The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-04-03
LETTER FROM THE WEST.
SATURDAY, March eth, 1896

SATURDAY, March eth, 1896.
DEAR ENQUIRER:-In order to form
conception of the vaStness OF our country
one must needs cross the continent. AT
ter ride of $500 miles, iourneving for six
consecutive nights and days, | am nearing
the Pacific coast | have passed through
states so broad that the train would be
twentv-four hours in traversing them. l
left behind several days ago the dreary
wastes of Dakota and the Bad Lands which
occupy so conspicuous aplace on the maps
of the Northwest. In Montana the scenery
was diversified. Much fine farming land
and many growing towns lay along the
route of the Northern Pacific. AS we APP
preached the western portion of the State
the mountains again came in view. The
mighty Missouri was crossed near its head
waters-in Il region which not many years
ago was almost inaccessible We reached
Helena, the capital of the State, early on
Friday morning. This is an interesting
and thrifty town of about $1,000 1t is
located in the centre of a mineral region
unsurpassed either in Montana or else
where for the number and richness of its
gold and silver bearing lodes. Veins of
galena, copper and iron are also found in
great numbers nearby and millions of dol
lars will be invested in the construction of
new mills and smelters in addition to those
now in operation. About twelve miles
from this city, on the Missouri river bars,
are the now world famed sapphire fields,
owned and operated by an English corpo
ration, capitalized at 81 $50, 900 The jour
ney from Helena to Spokane in Washing
ton was comparatively uninteresting. This
town is now the home of young gentle
man formerly of Anne Arundel county
Mr. James Owings, Jr, who is engaged in
the insurance business, and of whom |
heard through a young man | met on the
train this morning. jim has been success
full and recently moved to Spokane from
Takoma.
After crossing the Columbia river at
Pasco, for hours my eyes Toasted upon
some of the grandest mountain scenery in
the world. The views through the Cas-
cade range almost battle description. The
mountain sides were covered with dense
forests of pine and fir, many of the trees
being $50 feet high, straight and stately,
and the luXuriant evergreen of the foliage
contrasted with the snow upon the ground,
formed picture that cannot soon be for
gotten. The effect was intensified by the
bright sunshine. A changing panorama
of exquisite beauty was presented as the
train swept around the mountain sides,
could reach were seen mists clinging to
the SUBMITS of the lofty peaks and tleecy
clouds resting like crowns upon the tops
of the lofty trees Sometimes as we
glanced down into the chasm below, the
railway track in three parallel lines could
be seen. Tunnels, two miles long, pene-
trated the mountain sides, and gracefully
suspended bridges bore the cars, loaded
with human freight, across gaping abysses.
AS we approached the Columbia river the
snowclad summit of ma este Mt Rainier,
| also called Mt. Takoma, met the gaze OF
eager eyes
was told that the Alaska fever is rag
ing in Seattle and Takoma. Daily boats
cannot accommodate the crowds of fortune
seekers now speeding to the gold fields of
the Yukon. Five dollars out is all that is
charged, but the dcluded adve nturer has
to pay fifteen to return. 1t is not supposed
that the mines will be valuable as the
| weather permits the working of them but
one month in the year. Will write about
the picturesque city of Portland in my
next. F. S.