The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-09-03
IN THE FAR WEST.
ovER THE ROCKIES
On Construction Trains and locomotives fhs
Change that Is Taking Place In the Best Poor
Mans Country = High HAgss and High
Liring-A Chapter on Wealth GettIDg.

llVlnk-A .
Correspondence orhs IaioatgeRe.r.
PORTLAND, OREGON, August 90.-My
last letter was from Livingston, Montana,
SSl miles east OF this. Since then we have
passed through the Rocky Mountains,
crossed Northern Idaho, traversed the
South Eastern corner of Washington Ter.
ritory, and Travelled along the Northern
boundary OF Oregon some 200 miles. Ac.
cording TO the maps, we are 1911 miles
from st. Paul, 2,3ll miles from Chicago,
and ., 2,7S2 from Wheeling,
Itis one thing to travel over completed
railroad and quite another over one that is
not completed, especially one whose noun
tain division has missing link. The
Northern Pacific will be completed in a
few days, which is a circumstance for the
whole country to rejoice over, especially
those who are.to travel this way shortly;
but to those OF us who have just roughed
it through the. mountains for a hundred
miles or more on construction trains, loco.
motives and private conveyances, it is
lacking in few grains OF comfort and
compensation.
The Rocky mountains have base Of
some $50 miles from east to west. The
main divide is nineteen miles west OF Hell
ena, Montana, at what is known as Null
lens Pass. We got on construction train
at Helena, and made the passage through
the divide sitting in front Of the headlight
OF locomotive, coming up on the final
grade 2G0 feet 10 the mile. The great loco.
motive had three cars of ties for the west
ern slope hitched to her, and she ground
her wheels and pulled and blowed as il she
had all she could do to get over the divide
with that load. We passed the "Conti-
mental water she'd" as it is called-(the
great shed on the eastern side of which the
riyulets and rivers flow to the Atlantic and
on the western side to the Pacitic), at an
elevation of $3.50 feet above sea level.
1t was charming day; the atmosphere
was cool and clear, and we thoroughly en-
loved the mountain views. The contrast
between the eastern and western slopes
was very marked. itcould hardly be more
so. Coming up, the mountains were mas.
sive, rugged and sombre. while on the Pa.
cifc side they had tho slope OF beautiful
lawns or orchards, closely cropped as II by
lawn mower, and looking little sere,
but nevertheless very beautiful, peaceful,
cultivated and attractive.
DINNER UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
We got our first back set at the foot OF
the Western Slope. Theconductor told ns
that he did not go any further, and that
we would have to wait for alocomotive
ftom the next division. Meanwhile he
emptied our bagg" ge out at the foot OF the
Slope and showed US where we could get
dinner in boarding car on side track.
We footed 1t over to the switch and ar
ranged for dinner, and meanwhile hunted
a shady place in the shadows CT the cars,
wherever we could lind 1t, to protect our
selves from the noon day sun, which came
down straight and hot, as it generally does
in these high latitudes from II in the fore
noon until 4 in the afternoon.
Finally we were called to dinner, and
climbing up the side OF the box car found
benches on either side OF pine table on
which were our tin plates by the side OF the
dishes containing our beans, bread and
meat, which we ate with iron spoons,
knives and forks, and made hearty meal.
An hour after dinner we got on caboose
going west eleven miles, TO "Keene'sranch,"
the dinner station for the stages between
Helena and Deer Lodge, and made that
point in time to get through to Deer Lodge
that night in private conveyance. We
stopped and talked an hour with old man
Keene, who is ore OF the early settlers and
drank out OF his famous well
some water that for purity and icy
coldness was never equalled in
any OF our experiences It was just beyond
Keene's that the stage passengers had been
robbed a short time ago and the old man
entertained US with an account of the pur-
suit and capture of the three COW boys who
were the highwaymen. Keene says that
Western Montana used to be the best poor
mans country in the world, but now that
the railroad has come through and brought
80 many people in lis wake be does not feel
SO sure OF its advantages in the !ntnre. |
spent s., 500 in cash last year, and travelled
three months with my family in u wagon
trying 10 beat this county," said be, "but
it was no 20; | had to come back and, &C.
knowledge the corn that it was tue best
country had ever struck" =
"Well," said /, "Mr. keene, II this is
such a good Couatry why is i that every
thing is 80 dear in the way Of living You
live in cattle and sheep country, aad yet
beef and mutton are much de4rer than
with us, and you boast OF your wheat
raising capacity, and yet -four is one.hall
dearer than in the Ohio Valley. How Is it !?
You speak Of 100 and 200 bushels Of pota-
toes to the acre on your irrigated lands,
and OF sixty and seventy bushels OF oats,
and yet bear OF three csnts per pound
for potatoes and from seven tn ten cents
for oats. why are things thus?
WHY LIVING IS DEAR.
The old mans hair is short and stands
up-his nose is a little peeked and he
wears spectacles and loOg tailed linen
coat. He looked at me over his glasses and
ran his fingers through his hair aud went
on to explain that the rAnchers were "too
cussed worthless" to raise these articles in
sufficient quantities. You seP," said he,
"thess fellows came out here to prospect
aud mine in the first place, and then they
Eot into cattle, and they don't want to do
sny farming that means work. There is no
necessity for such high prices, aud when
some small farmers get in here,
and get water on q fair amount
ri the land that is capable Of
irrigation we will have big surplus OF all
these things. and they will be good deal
cheaper. "Ru.," said he "you must know
that what uakcs every thing so dear in this
ronntrY is the high price Of labor. A