The semi-weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1890-1891, 1890-08-16
Rev. j. Reid Writes Interestingly of
His Journey Toward the
Island.
CROSSES THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS.
And Arrives in the Growing City of
Tacoma, Where he Meets
a Friend.
Notes on the Way-The BrOadwater
Natatorium and MissOula-
Fields of Golden Grain.


Especial correspondence of the TRtBuNE.l
Str. City of Kingston, Aug. 8, 1890.
DEAR TR1BuNE:-As you solicited q
few scratches on my journey to the far
west, l will fulfil my promise by a brief
word or two upon "things IN general"
First, l realize powerfully that I am not
in the bright, clear-albeit rather warm
climate OF Montana, for a thick fog en-
velops the Alaskan boat City of Kingston,
erstwhile on the Hudson river, and as
she steams away the kissing of her pro-
peller and the toot Of her fog whistle are
the only present evidences of our actual
progress. save the wavelets from her
bow, which are soon lost in the foggy
Whiteness beyond. Landmarks we have
none, but speed on, in faith that the good
captain will land us in the desired ha.
ven. much regret that the fog should
enshroud from sight, eyes that long
again to behold majestic "Baker" al, 500
and glorious Tacoma (14,000) whose
sno clad submits g%listen in the sun
light and CLEAN afar as the white ROBBED
sentinels of God-the one (Baker) at the
mouth, the other (Tacomal at the head of
the magnificent waters of Puget sound.
cannot tell you how refreshing the
smell of the grand old ocean is to me.
The ocean is, to my mind, one of the IN.
expressibles of this world--i;s immensely,
its ever changing beauty, its grandeur,
its awfulness! I feel overpowered with
its contemplation. ! am drinking in
life, health, and, just now, peace-al-
though We might have a Montana zephyr
before we get to Victoria.
have only a short time more to write,
as we are nearing Seattle and l want to
mail you this my first epistle, so that all
our friends may know that although we
are going over the line, it's 30. K"
A word or two about the trip out here,
From Great Falls to Helena on Tuesday
last was the same old story, but it is one
of natures serial stories, It's ever new,
The beautiful river, the aw%e-inspiring
canyon and purling brooks, with grassy
slopes and wooded borders, all tend t.
make that ride a continual joy-never
tedious, never monotonous. On. arrival
we went to the Broadwater Natatorium
and enjoyed a family plunge in that
eighth wonder Of the world, after which
we had a good time in seeing friends and
arranging for our further journey.
Wednesday we sped away towards the
Pacific coast and old Sol seemed to know
that we were going somewhere to cool off
and put it in extra strong most all the
way, until we got to Lake Pend d'Orellle
where 1t was delightfully."- cool, but he
renewed his target practice on us the
next day until the Cascade Mountains
brought pleasing relief and the soft,
sweet breath of the Pacific famed our
heated brows and kissed our cheeks with
loving welcome.
Missoula has quite a future and will
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS her big sister Great
F%alls-grow to be one of the vigorous
manufacturing cities of our state. Spok-
ane has already won the race and in q
few short years almost overgro Sn itself,
But it is possible that a ozark horse" NAV
win the race in q few years more and as
her talismanic lame implies, be great
indeed. Ellensburg next "caught our
eye' as being a prosperous and thrifty
city. Its location is beautiful, its scenery
charming and its outlook hopeful. Rich
harvests of golden grain are being gath
ereG in and | am bound to confess that
he Yakima valley is the choicest a%gricul-
tnral land which l have seen this year.
Numbers of towns and cities of smaller
note ! must pass by and hasten on to =
make a few remarks about the Cascade
mountains. the tunnel, the descent adowu
he dizzy steep and close with a remark
bout Tacoma,
The Cascade mountain range divides
'astern and western Washington and t
weeps round in a southerly direction, '
the coast range between Puget Il
found and San Francisco. The sum- >
nits are lofty, the sides precipitous, and t
Using from almost sea level to the alti- t
ude of 5000 to $4,000 feet impress the t
nind with greater power than do our :"
wn Nelhart range. The railroad fol- e
.ws the lakima's bed up near its Z
ource and then dives through a c.
lg tunnel which took us eight
llnutes passage, lighted with electr icity,
nd when We shot out of the tunnel into p
light a wondrous panorama greets d
ur view. h Cascades stood around us o
all their sublimity and some of the "
Ugh peaks were actually below us. Then Il
1mmences a literal drive down the p
sides. Our train glides like RI
huge boa-constrictor, now skirting the Fl
|ufs, or rather peaks, again shooting ei
own to some lower vale, when the well Il
nown "pheez" of the air brakes-what al
ere life without brakes-again running vi
a fox into his hole, the engine
loots into a snow-shed, and is lost to of
for a while. Still again downward ce
9 speed, against d huge rock-destruc.
On seems before us; but no, the track e.
around it and we just gracefully D. D.
ide around it, too. Now over a creak. d
G trestle and again an iron bridge:
estles and bridges alike seem to span Be
Vful depths, and danger and death seem
rking there. The sum of the whole
after is that this, the Northern Pacific
ilway's Cascade descent, is one of the
andest triumphs of engineering skill.
wonder unto many" and, using that
ara which our girls misuse so much,
grand!"
Tacoma was reached at 1920 D. m,
night, and finding the Massa- ,
it hotel close to the depot, | took a l
Ort cut from the Train to ltad -. n