River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-12-04


fields with gun and dogs. The
geese come in clouds, and if the
fields were not thus guarded there
would be small crop next season.
For a change | took a sea voyage
from San Francisco to Eureka, two
days journey. The steamer was
small, the Pacific rough and | sick.
Oh, sea-sickness is just awful, that
is all. l cannot describe the feel
ing. No one can. would not have
cared if the boat had sprung a leak
and gone down as l leaned over the
rail. | wondered how many sets of
teeth lay at the bottom of the ocean!
I'm thankful it is over. No more
ocean rides for me. l came back
by stage and blackboard through
the great redwood forests. For
while we rode on the ocean beach,
as smooth and nearly as hard as
asphalt pavement 1t was a pleas
ant drive, the large waves breaking
and chasing up the beach. In some
places we would be two or three in
ches into the water, but through
the forest it was rough riding,
Dumping over the large roots of
those great trees. We came to but
few settlements. All was wild as
nature could be. saw several
deer and one old bear with two
cubs. All got out of our way as
fast as they could. These redwood
forests are now all being gobbled
up by 1umbermen, largely by Wis
consin men. saw no numbering;
that is carried on farther south, and
it looked to me as though the 1un-
Der could never be exhausted. Mile
after mile of trees, from 100 to 200
feet high, and from 2 to 81 feet
in diameter. AS we came out into
the c1earings we passed a colony of
poor people and their shiftlessness
was shown everywhere. They are
from the southern states, tall and
slim. Their homes, so-cal1ed, were
not fit for a stable. The women,
tall and poorly clad, chewing a
snuff stick, would gaze at us. They
reminded me of dried up mullen
stock in sheep pasture.
Last Sunday I was in Santa Rosa
and had the pleasure of meeting
Mrs. Major Burnett and Mrs. A.
Cox. Mrs. Burnett went with me
to call upon Mr.. and Mrs. Barnett
and Mrs. Perley. River Falls was
properly discussed, but | found that
through the JOURNAL they keep in
touch with you all, which l had not.
If you knew with what interest and
appreciation the people who have
moved away from River Falls peruse
the local page of the JOURNAL, you
would realize that your efforts IN
gathering the news are highly esti-
mated. 1t is always the first page
looked over and talked about. Mrs.
Burnett gave me several of the lat
est issues of the paper and found
great pleasure in looking over the
home news. Our acquaintance
here from River Falls are all well
except Mrs. Per1ey. She is obliged to
use crutches and moves about with
difficulty. To see the chrysanthe-
NUNS in Mrs. Major Burnett's front
yard is good for weak eyes. Some
are so large they could not be put
into quart cup. There were also
roses, jasmines and many other
plants in bloom, a sight we never
see even in summer months in Wis
consin. I met many who once lived
in River Falls or have friends there.
At San Jose I met Mrs. ]. Lord,
who had just returned from River
Falls, Mrs. N. McGregor and others.
On this trip l did not meet Miss
Foot, who used to teach in the Nor
NAL, as | did not go to Redlands,
but on the last trip / had the pleas
ure of meeting her and she intro
duced me to many of the four hum
dred there, all of whom had good
word for her. | found that she was
the boomer of the beautiful city.
The day came away she insisted
upon my seeing the city, SO we took
the electric car route and before |
thought of it she had paid the fare.
We had a very pleasant trip and
when, on returning, went to pay
the fare | found that she had the
start of me again. | am quite sure
this was the first time l ever went
to ride with lady and she pay the
bills. Miss Foot footed" all the
biKs.
Nv route for eight or ten days is
to be in a mining section where
have never been. AS l look from
mywindow and see the snow-capped
mountains where l am to go, it
sends a SILVER all over me. While