Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-08-06
From hrs. Lampert While in the
East and South.

PORTLAND, Ind, July y, 1896.
Mr.. EDITOR: When Mrs. Hoefs and
l left Green Bay, July 9Th. for Apple
ton, where we arrived the same day,
we did not apprehend the pleasures
of our visit south. At Appleton we
visited with my sister, Mrs. Otto
Schultz. Took in as much of the beau
tiful city, until Wednesday, the Sth, as
time would permit. At Menasha and
Oshkosh We visited friends and rela-
tives and arrived at Chicago, H., the
10th, where we visited a sister and
other relatives. And had we remained
for twelve months we could not have
seen Chicago because Of its magnitude.
On Monday morning, July 18th, we left
the smoke and dust of Chicago for Port
land, Ind. People who have been ac-
customed to live and breathe pure air
always rejoice when they leave Chicago.
And when our train was once out of
the smoke and SCOT we enhaIed all the
pure air possible as we darted through
the beautiful country. 1t was not long
until we had entered Indiana, and the
| beautiful farms and residences by
which we swiftly passed showed that to
| be thrifty agricultural state. The
| towns along the way also showed thrift
and Cleanness. At three o'clock July
18th we arrived at Portland, Indiana.
We were met at the train by L. J.
/
| Bruner and family, and were driven
through the beautiful city with its broad
streets, large and clean lawns and nice
shade trees, to the Bruner Sylvan Home
where We found Il large and spacious
lawn, plenty of shade and plenty Of
clear water for bathing purposes, and a
we'll filed table. We were not long in
dispOsing of the dust and SCOT which
we had taken on in Chicago and upon
the train.
Portland is natural gas city where
no wood, coal or oil is consumed. The
buildings all look as if they had been
freshly painted. The vegetation is
green and clean as after a shower in
June. We have often thought we
would like to live in great city like
Chicago but short visit to Chicago and
the contrast between that and the small
town of Portland with its six thousand
inhabitants convinced us in favor of the
latter, and we were perfectly satisfied
with our own homes in Wisconsin.
While at Portland we were driven
through the most beautiful farming
country we ever saw. Among the
places visited was TT. Recovery, Ohio,
which is located on the Upper Wabash
river, thence down the river on the
Ohio side for a number of miles and
back to Portland through the richest of
farming lands. The wheat was the only
crop which had in any degree failed
Corn, oats, timothy, clover, millet, in
fact everything that grows in this eli
mate were as abundant as could be.
And the fruit trees, apples, pears,
plums, peaches and all the smaller
fruits were bending under their loads.
This country is level and has been verv
heavily timbered, enough of which is
left to make it pretty. The roads are
made from gravel taken from gravel
mounds found from eight to ten miles
apart. These roads check the country
at right angles about two miles apart
and occasionally gravel roads cross be-
tween them. And at every two miles a
neat public school house stands. Eight
of these roads enter the city of Port
land. On all of these we drove to the
country, for every day we were in Port
land, but one, we were out driving. On
the 18th we went via Richmond and
Cincinnati to Louisville, Kentucky.
After crossing the river at Cincinnati,
Ohio, we entered the state of Kentucky.
and suppose we saw the toughest part
Of the state. At any rate the country
was nearly all made up of high, rough
hills, and deep gorges. We passed
through seven tunnels between Cincin-
natl and Louisville. But as we APP
preached Louisville the country looked
more favorable. Louisville is a thriv-
| ing business city. Not, however, as
much so as some of its northern sisters.
Here we visited my sister, Mrs. Won
! Brehen, who is very much welded to
the city of Louisville. We visited diff
| ferent places of interest, but the most
beautiful of all is the city of the dead
Cave Hill Cemetery. This cemetery is
located in the hilliest part of the
suburbs and added to the natural
| beauty, artistic skill has made it one of
the finest cemeteries in the
world. In this also is the national Gem
etery where thousands of soldiers were
buried in circles and are marked by
small white stones.
| Louisville is not clean city. One
disadvantage in keeping the city clean
is that soft coal is used for fuel. But
| those who are accustomed to the SCOT
! don't seem to notice black streaks on
their face or spots upon their clothing.
On Thursday the 23d, we returned to
| Portland where we visited the natural
gas and oil regions. About fifteen miles
northwest Of Portland we ascended the
! hills known as Twin Hills. From their
summit we beheld the rich farms
and woodland pastures for miles in
every direction. We remained here
! looking until our eyes and heads ached
/ To ono Of +bnSa hoor,+i fI,I yy-OoJ1a 1,-o