The Forrest City times., 1899-09-01
Baker City to Portland.

There seems to the writer, when he
thinks of the recent jaunt to the Pacific
Northwest. to be no stopping point in
asdescriptive write-up. Every place
at which we stopped was genuinely
hospitahle. and we were surfeited with
kindnesees and courtesies. 1t will
take year, at the rate we have been
writing--two columns per week-to
flush the story. This might grow
tiresome to mary, and we shall there
fore try to close these articles next
week or the week after if we can do so
without seeming to be unappreciatiye
Of the many good things of which all
of our five senses conveyed most en-
joyable sensations.
Baker City was the last place men.
toned, but we cannot leave it without
some further comment, which it richly
deserves
The Baker City people gave the editorial
party a cordial reception, and pleasantly
impressed upon the visitors good i,tea OF
the mineral resources Of Oregon. which
was revelation TO most Of them, who had
vague idea that the state had no mineral
resources. The enterprising part ut Bak-
er City's population met the party at the
depot. brass band doing its part toward
noting The arrival. The chamber OF com
MERGE had arranged matters in advance.
and the entire party OF visitors was escorted
TO the leading hotels and restaurants and
RECALLED with good dinner, a special feat
ure of which was plentiful supply OF
Oregon fruits. The party then gathered
at the armory. where six tables, each 100
feet long. were covered with one Of the
best mineral exhibits ever seen in the
Northwest. On the tables were 600 fine
specimens OF quartz, each containing gold
worth SIS to $25. There were two gold
bricks. each containing $4,000, from the
Red Roy. and two from the Bonanza
mine, recently sold to j. ID. Rockefeller
for $500, 900, and $1,000 worth OF spec
mems from the Great Northern mine al
Canyon City, and nuggets and gold dust
from Eastern Oregon placers, The ex-
hibit was made up Of average specimens
of quartz. The complete collection had an
actual valuation of 100000, and was an
agreeable surprise to the visitors, who thus
had their eyes opened to a realization OF
some of the sources Of Oregon's greatness.
There were few pithy addresses by the
president of the chamber OF commerce and
others, and the visitors left Baker City
with vivid recollection of having seen
much glittering gold, fresh from Oregons
mines, which are as yet In their infancy.
One Baker City mother, whose home is
hear the armory, robbed her garden to
give bunch OF roses to each visitor as
the guests passed her dooryard.
IN THE GRAND RoNpE VALLEY.
When the editorial special train reached
the eastern end of Grand Ronde valley,
General Passenger Agent Hurlburt had il
pause for 10 minutes to give the excur-
slonists view of the picturesque valley
below, A stop was made at La Grande.
and the train backed out into the sugar.
beet field, asd to the beet sugar factory
the La Grande Commercial Club presented
each visitor with souvenir vial of Ore
g0n sugar, tastefuIly tied with an attract
I've ribbon, and attached to printed de
scription of sugar beet raising In Oregon
Citizens Of La Grande presented the trair
with 500 pounds of strawberries and II
gallons of cream.
The train left La Grande at 1850, ant
the run up the Grande Ronde river ant
into the heart of the beautiful Blue noun
tains was delightful one. At Meacnan
station on the summit bOuntiful mea
was served by Grandma Munra. and it:
many excellent features were surpris,
to the visitors.
This is where, as my daughter Dori
expressed it, when relating her pleas
ures to friend, they killed over 30'
fried chickens. " We are not fond O
chicken, as rule, but somehow W,
managed to devour one whole bird a
this festive board, and our friend
Richardson, of Mississippi, made i
one better by eating two. That hun
CRY crowd of editors certainly erjoye.
the results of the good mothers super
vision of the evening meal.
Colonel Pat Donan, the well-knowl
traveller, in acknowledging the merit
of this one of Oregon's rest attractions
says:
One of the daintiest and most uniqu
railroad eating houses in the world owe
its existance to the taste and genius of Tn
Oregon Railroad Il Navigation Company
1t is an ideal, old fashioned. log cabin
standing at Meacham, in the heart of tn
Blue mountains, in Oregon. amid scene
as picturesque as ever gladdened the eye
and the soni of artist or poet-thc cabil
itself blending in romantic harmony witt
its surrounding. 1t altogether forms
fit theme for brush or pencil, and has al
ready become favorite target for all trav
cling kodak snap-shotters. 1t is manage,
by "a lovely, white-haired. old lady. who i
known all over the Pacific slope a
"Grandma Munra," and never had s.
quantity charming place filter guard
an angel. Cabin, tables, linen. china, sill
yer and glass are all the exquisite perfec
ton Of neatness and cleanliness, and tn
cooking is as dainty as that of the dainti
est old-time private family. A much. trav
eled Chicago lady said the other day
" The meals got at Grandma Munra's
were perfect dreams-with no nightmar
In them either" In the rough-hewl
structure. and its epicurean menu, tn,
ruggedness of the frontier. and the re-