Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1891-09-17
To the Pacific Coast and Back Again.
[BY THE EDIToR.]
cent,haed from last week.

He Journey lrOIn I1eleN0 Westward
was resumed on the afternoon Of the
following day. BY that time Mr.
Walker had made up his mind to pro-
coed as far as to Portland. Magnif-
icent mountain scenery now meets
the eye as the great train moves
swiftly along. Approached from
the east the Rocky Mountains
seem to Justly deserve their name for
rocks, cliffs and crags are scattered
!avishly about, often in the most fam
tastic grouping. Numerous excava-
tions in the mountain sides remind
us that we are in a great mining re-
gion, for these openings have evi-
IDENTIFY been made by prospectors
looking for the precious metals. BY
a small stream we saw some placer
mining carried on in primitive style.
About 81 miles from Helena the
main divide of the Rockies is crossed.
The road glides along ravines and
winds around mountain sides, and
then dives into another tunnel
three+quarters OF mile in ZENITH emerg-
ing on the other side OF the great
water shed upon utifulpastoral
scene with fields and meadows. The
western slope Of the Rockies differs
from the eastern in being less abrupt
Though we We're high up on the side
OF the mountain the appearance was
that OF a moderately hilly country
with large stretches of level land A
person is very apt to get an errone-
GUS impression Of mountains from
the representations found of them III
the text books. l had thought OF
mountains as being SO sharp pointed
that if a stone was rolled from the
top OF one it would keep on rolling
untilit reached the foot. LAUNDERING:
is an important industry on both the
eastern and western slope of the
Rockies, and there is scarcely q town
without it has one or more saw mills
which are busily engaged in robbina
the mountains of their beautiful garb
of pines. The wholesale destruction
OF these mountain forests ought not
to be allowed, and the time will sure
ly come when we, as nation, viii
wish to have these trees replaced.
Garrison is small town named after
the great anti-slavery leader, William
Lloyd Garrison. Near a small sta
ton called Gold Greek, the eastern
and western ends OF the Northen Pa
citic were joined in 1888, and the last
spike driven by Henry Willard with
impressive ceremonies in the pres
ence OF General U. S. Grantand a large
number OF distinguished men.
We arrive in the evening at Mis-
soula which is a city OF about 5000
inhabitants, beautifully situated at
the foot OF the Rockies. A numb,l
of Indians were at the station selling
ornamental buffalo horns to tourists.
We now had to go up steep grade
and two engines were attached to
our long train. When about six
miles from the city the first engine
pulled out the head OF the SECOND
one when rounding Il steep curve
and we had to back up some distance
to a side track in order to have the
engines reversed. A little later
| Walker and myself betook ourselves
to our berth in the sleeper while oul
train courses along the banks o
Clark's Fork OF the Columbia. Since
crossing the Great Divide all the
streams belong to the great. Colum
bia River system. Awakening TIL,
next morning we were nearing Spo
kane, eastern Washington's s.boom'
city. Pines and stretches o
sandy prairie met our view. Al
soon as Spokane was called W,
allghted from the train and strolle,
up the depot platform hoping t.
lind some former Warren people bu
we looked in vain. The large crow.
at the depot indicated that this wa
Il city OF more than ordinary impor
tance, beautifully situated among
pines by q big river possessing ;
magnificent water power. AS w
had decided not to stop over we con
tinued our journey. There is som
timber, mostly pine, for about thirt.
miles west OF Spokane, but then til
road enters what appears to be al
arid region, destitute OF trees, unit
the foot hills Of the Cascade, ar
reached. The railroad for $50 mile
! Or more seems to follow the dry bed
OF rivers and the country as see
from the railroad is sandy, rock
and desolate. Long stretches az
covered with sage brush and greas
; weed with some bunch grass grow
: in between, furnishing food for iare
Numbers OF horses and cattle whic
were seen roaming about. A Kansa
, farmer wrote to the government tina
his homestead was SO poor that /
couldn't raise an umbrella Q
/. it and that it took two birds
8 cry 'spee vice." and it looked to me 8
if that might be a good descriptio
OF eastern Washington, and in ia,
] OF the whole Steppe region enclose