The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-12

Special Dispatch 20 the Posf-inteilixence-
TRAIL. June lit Is ala DOWN grade.
and a heavy grade AZ that. from Rosslaua
here on the Columbia Il Western rail-
road, with scarcely yard OF II on the
level This. you can easily understand
must he SO when the altitude cs Eosstand
Is nearly 4oA feet above Trail distance
as the crew flies of not over Eve mics.
The train. however. has to 10 about fifteen
miles. and IL is an extremely interesting
journey in many ways. There Is . not
able swisohhack az one point. ard enc
moment YOU are perched on the noun
tain side with view extending 20 where
the distant SUBMITS melt into the haze,
and at another in a deep ravne rambling
over the roaring waters OF Tratl creek.
Then the mountain sides you are pass
ing are SO extremely interesting that the
passengers are excited by twisting their
necks in every direction. For over yonder
IS q building OF the newest kind Of timber
with putting smokestack throebing with
hope That is n gold mine There is an
other. without any smokestack. the throh-
hing being confined 30 the breasts 81 the
delivers underground. and. perhaps. though
not OF course. to the owners who arc try
| Ing to sell stock in the property. Then
there are Just tunnels without even a hut
| and there are mines with shafts that
0oS could jump out or.
Your correspondent. as soon as he LETT
Rosslane. opened a map OF these mines
with the idea OF making brief descriptions
| Of them. with the aid of notes already
| prepared. But seated opposite to him was
| u large man with an immense beard, and
wearing a tall silk hat--the second that
has appeared In public in Rossland. With
| him were two handsome and Handsomely
dressed womcn--his wife gnd daughter, X
I MA GatI g.ssf hot an
/ the same age and both called him papa.
The group was easily Identified as the
renowned doctor who has nightly stood
| on a wagon in Rossland's streets and col
| ieeted huge crowds with the aid OF the two
| handsome women. one OF whom looks her
prettiest and recites and tho other plays
| an accompaniment on a parior organ to
| the connie songs of a clown In mockery
| Perhaps you've had them In Seattle.
This little incident entirely knocked our
all sober thoughts OF mining enterprise
| and led TO reflections OF an entirely DIFF
| ferent character. With whiri come
"reminiscences OF the man who, although
| not n miner. yet I'm the state OF New YORK
where mining for the precious metals Is
unknown. dug up from the weli-padded
verdant bosom OF Dame Nature several
| tablets of gold. on which the nrger or
| God had written n more confidential mes
| sage to him than the one he vouchsafed to
| Moses.
The car we were riding In was one OF
| the first private cars built. and II was de-
| signed for and often USED by that great
l Mormon prophet. Brigham Young.
| What might have happened IL he had
/ led his followers into the drcary Wilder
| ness where Rossland now stands? He de.
! fed all law on the plains of Utah. but II
l military force had been found exredient
| Salt Lake City could have been removed
L frsv he tn No or "a
| few could have successfully guarded the
! mountain passes and protected his holy,
| OF unholy, city against any army. And
| his followers could have mined out the
| precious mineral and erected for their
| prophet so feared and loved q temple of
| pure gold. with homes OF Silver for his
| wives. Taat IS, II he had had a railroad
| to bring IN the supplies as this country
| is too sterile for agriculture.
| He might have managed that. too. for
in his Utah paradise he had n railroad. a
| narrow gauge like the Columbia West
| ern, and this was his private car In this
| he irnperiously rolled through his fertile
| dominion. saw that the brtckmakers, like
| those OF Egypt were at their labors for
/ the building OF his temple. saw that the
| harvesters and husbandmen brought In
| their 1.-THE to the altar. and rolled up
| more wealth than he ever could from
! Rossiand mines. Or II his great, grasp
ing mind occasionally unbent. he could
l escape from the tedium az his myriad of
| wives, and go on frolicsomc jaunt with
two Of the latest and prcttiest II was
| the big. handsome man with the patri-
| archal beard that forced this reflection.
| But that the great prophet did enjoy
| vacation from holiness In Just this way
| IL shown in what IN left of his private
| car. 1t was purchased. with another car.
| by the Columbia & Western from the
| Utah railroad and has. Of course. since
J undergone some alterations. II was no
| doubt intended to reserve II for the use
| of the officials OF this road, as such ex-
| allied beings can no more travel In com
! mon ears than can prophets. therefore
| these alterations are not such as destroy
| all traces OF its former sump,uousness
| 1t h divided into two compartments,
| the one now seated for passengers was
| the sleeping apartment and war no doubt
| more regaliy suynptuous In IT. silkcn
| hangings and tapestry and general lux
I uriousness than the one now being built
/ for President Mckinley. There was ono
| prominent fixture this car had which the
| Mckinley car will nes have. and that is
| sidcboard. probably laden with vessels
| OF the choicest Venetian crystal and OF
gold and silver. And II 10 fair TO pre-
| sumo that when he sank to rest on his
l couch OF purple and fine linen that he
| wore a gorgeous nightcap made by the
| fair hands Of his last bride. and shared
| with her another nightcap gracefully
| poured by her from crystal vase into
| golden cha'ice.
| The other compartment still has lounges
| and settees, and here the prophet who
| made the wilderness OF Utah 10 blossom
| as tho rose. surrounded by all the lux
4 uries OF Bacchus and Venus. and Ianguid-
| ~ gazing on the landscape his mighty
| hand had made TO smile, probably. Just
| ike ordinary mortalg. pursued with
| eagerness the phantoms of fancy, and
/ listened with cre5ulty 10 the whispers of
! hope" for his ambitions were unboundad
| as we're his carnai appstiies.
But the man with the pstriarchal beard
| rises and breaks the Mormon succession
I of ideas, for here we are at Tran.