Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-08-01

1t is said to be wonderful triumph
of mechanical engineering, and on
the return trip We hope to see it.
The same may be said of Bismarck,
the seat of Burleigh county, Dakota
Territory. 1t has population OF
about 4 900, and is l AL miles from
Portland.
The only other station of impor-
lance in this division is jamestown,
with a population of $500 and stu
ated 1 SIS miles from Portland. 1t
is the seat of Sutsman county and
place of considerable importance,
and has several elegant buildings.
AS we pass through Dakota the con.
dition of the country perceptibly i'm
proves. 1t is losing its mountainous
character and becoming more adapt
ed to agriculture. When we passed
into this Division, we again turned
watches ahead one hour.
Fargo, the last station in Dakota,
Is quite an important city. /: has
about II COO inha bitants. It is sit
ua,cd on the Red River and has
grown to its present importance in
the past ten years. She has street
cars, electric lights, Holly system of
water works, "all modern improve
men:s." Three large elevators, with
a capacity of half million bushels
are conspicuous.
As we pass into the Minnesota
Division the rapid change from run
ming and grazing into agricultural
pursuits becomes each hour more
apparent. Farm houses are TO be
seen on all sides, waving fields of
grain greet the eye far as the vision
can extend. The trees, though small
compared with our Puget Sound
growth, are better than scrub oak
and stunted pines and the under
growth is more dense. The stations,
though small, are frequent to accom-
modate the great shipment of cereals
from this important State, as we'll
as timber, which seems to be lead
ing industry. We observe, how
ever, that the product is piled up in
mathematical paralellogram, which
our western lumberman has no time
to do, it being sold as produced
and often times before it has left the
primeval forest.
Moorhead, . place of 1000 in
habitants and Brainsrd, 1000, are
the principle stations on this divis-
ion. At the latter place is a model
hotel-the Willard. 1t is large and
we'll kept. Tho fare is excellent,
and served by Q half dozen as pretty
Minnesota damsels as eye could rest
upon. The price for a meal, IS
cents, is cheerfully borne in consid-
Grafton of tho excellence OF the
fare and its manner of service. The
fare aboard the dining cars is good
enough, but their bill of fare ia not
as varied as it should be.
Tho St. Paul Division which be-
gins at Brainerd, is substantially q
repetition OF that which Immediately
precedes it, so far as its main charac-
ters are concerned. 1t embraces a
fine farming and numbering district,
with small stations, until We ar
rived at Minneapolis and st. Paul,
two cities of $4,000 inhabitants
each. As We ran into Minneapolis
at 8 P. NJ, nine hours behind time,
grand display of fireworks was be.
ing made, bv the G. A. R. who are
holding q big pow-wow here. All
the buildings are finely decorated,
as we find them at St. Paul, 10 miles
away, when we arrived, five days
from home, Wednesday evening,
July 23d.
A description of these twin cities
must he deferred as likewise O trip
tonight to Lake Minnetonka, where
the u. A. r. intend to have a moon.
light excursion, Sam" and the
writer intend to remain here long
enough to "take in" all the sights.
including the falls of Minnehaha be-
fore we proceed eastward.
An account will be given OF such
objects as we see, as we'll as some in
cidents of our trip SO far, omitted
for want of time to write as we'll as
space to print them. j. NJ. NJ.