The Republican journal., 1881-05-26
East to West.
PENCILINGS ON THE TRAIN.

PENCILINGS ON THE TRAIN.
EDITOR JOURNAL: | know your compostors
won't thank me for these penclDgs and fear
your readers won't care to read them, for writing
in rail car in motion is one of the most effecua
methods of making pothooks and hen tracks that
will beat those of the late H. G., and touring
West has been so frequently written up it has be-
come stale; but possess your soul with patience
will retain one repororial virtue. Ill be brief
We started-this, perhaps, is unnecessary to
say as most everybody starts at the beginning of
such occasions-and reached Danyille junction
Thursday noon with no occurrence worthy of note
except general dampness of atmosphere which
some of you may remember was not, as Old Prob.
would say, local by any means, for the past ten
days After waiting couple of hours amid the
magnificent drearlness of railway station. we
took the Grand Trunk line via. Montreal and Chi
eago, for Topeka, Kansas.
The route through upper western Maine through
the homes of the Oxford bears and skrting through
northern n. IL. and Vermont, was very pleasant
one showing some some beautiful and picturesque
scenery, which in a few weeks will be gorgeous in
the livery of newborn leaves and glowing sun
shine.
We, that is Cephas and /, reached Island Falls
at dark. This station is the nearest to the line
of Queen Ncs domnons and All hour was spent
for supper and allowing the government officials
to examine baggage, &c. After get fairly
over the line are in the hands of John Bull
and here We had our first railroadlng expert
ence. gruff conductor came through the car
| 4
and halt a dozen young fellows who had second
class tickets were ANONYMOUSLY ordered forward
into second class car, which one If them de
clared was but one remove better than a cattle
car, although only five passengers were left in our
car and there room for all and TO spare The
hurly official didn't ask 70 see our tickets which
my companion said was on account Of our good
looks, but mere likely because of our cheek
We curled ourselves up on the car seats and
wooed the got! Of sleep to the best Of ability.
| tut were aroused as the train run into Sherbrooke,
Canada at just midnight, by terrific hullabaoo
caused by serenadng party saying good bye to a
Kanuck and his bride who had just entered into
the bonds for better worse, ending their send
off with deatening cheers and the burning Of pow
der ard rockets
The early dawn of Friday found us at St. Hya
cnthe station, where the first sight that greeted
our visuals huge Catholic nunnerv building
another evidence of being out of the States The
next station was St IIaire, and all along here in
the valley of the St. Lawrence are fine farming
lands. The ground is very wet, though consider
| able planting and sowing had been done, but veg
citation was no farther advanced than in Maine
Six o'clock brought us near the city of Montreal
which enter through the long, dark tubular
| Victoria railroad bridge, which requires some ten
minutes for the passage Of the train After break
fast at the Albion Il otel We drive over the city
and take III some OF its more prominent and III
trrestng objects-the church Of Notre Dame
| Windsor Hotel Government buildings docks and
ocean steamers, the market, &c. and at - are
again en- route for Chicago III the Pullman COB
| SUI.
! AS move westerly the condition OF nature
changes and the fields are greener the trees are
! full leayed and warm winds and sunshine show
| that spring is here i'll reality. Saturday morning
clear and beautiful, finds us at Post Sarnia where
we cross the river, into Uncle Sans domain, Oh
one OF the huge erryboats. Then away to De
! trolt, which we reach little past 10 \ NJ and
from which this letter is mailed. From here we
| go by the Wabash r. K through st Louis to
morrow to Topeka, Kansas, which expect to
reach Monday in time to prepare for the annual
session of the X, W G, Lodge OF Good TempIars
of the world, which commences there TUESDAY
2ith and continues during the week
! The weather is fine and warm and the country
along this portion of the route is at its best the
trees being in full leaf and the apple orchards in
! blossom. Mainete is sensibly impressed with
| the Importance OF the farming interests of oul
country BY the large fields under cultivation and
the evidences all along the route | notice all
cultivated fields sown to grain OF seeded are
| thrown up and left In ridges some ten feet in
width This i universally the cas- whether the
ground is wet or dry, leve! OF hilly and causes 4
slmllarltytln fields which is particularly notlcea
bic. Grain IS generally up and grass is looking
| finely. But promised to be brief, so no more
| Truly, GEo +. b.