Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-06-08
LETTER FROM OREGON
HENRY E. COLLIER, OF THIS
CITY, WRITES OF INCIDENTS
ON HIS RECENT TRIP.
REPUBLICANS LEAVING MISSOURI
Deceived as to Distances in That
Country objects Afar Appeared
Near-The Young Attorney
Highly Pleased With
the Outlook.


"oo keqaoeeou W y HFcot many ok my
friends TO write them when / located.
/ promised some / would do as re-
quested and told others that I would
write Q letter to the LEDGER and they
all could read II, for l knew every
body read your paper. Now, l hope
no n will conclude that I think
everybody who reads the LEDGER
cares to hear from me, for such may be
far from true; In fact, many might
have cause TO stop the paper IL It's
columns were often taken up by such
matter.
There wer several who left Mexico
on the am day and train that / did
Ed. Collins, Ed. Botkln and o. O.
Hammerly. We were all Of good
cheer, more for the benefit, I suppose,
OF each other than for ourselves. We
were all starting toward the "setting
sun" for the first time, and, Of course,
felt an interest In each other, for we
all realized that we would soon
be regarded as "tenderfeet;" 90
we rendered each other comfort while
it could be had. Collins, however,
stopped over for a few days in Kansas
City and Botkin left Us In Colorado.
We were sorry to be deprived OF their
company, but told them they would
not have 30 far TO walk or 'sbum''
back to Missouri when they got
"broke" as we would. When we told
Botkin goodbye at Canyon City he
expressed regrets that he could not 60
the rest Of the way with us and said
as he opened up his ''grub basket
"There, boys, take what ! have left;
il you run short, you can feed your
faces' on this for awhile" AS we
were laid over several times on the
way, the contents Of the basket came
in handy. Hammerly and / remained
together until we reached UmatilIa
Junction, on the Columbia river, from
whence he went TO Goldendale, WASH,
and / to Spokane, Wash. Twas almost
as sorry to bid him good-bye as l vas
TO leave home, for we had been to-
gether all the way, and, OF course,
formed quite q friendship. We prom
ised that we would 'fkeep tab, on one
another and II we should "get on the
turf" not TO give each other away, at
the same time hoping that such would
not be our luck; we then shook hands
and parted.
When we reached Kansas City We
found that there was nearly q train
load In the same notion that we were,
via: TO leave the "River OF Muddy
Waters" and 20 10 whore the earth
and sky seemed 10 meet, from there
on to "the land where the red man
lives' and still follow the trail Of their
much missed friend, the BUFFALO, but
since they have gone on to the ''happy
hunting grounds" they must con-
tent themselves for the present
with q chase OF the coyote through
the bunch grass; but when they still
hope to walk the ''slipery log'' over
the River Styx and join again with
their friends and have an old time
chase.
One thing l noticed vas that 9 vast
number that was leaving Missouri
were Republicans. As ] learned this
1 thought to myself that they were
leaving the land Of "discouragement''
and going to the country of "possi.
bility." OF course after we got &C.
quainted with all In the coach we had
a fine time. It would take too mucn
space for me to relate the many
things that took place from first to
last; but there was one couple, q
young man and his lady, on the train
that attracted our attention. They
boarded the train at Kansas City;
they were very smooth looking, still
very pleasing in their appearance.
They had nothing to say to anyone,
nor did they talk to each other, but
took up their time looking around.
By the end Of the second day, as they
were still as quiet as ever, We began
to wonder II they were lost, where
they were from and where they were
going. Finally my curiosity got the
control OF my manners and ! told 3
young lady that l would go up and
make their acquaintance II she would
come along aad help me chat them
tor awhile; 10 this she agreed. After
we got them started their converse
ton was very interesting. We found
ont that they were from the southern
part OF Missouri; that they we're Just
married; that neither OF them had
ever been away from home, neither
had they ever before been on the
cars. They we're going 10 Oregon
where they hoped TO make friends
and money. After we left them
don't think they spoke again during
their journey.
1t was amusing TO see how badly
we were deceived rs to the distance
the mountains we're from us when
we reached Colorado. We we're ell
on the lookout for Pixies Peak; I'm
ally her old white head came In sight
At that point she did not appear to be
more than about 0 or 10 mites away
, The conductor laughed at us and said
1t was about so miles over there. !
had no more questions to ask, but
: kept my head closed and adopted
the plan of elooking." One Of the
boys said the coach did not look to be
more than hall Its usual length and
was afraid to get up out Of his seal
for fear he would strike his head
against the top OF the car. When
we changed cars l was very careful
where 1 went. / vas even afraid 10
step over q horse track for fear
would fall into q hole over my head
I When We reached the Royal Gorge
we found there the road was very
. crooked; In fact,the curvature was &C
4 great in places II seemed as II the en-
, CINE was coming back down BY thu
side Of the coaches. In one place q
lady, who was standing on the reai
end Of the train, said she thought thai
the engine was close enough for hel
to kIss the epgineeri she was agAiI
foolad a. 10 distance. The engineel