Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-07-14

T. B Walsh writes an
interesting letter CIV
ing his impress
sions of the
country
Portland Oregon July 4 1892.

Eagle River WIS.
Friend Moon.
promised to write q few lines oc-
casionally about the experience of my
trip out here but as have not been
here long enough yet to get acquainted
with the people, can not say much
this time.
have already seen on the road out
here some of this wonderful western
country OF which we read.
MVast reiri IS and b: d Lands Ct Eaxo-
tn and Montana, Cowboys at nearly ev-
ery station. Herds Of thousands OF cat
tie, sheep and ponies. Snow capped
mountains of the Rockies and plenty of
other strange scenery along the way
which is very interesting to look at
It is q wonderful stretch of country
Four days and four nights run
ming at the rate of thirty or forty
miles an hour to cross it. Our train
stopped little while in valley few
miles west of Butte City Montana be-
side of q high mountain which thought
was close by, about a mile or less |
thought, Had the impudence to think l
could run over there and back while
the train was waiting, but you can i'm
agine my surprise when found that II
was % miles to the foot Of that hill.
This city of Portland is q very pretty
place but rather after the style OF an
old eastern town.
Plenty of wealth here and more natur-
al resource than ever saw anywhere
before, and still there seems to be no
enterprise or energy. They seem to
live here without much effrot and have
no desire to develope the natural wealth
of the country. have seen SO Tar
very little of the enterprise and spirit
az advancement which is character
istic of our Wisconsin business man.
What has impressed me most OF any
thing thus far il the power and influence
exercised over this whole western coun-
try by these too giant monopolies, the
Northern Pacific and Southern Pacific
railroads. l have just been looking
over some maps of tn, lands which
they own in five of our western states'
Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and
California, and it Is beyond anything
you can imagine. Hundreds OF millions
OF acres of the richest part of our bub-
lie domain granted away to those big
iron-clad corporations. Onr govern
ment has given away to them, farming
land, mineral land and timber lands,
undeveloped rich territory enough to
make nation in itself. believe in the
policy OF encouraging large enterprise,
but in this case it h as been carried be-
yond all reason.
When our people begin to wake up
and come west and sec what has been
done with their inheritance, there will
surely be an accounting called for and
some one will have to answer for those
wholesale robberies of the public do
main.
I don't wonder ut the number of Far
m0rS ALLIANCE II1ou WHO ORC w 10 'ASo
with in all branches Of business out
here.
believe even Sam Smith (hard headed
democratic rs he isl would fall right in
line with the Farmers Alliance If he
was out in this part of the country.
have met here in Portland an oil
friend levitt Smith who lived at Eagle
River for some years. He is doing
very prosperous business here and seems
to like Portland much better than any
other place in which he has lived.
I am going up in the hills tomorrow
and in my next letter I will probably
have something to say about that won
derful big timber which we hear SO
much about.
Yours Truly
Y Is. WALSH.