The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-08-17
Vancouver B. c.. Aug. 5, 1902.


peaceful waters of the mighty ocean of
the Occident and see the ships coming
in from China Japan and Australia, it
makes him feel like he has busted his
SHELF and begun to see the world. Then
to be here among people who talk of
running up to Juneau. Nome. Dawson
or other Alaskan cities that we asso-
ciate with gold mines and icebergs and
dangers and distances interminable, very
much as we speak of going to Richmond
or Washington, makes this an interesting
place to me. The topography of the coun-
try. too. is very different from any I've
ever visited, FOR here are inlets and bays
and CULTS and straits, meandering among
towering mountains. planted with gigan-
tic fir and cedar and many of them capped
with perpetual snow. The intervening
water is more of a light green than
blue, and | know better what the poet
meant when he talked of Where the
green Multnomah wanders''-and here,
as the tide GIBBS and flows, it rushes in
and out like a mill race at the narrow
places. Yesterday / saw a steamer that
had to make two attempts before she
could buck the current and pass out
into the bay, and this is some sixty miles
from the ocean. The scenery here, too,
is unique. From some elevated points of
view might, If younger, call it enchant-
ing, enhancing, in fact I might do SO
now were 1T not these viewpoints are so
plentiful they are common and the mind
becomes stated, cannot fully enjoy the
best for its view all the time.
Off to the north yonder is a succession
of capped peaks that remindd one
of the wintry blasts that will ere long
come bowling down from "Nenataskas'
Shore driving everything freezable to
cover. 'Tis true, they tell me here, they
don't have very cold weather in winter
or very hot in summer. l haven't made
any inquiries, but LIN reminded that
down in Wyoming an old gentleman was
telling me of the nice weather they had
in winter. Why last winter, he says, there
We're only two days it was cold enough
to wear coat. His next door neighbor
was a doctor and 1 asked him about the
winters. Well, he said, for three months
in the year the mercury oscillates be-
tween ten and thirty-five degrees below
zero, and last winter it was so d-n cold
a man couldn't keep warm by the fire.
Here, too, / hear them talking about
snow waist deep; SO it seems sorter
mixed, and I'll stick to the land of tar
and sand for awhile.
The truth is. when the wind comes off
those snowy peaks now it makes it I'M
comfortably cool for me; still these peo-
pie are talking about the intense heat,
the dreadfully hot weather, etc., all OF
which goes to show it depends on what
you've been used to. I've taken a stroll
or two out in the woods and it was
astonishing to see the rank growth of
rxlo tho
~e my idea of tropical than arctic
scenery. Glover, timothy and other
grasses grow as luxurantly as if indigen-
Gus and where the large timber has been
cut out you car see fair crops of red or
white clover growing in the woods. Rasp-
berries, blackberries, which here grow
on a vine, and other small fruits seem
fairly plentiful in the woods. Every
where among the timber and on cleared
land, alone or mixed with other growth,
is found fern-like weeds, something like
we find in dark, damp. rich spots along
the streams in our country. A strange
thing to me about the forests. with all
their wealth Of verdure and plant life,
/ saw no birds or animals of any kind,
nor heard noise OF animal life. such as
would be heard in the forests at home,
save and except the noisy squawking
crows-they are in evidence everywhere
here; they are the buzzards of the
North, protected as We protect turkey
buzzards, as scavengers. While the soil
is rich, the trees large and vegetation
rank there did not seem to be anything
like the variety of either weeds, trees or
flowers we have The crops here, too, are
limited no corn. but wheat oats. hay
and fruit are grown. In the gardens
they have the finest potatoes imaginable;
their lettuce and radishes are just get
ting ready for the table; they have
peas, beets, carrots, turnips, cucumbers
and other vegetables in season. From
the window where l write you can see as
fine a grape vine as one could wish. but
the fruit never natures, so of the tomato,
frost always catches them. Flowers they
have in profusion-roses that would set
you and Col. Savage wild grow in the
front yards. the crimson ramblers, or
something like them, were in their glory
when l came; then l see petunia, fuch-
sias, gladials, asters and others, but
the two and most constant and abundant
are sweet peas ard nastustimus, these
seem to be in every yard and of all
colors. I've seen few If any towns in
which the front yards are more nicely
kept than here. The town is laid off in
squares, or rather parallel ograms, and
there is a narrow wagon way through
each block that gives access to the back
without going through the front yard
and by this means all wood, coal and
merchandise is delivered, so there are
no driveways through the front yard, ex-
cept it be the mansion of a rich man
who has his porte cochere. Then
there is abundant turing and
green grass and with good water
supply and Chinese labor those of moder-
ate fortune can keep things in order.
The Chinaman does for these people
what the negro does for us. and he is
just about on the same plane here that
the negro is there Except this is a
higher type of civilization and don't
burn him for infraction Of law.) The
Chnaman gets half or less than half as
much for his work than the whites. They
are paid about $1.00 per day, while white
labor gets from $500 to $3.50 per day. I
don't think the Chinaman is employed
on any public work. not even as street
sweeper. at least I've never seen them