Mirror that the wind
spared not the old oak which so often
sheltered us from the SUMS rays in those
pleasant days when we played croquet.
The calamity which has befallen this old,
friend, for tree is a friend to both man
and beast, has revived in my memory a
great many pleasant recollections. 1t is
pleasant to me at times, to sit down in
my home among the fir trees and call
up old memories. But it is sad too,
Judge, for in this world of change not
hing remains stationary, and in con.
templatiAg the past, one is in the posi-.
tiOn of the astronomer who never sees a
star where it is but always where it
was longer or shorter time before.
And yet this happiness of old age is lar
gely made up of recollections of things
gone by. The old oak will shelter us
no more, but we can remember that it
once did so, and that feeling excites
gratitude in our hearts. wish could
look in upon you some afternoon, when
your party is at play. | have not seen a
croquet party siuce left tue Niles, and
when | shall see another there I do not
dare give guess. Fate has put me
almost on the shores of the sounding
Pacific, and how long will remain here
l do not know. Any place would be
lonely without my family, and so need
not say Vancouver is lonely, and yet it
is beautiful spot. The broad Colum.
bia, u miles wide, flows by in an arrowy
stream within few hundred yards OF
the post. This is my foreground, with
the addition ofa fine range Of high bluffs
beyond the river. At my back is forest
of magnificent fir trees, some of them
200 feet high In theeastern sky Mount
Hood rears his crown Of snow, monarch
of the Cascade range of Oregon. All
around me are noble mountains. They
encircle me like halo of glory. Far
away l see Mount Jefferson, always,
even in the heat of summer, white
shaftsupport1ng the clouds like column
Of light. Mount St. Helens, (she WAS
the mother Of Constantine, I believe),
shaped like sugar loaf by its beautiful
symmetry relieves the eye and is in the
northeast. Two hundred miles away,
almost due north, Mount Rainier (15,OOO
feet high) stands in solemn, austsre, ma.
jestic solitariness. Five great glaciers
fill the chasms in its sides. and from the
base of these glaciers five rivers have
their source. To the northeast of Ra-
MES, Mount Adams, nearly as high as
Hood, stands conspicuous landmark
for hundred miles around. So you
see, dear Judge, am surrounded by i'm
posing scenery, and as fine scenery has
a great charm for me, am always at n
feast of beauty and selemnity. If l did
not fear l would be wearyiug you, l
should be tempted to say something of
Puget Sound, but must restrain NV
PEN
The climate Of this country is pecu-
liar. 1t is never very cold in winter,
nor very warm in summer. There "" re
not over five days last winter when ice
formed across the Columbia, and now
in the middle of June, l am sleeping
under the same clothing l slept under
in January. But it rains incessantly for
about FIVE months, beginning with De-
cember. Mount Hood, GO or IS miles
distant, is often hid from view for weeks
at tine. But when the weather is
good, it is good indeed. 1t is a pleasure
merely to exist This wet climate does
not extend beyond the Cascade Noun
tains, which divide Oregon and Wash
ngton Territory into TWO regions en-
tirely unlike each other in climate, soil
and natural productions. West Of the
Cascades the climate is wet, there being
III annul rain fall eff 30 to rs inches and
productions Of certain kinds are impos-
'ib!e. A heavy fir forest overspreads
;he country, except where the settler