The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-06-04
THE IDAHO VOLUNTEERS.
An Interesting Account Of the Journey to San.
Francisco.
oLR BAY DISTRICT,
COMPANY E.

COMPANY E.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 20, '9S
REQ. g. II. GGnno1CGy,
idaho Falls.
Dear Pastor You see, we haye ar
rived in San Francisco. We arrived
here Sunday morning after one of the
most delightful journies l have ever
taken. The whole trip was a splendid
panorama of thrilling scenic pictures
and crowds of enthusiastic people. The
journey was prolonged cheer-a con-
tinuous ovation. Cheering crowds met
us at every station-every sentence was
ended with an exclamation point. Pat
riotism seemed to have gone wild. The
peoples homage to the soldiers was
simply boundless and unrestricted by
any civic duty. 1t seemed like ma
tional holiday. Everybody turned out
to do honor to those who had so freely
volunteered their lives to their country's
service, and to show in every possible
way that they appreciated it.
The road from Boise to Portland
wound through rough and pictures
quely rugged country. The train, re-
curing two big engines to pull it.,
dashed through vast mountain wilds,
woodland depths and played "crack the
whip" among jagged crags and beetling
cliffs that anon elbowed themselves
back to make room for little noun
tain hamlet driven into their midst like
a wedge. Sunday morning at dawn.
we came upon the Columbia river,
which beheld for the first time, calm,
majestic, serene, flowing complacently
along between its frOwning banks.
Then came fishing traps along its shore
great piles of salmon, salmon Canneries
farms, placer mines, lumber camps and
orchards, and always, everywhere beau
tiful mountain scenery. The trip was
like prolonged picnic excursion. l
| don't know what is in store for us, but
at any rate we have been amply repaid
for our time by what we have seen, not
only Of beautiful country, but the
living, harmonious patriotism that
throbs in the pulse of every American
citizen. After "a hours spin from
Boise we dashed into Portland, a city
that will be long held in grateful re-
memberance by our boys for the splen-
did mander in which they were treated
by the citizens Of that city. 1t resem-
bled the triumphal reception of con-
querOrs rather than that of poor rag
ged, dust begIimed priVates. They
were banqueted by the ladies of the
Oregon Emergency Corps and enter
tanned by the ladies of that noble band
in manner that touched the hearts of
all. The boys were touched by the
delicate, motherly manner in which the
ladies entertained them and the mani.
festations of fellowship that permeated
the community. The boys declare that
when they get married they are going
to Portland to select wife. There are
certainly many noble women there.
The country from Portland to Cali
fornia is the most beautiful have ever
seen. More picturesque scenery, finer
farms, lOVlier orchards, exquisite val
leyE, more pretty girls and more pat
riOtic people are crowded into it than
III any other like space anywhere ex-
taut. AS the boundry of Oregon is
neared, the country becomes rougher
and Two big engines are again required
to snake the train along its winding
tortuous way, over awful chasms and
through tunnels and canyons. In the
distance, grand old Mt. Shasta is seen,
calm, ominous, sedate, looking cruelty
cold in its winding sheet of perpetual
snow. AS the train spins along at 30
miles per hour, it hardly gives its pas
sengers time enough to comprehend
and digest all of the magnificent and
sublime scenery of the country through
which it Whirls one breathless and
astOnished. Sunday morning at dawn
the soldiers were informed by the cor
pal of the guard that Oakland was but
4 miles distant. 1t needed no urging
to get the sleeping soldiers out of their
hunks (sleepers were put on at Port
land) and jump into their clothes in a
jiffy, for many had had a curiosity for a
long time to see this great city, San
Francisco, and their curiosity, SO long
whetted was soon satiated. We board
ed the ferry at Oakland and steamed
across the bay. The entrance into
San Francisco is excelled in beauty by