The Frankfort roundabout. [volume] (Frankfort, Ky.) 1882-1908, 1890-09-27
impressions Of WASH
ingtOn.
Iy's ride on the
)rning ] stamped

of Idah., if
that was a n !
had enough ould
see nothing in> Z but
"a great, barren lowered
with sage brush ON, In another
portion of the State / was told the
prevailing winds shifted the sands in
q way as to render the lands practi-
cally worthless for agricultural pur-
poses. But did not know at the time
we were about 300 miles from Cape
Flattery, it's extreme northwest
corner, and something like 200 miles
from it's southern boundary The
speedy train, however, was not long
spanning this desolate looking re-
gion, and almost before we were
aware of it was spinning and fitting
along the bases of velvet tufted foot
hills and table lands, over beautiful
streams and along wide, far stretch
ing lakes, whose clear ripping waves
made them glisten and CLEAN in the
bright morning sun with silvery
beauty.
AS the sun neared the horizon soon
the shadows of the foot hills and
peaks of the Cascades fitted across
our path, and the close of the day
brought with it quite different i'm
Aression from that of the early dawn.
rom the eastern boundary to the
lores of Puget Sound the transition
rom bad to good is complete, and
he contrast as day to night. Every
league brings with it a marked
change in contour of land and quality
of soil. Some of the finest grazing
lands in the country are embraced
within the confines of the table lands
and foot hills Of the mountains. Vast
areas of lands, inaccessible for tillage
purposes, are perpetual feeding
grounds for the herder, and the
bunch grasses are exceedingly nutri-
tious.
Like all other countries, Washing
ton has it's good and bad phases of
land and climate, but far less Of the
latter than any place in existence
the winters lasting usually over a Pc
riod of about four or five weeks.
Many thousand acres of land, after
being denuded of timber, are utterly
worthless, except for fruits, grazing
and minerals, while the great bulk Of
plains and valleys are especially fine
for all agricultural purposes. No
sensible man going to a new country
would think Of buying land without
full knowledge of it's character.
Without the huge system of noun
tains, which are the source of all the
flush, rapid streams and rivers, the
great bulk of the country would be
practically barren waste; but here is
one of the grandest provisions of ma
ture in the whole world, and nowhere
: else do I believe the handiwork of the
Creator is so visibly shown as in these
gigantic, silent, dumb sentinels of
eternity, monumental to the stupen-
dous upheaval force which gave them
perpetuity.
Where these mountains become too
rugged for agriculture and grazing
there still remains utility of purpose
to further the interests of the pOpu-
we'll as being the source Ofexhaustless
water supply for irrigating purposes.
On the east side of the Cascades
last year there were as many as $50
days of sunshine, and was credibly
informed this was in keeping with
the general run Of weather from one
year to another. Under these condi-
tions the idea struck me that there
would be endless dust and every
thing parched up. But this is not SO,
for there is some wonderful atmos-
pheric influence that abates them and
renders the place very pleasant. All
persons opposed to mud roads ought
to hail this section with Joy.
Nothing but SHOWS fall there. Eigh-
teen inches Of snow has been known
to cover the ground, and on the high
grounds three days after the farmers
were ploughing their fields for wheat.
Where tons of good soil here in Ken
lucky are washed away by ordinary
rains, there, no matter how billy or
undulating, not thimbleful is ever
moved. Any stranger would natur-
ally ask, as did, how could eighteen
inches depth Of snow melt inside of
two days without flooding the streams
and washing soil, fences and every
thing in it's path away? But it does
it without these effects, nevertheless,
and disappears, magic like, by evapo-
ration and all by the power of that
wonderful chinook wind.
The soil is very porous, absorbs
water like sponge, and Is exceed
ingly retentive Of moisture. The east
being high and dry they would not
feel 200 below zero as much as we
would our damp, penetrating, biting
cold at zero. Indeed, the redeeming
qualities of the country are so mani
fold that nothing short Of residence
there could thoroughly convince any.
one of it's realities. Ifunvarying reg
ularity Of seasons, delightful beyond
description, combined with good
qualities of soil, bringing about a
condition promotive of the complete
contentment of mankind, does not
satisfy ones curiosity as to what a
country and it's possibilities are, then