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

her departure we embarked upon the
Harvest Queen" for a ride up the
Columbia river the scenery along which
is reported to be the finest on the globe.
This last statement we cannot vouch for
but you have it as we received it. Let
me say however that its scenery is SO
beautiful and grand, that it is wholly
beyond our power to describe.
| We leave Portland tonight at five
o'clock for Tacoma and Seattle from
which place we will start for home over
the Nothern Pacific. We will reach
Minneapolis for the 7th of June.
| TACOMA, JUNE LIST.
Our party which is now reduced to
nine cars reached this city Wednesday
morning, June 1st. Our ride from
Portland to this city took place in the
night SO we know nothing Of the scenery
between these two cities. Our stay in
Portland afforded great pleasure, as the
entire trip has simply been one grand
| ovation from beginning to what is now
rapidly approaching the end. Only
half day was given to Tacoma. While
here we were given a banquet at the
Tacoma Hotel" a place well known as
a summer resort. 1t is large edifce
and compares favorably with other
hotels we have stopped at while on our
journey. After breakfast we were
shown the city. 1t is place only about
eight years old and has a population Of
$4,000 people. 1t has one principal
| business street mile and a half long,
and is fully one hundred feet wide,
lined with creditable business blocks on
| either side, and runs parallel with the
| water front. Cross streets lead up the
bluff which rises from the waters edge.
From the sound you have an excellent
view of this city. Its location is beauti
| full and when seen from distance leaves
romantic impression. One remark
able feature we have noticed in these
western cities is, that the business is
being done by young men. The people
we come in contact with are young and
middle aged men. City officers and
governmental employees are all young
men, so much so that it is noticeable to
the traveller or visitor.
We left Tacoma Wednesday afternoon
by boat for Seattle, so as to be able to
get good view of the sound which
forms so important part in the COM
mercial interests of Tacoma and Seattle.
On this trip we noticed that the citizens
Of these two cities show considerable
animosity towards each other. They
are rival cities and show it on every
occasion. We reached Seattle at five
o'clock. From five until seven we were
shown the city. This place has about
So, 900 people and has the deserving
reputation of being one of the best bus
mess centers on the Pacific Coast. This
people are among the most hospitable
we have met on our travels They
simply took us in charge and we were
allowed to pay for nothing. Meals and
lodging at the best hotels, car service,
admission to theatres, ETC., were all
free.
Here permit us to say we were SO re-
joiced to meet our friends Mr.. and Mrs.
Mitten, of Seattle; Mr.. and Mrs. F.
MacKinnon and Miss Marian Hoskin-
son, of Centralia. We only saw them
for short time, but we can assure you
this visit was greatly enjoyed. 1t
seemed like getting home to see famil-
| lar faces again. On this trip we have
seen millions of faces but only few
have been old time familiar ones. What
a pleasure it is to meet with kind friends
in a far off country. Miss Marian Hos
knson will remain here during the
summer, while Mr.. and Mrs. MacKin-
non will continue their journey through
California on Friday. Just before
leaving Seattle for our return to Tacoma,
while waiting at the depot, we saw Mr..
Chas. King, of Grand Rapids, who had
just returned from British America. He
was tickled almost to death to see us
and asked many questions about his
home and family. He still loves Wis
consin and will return some time this
summer. He recounted his experiences
| working in the woods in this country.
| We also made inquiries about w. G..
Scott, son of w. l.. Scott, of Grand
| Rapids, and learned that he had moved
| to Oakland.
| Part of our party left Seattle by boat
| for Nancouvers Island while the re-
manning number, of which we were one,
ireturned to Tacoma with our cars in
preference to taking the boat ride.
| While waiting here for their return we
have taken the opportunity of writing
another letter. We leave for Spokane
Friday afternoon.
| SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, JUNE 4, 1892.
| After considerable anxiety at Tacoma
with reference to our car being taken
over the Northern Pacific railroad we
finally got started at o'clock p. m.
Friday. The trouble arose from the
fact that iron wheels were used on our
car and the Northern Pacific Company
use nothing but paper wheels claiming
that they are safer, etc. For this reason
our car was rejected A new car we could
not get as they were all in use. so the
company, after. having lengthy dis
cussion with the Pullman Car Company,
decided to take US. We reached
Spokane Saturday morning at s o'clock