Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-08-17
LETTER FROM Il. S. kesNs.
"Ye'z moind the hot place down below!
Now moind ye, Biddy. dear.
| wud not d'hraw comnarisors

army OF the Potomac. / have seen
It ranging as high as l07 in the shade
here the past week and the sudden
change from Seattle. where mercury
was playing along in the 70's, makes
this seem excessively hot. and reminds
me Of some of the good old days in
harvest time in Wisconsin. But
withal the air is pure here in tina
mountains and as we look above to the
snow line. we know cooler atmos-
phere can be had for the climbing.
And it was in search Of this pure
atmosphere that came over here
where ] expect to put in the next few
weeks along the river and lakes of the
Cascades, listening to the voices of
nature, accompanied by the monoton-
Gus "Stick" stuck of the chain
men, as we locate the boundaries of
an Indian fisheries reservation. In a
few days more we will be up at Wen
atchee Lake where the temperature
will not be quite so hot as here. But
even this is a bonanza to asthmatics
as the mountain air is so pure that
one can at least get full inspiration.
| left the Sound last Monday feeling
as though had the weight of Mount
Rainier on my chest, and before
reached the summit of the Cascades.
felt as if l could breathe clear down
to the straps of my boots.
And delightful trip that is over
the Cascades ON the Great Northern
to one who loves mountain scenery.
Much Of its present grandeur will be
lost when the road is completed by
driving the long tunnel, for then YOU
will 90 under the summit instead of
over it as we now do on the many
"switch backs 1t is terrible
grade despite the many turns and
doublings back and forth. Our train
of seven ears had three immense eight
wheeled mogul engines attached, two
NJ one end and one al the other, head
ed in opposite directions. Il made |
me think of those snakes down where
Chape Twining used to live. in south |
ern Illinois, that had head on each |
end, and would run one way until |
they got tired and then turn and run
the other This was the way the
train ran, first one way, then switch |
ing and back the other way climbing |
higher and higher until we reached |
the summit.
We are now camped near Leayen- |
worth, a characteristic western rail-
road. mining, boom town, Two years /
ago | was here on the same ground I
trailing d bear and there was no eNi-
dencc Of civilization. Now there are
long streets lined with stores, saloons /
etc; a round house. huge grain eleva- T
tor, newspaper etc Ii is centrally |
situated IN what promises to be a
rich mining belt The valley is also |
well adapted 70 farming and ii is not |
improbable that LeaycnWorth viii |
soon become the best point between |
Spokane and Everett II has a mot |
ley class of inhabitants, from the
shreWd business man down 70 the
lowest class of ..hobos Every win |
dow has its display of ores and the
talk is principally u mining prospects, |
Of placcrs, quartz, sulphmgts, chlor-
ides etc. etc, by men who do not
know a piece Of granite from pud-
ding stone.
Gambling is carried on openly and
not in back garrets as at Seattle.
Huge piles of illegal tender" poker
chips and the general layout can be
seen through the windows in front Of
the dealers more money than | have
been want to see displayed, Of late,
around banks Of more pretentious
kind. The saloons draw the main
crowds, though it seems a little neon
gruoUs to have the mercury at l07
degrees and lager beer fifteen cents a
glass. The feminine portion Of the
Inhabitants is rs varied as the mascu-
line Passing the "Red Front sa
loon saw, in the bar room, white
Hack and copper colored women
lounging; dressed in various styles
from the highly trimmed Mother
Hubbard 70 a blanket and moccasins.
Take il all in all, the place is far from
what ! would picture as IN ideal para
disc But this Wild mountain life has
its attractions besides mosquitoes and
rattle4nakcs | am not much Of a
mouutaincer. thought ! was. bui |
don now a good. thorough noun
tainccr must be able to ride and CON
troll bucldng broncho as well as to
catch trout and shoot deer and bear
Heretofore / have ridden cayuse
ponies. trusty. true-footcd and saga
cious. Stick to your cayu-e aud he VIII
stick to YOU, and carry you safely
where it seems mountain goat can
scarcely climb But the bucking
broncho i. built on another plan A
week ago | didu't know much about
bronchos but / d. now In fact
have graduated aud am an expert on
hronchos So far as giving advice as to
their management etc. is concerned
i won't give illustrative riding les
sons, at least not while the ground is
50 hard Perhaps might be induced
to do So after there comes good depth
Of snow, and | have killed the bron-
eho Two weeks ago | saw three bai-