Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-06-16

AO- ACSI W thO 1Il1iO' W. SASAAlSE'
weighing 95 tons each were required to
pull the train. We passed through
many tunnels most of them were
short. One however was two miles
long the latter half of which we
witnessed from the rear platform of our
car. This tunnel is lighted by electri-
city and the work in the tunnel is not
yet completed 1t has already cost the
Northern Pacific railroad company
S., 600, 900 and still it is unfinished. 1t
has been great undertaking. Our
party since leaving San Francisco has
been growing less until now we have
only one car load left going to st. Paul.
The larger number of cars went home
over the Union Pacific via of Salt Lake,
Ogden, Denver, Kansas City, to Chicago
and st. Louis. The larger part of the
Wisconsin delegation are going home
in this car. We also have people from
Ohio, Iowa, Dakota, Indiana and
Michigan.
Our party reached Minneapolis Tues
day noon. A visit in Minneapolis
during the Republican National Con-
vention was fitting round up after SO
charming a trip through the west. The
enthusiasm manifested on every hand
Tor James G. Blaine by the people
irrespective of party made the friends
of the administration feel that there
was some danger of Harrison's defeat.
On our arrival at 'Wisconsin Head
quarters we were pleased to learn that
the majority of the Wisconsin delegation
were S'true blue" to Benjamin Harrison.
Our sympathy was with the administra-
ton as Blaine was generally believed to
be out of the race until his resignation
from the cabinet was rendered. After
that it was evident that he was a
candidate, but in our humble opinion
an offensive one. We remained in the
"Flour City" until Thursday when we
accompanied sister Angelo home to
Sparta.
Before leaving Minneapolis we fell in
with our old friend O. G. st. Amour
who was anxious to have us see the
"soft snap" (?) the mail agents haye on
the fast mail between Minneapolis and
Chicago. We were therefore taken to
the mail car and introduced to the
following agents: Ed Hawley, A. Miller,
R. A. McCloud, L. A. Voight, Fred
Hawley, A. J. Kiefer, D. Evans. Our
reception was cordial and our ride a
pleasant one. People who believe a
route agency is a soft snap ought to
take a tri ip with them and be convinced
of their error. The mail agents are the
poorest paid employees in the service
of the government. The Importance of
their positions and the skill necessary
to fill such positions ought to be well
paid. We believe and favor the present
bill before congress which if passed
would relieve them in this respect In
one of these cars they have 60 mail bags
and SIX schemes or racks IN which they
sort letters for different states. The
information necessary to throw this
mail would fill a large book if printed
On one trip between Minneapolis and
Chicago they handle on an average 900
packages which will average 40 letters
to the package, this amounts to 36,O0O
Then there are the daily and weekly
papers besides. Four men must do all
this work, one handles the papers and
the three others the letters They have
no idle time and are constantly kept
hustling. Congressman who oppose
their just demands should be obliged to
throw mail just one trip. That would
be enough.
A short stop in Sparta brought us
home Sunday morning June 18th just
five weeks from the date of our de-
parture. Home and friends was never
more dear to us, not because we did not
have a delightful trip. but because we
were played out with sight seeing and
being entertained. Since arriving
home and thinking it all over our trip
appears to us like dream. We enjoy
it every idle moment and at times find
ourselves meditating upon the grandeur
of the mountain scenery and rich
valleys of the Golden state. AS time
passes and opportunity presents itself
we shall gladly give complete accounts