The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-07-15

1 GU WAC tOicSUu lluc'-AtSAuculS oO 9NAVA
we passed, coming into Huntington, q
span new creamery just across the state
line In Oregon.
A special reception committee from
Portland In their chartered sleeper, met
US at Huntington, 404 miles out from
Portland and welcomed us like long-lost
brothers and sisters, and until our arriy-3
al at the metropolis thirty-six hours
later, took care of us as the association
has seldom been looked after in all its
history. The committee had the special
car stocked at both ends and in the mid
die with all the good things eatable and
drinkable for which the Pacific coast is.
famed the world Overland fruit, don't
mention 1t; it will take week to get
the Internal organs Of the party into
proper shape again. At Huntington the
Oregon Railroad 81 Navigation company
had prepared a nice lunch for US before
beginning the trip over their lines,
which, together with the commissary de-
partment in chargeof the Portland com
mittee on the train, started us into the
trip across Oregon in fine spirits.
The first stop was at Baker City for a
late dinner prepared by the citizens of
this enterprising town, and that tn de-
lay might he as short and agreeable as
possible, the party was distributed
among all the principal hotels and res
taurhnts. But even then itreQuired two
hours of time to get everybody located
and on board train again.
En- passant, 1t is no small undertaking
to take care or four lu0dred excursion
lists at meal time, and coming across the
plains and scarcely settled regions Of
Wyoming and Idaho, it was close hustl-
ing at times for something 70 eat.
Baker City isa thriving town OF some
eight thousand people surrounded hy a
good miuing country, as was evidenced
by splendid mineral exhibit in the
armory, which was visited in body by
the delegates, and at the same time the
occasion made one Of thanking the peo-
pie Of the city for their splendid hospi-
tality. 1t was Baker City which captur-
ed the prize at the Worlds Fair for the
best school exhibit, and the county Of
which it is the capital for the best fruit
exhibit.
Frnit in this country las IN fact all
over Oregon-is raised by irrigation and
! it was from Huntington to Baker City
that we first saw signs Of something
green beside grease-wocd and agebrush.
OF which we had seen but littIs else for
some 800 miles across Wyoming and
Idaho-nothing but seeming reverend
ling vast expanse Of liesolas n OF sand,
cactus and sage-bush-ln otter words,
the great American desert as II las been
written up and described tines without
number. But what makes the desert
waste OF sand, oD which a E;.ssian this
tie would dfoop its head beneath the
blisteriDg sun and pine away into ever
lasting sleep, on Which not enough grass
can grow to feed a iackrabbit, appear
tut luulG lcult1l hdU1t. 10 ~ IuA1 Wu1lp
nothing but the cactus, sage-bush and
the little bunches Of grease-Wood will
live, as nature made it, it will, when ir-
rigated, yield bountifully of the finest
fruit grown on the American continent,
and is now doing itin abundance.
This brings me to a point where !
want to say that it is impossible, within
the scope OF aD ordinary newspaper arti-
Gle, ur within series OF them, to give
lin detail the products Of Oregon in the
! way Of fruit, grain, and so on, even were
such statistics interesting tothe general
reader. Those to whom they may be,
can obtain full facts through other sour
ces, OF which the state has many
pamphlets newspapers and SO on. 1t is
rather the intention to write of these ed
litorial outings in way to interest the
casual reader only, and mostly with
l those little happenings and scenes large
" overlooked by the ponderous traveller
aud writer. 9. r. !.