Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-10-23
..s3z z ss:. s..a:ss s::s.;s'' g: CaIsaIiD In 1881.
..srrsx WASHINGTON.


s.srKRS WASHINGTON.
....,.steas on q Trip Thressh the
ees.sry Esst Of 'he Cssosdes-
,.u-rxx FOE TIE POST sr-NTrLLIoEScrz.
s.soo,beys and others who have
"a, fingered over Bryant's matcA-
= soen Of ThAnatopsis will recall the
"Taks the wings
N morning. traverse Barca's desert
80 sbyseif IN the eontinnoas woods
Vsere rolls the Oreson, and hears no
s,. b,s own dashines-yes shs dead are
-. mslIisns IN those solitudes, sinoe
m. aga of years began, have laid
tssss dosn
4, ,bsir las, slsep-ths dead reign there
alsns,"
N, srs impressions from this POEM
..,, me a. 9 boy the idss Of the vsst
80. ,ossmnisy and dsashliks stiffness
:, ,hs coaa.ry through which the Co
'.nb,s river flowed; aud as / started
,..sasl, on . most enjoyable trip along
~. vsIlss. lhs early impression was
...;,.d sad sitervsrd dissipated upon
a...,s tsas progress hsd marchsd with
- ssss o.mplsts and nodsrn improve
.-.nss Of this age, invading the solitude
,sroaahous nearly the entire iength OF
.he oounsry where those waters, gather
,as Volume a. thsy 90, are nnaiiy lost In
s,sse lss0 the year Of the beginning
=, IA, NAV be called the Willard de-
..loameut of this northwest country.
80 hss bean written of the Columbia
go sod its tributary territory; bat
.s~grsse a veil ~ nature in her visible
so.ra speaks q various language. and
a. vri,sr may be psrdonsd for an at
.sspus Al cleaning in . aeld that has
- plosed and harvested BY others,
Thses NAV be in this small inssallmeat
a sftsrmash an observation or two
,haf nav prove Of interest TO some OF
,oos resdess.
PeriodioalIy the managing officers OF
~ Oregon Railway d Navigation Go.
usks 90 inspection tour OF their road,
q sramins fts condition and workings,
3 discuss st the different points the
soamsroial, business and corporation
ssosssisies, and thus keep Thoroughly
fsmilisr With all matters that tend TO
ia vellbeina Of the railroad and the
ssufors and convenisuoe Of its patrons
Upou such O trip the writer had the
unyilses Of accompanying Manager q,
4. Prescott, Csmpsrsller Q. j. smith,
sspssintsndent II. J. Rove and Corpo
ntioa eodnsel q. N. Dolph, shan whou
more sfiiciest officers or more genial
fsllov travellers it would be difficult 70
and. Nov, gentle reader, have you evsi
devoted . moments thooaht TO the sta
psndsus total Of brain work that has
bssu given 70 the business Of fstlsosdins
and that has made Il what " h today
he greatest achievement Of this cen
turyf AZ yvu have retired 10 your Pail
nan berth. thoughtlsss OF danger. have
yoo esnsidsted the mental effort that
iron time 10 time has been pat into
issestions Of construction, so that in the
hayoh toward relative perfection you
have q an outgrowth Of Thought and
experience the roadbcd, veil bailasted
win its culverts, tanneis, bridges, tres
Ties. steel rails and motive power and
rolling stock, all according to the most
Approved regulations as 10 methods el
construction and quality Of material
1hsa the operating with its various pas
seneef, freight and mixed trains, adapt
s6w 70 times and nombers 10 the want
Of the road. and managed under rule.
devised to expedite business and aveid
fists TO life and property.
Y Years Of study and tho ablcst mind
Il this generation have given q business
md Q systss which. in the rapidity o.
asvsiopmeiit, has no parallel in the his
tory Of the world, aud you tnoughtless
matter -of-faot traveller are enabled u
pass from one section OF your vas
spnntry 10 another with q rapsdlty. ess'
and comfort andreamed OF by you
pFeecnitors.
Pulling out from East Portland viii
two special coaohee favorable for obssr
vssion, the south bank Of the Columoia
river ls soon reached, then the looali!
eslsbFatea Muitnomah Falls, with theil
SO feet Of falling water, are passed.
The banks Of the river, generaliy pre-
spitoas, are rock ribbed and ancien
q the snn." The stesp walls OF basalti'
rock start In the deep water OF the rive
and for long distances rise al Q sharl
angle In many places to several hundret
isst In hiehs, % that the road gas com
psiisa 10 follow the indentations OF th'
rocky shore. where q foothola Was oo
tsinable; and where this could not b
bad. the drill and dynamite we're frsely
Used 70 blast out shelf on which 10 la'
The ties and fails Ghe enormous char
ac1nf Of this work may Be conccives
vAn one is shown whore tie men YER
saapsaded from above by ropes 10 drii
heisa In the facs Of the prscipics Ter .
hlaes that required i6 tons Of powde
~ tArsv 10000 cubic yards Of solid
faeA into the river. 10 has terrifying
seesA - you look up At the dIzxy high
= NE perpendicular wall.
Psecsedina onward. one gets view
hat ere grand. beautiful and piotur
ssqss. This portion Of the SCENERY Il
md 70 rival that Of the Hudson ans
Vie kktne. The truth b that there y
mach cf bsaniy 70 b seen. bot the looa
pstds II OregoniAns, which In eminsnti,
propef, eAeula NOT overrate this. III,
slaiuzed superiority IL strongly qars
sionsd bs travellers Who we'll know th'
cher localities. and Who from exAeger
Ned eA,snsnss come expecting mor'
snd ese>ef scenery than actually exists
psAppeintmsnt follows, and many el
thsn 10 tnfn belittle the magnincencs
q Ne Columbia river scenery.
u mas Be- said. However. that the en-
hyment Of The trip is lessened by th'
noaitnfiea Of ths ears for the pleasan
- som0odious steamers that formeFi!
neztea ths through travel. Car Gin
eeuUan1 The change Of direction narros
ue eppoFtunities for viewing the seen
ssy. While the boat gave yeu freedom o
nossneut greater breadth Of vieu. an'
n9s uns 20 dwell upon the poiuts o
spseial beauty.
Al shs Cascades Que sses an excavation
aooHalds NE road which was tutsnde,
nsnAhle boats 10 get sroand the rock.
rAah ami navigate the river as far q
Lne DAllea, ~ miles by rail from Port
nnd Asshe time Of lie inception. oacl
soasvhere In this Christian era, th
pfo1ssssrs may not have anticipated th'
soeeefnctson Of the now existing rail
4 aad tesy may then have beeu jus
va y kn endeavor 10 lensthen th
ssu2Ahls part Of that stream. Bu
sasa tee rsilrsad became an accom-
pnsned fact. the further expenditure o
.oeey spcn those locks 10 Q useless. no
ny criminal. waste. The work look