Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1902-05-02
ACROSS the CONTINENT
A LITTLE SUMNER GIRL DESCRIBES
HER TRIP.

The following letter was written by
little Sumner girl TO her teacher and
school mates and is published by their
request
SEATTLE, Wash, March p, 1902.
DEAR FRIENDS AND TEACHER
We arrived in Seattle Tuesday night
and took the boat for Port Townsend
at midnight and arrived there We'd
nesday morning but found that Brooks
was in Seattle and had TO go back
again.
We left Grand Haven Thursday
night, March u, and got in Chicago
Friday morning, remaining there un-
Til ll:30 p. III We crossed the Missis-
sippi 10 the night and awoks just in
time 70 see it. i should think IL was
three-fOurths OF mile wide, and over
If anything. 1t was very muddy with
two or three islands which we crossed.
AS we passed through Iowa we saw
corn stalks with the tops nipped off
and cribs Of corn about eighteen or
twenty rods long. The Cornfeds are
very large and the trees are scatter
ing.
West Of Tama, Iowa, there is lake
caused by a natural flowing well COW
ering go acres. a short distance from
there is an Indian reservation with
] "A haut "A HCyan
round and fiat and covered with a
grass mat or bark. The children are
dressed very thinly and the Squaws
were dressed the same as you see them
in pictures.
Near Dewitt, early Saturday morn
ing, We stopped in the woods and
picked up young man with both legs
cut OF. He had started from school
TO 20 home. There was no passenger
80 he got onto freight train and tell
of.
We passed ranches with many horses
and cattle. We passed through a
/ town In Nevada where there was a
/ tile factory with three or four large
/ round tanks filled with red clay or
stone.
The buildings in this country are
! low, generally one story. The trees
are planted in rows on the west side
50 as 10 break the wind i'm storms.
Five miles or so west OF Boone.
Iowa, we crossed large bridge
! over the Des Moines river. 1t also
crosses large valley which is ls7 feet
deep and three-fourths Of mile long.
| The railroad below looks like a toy
-
slope Of the valley. They looked like
little boys about as large as Ashley
LaPaugh. The river locks smaller
than the Pine.
Saturday, March II. at 4 p. III. we
came TO place near Council Bluffs on
the east side OF the car where the
| bluffs or high hills came very close TO
| the track and when looking up you
can just see the tops. The Bluffs are
ridged in most places and in some
| places they are straight up and down.
| There are great many dug outs in
the cliffs.
Sunday, March -, about a. N. we
were passing the Great Plains and otl
in the north about one-half a mile
there were more hills with rocks com
ing 70 the surface, and a great many
have crumbled and rolled down the
hill We passed through a tunnel
about one-halt mile long The rocks
came close TO the track and we could
not see at all.
! When we were coming through Or
egon, at a place called The Dells, there
were four falls, the American and
Brides Veil being the principal. The
| last was 700 feet high and between
/ fifteen and twenty feet wide. There
are many other small ones flowing over
/ the rocks on the sides OF the noun.
! tains. Where these falls were, the
mountains were SO high aud close to
the track that we could not see the
| tops. On the other side close To the
track was the Columbia river.
After we left Portland we crossed
/ the Columbia river on ferry boat.
! The train backed up close TO the
water and the boat was fastened close
70 the dock so it was Just like running
on a plain track. They divided the
train into two parts and ran them
onto the boat and away we went.
Grace and | went out OF the car and
watched the water. IL rains a good
deal here and the flowers are In bloom.
Brooks went TO Lake Washington a
! few days ago and brought home some
wild flowers.
Your Friend,