The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1902-06-19
BRITISH COLUMBIA.
The Gold Field and Other Pros
poets of Country.

EDITORS HERALDs The readers Of the
HERALD will no doubt be pleased 10
know your occasional correspondent
arrived home safe after long and
tedious trip up to and through the
northwest. On May Goth we took pas
sage on the Iowa Central through car
to ST. Paul and Minneapolis, as TINS
trip is made in the night there is
nothing of special to note further
than you are passing through a state
that has no equal on this earth tsee
statistics of crops) but you ind many
good and apparently sane people
whom think they have something
equally as good. it's best to leave them
to their delusion We found the Twin
Cities quite active in business way,
with many beautiful homes, the busl-
ness houses are considerable higher
than ours, but they are no wider nor
do they contain any more pushing Dusl-
ness men, in fact, they are too far on
to be competitors. We leave the Twin
Cities on the Great Northern Flyer
headed for the city of Spokane, Wash.
In this particular instance, the name
flyer was a misnomer, for they lost
>
train. However the movements of
trains was especially well cared for at
meeting points, made by orders hit
ing in like clock works, and it is safe
to say the Great Northerna has eff
cent and careful dispatchers. The
road-bed is in superb condition. On
this road you pass through the entire
state of Minnesota, North Dakota.
Montana, the panhandle of Idaho and
the State of Washington. The charac-
teristics and productions of these
states are generally we'll known, there
fore | will not dwell longer on the sub
ject further than to say, that in COM
parison with Iowa they are not in it
for minute. However you see enter
prize and push along the line.
Electric lighting seems to be hobby
with the people and you can see
struggling villages and some more
pretentious towns that have electric
light plants. | took occasion to ask
the prices at several places and in no
instance did | find the charges for
arc or incandacent as much as citizens
of Oskaloosa pay. Possibly We get
better article of the goods, or perhaps
nay your money and take your choice.
The great and burning question of the
beef trust induced me to look out for
the great herds of cattle. sheep and
horses that sections of the United
States is or has been noted for, but
large numbers failed to materialize,
though the frequency of small herds
would possibly in the aggregate make
big total. On inquiry the replies
were there were so many if not more,
cattle and in better condition than at
any period for the past several years,
and therefore President Roosevelt was
right in his move against the beef
combine. He should smite them both
hip and thigh. From Spokane we
took train on the Spokane Valley Ry.
and expected 10 go as far north as
Rossland, B. c.. but found we could
cut off many mics by disembarking
at the Ancient City of Marcus, one
hundred and three miles due north
from Snokane. Before leaving the
city of Spokane I wish to mention one
special feature | think deserves at.
tention. 1t appears that every man in
the town has a sale on hand or is
working up one; the great feature is
advertising in the larger hotels, the
Pacific in particular. Side walls are
covered TO ceiling with painted letter
signs. showing names of mining dis
tricts, names of the mines and much
other useful information, and what is
more the arrangement of ore exhibits
are really great. as well as the whole
combined is artistic and most
commendable feature of Spokane en-
terprise. But now we are at the an
cient city of Marcus. The Columbia
river flows past the town, also the
Kettle river empties into the Columbia,
but the great feature, and in fact the
drawing card of Marcus, is the Park
hotel-an excellent house we'll kept
and the genial boniface is the Onley
Marting of Maloney; by the way, a
national character of note now chair
man of the advisory committee of
the state of Washington for the demo-
cratic party AS bad as Mr.. Maloney's
politics are he nevertheless is one of
the best entertainers in the land.
We leave here on the new line known
as the V. V. & E. Ry, following the
Kettle river TO Russell, where you
find the ever vigilant revenue officers
who. without your leave or consent.
proceed to open your baggage in search
of contraband goods. | think from the
way the investigation was conducted
they took me for a diamond snug
gler, but as good fortune would have
it | had left all my precious valuables
at home, therefore had no adventure
of note. The U. S. inspector noted
tab on satchel, Oskaloosa, Iowa. This
seemed to hit him hard when l es-
pecially told him his Boss, Hon. L. M.
Shaw, secretary U. S. treasury, was
my friend. Why he almost kontraved,
but / soon consoled him by telling
him his job was o. X. AS fair and or
binary as the trip was up to this point
now your real excursion commences.
You here take what they call a stage,
a cross between a blackboard and a
jolt wagon, for Cascade then you can
arrange for continuation of your
trip in same vehicle to Grand Forks.
B. c., the junction of the Kettle rivers,
real live town; the location of the
largest and most complete copper
smelling plant in the northwest, with
capacity of about one thousand tons of
ore per day. Our arrival there was on
Victoria day and the town was in gala
attire, the citizens whooping it up
after our Fourth of July style, the
British colors taking place of the
stars and stripes We were here enter
tanned at the Winnipeg hotel, where
everything. from cellar to roof, is in
the very best condition with an ex-
cellent cuisine and sunherh beds L