The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-07-22

RU LIE COJTNT TY, sou
Editorial Correspondence.
Portland, Oregon.
In my letter OF last week dropped of
at Baker City, this state, with the edi-i
torial excursionists In the hands OF the
reception committee enroute to Portland.
! After bidding the very nice people Of
Baker City goodbye, the train pushed
out for points beyond, reaching Meacham
for supper at the LOG CabiH," an eating
house presided over by Grandma Maura,
a motherly old soul known all over the
Pacific northwest. She was so delighted
with the party that she went along with
them to Portland, remaining there
throughout our stay. Though we'll
along in years her widows veil cover
ing curls as white as the SHOWS Of her
mountain home, yet her heart is as
young as ever; and it was q picture to
see her skip around among the excur-
sionists as light as feather, or hum
ming bird from flower to flower.
Before reaching Meacham the train
stopped a few moments for a view from
the side Of the mountain. along which
the road runs, OF the Grande Rounde
yalley-one of the most beautiful pastoral
views on the continent. The valley is
in the highest state of cultivation, the
sugar beet largely predominating. and
there is evidence OF thrift everywhere.
From this point ON to Portland rail
fences instead OF wire were seen on all
sides, instead Of wire so generally used
west of the Mississippi and reminded one
very much of the far east-seemed
homelike.
We piled out Of our berths next morn
| ing-the morning Of the coming
into Walla Walla, and to reach it left
the main route to Portland and ran UP on
line Of road to Spokane. The people
Of Walla Walla insisted upon our coming
and as delay of several hours would
make pleasanter ride down the Colum-
bia in the late afternoon, those in charge
of matters gratlfied them. The citizens
met us at the station with a brass-band
and carriages for the ladies and whirled
US up town in hurry, where the entire
party was quickly distributed to the
hotels and restaurants and given a nice
breakfast. Walla Walla is a town Of
some 5000 people, old and we'll built
one of the very best towns in Oregon
and containing many wealthy and in
fluential citizens.
We left this point at 10 a. m. and an
hour afterward struck the famous Col
umbia Cor Oregon) river at Umatilla.
The Columbia river was discovered In
May, 1892, by Captain Robert Gray, in
the ship Columbia, Of Boston, and named
for his vessel. It is the Amazon OF
North America. Ten miles above its
mouth it is nine miles wide, and some
distance above it is seventeen miles wide,
with Its tributaries it drains mighty
empire Of 100000 square miles-while
the entire area Of the United States east
Of the Mississippi is but 875,0 900 square
miles. From its mouth between Oregon
and Washington, to its far away sources
in Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and British
Columbia, its resistlpss floods from the
melting mountain SHOWS pour through
an endless succession Of scenes, which
Include all that is wild, enhancing, pic
turesQue and beautiful. Ten mile:
above the mouth Of the river is Astoria
the chief seat OF the Salmon canning
/ industry Of the United States. Th,
great canneries and fleet Of 800 fishing
boats are of interest to all tourists ant
will be written Of later.
From Umatjlla. 1877 miles out Of Port
land, down the Dalles, run OF 10
miles the ride down the Columbia l
interesting and decidedly disappointing
to those who have heard so much of tn
famous home OF the salmon. 1t is ex
actly like trip down the Missouri
q nothing but sand, sand, sand and th
!, water is like that of the Big Muddy
: Here are seen for the first time by tn
eastern tenderfoot sand fences. littl
i fences about two feet high put up i
sectional lengths OF twenty feet, one be
!, hind the other. five or six feet apar
4 along the sand hills or hummocks
. keep the sand from drifting on th
q track-exactly as snow fences are pt
q up on the prairies. As the sand piles u
> on the fences they are lifted out an
q perched on top until drifts Of ten fet
thick are piled up along the river an
the track. For the wind blows in Or,
r gon, and coming across the state an
o the first one hundred miles down IL
e river, we found plenty Of it and dirt an
: sand until the Dakotas seemed a 70.
IS garden in comparison. In fact, we sa
it coming out, plenty Of towns and million
a Of acres Of territory which made Sout
q Dakota appear beautiful and go,
e place to live.
it Werolled into Dalles in the middle
4 the afternoon, where the Commerci
le club had prepared splendid dinner
N spring chicken, salmon, the finest
I'd homegrown fruit and so on, and aft
r the long ride all hands were in splend
fix and humor to enjoy it, This live
little burg had originally made arrang
Il ments to entertain the entire party
he 500 for supper and breakfast next nor
ve ing, but delays enroute- already bel
= nearly "a hours behind prevented.
II they made us happy while we stay
os and bid us God speed and a happy til
of when we left. It was at Dalles we {
it, our first sight Of the heather Chinee
re. any considerable number and reali,
al by their presence everywhere that
as were approaching the denser populat
tie Of the Pacific coast, where John Chi
me man is thicker thin mosquitoes i
COW pasture. OF course the almond-e.