The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1890-01-25
First Through Train for Eight Days
Pulls into The DalIes This Morning.
Incidents OF the Blockade, Which 60
to M AXE up a First Introduction
to Life In the Far West.
From Tuesdays Daily.

This morning about s o'clock the first
through passenger tram from the east tol
eight days arrived in the city, and was 8
welcome sight to our people, knowing that
again the iron rail gave us communication
with our far eastern neighbors. To our old
residents it was simply page of our past
| history rewritten, when closed river and
snow.blocked roads stopped communication
with the outside world for several weeks.
the carriages appeared as though they had
passed through snowdrifts to the roofs.
The CONCEALED element had its mark on
windows and doors, and the steps were
covered to the depth of about three inches.
The passengers were joyful beyond de-
scription, after being released from nine
days blockade at Baker City. The major
ity had been two and three weeks in making
the trip from their eastern homes, and dur
ing that time had been couped up in the
narrow limits Of passenger coaches. At
Baker City the company furnished them
two meals day, but no beds. This they
did not complain of, and although suffering
this long delay, to a TIMEs-MoUNTAINEER
reporter they made no complaints. His
attention was called to an item in the Baker
City Democrat, calling them 'cranks, and
wishing they would leave and ''growl''
somewhere else. They were honest and in
dustrIous citizens, and left their old homes
to better their conditions in the far west.
To be considered tramps or idlers was an
insult to them. Give them an oportunity
in our forests or on our prairies, and in a
little while they would make Oregon as
productive as Iowa or Illinois.
There were three hundred immigrants
blockaded at Baker City, and after they had
been there two or three days sickness and
death came among them. A young man
named McLane, who came from town In
Missouri, and was IN the last stage of con-
sumption, wanted to reach the home of his
parents near Spokane Falls, died. His
remains were buried there. kilograms were
sent to his father, but it was impossible to tell
when the train could get through, and so
it was thought advisable to bury him
at that place. Two others died, whose
names we could not learn-o we are in
formed, mail agent, from pneumonia. The
passengers seemed willing to give all possl- |
ble information, but could not give the
names of these two who met the pale horse
with his rider in the mountains of Oregon. |
The sick list comprised so, and they were
troubled with colds and the la grippe. DR.. |
Snow, the company's physician, did every
thing to relieve their suffering, and every |
one speaks of him in the highest terms of |
If he IS ever in need of |
friends he can always rely upon the passen-
gers of this ill-fated train.
Just as the reporter was leaving the car,
a young man came forward and lodged com.
plants against the dining car conductor.
He said the conductor invited him to take a |
meal, and then ordered him out in brusque |
and abrupt manner. At another time he |
used ungentlenanly language to him, and
the passenger desired the world. to know
how he was treated
The destination Of the immigrants were |
to different points In the northwest, some
to Portland, Seattle, Tacoma, Newcastle |
and other towns. They were extremely
anxious to reach stopping place. and were
hopeful that in few days their trials and
hardships would be oyer.