Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-09-19
Letter From Earl Harris.
Enroute, Sept, IA, 1901.

The total distance the tourist travels
in making the trip from Missouri Val.
ley, Iowa, to Portland, Oregon, is about
$500 miles, and to give an adequate
description of the country traversed
requires the ability of a person far
more gifted than myself.
AS the train rolls on, varied are the
sciences and sights the tourist sees.
Leaving st. Paul in the evening we
travel until late the following after.
noon through the productive wheat
region of the northwest. Then comes
the rich grazing lands of western North
Dakota and eastern Montana The
northwest, speaking of the region in
its entirety, is a region of great land
marks Some of them made famous
by the blood of men; some by the great
deeds of men, and in many instances
by the inimitable hapdiwork of ma
ture. AT Mandan, small station in
the western portion of North Dakota,
we set our watches back one hour, this
is Mountain Time, and again at Hope,
Idaho, we strike Pacific time, which is
one hour earlier than mountain time.
1t requires three nights and three
dogs to make the journey from St.
Paul. the greater portion of the trip
being through scenery unexcelled.
The greater portion of the country
traversed during the first portion of
the trip is across land covered by the
debris of the glacial age, then on the
second day comes the scenery of the
Rocky mountains. When l awoke
yesterday morning and after passing
through the customary ordeal of bat
ting the top of my head off. on the
bottom of the upper berth, looked
for the first time upon the snow cap
ped mountains. 1t was early in the
morning and the mists of the matinal
hours were just ascending from the
villages, just so one could only see the
dim outline of the base of the noun.
tain, then slowly, as an artist would
draw the curtain from favorite piece
of work, the mists ascended, and just
as the first streams of the morning sun
peeped from distant peak the noun.
tain burst forth in full view. the sun
light glistening among the millions OF
snow flashes on the mountain as
1 though in q bed of diamonds.
4 Talmage, Moody, and many Others
of the ministerial class are noted for
their power as exponents of the great
commands, but to me nature can
preach sermon far more comprehen.
slve and lasting than any word pic
ture the mouth of man can draw. A
great man has said. there is Madonna
IN every piece of rock, ifone only know
where to chip of piece of stone and
where to leave. Assisted only by
erosion nature has reared an everlast
log monument, to perpetuate tn,
power of the Great Architect
Our train has been travelling through
the most desolate ofregions for severa
hours past. honestly believe whel
q lbriel announces the announcement
of this great experience he will have
to resort to generous use of a power
full fertalizer before he can raise thu
dead in this district. We expect t.
reach Portland tonight, you will please
excuse the brevity of this, but in oul
party are several school MANS who
are enroute from their eastern home.
to the wool and wildly west, to teacl
the uncivilizad aborigine that it is
very uncultivated to remove person!
scalp lock or indulge in many of thu
practices said to be characteristic OF
the westerner. Will write from Port
]. land Maybe. EARL.