Morning journal and courier., 1890-02-12

the information that it would cost us $50,
but time was money, and We ran the forty
Eve miles to Pendlston in seventy minutes.
Our private car was the freight oabooss.
However, we saved the place from starva-
ton, as no trains had been through for .
week and meat, -four and potatoes were ex-
hausted and our train took back supply on
its return after leaving us.
At Pendleton We spent very pleasant eve
ming at the house of William Parsons. ESQ.,,
once editor of the Register in your city, and
and were delighted to meet again his charm
ing wife and her mother, Mrs. Minott A.
Osborn.
Next day we began to plan to get to La
drande. At Pendleton were four east-bound
Union Pacific trains, and they said one would
start at midnight, but would take only
through passengers who had been delayed
there a week, but after some persuasion the
conductor said we might sit up in the dining
car and at 8 q. m. the train went and We
reached La Grande at a. m. A few miles
the work train which was wrecked there
some days previous, killing the poor fireman,
lying on its side on the river bed.
At La Grande We called on ex-United
States Senator James II. Slater, one of the
best known men In Oregon,a man who served
in both the house of representatives and the
senate with stainless record as man OF strict
integrity and who could not be bought or
severed from his ideas of right and justice.
Our business concluded ct La Grande, 1t
then became . question how to return to
Pendleton. But at 8 O'Clock, p. M, the hrst
train to break the nine days snow blockade
pulled into La Grande, and We were forum.
ate enough to get into the sleeper.
The passengers had much to tell Us but all
spoke Of tho courtesy of the train officials,
and the mayor and city government of Baker
City during their enforced stay there.
We were asked to contradict the stories set
afloat by chronic kicker named Condor
who hired team and drove across the coun-
try q few days earlier and who nlled up tho
newspaper reporters with fairy tales. A one
instance, he stated that smallpox had broken
ont on the train, when tho fact was, that
some joker hung out the red danger Gag on
the train and then frightened him with the
smallpox story. There were many discom-
forts, without doubt, but the railroad ofioials
broke the blockade a. soon a. they could do
so and spared no expense. In some places
timber fell across the tracks In the drift,
which made the work of getting through
difficult.
Next day we left Pendleton via Hunts
and Pasco functions fox Tacoma, reaching
there the next morning on time. At the
Tacoma house We had an excellent breakfast
and found 1t most attractivsly situated, Its
wide piazza overlooking Puget sound. A
two hours drive gave us some idea Of this
goahead city, its elegant residences, business
activity and great lumber interests. Then
We took the train for Seattle and tho ride mp
| the shores of the sound was most interest
ing and while different, yet in many places
suggested to Ne Long Island sound and that
we again were right along side salt water.
The great FIRE at Seattle, all have read
about, but Its extent must be seen to be
realized. The burnt district IL being rapidly
rebuilt and with substantial brick and stone
pm. dinner at the leading hotel. The Rainier,
Puget sound, and In the evening took the
sleeper for Portland, Ore, reaching there
next morning in driving snow storm and
travellers. Here We met our old friend. r. r.
Hopkins, jr., formerly superintendent Of
Bradstreet's mercantile agency In New Haven
and holding a similar position in Portland.
We found that the trains by the Shasta route
to San Francisco were all blocked by snow
in the Siskiyou mountains and would be fer
some days, so We succeeded in getting state
room on the steamer State of California,
leaving that night and sailed for Frisco.
It was rough, stormy passage, and al
most all were seasiok, ourselves not excepted,
but on Sunday morning No woke to find blue
skies, smooth sea, and coming into San
Francisco through the Golden Gate we sailed
up the bay, the Sabbath bell sounding in ouI
ears, and soon were at the Palace hotel
where We will rest few days and then sec
If we can get east through the mountains,
though now all trains are snowbound and
San Francisco ia q little world to itself.
OBSERVER.