The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-12-20

latives and schoolmatts, who had lost
ncne of their ancient hospitality, We
passed u delightful sumner OF course
we attended the great Democratic Con-
| vention at Chicago and took lively
interest in the October election in Ohio.
We attended the great mass peeting
at Music Hall who was addressed by
Vice President Hendricks, Bayard,
Pendleton and Gen. Rosecrans, heard
Carl Shurtz, saw the magnetic j. G.
Blaine and witnessed the bull dosing
by negro deputy U. S. marshas for
which Lot Wight has lately been i'm
peached in the House of Representa-
tis,s. We also attended the Exposi-
tion and the Kentucky races.
On the 10Th of October we left for
st. Louis oy The Ohio and Mississippi
road and nude the entils distance In
ten hours. There had been an excess
i've drought in southern Indiana and
Illinois during the summer and along
the entire route the streams were dry,
the ground parched and the crops al
most an entire failure. Fronl St. Louis
we took the Missouri Pacific to Kan
sas City. Western Missouri contains
the finest body of agricultural land we
saw IL all our travels. IG is sufficiently
undula'ing for beauty and health and
its rich sol. seems lnexhaustable. Many
of the early settlers of Oregon came
from this section Of the country, bnt
why they left such favored land has
been wonder to us ever since we saw
it. A stop Of ten hours enabled us to
prospect Kansas City. 1t is situated
upon IL bluff above the railroad depot
and consists Of thousand hills, more
or less, with streets running in every
direction but is business place and Is
rapidly increasing in population.
From Kansas City we took he Atch-
ison Topeka and Samte Fe route 10
Dening OH the southern Pucifc. The
road through the fertile prairles Of
Kan sas is extremely monotonous.
There is not tre9 nor an elevation
larger than a gopher hill on the whole
route SO that it is not surprising that
the first visw of the blue SUBMITS Of
the Rocky mountains caused thrill of
pleasere that only person who has
lived for years among natures prime
val monuments can fully appreciate.
Upon approaching the mountains the
road deficits to the left along their
base through SantsFe and Albuquerque
in fact follows what is called the
old Sante Fe trafl from St Louis to
San Diego on the Pacific. ruhs We
passed over su bstantially the same route
taken by Gen. JOS. Lane and his small
escort III the winter Of lS48 when
comeing AZ the first governor to organize
the territory of Oregon. The road from
western Kansas passes thronah the cattle
country where the Cowboy rules supreme
IN,
town till the wlisiley Is all gone the stat
ut.s III such cases made and provided to the
contrary notwithstanding These are however
an Improvement on the Nayaioes and Apach
es and viii soon be brough4 into proper
respect for the 4sw. We arriyed in Dem
NJ on the Southern Pacific in drizz,iug
rain which accompanied us all day. We
dined at Tucson and arrived at Marciopa Ia
/. M. Here We were met by Charles L.
Mosher ~ho mad come with a carriage TO
meet US. Ine next morning as we started
Tor Phoenix the sun kissed land, as Arizona
is called by its residents was shrouded in a
regular Oregon mlst which however soon
disappeared and tho sun thereafter main
talned Its supremacy. The Salt r yer val
ley OF which Phoenix is the center is a won
der. 1t was only seven years, as we i'm
formed, since the frs strrigatiny ditch was
constructed from Salt River now the are.
covered by the different bitches is paradise
n appear"nce surrounded by groves of CO..
ton wood and brnIantlN green With grow
lns crops OF alfalfa. pAoeuIx Which at that
time was mere cluster Of adobe huts is now
a handsome thriving town which registered
more than TIVE We hundred voters Mt the
last election new Canal nearly comple-
ted will bring under Gu rivation about one
hundred thousai d additional acres AL ef
winch are destined to make this valley tAe
agricultural portion OF the state aud In
few years Its Capitol. There are many ot,
jects OF Interest lii this section of when ~.
would ike TO writ, les ancient irrIgatIng
canal and ruins, It's mines and its resour .ss
but we have already occupied too much
space and must hasten oa. After u pleasant
visit OF ten days We returned to MAr,copa a
distance OF thirty miles anil asaln TOOK the
train. We passed through Yuma, the des-
ert, Bernardlno, Los Angeles aud Uh4 dres-
ry route through Antelope and San JOAQUIN
Valley to San FRANCISCO where we arrived |
on election day.
pleasant visit with old acquxntances