The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1903-03-06
FROM ROBERT ABEL
A Letter Telling Of his Trip to the North
west and Present Conditions There.
Pendleton, Oregon.
March l, 1908.

March /, l9O3.
Editor Republican,
and friend of mine, Mr.. Brewer,
left Lewiston, Utah, for Walla Walla,
Wash, Saturday morning, Feb. 2sth.
We drove to Cornish our nearest
station on the main line of the o. S.
l.. The train was due at $50 in the
morning. Mr.. Brewer called for me
and / tumbled out of my warm bed i'm
state of Inconsistencies. slipped
my clothes on, bid the folks hurried
good-by, and left for the station. We
arrived there in safety, although
we nearly froze in the attempt. The
operator, bless his thoughtful heart,
was kind enough to leave very good
fire before he retired for the night.
We managed to find lantern and
lighting it we viewed our surround
ings. We tried to wake the agent so
that we could procure tickets before
train time but all our efforts proved
unavailing so VIC tagged the train
and started on our journey. We
arrived in Pocatello at 500 a. m. At
$3.50 train left for Huntington but,
as it was not through train we de-
cided to lay over in Pocatello and take
No. /, the fast mail train. We ate
breakfast at the Opera House res
taurant and then proceeded to visit
places of interest i'm the town. We
met Eddie Quick who was one of the
pitching staff with "Stoney's Infants"
last summer. Mr.. Quick has signed
with Portland for the coming season
and leaves for that city in a few days.
Pocatello is very quite just at present.
We visited the railroad shops also, but
time forbids me discussing the various
pieces of labor saving machinery with
which these shops are equipped. The
large travelling crane and the steam
hammer are conspicuous and leave a
great impression on the mind of the
ingenuity of man. These shops are
considered the largest between Omaha
and the Pacific coast. We went to
the station and found No. marked
on the train bulletin as being eight
hours late, being due to the Union
Pacific blockade in Wyoming caused
by snow. 1t finally arrived however,
and we again started on our journey.
Just before we left, a freight train of
about forty cars of corn arrived in
Pocatello bound for the starving sheep
on the winter-range between Pocatello
and Glens Ferry. Each car was
placarded from the Cleveland Commits
sion Co. Great anxiety is felt by all
the shcepmen if warmer weather does
not soon come.
Thousands of eastern people are now
taking advantage of the homeseekers
rates now in force on the Hartman
lines. On our train were two special
emigrant cars. Our chair car also
was loaded with men, women and
children. We arrived at Nampa
about daylight and we were greatly
surprised to find that the snow had all
disappeared although it is yet quite
cold. Colonel Dewey has erected a
magnificent hotel here. 1t was opened
a few days ago and most of the Idaho
legislature attended. Supper was
served which was an elegant affair.
A dance followed after which each
guest was presented with bottle of
fine old wine, the bottle being stamp
ed with Mr.. Dewey's picture and
name, making very interesting
souvenir. From what / could
learn, Baker City is very lively now.
At Sumpter, on the Sumpter
Valley Narrow Guage controlled
by David Eccles and Mr.. Nibley,
a new smelter is nearing COM
pletion. Thousands of head of cattle
may be seen between Baker City and
La Grande feeding on the hay which
this beautiful valley produces.
The children on our car were now
all thoroughly awake and nearly all of
them being supplied with mouth
organs made my mind revert to the
Pied Piper of Hamelin, where in
speaking of the noise made by rats it
is said: "They drowned our speaking
by shrieking and squeaking in fifty
different sharps and flats" We arriv-
ed at La Grande about IL o'clock and
started on our climb over the Blue
mountains. We noticed great deal
of timber cut and rolled into the river
waiting for the spring raise to float
the logs down to La Grande. We ar
rived at Meecham which is the sum-
nit of the mountain. The helper
which had helped us up was now de-
tached and we started down the
mountain to Pendleton. At Meecham
1920 feet above sea level there was
about , feet of snow, We rolled down
the mountain and feasted our eyes on
| the bp1utiful scenery AC soon aS NUa