Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-06-17

VIM. Ranthen, Mrs. Ames and MI.
Firm. The next town was Yakima. Here
we were transferred over the Columbia
river by the second largest ferry boat in
the world-City of Tacoma-which car
ried eleven coaches, one horse car and
two engines and plenty of room for
more. After an eleven hour run
through much nice scenery found us in
Portland. A band met us and the
ladies' served a dinner that we will never
forget besides giving us cigars and
matches. We all got a shoe box of nice
lunch with the compliments OF the
lady who gave it but some how or other
l lost mine. That day will always re.
main a happy one. One would almost
be willing to die after a treat like that.
We were three hours ahead of the
other crowd. Here We changed cars
and went south on the Southern Pacific.
At Portland there are many different
manufactures and ship yards. Leaving
Portland we strike a garden of
Eden. Pretty towns is no name for
them. In Portland We were given
bouquets till we couldn't hold any more-
just beautiful flowers. The ladies' of all
the towns in Oregon just loaded us
down with flowers and the train looked
like a flower garden. In every town
the people just went wild. Pretty girls
gave us flowers with their names. Then
the boys started to give away their but
tons-lots of them were completely
stripped. If you could only get a look
at this country you would say farewell
to North Dakota. I don't think there
is one of the boys who will go back.
They have gone wild over Oregon-fine
orchards everywhere and grain headed
out. The people make a nice easy living
on a very few acres and don't have to
strain their eyes for a rain storm or
freeze in the winter. Nice mountain
streams with plenty of fish and every
thing to make life pleasant. I stayed
up all night listening to the send offs
not like Mon ana, Idaho and Washing
ton-but a different class of people and
awful nice sociable girls who would
come up and talk and shake hands and
wish us God speed.
The railroads here burn wood and
the farmers make considerable money
that way. Climbing mountains is some
thing hard to describe as they wind
about in every way. You can on near
ing the top look down and see four or
five tracks. You could get off and walk
a mile and then beat the train a couple
of hours. 1t must travel thirty or forty
miles in going two or three. It was a
sight I will never fo%rget-=lapge trestle
works and as We get near the top see
mt. Tbasta, a sno covered top, which
we circle around and keep in sight of all
day, and going down it is Just the same
We are now getting into California anc
+ see summer resorts galore. We stopped
!, at a resort as there was an engine
ditched ahead of us. We got out anc
} drilled and also took the horses out fol
exercise. Gold Ore stood the trip vel
and is tho preitiest horse of the lot,
We stopped at Th:.sta Springs and all
got a drink of natural soda water.
Arriving at Redding, we crossed the
bay in the largest ferry in the world
carrying our train and a passenger anc
; room for more. I think the name wa!
Salona, but am not surc. After passing
} lots of more small towns, we reached
Oakland. Here We take the ferry ant
! go across the bay to San Francisco
} Here we were met by the band ant
ladies of the Red Cross society and wer,
, treated to breakfast, oranges, bouquets
cigars and postal cards to write home
with. I took a walk around the dock
and saw sailing and steam vessels from
all over the world. Here YOU can Sci
all kinds of life. I took a trip through
Chinatown, about five or six thousanc
Cinnamon in all kinds of business. The
boys are all going through it as s0on al
they get paid. I am broke, also. /
went to the city the other day and col
lost-lost my partners-and 1 bet l trav.
eled fifty miles before I got back, on
foot and cars We are camped on an
old Chinese graveyard, but are going to
move to better quarters soon. Some of
Dewey's feet was here, but left before
we came. We marched up Market street,
and I think there must have been 30, 1000
people, at the least, and they seemed to
think we were a fine looking lot of men.
There have been three deaths in the
California troops, but none Of our boys
are sick. The climate is fine. I saw
Ton Wilson. He is with the Montana
boys. Will have to close, as I am help
ing in the cook shanty and could write
for six weeks and not tell you all.
~ Tk1 1noo.e =, A.