The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-08-25
LETTER FROM MR.. J. O. McGREW
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL
PARK AnNmsf 4 1QAl


iEtsno National Park and to Alaska, the
LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT sun:
ell, as you know, we left home on
4 Monday morning. July 30th; went rO|
Kansas City, where we took the Kan
sas City 81 Council Bluffs railroad 10
81, Paul; we left Kansas City at IL a.
mys Monday; had warm morning;
reached st. Joe at l 80, where we had
y hice dinner; back into our sleeping
\ car; off we go to the west. Now, 6:30I
Il n. m, we reach Council Bluffs, whel @
4 we supper. Our train being little
j 5Shind time, we had to hurry through
4 our suppers, hence did not enjoy it as
Il much as we did our dinners, nor is it
ag nice an eating station as st. Joe.
4 The thermometer having been at 100
4 degrees in our sleeping car all day, l
d fetharked to my good wife, '"Well, if
VI we are TO have much of this hot wealth
i ery1 prefer being at home," but, like
il the guardian angel she always is to me,
u ard ever ready to offer encouragement,
Il she says, "Well, wait another day and
IA itdvill be pleasant enough so, as our
i train speeds OH and we patiently, but
anxiously. look for the sun to go down,
Il We find the breeze getting cooler, and
Il now we arrive at Sioux City; out we
a go and take promenade and enjoy the
{ cool night breeze; off we go again;
81 ills now getting late and we turn in
u fer sleep; after good nights sleep
,oa we get up and find ourselves really 700
i eobl, it having rained during the night !;
l's we go forward to the dining car and
q! enjoy fine breakfast while running Q
n forty miles an hour; we arrive in Min
i lseapolis at a. M, and after enjoying
I n the falls of the Mississippi river, the
Dp huge Touring mills and the beautiful
IA city, off we go to St. Paul; arriving
there Tuesday, July 81, at $3.50 a. m.
we go to the Hotel Ryan, occupy s
n4 nice room, and after a nice bath, we
start for a walk and to bay our tickets
:. % Alaska and return; we soon bought
III them, which read, "out the Northern
81 Eecitic and through Yellow Stone
ItI Psrk 10 Portland, Tacoma and Seattle
IA thence 10 Alaska and return via tn,
IrlI canadian Pacific railway to St. Paul,
~ q distance of about 5000 miles we will
IS have travelled by the time we reacl
home again. AT st. Paul we fount
e the Ryan hotel an elegant one, beau
wi tifnr dining room, an elegant bill .
~ fare and served in fine style. Well
MI yon can imagine we enjoyed it. Afte
5taying all night, getting good rest
Wi We leave ST. Paul at a. H., Angus
ri sin through sleeper for Livingston
e Montana, and after ride of l,O0t
s1iles through Minnesota and Dakota
Hing the large wheat fields, uncut
Ne reach Bismarck, where we eros
|>< tlI5s Missouri river, and where TO
5flIz once we look down into the Obi,
s Muddy" and recognize one good friend
lssH With whose waters we sprinkle ou
= De&utiful lawn and lay the dry dus
s. Isfound our lovely home. We enjo'
ar| |Iooking at the dear old river and bridg
4 IIIram the rear end of our car; soon W,
Ii&fftse at Manden, where we stop TO
a ninntes; out we 60 for prone
,djjnH3e, and while out see d great blacl
4hsnr mot wild, however,) and pony
III e68h picketed close by the lunch station
~ }zfiu the pony ever now and then goin.
nj 4or the bear, who takes to his heel
III hpdiruns away from him; the conduC
Eni tDfi hallOes, CAN aboard' and Oh W
s<}s night comes on and we enjoy
9H hood nights sleep; the weather is COO
lid 5esa nice we soon come 10 and g
threugh the bad lands and to tn
~ Yellowstone river, and after ride q
fwo nights and one day we arrive a
al 1sivingstone on Friday, August 8, 9
80 a. H.. we get breakfast here,
'5s poor one) and at $3.50 we take H.
~ ilain on the branch of the Norther
ssI Pacific Railway to Ciunabar, a dstanc
se| bf 81 miles, where it is one continuou
2 PIP grade, with the
- SNOW CAPPED MOUNTAINS
NJ tn sight all the time, and after seein
.u5 many beautiful sights in going IL
~ through the canons and throug
t4EI tnonntains, where we leave tho trai
ID md get into stage we are off for III
IL X ellow stone Park with some six {
hsj bi4ht stages full of passengers; at
p'clock p. m., August B, we arrive
10 lAe Mammoth Hot Springs hotel an
ID kfler a nice dinner we take loo
NJ from off the broad piazza of our hote
III 4 we'll, we are surprised, and look wit
sd &sonder at the beautiful sights aroun
M rs. Away up Oh the mountain, mouI
Iw taihs all around us, we go up onto tt
heal The beautiful hot springs formation au
i0sl look and wonder and wonder and loo
Jsf Great basins of hot, boiling water,
aa hot you cannot more than put yoI
IL Il ti,iger into it before you have to jerk
u / but again, and it smells strong OF su
ai phnr. After going the rounds fl
81 kbout two hours, we return to Il
ID II iiptel, and say TO each other, SIS III
te.l ibis wonderful anu grand" lit
III ljfhinking that we have Just starte
10 IL 10 seeing wonders, and that what y
'w H lhve seen here is nothing compared
sa S}bat is in store for us. We get SUI
III POI and nine O'Clock comes, Git is It
bt liby your time at home) and still da,
% flifght, and while the band is p!ayiI
III IiSWeet music, we promenade out on Il
,a II pihzza, overcoais and cioaks on, I'M
ID We find ourselves getting tired, and v
IL fi 20 to our room and sleep soundly u!
III Ii tier two pair of blankets, two heaN
81 Ell eomfOrts aud the sheet SatuIda
n III skngust 4th, after a hearty Dreakta-
we are ready for our stages, wi'
VI / Afive up at about o'clock a. IN, eig
is i pf them, when everyone, about 80
II Il so people, are all anxious TO get i'll al
EI5b6 off, when, to our surprise, and
81 i avoid confusion, the superintenda
II calls out our names, and each one
\ assigned to his or her stage, and wi
.O seyen in ours beside the driver, we Z
aisRblus behind four horses, my wife n
M lmyscli Oh the front seat by the drive
III Elfhe front seat being held tor the be
III 4 4looking Onos) when the driver swim!
4 fjbis long whip and gives ii "A pop like
4 bistOl, and off we go for twenty mi
h III ufive to our dinners. We sOOu cOu
III 4 9t6up bills, up, up, and as we vii
HI t1ayouud the canOns, higher and hiGhc
III lave come to the Golden Gate"
III tbeautitul spot, where we 60 throus
N lfoGks on the side OF the mountain
p n Al 10. I,p