The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1900-07-20
Mississippi Press Association.
Excursion to the Northwest. Chicago,
Omaha. Salt Lake City, Manito,
Pixies Peak, Denver, Wards Mining
Camp, Georgetown Loop, Silver
Plume, St. Louis, Etc.

We boarded our train at Jackson.
Miss. Thursday, June q. 1900. bound
for Chicago, over the Illinois Central
Railroad. BY "we," l mean about
seventy.hve persons representing the
different newspapers published IN
Mississippi. We were domiciled In
tw0 Pullman sleepcrs. and soon began
to feel very much at home, AS we ex-
pcctcd those sleepers t0 be our abiding
places fnr the tw0 weeks NJ our timer
acy. At Chicago we had Il warm re-
ccption from members OF the type
boundaries 0f that place. who were
profusc in their attentions to US, but
the clerk Of the weather turned cold
shoulder our way. and winter clothing
felt quite comfortable. After spend.
ing Il part OF two days In the Windy
City. AS guests Of the Palmer House,
we again took possession Of our tenn
porary homes, about 6 o'clock Satur-
day afternoon. and the next halt we
made was at Omaha. where we spent
most Of the day SUNDAY. Those who
wished to do 50 attended church serv.
ices or listened to the Salvation Army
on the street. after which we were
rendered "a trolly ride and took In the
principal places Of that beautiful city
Here we felt, for the first time, that
we were getting away from home. as
we now left the |. G. II. r.. which was
TO the most Of us like an old familiar
friend. and were taken charge Of by
the Union Pacific Railroad, which
carried US over the same route that
was traversed by the gold seekers In
lS49. What a wonderful change since
then. In less than forty-eight hours
we were carried, in perfect safety,
through country that fifty years ago
required several months for the wagon
trains to make the journey, and was
bcset with dangers on every hand, and
where hundreds of men, women and
children were murdered and their
bones left to bleach upon the desert
plains. We Travelled most Of the day
Monday through Wyoming, and then
we first saw the snow-capped noun.
tains. though at a great distance. We
passed through long stretches OF coun'
try that was almost barren OF vegita.
tion of any kind, only now and then a
scrnbby tree could be seen, which
seemed to he struggling for existence.
Stock raising is the chief industry OF
that country, and every few miles you
see "A little house hid under the side
Of the mountain. and herds Of nurses
cows and sheep is all that one sees VI
show that the country Is inhabited at
all. However, we will not judge that
State by what we saw In passing
through it, as we were told by Gov
| Richards, who joined our party a few
hours before reaching Cheyenne, thai
there was not a poor.hOuse in the
State. though he did not say there
were no poor people there. We were
told that we would pass through sopt
gorgeous scenery that night, but lM
sure l cannot testify rs to the It'll
Of it. The next sun smiled upouk III
close TO Salt Lake City, and we reached
there in time for breakfast Tuesday
morning. The stranger tonnst Il
FIRST attracted to the great Temple ol
the Mormons, but the exterior View Il
all he will ever get, as none but mem
bers Of the Morm0n Church OF goOt
standing are permitted to invade III
seclusion. 1t Is to them the holy q
Holes, and there they believe God re-
veals His win 10 their f. hets. Th'
Temple cost betwee~|three and fou1
million dollars, and was forty year
being built. The Tabernacle 10 opel
4 N times to strangers. Its ssatiuI
" ~ ~na