Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-11-21
CHICACOOF THE WEST
Seattle Thus Characterized in Let
ter from an Ottumwan.
]. M. MURRAY WRITES ABOUT TRIP

He Describes Journey Through States
Of Wyoming, Idaho and Washington
Interesting information Concern.
ing the Western Country.
J. NJ. Murray, of North Clay street,
who recently went to Seattle, Wash
ington, on a business trip writes of his
travels to friends in Ottumwa in
most interesting manner. MT. Muir
ray arrived in Seattle Wednesday, Oc-
tober 80, and in a recent letter speaks
of the prosperity which is everywhere
manifest throughout the western
country One of the places of espe-
cial interest mentioned by Mr.. Muir
ray is the city of Rock Springs, wy
oming, with it's immense output OF
coal he also mentions the marked
success of the agricultural pursuits in
Idaho and the energy and hustle of
the people of the city of Seattle caus-
es him to call it the Chicago of the
West.
Seattle, Wash, Nov. 2, 1901.
! will endeavor to give you a de-
scription of my trip. / left Omaha
Tuesday night on one of the Union
I Pacific fast trains. | passed through
North Platte in the morning, about Z
( o'clock, western time. This is the
home of Buffalo Bill. From here on
west l amused myself by watching
the prairie dogs and jack rabbits. The
only way the rabbits could hide was
to get over hill as there was no TIM
Der as far as one could see.
Union Pacific Improved.
The Union Pacific has been greatly
improved within the last few years.
The road is now smooth and well bal
lasted with sand with which this coun-
try abounds. 1t is not like Des Moines
river sand looks more like granite
and makes excellent ballast.
In the City of Laramie.
reached Laramie, Wyoming, We'd
nesday afternoon at 1925 O'Clock, at
which place | stayed for two days.
Laramie is prosperous little town on
the plains. The State University is
located here and is quite a commo-
dious building. There is also in the
town a large rolling MILL which does
a very good business. While here
received a telegram telling me to go
to Seattle, Washington. which is about
1900 miles distant.
Over the Divide.
l left Laramie. Friday afternoon
reaching Rawlins about 6 o'clock in
the evening. 1t was a very pleasant
ride winding through the hills as We
did. All the afternoon we were in
, sight of large ssnow-capped noun
tain. l arrived at Riner Satur
day evening and spent Sunday visit
ing with Mr.. and Mrs. R. l.. Slower
r at Creston, a station house and turn
ing "Y" for coal trains, there is sigl
by the track, which reads THE Divide
of the Continent; water one way runs
to the Gulf of Mexico and the other tt
the Pacific ocean.
AS Seen Along the Way.
The next place of note is Rocl
Springs an extensive coal mining
! town. l am told that the inhabltant!
, OF the town and the miners numbe
, about $4,000 people and that the out
, put of the mines is upwards
of six hundred car loads of Goa
per day At Green river, division
point Of the road, stopped for abou
, an hour and a half and took suppe
, with Lee Davis, who was at one tim
an operator at Agency. About Gree
;, river as throughout all the west, tn
country is of the same barren nature
From Granger to Pocatello, Idaho,
S made the trip after night. From Pc
r catello to Shoshone tie country i
i about the same although l saw som
: very nice fields of alfalfa and man
l. small orchards.
u u The Snake River Valley.
: We travelled for a considerable dis
lance through the valley of the Snak
river and passed through many pros
porous towns and villages and coul
= see here and there an occasions
i dwelling place through the countr
with it's many indications of prospel
ity. 1t was to me one of the most pi,
O turesque, and from appearances seen
y cd to be one of the most fertile, va
e leys of the west. am told with r,
y gard to this valley that with adequat
y irrigation it is very productive r,
L gion. In Idaho l passed through m;
ny hustling and prosperous town
2 such as Glens Ferry, Nampa and Pa
J. ma.
u Farming in Idaho.
a. In the western part of Idaho thel
n seems to be great many more PEE
" pie following agricultural pursuit
,. than in other parts of the we.
h through which l passed. The onl
a difficulty there is in farming in tn
\ section is the getting of water upo
~ the fields at the right time. Durin
:, the day in which I was in this part (
a the state it rained quite hard all da
RI until about o'clock in the afternoo
"A In conversation with citizen upo
-, the train | learned that it was tt
-, first rain they had had for about eigl
months. However, he said that tn
year his oats crop yielded about min
ty bushels to the acre, the averas
crop in that country being from thir1
to forty bushels, and that the alfal
it made about seven tons per acr
Wheat, oats, timothy and clover see
~ to thrive in this country, but corn
- not adapted to the climate.
nj Into Oregon.