Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1900-04-11
BIGEL0W'S LAST LETTER.
AN INTERESTING SERIES CLOSES.
He Describes His Trip Home via the
Great Scenic Route A very Pleas
ant Journey Throughout.

iASt liIk l<OS kAt1EClSS Il VIII
messed a very exciting race. 1t was
the closing of a sixteen hour bicycle
race by fifteen professionals of national
reputation. They rode two hours each
night for eight nights, and fully 10000
spectators were present at the finish.
The riders were from nearly all parts OF
the country, but my favorite was
Stevens from Iowa, of course, but he
couldn't quite get there. Mcfarland,
of San jose, CAL, was first; Freeman,
of Oregon, second; liver Larson, (not
from Decorah) third, and Stevens,
from Iowa, fourth. Three hundred
and sixty-four miles in sixteen hours
was the record of the fastest riders.
The race came off in what is called the
velodrome, which is one-fifth of mile
in circumference. did not enter for
the prizes, as have not rode wheel
since the lean mems picnic, when Jake
JewelPs maple trees yielded such enor-
NOUS quantities of pure MiisOdukee sap.
The first attraction north from Los
Angeles was an olive orchard of 1000
acres, next the San Joaquin and Sacra-
mentO valleys, both very rich and
beautiful. The northern part of the
State seems to have had more rain than
the south and looks much better to the
eye of q farmer. In Southern Cali
fornia they are experiencing their third
dry season, and it is matter upper
most in conversation with everyone,
Many preachers have prayed for rain.
and even real estate agents have spared
a few moments Of their valuable time
in harranguing the tenderf00t about
what immense fortunes can be made
by buying Of them, to talk about more
rain. Some preachers have asked for
just an inch or two more rain, and the
Los Angeies Times wonders why they
did not pray for six inches when they
were about it. Some fifty miles west
OF Sacramento We passed within few
feet of the first gold mine ever saw,
and from that ON through Nevada,
Utah and Colorado we saw a great
many gold, silver, copper, lead and
coal mines, some being worked on a
large and some ON a small scale, and
some being merely prospect holes.
Coal does not seem to be as plentiful so
far as has been discovered as i'm many
other parts Of the country. We saw
where year or SO ago a coal mine
caved in and killed forty miners and
as we came along further we saw a
geyser spouting water 100 feet high,
and where the golden spike was driven
in 1869, it being the last spike to con-
meet the Atlantic and Pacific by rail.
We passed through forty miles of snow
sheds and over what is called the Great
Continental Divide, two miles high,
where the water on one side runs
towards the Atlantic ocean and on the
other side towards the Pacific. Further
ON we came to the Royal Gorge, 284O
feet high, go feet wide, and ; mile long,
nothing could be seen on either side
but rocks of all c0lors and beautiful be-
yond description. 1t would seem as
though nature had planned this gorge
expressly for railroads to run through.
Nothing ON the route was SO grand and
magnificent as this. Railroad COM
panies may not always be strictly reli-
able in their advertisements, but in
calling this great scenic route they tell
no lie. A lava bed formed by q vol
cano was no little sight by all on the
train. We went through several tun-
nels but we soon passed from darkness
to light. A ventriloquist i'm our car
caused great merriment by making
dogs bark, eats fight and women
scream, because some one was kissing
them. We had good view of Salt
Lake but 1t was cloudy and so nearly
dark when we reached Salt Lake City,
Pixies Peak and Colorado Springs that
We saw but little of them. We had a
good car, good company, the railroad
company treated us well, and we all
enjoyed the trip. Two of our neigh
bors were a missionary and his wife
from Honolulu, the latter a native of
that portion of the United States. She
was probably going to Washington to
see how she liked her new uncle.
Another neighbor was very brilliant
and highly. educated middle aged lady,
a school teacher for many years i'm
Colorado. She showed the greatest
and best judgement in agreeing SO well
with me i'm politics when she said she
voted for Bryan and should again.
She was ON her way to Boston to visit
friends a while and was then going to
the Paris Exposition but said she
should be back before election. | have
passed through eleven states and terri
tories and have endeavored to give you
as accurate an account as possible from
what have observed and learned by
inquiry. / feel abundantly well paid
for the trip and believe that anyone
who will do the same will never regret
IT. And | will now bid you adieu.
H. A. BIGEL0w.
THE census enumerators will be
easily distinguished, for they will be
required to wear badges. These badges
will be made of German silver, san
inch and quarter long by one aud
five-eights of an inch wide The shape
Is that of a shield surmounted by an
eagle, and across the face of the shield
xui ~. 49,, x.o.l., .tIT.,tt.,l Gt.t.. g..