, 1889-08-22
TRIP TO THE WEST.
Hon. j. s. Moore's Impressions OF the
Great Northwest.

ITO the Editor OF the Now York Times.l
From ST. Paul to this place, q distance
of about 1887 miles, we 20 by the North
crn Pacific road. AS is well known, this
road begins at 1T. Paul and goes as fur
west us Portland, oregon, where it is
stopped by the Pacific ocean. But this
trunk line seems to be of less importance
than the numerous branches going north
and south. In short, 1t Is like huge
octopus, and has its arms stretched out
everywhere.
Coming from st, Paul TO Spokane
Falls We pass through parts Of Mime
sofa, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho
and Washington territory, now hearing
the exalted name of Washington "stutc. ="
The long stretch we passed in North Dl-
kota is mostly prairie, and will some of
these days be the home of millions of
agriculturists. When some more en-
lightcned, practical congressman in tue
house spreads himself in II speech adyo-
eating the preservation of existing for
ests and the planting of new ones he is
invariably looked upon as philan-
tlropic crank. My friend, eX-Congrcss-
man Haldcrnan of Pennsylvania more
than fifteen years ago urged the necessity
for such legislation by congress. | am
confidently told by people who have
known these prairics for years that the
planting of trees would be the greatest
possible blessing; and, opposed as [ am
to the expenditure OF the public money
for sectional benefits, yet cannot pos
sibly conceive the wrong in the eXpendi-
turc fpublic money for such pruCti-
cal and benevolent purpose. Millions
upon millions are squandered annually
on what are called ''rivcr and harbor ap-
propriations.h Why should the West
ern farmers, with their millions of
square miles of prairie lands, be deprived
of this benefit, or, rather, punished be-
cause prairieis not n river or harbor?
Now, any amount of protection Oh
worsted goods, or sugar or spool thread
will not make q bcttcrment on prairie
But the planting of trees iudicious ly
will do IL. Montana, that portion we
passed through, is n pretty fertile coun-
try, with now and then (simply as "a
change) n stretch of arid lands. We
only passed IA short distance through
Idaho, and then got into Washington,
which is bound to rank as the second
important state on the Pacific slope.
But who can describe the scenery that
one passes through from st. Paul as tar
as this place? For hundreds of miles
you pass through grander and
MOI more - int interesting +, r,!" scenery than lr
Blue Ridge, with lis snowcapped noun.
tains, the numerous cool and lovely
streams. the beauty of the Missouri
river at its head waters, the lovely
Farmer river, the indispensable Colum-
bia river, and the picturesque Spokane
river and its limited but magnificent
falls, and the unsurpassed lovliness of
the lake Pend 6ReiIle, In fact, there is
so much natural beauty aud grandeur
to be seen that one gets not only be-
wildercd but is fairly embarrassed by
the riches of nature.
Truly this great country is blessed by
nature, as well as by that greatest of all
gifts to mankind, liberty" J begin to
realize tho somewhat LOFTY feelings of
the Western man for his inland country,
aud while have the best of feelings and
wishes toward the "New South" with
its accidental huke of making the cheap
est zig iron and steel rails in Alabama,
and the consequent demand for u
lcetle' more protection, ] shall decid-
edly give myself and advise everyone
else To give the preference to the New
West, which only differs from the
"New South in that il is republican in
politics and iariH reform in political
economy, while the "Ncw South" pro-