The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-03-27
TRIP TO OREGON.

j. W Briggs Describes His Trip to Oregon
in q Way That Will Answer Good Many
Questions.
EDITOR UNION: AS considerable in
terest is now conferred on the Pacific
coast States, perhaps your readers may
be interested in an account of what I
saw on trip to Oregon, from which
returned on March 5.
I spent four weeks on the trip, start
ing on Tuesday morning, Feb. 4, via
the Great Northern railroad. The first
days ride was through Minnesota and
Dakota, with which all are familiar.
The prairie gets somewhat monoto-
nous, especially toward the western
part of Dakota and eastern Montana.
Through this section we saw large
bands of horses and herds of cattle
running at large; some herds must
have contained five hundred head.
After noon we were told that we were
going up grade all the time, but we
would not have known it otherwise;
the train ran from thirty-fve to forty
miles an hour. Toward night of the
second day, could see mountains, but
it was dark when we reached them, SO
I did not get as good view as I wish
ed; still could see that we were pass
ing over some very rough country; in
many places could distinguish deep
chasms on one side, but on the other
arose the steep side of the mountains.
We reached Summit, the highest
point on the trip, at $40 p. M, and
then commenced the down grade. AS
1 had berth in tourist sleeper which
cost s., I thought would make use of
it, and went to bed shortly after leav-
ing Summit, and saw nothing between
there and Spokane.
I arrived at Spokane at q. m. on
the 9Th, and had few hours in which
to look over the city. It is nice place,
from which fine view of some low
mountains can be had. "Old Baldy'
was covered with green trees at the
base, but was capped with glistening
snow. saw Harry and Frank New
ton; they seem to be doing a good bust
ness. Sumner johnson also is there,
but I did not see him. Everything was
covered with snow, but the weather
was mild. Some were using wagons
and some used sleighs. The Great
Northern is building a new brick depot
and was just finishing the cupola, the
top of which is about one hundred feet
from the ground. Carpenters were
getting from SO to 81 per day, and
brick layers about S..
We left Spokane at 3:45 p. m. What
[ saw of the country between there and
Portland, was billy; what they call foot
hills. I saw some farms and quite q
number of orchards on the hill sides;
the houses were built on the side hills
too, but the farms were in small val
leys. In places the farms followed one
another thickly; in other sections GOV.
cred with scrawny pine, cut over, there
were no farms for mile or more.
arrived in Portland at a. M, on
the 7th, and spent two weeks in and
about the city. It is a beautiful city,
somewhat resembling St. Paul, with
its narrow streets near the depot and
the turning of others to conform to the
bend in the river. The surface of the
ground is much the same, too. In paw.
ing they use both wood and stone. In.
stead OF snow, as at Spokane, found
the ground bare and rain falling in
Portland. I had been told that the
Grand Central was dollar-a-day house,
so I went there for dinner. I had what
they called clam soup; a Chinaman
took raw clam and ran through q
room where water was boiling, and in
this manner it was made. I didn't see
the clam, but paid 81 for the dinner
and found other quarters.
In Portland the grass was green and
flowers were being planted. They had
a little snow there this winter for the
first time in years; it soon went off.
The stores and saloons are open Sun
day, and the only difference noticed on
that day is that the churches are also
open.
| visited the park, which is on the
side of hill about 400 feet high. In
the first section were geese, ducks and
swans, in pond; little higher was q
seal, in pool of water, with ice; then
came eagles and several kinds of for.
eign and native birds; then came
prairie dogs, foxes, badgers, opossums.
Near the top was a hole twelve or
fifteen feet deep, stoned up, in which
were a grizzly and two black bear, to.
gether; there were several kinds OF
deer and antelope. A California noun.