The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-07-15
E:dltor1al corresponaence

We struck the town at nine on the
evening OF the Glorious Fourth amid a
grand; illumination, the fzz of rockets,
the booming Of giant crackers. the con-
tinaous popping ofslittle ones, and the
general and spontaneous uprising OF the
natives. Instead Of landing the some
what travel-worn pilgrims from the ris-
ing sun at the station nine blocks away,
the editorial special train OF eleven Wag-
.ne.s, two big engines and baggage car,
was pulled into the heart OF the business
center within easy reach. and everybody.
turned loose without formality into a
mad sprinting contest for the best hotel,
and the best room in the house. We
reached Portland twenty-four hours be-
hind the schedule, due in.part to the very
heavy tram, and largely to constant de-
lays en- route. Tue state Of Oregon at
large does not propose that Portland is
going to be the whole thing, and after
entering the state it was one round Of
entertaining until we reached Portland.
It's a wonder that they let lis get here
at all.
The special train left Chicago on the
evening Of the Both ulto and reached
Council Bluffs for late breakfast at the
U. P. transfer. and 1t found the South
Dakota contingent already on the
ground. The special, known to all rail-
road men from the Atlantic to the Paci-.
fic as the Editorial Special, with a
clear track, and the best locomotives to
pull it--left the Bluffs at noon over the
Union Pacific with about three hundred
and seventy-fve people on board, which
number was soon swelied to four hum
.dred. With the two big locomotives,
baggage car and ten Wagner sleepers, it
made a train of over 1000 feet in length
and of course attracted any amount Of
attention all along the route, for no
other organization or association on the
continent travels with such a train, and
it carried only the delegates from the
eastern, central and southern states.
Most Of the New England delegates, as
well as thoss from Wisconsin and Mime
sofa, went out by northern route. while
those from the far west reached Portland
by routes most convenient to them.
The delegates to the National Editor
ial association of the United States are
elected from their respective assocla-
tions, one delegate for every twenty-five
members. The executive committee is
made up OF one member from each state
association. The National association
is as broad in its character as this coun-
try OF ours is big and grand, and politics
is an unknown quality, and strictly for
hidden. You will not even hear politics
discussed in the smoking compartments
Of the sleepers. The hardworked news
papermen who come from all parts OF
the Union to attend these annual meet
lngs, leave behind them all politics and
business cares and, aside from the SER
ious work III the convention hall, are out
for all the fun there is in it-and are
willing to pay for it. The best is none
too good, including special train OF
palace cars at an expense OF three nun
dred dollars q day for three or four weeks
at stretch, and they represent the high
est type Of newspaper men on earth
the best class OF country wesklies and
small dailies. Iquestion if train load
| Of men and women. representing any
society, organization or profession, could
equal In appearance the four hundred
who stepped OF the special at Portland,
the fourth OF July. Blamed if it did not
make one feel proud to be among and OF
them.
The Union Pacific is the genuine, orig.
inal, blOwn-in-the-bottle transcontinen.
tai line, and a ride over it, especially
Through Nebraska, is a pleasure. The
road-be is perfect and at this time Of
year the country is at its best. The road
4 follows almost exactly the original trai
OF the fortv-niners as they slowly drove
their plodding OK teams across tho ther
desert sands toward the golden -CalifOr
Inia Mecca. Then all was desolation ex
cept the bunch grass which fed countless
4 thousands Of buffalo and antelope, ant
1 the cleaning silver Of the waters Of th
. Platte which felt its way along the bot
4 toms OF the desert sands. Now, all i
changed and thrifty farmers live on th
old trail from one end Of the state to th
other, the farms in the eastern part be
J ing under the highest state OF cultiva
i ton, while in the western portion th
land is given over mostly to stockraisinf
We stopped at North Platte, half wa
acrosstne state for supper and about ont
!, third of the population came down
! the beautiful station grounds to look I
/ over during the two hours it was nece
eary to remain there to dine. This !
/ the home Of Buffalo Bill, Ills ranch beiD
just outside the city limits north of tt
track, Next morning found us at Raw
. lins, in southern Wyoming, where "
! breakfasted. The town was named aft
Gen. Rawlins, Gen. Grants chief OF stat
, and is the center Of the sheep and catt
. industry. In nconversation here with
= nice looking young fellow who bore IL
manners Of a college bred man. / inc
dentally dropped the remark that we 4
. Brnle county handled sheep-in sma
way-ourselyes. When he afterwar
!, . mentioned certain men in Rawllns WI
counted their sheep in tlocks of 1000
. aud upward, was satisfied that to
q, the simple truth; that we actually d
W handle sheep IN a small way;
: We were now in the country Of t
Z. cactus and the sage bush, the genui
American desert, AMI it wasa long til
between drinks. VA turned into Q
9, berths supperless with the exception
~ what little stuff eatable we happened
" have with us, and it was not until
ward ten o'clock next morning that
otr,, ~, .,ten}fl ar,nnfy of onv5 ivpuprfnp