Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-08-04

An Interesting Description by l.. r. will
bur, of tho Country Travorsed by the
| Great Railroad.
TO the Editor of the Free Press
Aftor leaving Minneapolis on the Nerth
ern Pacific railroad, we penetrate an excel
| lent farming district for the most part,
though the villages are not growing very
fast. am told that most of the first peo
people who came have sold out aud gone
West. The soil of western Minnesota and
eastern North Dakota is composed of Il
black loan, slightly mixed with IA fine sand,
and it seems that this locality must have
been at some time ocean bed. The eli
mate and soil are completely adapted to
the production of the finest quality Of
wheat, which is the great staple Of these
two States, as is evident from the long line
OF wheat fields which seem to stream past
the windows.
Many of the towns along this line were
started with boom on the principle that
whose tooteth not his own horn by whom
shall his horn be footed - Such have gone
down and il they flourish again their growth
will be slow. Fargo is still tiresome town.
As one passes west of the Missouri river the
prospects are not SO inviting to the settler
but exceedingly interesting to the tourist.
| Western North Dakota and eastern Mon
tana have numerous Enthusiastically formed
hills and bluffs and absolutely barren of
vegetation.
This section is destitute of trees and but
very little of the soil is under cultivation.
Were it not for an occasional herd of horse
grazing, or u lone mud hut where the cows
boy shelters himself, one would judge the
country deserted. | have no doubt that when
eastern Montana shall have become settled,
| improved, cultivated and grown with trees,
that 1t viii be good farming locality, but
for the present it will not do for Yer
monler without long purss to make his
home in western North Dakota or eastern
| Montana, unless he is willing to forego the
comforts of life, subject himself to many
| hardshlp5 and the risk of a probable state
of future poverty. Upon reaching Helena
we are in the mining district, where
farming ceases to bo a means OF livelihood
After breakfast this morning | climbed to
the top of Mount Helena just west of the
city and from its summit could distinctly
see toward either of the four points of the
compass mountains covered with snow.
SPOKANE, WASH, July s.
The Northern Pacific railroad, going west
from Helena for distance OF about -
miles, passes along narrow valley worth
but little for farming purposes. Soon,
however, the road begins to ascend and you
lind yourself looking from the car window
to the deep valley below as the train takes
a serpentne course over high trestles,
through long tunnels and deep cuts
This romantic course continues until YOU
pass over the divide from the head waters o.
the Missouri to the head waters of the north
branch of the Columbia. Then forests saw
mills and lumber yards begin to appear,
and are seen all the way through Idaho till
you reach Spokane, Wash, which is q fine
town of about 20, 600 inhabitants. They
have system of electric street cars
throughout the city and considerable builu-
ing is going on. A spirit Of enterprise per-
vades the people The prediction of some Of
the citizens that the place will number
80, 900 inhabitants in five years can hardly
he realized, however. Like many other
Western towns they are in advance of the
country about them.
TACOMA, Wash, July II.
After leaving Spokane, running toward
Tacoma, you see no farming land worth
owning except as 1T can be irrigated. The
Mills and wales are dry and treeess till
you reach the Cascade range much
of which is well tlmbored 1t is Il ro-
mantle ride over those mountains
in the western part o! the State. The road
takes ligZag course up the range until it
plunges into the mountain near Summit
The tunnel here is two miles long and in
some places 100 feet beneath the surface
1t ends the west side of the divide. The
road in several places is covered with snow
sheds. Tacoma has a population of nearly
. 30, 900, but has bad its boom and is now at a
stand still Yesterday Sunday an outdoor
meeting was called by some Of the citizens
near the steamboat landing, to discuss the
Homestead situation. About one thou
SAND men assembled and were ad-
dressed by four different speakers,
who denounced Carnegie a murderer ami
Pinkertons' men as assassins. They passe
resolutions condemniug Carnegie and tho
Pinkertons, and no word of censure for the
course of the workmen at Homestead was
heard.
A good muny places Of business were open
on Sunday, and sales at the fruit stands
were made as on week days. y band OF
music went through the streets playing as
= an advertisement for a SUNDAY picnic. The
mottoss, as they were run III the street dur
ing the Sabbath, had attached to them
, bunting, with the following notice in large
. letters Grand open.ai concert and dance
every Sunday" etc, which things are
something of departure from our New
0 England custom.
L. f. WILBUR