The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1899-08-17
THROUGH TIE WEST.
W. p. Faus Describes His Trip Tn rough the
Western States.
MONTE VIDEo, MINI, Aug. 1a.'oo.

MONTE VIDEo, MINI, Aug. r2, 90.
EDITOR CoLUMBTAN: = Having been
a citizen of Columbia County for sixty
three years, and never having crossed
the boundary line of the grand old
Keystone State until last month when
l left home for trip through several
OF the western states, l thought some
OF your readers might be interested in
a few lines concerning my impressions.
In company with my son from St.
Marys, Elk Co, Pa, / began my
journey from that place July II. We
first visited Niagara Falls, and gazing
upon that "miracle of nature" recalled
the words of the young poet, who un-
der the inspiration OF the muse wrote:
% Niagara Niagara
Thou art Staggerer."
Crossing Lake Ontario we viewed
Toronto, that thriving city of the
Queens dominion, and returning turn
ed our faces westward. We visited
Michigan with its beautiful lakes and
forests we tarried briefly in Chicago,
the commercial centre and metropolis
of the middle west, and looked in up
on the immense stock ya,ds and meat
packing establishments of that fam
Gus city we attended the Interna-
tional Epworth League Convention
with its more than twenty thousand
delegates assembled from all paris of
the United States and Canada at In
dianapolis, the capital and metropolis
of the Hoosier State, and apparently
justly entitled to its claim to being the
prettiest inland city of America; we
crossed Illinois and Iowa where corn
is king and where its broad acres of
luxuriant growth stretching as far as
the eye can seq bespeaks a bountiful
yield. From thence we turned north
ward toward the great wheat belt of
Southern Minnesota. A ride of two
hundred miles through beautiful
prairie country dotted thick in every
direction with shocks and stacks of
golden grain furnishes a delightful
contrast to the smaller fields, and
numerous hills and mountains of
Pennsylvania, and makes one feel
like the boy whose life had been
spent in the confines Of a narrow val
ley between the mountains. One day
he climbed the mountain, and for the
first time got view of the beautiful
valley beyond, enraptured by the sight
he said to his chum, 81 tell you Bob
this world is whopper."
have just been looking at a new
steam thresher, forty inch self feed
er, which it is claimed will thresh and
clean and measure thlrty-fve hundred
bushels of wheat in day. 1t is also
said that there are places hereabouts
where one of these machines can be-
gin work and thrash steadily for three
months without getting out of sight of
the place Of beginning. Next week |
expect to journey further westward
where hope to spend few days
amid the scenery Of Colorado before
returning to my native state. am
greatly enjoying the hospitality of
friends, the wide expanse of country
and the variety of scenery through
which I am passing. am impressed
with the vastness and variety of the
material resources of our Great
Country. Yet from all that the West
offers l am sure l shall return with
satisfaction and pleasure to the pure
air, the excellent water, the fruitful
orchards and the thrifty, kindly people
of Pennsylvania. w. P. FAUs.