The state herald., 1903-01-30
LETTER FROM wAsalNGToN.
View, Washs ! Jan., Ie, I

View, Wssh- Jan, 10, O5.
EDITOR OF THE HERALD:- - Hsi
As promised to write % s,tew Of my
friends and found it too mucbof . Job,
I will beg space in the HkaAInto write
to all at once. We lsft York, kbb., 1t 1
o'clock, q. M, on The 18th day ef Hspt.
and arrived In Portland, Ors.,. on The
10th, about noon. We cara 70 Eaosntss
that afternoon on the bost, sisspee, We
had moe trip and saw some Hns assa.
cry In tho Rockies, On, hlolh ws
climbed the eastern slops Of shS 1fekies.
The train was composed of eleven coech-
ss and two engines. We crssssa soms
OF the worst places ever es 4 or want
10 sss. ws.could sit IL 'ag-s' aS s..!- agd
SEQ six coaches and the engines, the
curves were SO short. Then we would
run out on the trestle work that would
make fellow cit light go as not to be
so heavy. When ws reachsd the sum-
nit Of tho mountains, the heavy engine
was taken of aud then how we did 60
down the other side INTO Butte. We
could see the mines all around. Though
We were In this city but few minutes
We could see it was place of business.
Tho next morning we arrived at Spo-
kane, about SIX O'Clock. We were delay
cd here three hours owing to q wreck
uhaad mo. s,var aorna ~ tbn o;k,,
The's sre some fine buildings there. The
streets we're 30 clean and all paved as
far as l went, Though early as 1t was.
the buainess was all astir. The railroad
buildings here are fine. We crossed the
Cascades IN the night 80 did not get to
see the horse shoe ss We came down.
We went through ono tunnel in the Cas-
cades one mile and half long. Went
through nine altogether. Our car WAS
full whom We got on but We were the
only ones in it from Seattle down. There
is lois of business done in Portland but
it has very dirty streets for q big city
aud hosts Of Chinamen. didn't know
but what l had got over INTO China.
There are lots Of ocesn vessels loading
here all the time. Some Of them take
the railroad ties that are saved here to
China and other countries i saw one
loading flour. The sacks vent IN off OF
a roller one after the other, about like
frogs jumping into pond. Portland is
not on the Columbia a. thought. 1t
10 several milss up the wilamstta. At
Kslama the train crossed the Columbia
on ferry boat. The train vas cut In
three pieces and run onto the boat side
by side. Here We had but nine coaches,
but all OF them md Two engines were
taken across ut once. The capacity Of
the boat was sixteen coaches and two
engines. There 10 some fine timber
here. The trees grow SO straight. They
are about two hundred feet high on an
average, and are from two to four feet
few smaller and some larger.
! Saw one tree eleven feet through. The
timber is larger mp around the sounds
The saw-mills here are tie emills. They
don't make much lumber, ties being 20
cents apiece this season. In saving up
a log, 1t il stabbed down till |, will make
ties, and the slabs are burned up. Some
Of the very best lumber is wasted IN this
way, but IL does not pay the mills TO
handle the lumber. Gull ties can be
bought for 8 cents each. They are
used here for posts. There is not as
much gram raised here ~ expected to
dno. Gram is shipped in for the teams
at the mills. The worst drawback l
have seen IL the roads. They are awful.
1t takes u good team TO pull 1900 pounds.
It spoiis day 10 60 To town aud back,
only AZ miles. II rains . little every
day or nearly 30. 1t has not frozen over
two inches this winter and only one or
two nights. have not seen hat full
" snow tbis winter, only on tho snow
peaks. There are four mountains cover.
I'd With snow, which We can SEQ from
here. This timber could not DO gotten
out OF hero II 1t wasn't for The rains.
They furnish water for tho ilumeA. We
have an 10 aero place. There ars over
two hundred fruit trees on 1t. Apples,
egg plums, cherries, prunes, pears,
grapes, goesbsrnes and blsck-
There srr twspt. i,s acres Of
heavy timber, thirty live acres cleared,
the rest pusture. We ars we'll satisfied
so fur and !! dom, want any more wind
and sand. sm mskiss cord wood, l
can put up two cord dsy. We get e.
aud s..25 cord for II. Hopes srs high
here. A good team weighing twenty.
riRht hundred will sell Tor 500. Good
rows bring $40 but most tbinss n farmer
buys arc cheaper hero than at Holyokc.
We havo had two weeks Of ilos weather.
A little frost, mornings, but bright sun
shine through tho day. ] S-e by the
uEaALD, that RroHt clearing snls In of
aud new proprietor has charge.
Respectfully,