Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-11-01
ACROSS THE CoNTlyENT,
NO. TO-

On THE TRAIN Oct. 2B i went into
Chicago on one of the fast trains that
goes through from 81. Paul by daylight.
There have been rains the past week,
A few sharp frosts have swept the
leaves Off the trees. When we reached
the Mississippi valley it was radiant In
the brilliancy of its autumn foliage;and
the towns nesting between the hills
looked as lovely as u bride dressed In
rainbown colors, But their beauty
was OF brief duration this year A few
cold thuuderstorms swept ii all away.
Prairie du Chem l. an old military
post. Here was originally Fort Craw-
ford, commanded at Que time by Cen
eral Taylor, Afterwards president, whose
daughter is said to haYe elnped with a
gay young lieutenant, win 'fIerward
became president of the southern Con
federacy. | have not verified the story,
but certain it IL, the parties all lived at
"the prairie Of the dogs" as the French
called the site of the fort. 1t is all in
ruins now. The actors in many of
those more often perilous dramas
hav" all passed away. May their souls
rest in peace.
Here General John Lawler, at one
time a dirt-shoveller on the railroad,
land who had about as much right to
his title as some cOlonels / could men,
tion), built the first poHtOon railway
bridge across the mighty father of
waters. II has just Leen sold by his
sons to the Chicago, Milwaukee & st.
Paul Railroad Co., who will hereafter
operate it. The shops and roundhouse
operated on the Wisconsin side of the
river are all to be moved over to Nc.
Gregor on the Iowa side, and property
there is enjoying little boom. The
first sign of Improvement was the ap
pearance of a hundred Italian laborers
to build tracks and erect new build
ings. AS heard them jabbering in a
foreign tongue, saw their uDAmerican
garb, heard the driver-for be drove
them to their work like cattle-I
wished that Uncle Sam owned that
railroad and the people had voice as
to what kind of laborers should be en-
ployed when thousands of full-fledged
American citizens are without employ
ment aud their families likely to hun
ger this winter.
In Oregon where nearly all labor on
railroad construction is performed by
coolies we would not think 80 much of
this importation of Italians. But these
were sent out into Iowa from Milwau-
kee, Wis, where resides u. s. Senator
Mitchell, large stockholder in the
railroad, who like Stanford, Crocker
and Huntington, of California, is
directly benefited by the degradation
of the American labOrer, who would
not work for the wages paid to these
aliens employed on the public corpora
tions.
At Prairie du Chem | met Chas.
Huilschmidt, formerly of Lansing,
where as a young man he was actively
engaged In business with such rival
contemporaries as Geo. w. Gray, J. J.
Shaw, John ii. Albert, the Berry
Brothers, all Of whom went TO Salem.
Diamond 10. Reynolds aud General
Gilbert were then IN the steamboating
business. AZ McGreROr met Geo l..
Bass, who sat In the Iowa legislature
with Mr. Gray also Judge St0nemsH,
who practieed law with Judge Shaw
before either Of them had that title.
Oregon's exhibit at the Worlds fair
ls spoken Of once IN while by persons
who have relatives on the Pacific slope.
Many are inqulring about Oregon with
a view 10 coming out But it will be
some time before the effect 0f the Two
lean years wear Oh, n our Worlds
fair commission have saved any of that
100000 appropriated by the last lszlslA
tUrs they hays done well beeauss it
viii be mapy years before We realize
much beDeit from that Investment.
bul u 10 pleasant a. bear tbe state ~
our adoption mentioned fayorably lso
thousand miles ffOm home
A.. HDIFH