Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1888-10-04
Sirginia free gress.
W. ". b. GALLAHER, Editor.
October 4, 1855,
Notes of q Recent Jomrney 70 the Pacific.
BY COL. W. P. cRAIGHILL.

Congress having directed the detail of
Board of three engineers by the Secre-
tary Of War to examine a certain un-
navigable portion of the Columbia river
in Oregon and make report at the next
session of that body as to the best method
of its improvement, | was selected as a
member of the Board. This was the oc-
casion of my recent journey to that far
away locality, which commenced August
18th and ended September 8th.
The Board was completed by the addi-
ton of a member from Washington who
accompanied me; the third member COM
ing up by sea from San Francisco and
joining us at Portland, Oregon.
At one time we thought of going up
to Detroit and joining the Canadian Pa
cific railroad at Port Arthur on the north
western shore of Lake Superior, 1000
miles from Montreal. There we would
have met many pleasure-seekers who visit
that section for the fine fishing and shoot
ing. BY this route we would have passed
the st. Clair Canal near Detroit, the
whole length of Lake Huron, the Canal
at the Sault Sainte Marie at the eastern
end of Lake Superior, and then through
the whole length of the latter lake. The
canals just mentioned are of equal inter-
est in these days of threatened retaliation
as they are on our Canadian frontier and
the thoroughfares of al immense and
growing trade.
But so much travel by water would
have occupied more time than we could
spare, and we therefore decided to 90 first
to st. Paul, Mimi, thence up to Winni-
peg in the British Province of Manitoba
and there take the Canadian Pacific road
to the Pacific Ocean, and return by the
Northern Pacific railroad to st. Paul
again. This we did, stopping off three
days in the famous Yellowstone Park.
1t has been suggested that few notes
from my diary might be interesting to
some of our home-folks who have not
been over our route. What will follow
is the outcome of that suggestion.
August y, Sunday, was spent quietly
with my family in old Charlestown, the
place | love for more reasons than one,
better than any other in the world. And
| may say without boasting, that l have
seen a good deal of the world, having
been in every one of the States of our
own broad land in all of the Territories
but three, Arizona, New Mexico and the
Indian Territory; in nearly all the Bri-
tish American Provinces in Mexico,
Cuba and Central America besides a
number of the States of Europe. And
claim there is no more desirable place for
a home that l have yet seen than Jeffer-
son county in the valley of the Shenan-
doah river in West Virginia.
1t is country in which people can be
comfortable and happy all theyear round.
The people of the south, who can afford
it, come north in summer to avoid heat
and disease. The people of the north,
who can afford it; come south in the win
ter to avoid the cold and the diseases pc
culiar to the higher latitudes. We dwell
ers in Jefferson need 90 neither north nor
south in search of health or to avoid ex-
tremes of heat and cold. We have here
a fertile soil and beautiful scenery. We
have no very wealthy people among US,
and none need be very poor who are will
ing to work. These are some of thecon-
ditions which make our community one
of the most fortunate and happy, as be
lieve, on the face OF the earth.
On this Sunday before leaving my
home and loved ones for a long journey,
l greatly enjoyed an excellent sermon at
old Zion Church from Rev Isaac Gibson,
from the text, "The eternal God is thy
refuge" abiding place, according to the
New Version; "and underneath thee are
his everlasting arms" The sermon was
preceded by an unusually good reading
of the beautiful service Of the Episcopal
Church. How important thing is good
reading, especially to those hO have a