Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-06-21
A TRIP TO MONTANA.
June 2, 1899.

ana every DOuv WISHED us d sale anu
happy journey The bell rang, the
train started and we were on our long
Journey to our new home in Montana.
We arrived in st. Paul at 700 o'clock
p. M, and stopped at the Sherman
hotel. We had taken through tickets,
but had arranged it with the agent at
DEBORAH to give US permission to stop
a couple of days in st. Paul. Tuesday,
May I'd was beautiful day, and ac
cordingly we had made plans for a
short visit in Minneapolis, to see some
of the beautiful sights. We stepped
onto the motor line which runs be-
tween Minneapolis and st. Paul. and
but a few minutes had elasped when
we found that we had landed in the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. city. In visiting a
city of this size you can take no COM
fort and see no sights in gezing from
the street, and my wife and l decided
to go to The court house and from there
view the city. Arriving at the court
house, permission was given and we
took the elevator to the fourth story.
We were still far from the top, and
had to climb just 464 steps before we
were able to reach it, From here you
can see goodly portion of the city,
and feel well repaid for your trouble.
Having looked as long as we liked, we
descended, and took trip to Central
Park, to see the Ole Bull monument.
1t is certainly a beautiful piece OF
workmanship. From here we went to
the business portion of the city, and
took in the sights of few factories.
Guaranty Loan & Trust building is no
midget to my notion. Thirteen stories,
| think, constitute this building, and
three elevators are running continual
| ly. Before leaving Minneapolis we
had the good fortune to shake hands
with Mr.. Foss, composer of the famous
story, "Husmandsgutten," and also OF
meeting his partner" Mr.. Lund.
Wednesday we proposed to see lit
tie of st. Paul, but as luck was, il
happened to rain, and we barely got a
peep at shoe factory, where shoe is
turned out remarkably quick.
On the evening Of May Sd we left st
Paul. We rode all night, with little
sleep now and then, and i'm the morn
ing we arrived at Ada, Norman
county. The day was before us, and
we had an oppo rtunity to view the
country. Some fields around DEVILS
Lake were covered with water, and
consequently the farmers had left their
seedes, etc., standing in the middle OF
the fields. In this vicinity, especially,
the farmers seem Indifferent about
their machinery; binders, mowers, etc.,
are left to the mercy of wind and
weather. In North Dakota the land
is flat and the country seems lonely. 1t
is certainly sequestered place. The
northwestern part of Dakota was
covered with snow as far as the eye
could reach, and here and there one
could catch a glimpse of little forlorn
shanty. The shaggy, Sinking form of
a wolf was also seen. AS / sat there
gazing at the country, Dy-gone thoughts
flashed in my mind, and / thought of
the time, fourteen years ago, when
crossed the great Atlantic ocean. Then
there was nothing but heavens and
water; here there was nothing but
heavens and snow. When we left
DEBORAH, the grass was three inches
high, and here the snow was two feet
deep. 1t was indeed a remarkable
change in climate, considering the dis
tance we had travelled. A freight
train at Minot, a little town in Dakota,
had jumped the rails, and resulted in a
general smash-up, piling the cars pref
ty much in one heap.
Friday morning, May 9Th, saw us
goodly ways in the state of Montana,
and we now and then were able to
catch glimpses OF the mountain peaks.
At noon we changed cars for Great
Falls. Here. at Havre, the snow was
three feet deep, and the passengers
found great pleasure throwing snow
balls at each other. On Friday evening
we arrived at Great Falls, where we
stopped until Saturday.
On May 9th we arrived at our future
home, and met one of my friends of by
gone days, Lars Nasset, at whose
home we have stopped for two weeks.
This gentleman is owner of $50 acres.
/ also met James Merritt, with whom
/ got acquainted at Ossian, Iowa
With greetings to friends and rela-
tives, / will close. PETER NAssE.