The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-01-02

| WINDOW, nau plenty OF Lme TOT COnl-
parison and reflection but these | leave
for the readers to guess at and discuss
when no better subject is at hand. We
arrived at Harwich at $3.50, at which
time the steamer connecting with the
train was due to sail for Esbjerg, Den
mark. After having slowed away a
hearty supper, smoked cigar and re-
tired to our stateroom we made such
necessary preparations for the night as
| knew the weather outside the harbor
warranted. The North Sea never was
favorably inclined toward me, and it is
fact that the very thought Of this
sheet OF water at any time makes me
feel like going to bed; so we cleared our
cabin for action and heaved to for the
night, expecting to beg half across the
North Sea before getting up the follow
ing day. Ever since we arrived | had
heard the steady clanking Of machinery,
but at first paid no attention to it, now,
however, / wondered what it meant and
why we did not move. | knew the
steamer was ready to sail even before
our arrival, but / was tired and soon
fell asleep, never dreaming Of any dan
ger. When | awoke early in the morn
ing that steady and regular working of
machinery still went on and we were
still in England. This aroused my sus-
picion, and determined to find out what
was the matter / went on deck. Here
encountered the first mate and upon my
| inquiring why we were still in Harwich,
was informed that there was slight
trouble with the machinery and that it
soon would be all right, but this reply
| did not satisfy me, as there seemed to
be something mysterious in the whole
proceeding, the men hurrying back and
forth, grimy and besmirched, and was
almost certain that the pumps had been
working all night. | now went forward
and spying an old tar alone in the bow
Of the ship put the direct question to
him why the pumps had been going all
night and if the boat was about to sink.
Taken by surprise he probably forgot
his orders to keep mum and said that
the boat was "all right" but that there
was fire in the coal-bunkers which
started the day before. This was GER
tainly pleasant and reassuring news; /;
| fire in the bunkers and the ship about
to sail went to the captain and asked
him if he intended to put to sea with
fire in the coal bunkers and the wind
blowing gale outside, but he assured
me ti.ere was no danger whatever, the
| fire was under control and at any rate
it did not require more than % hours to
make the voyage, If all went we'll. We
| now went down to breakfast but all l
could consume was cup OF coffee. The
steamer now cast loose her moorings and
we were soon out on the fourth stage
of our journey. A hard east wind was
| blowing and the sea ran pretty high,
which together with the danger Of fire
breaking out in the coal bunkers, made
me wish we had stayed in Harwich till
the next boat went. Presently, how
ever, | felt "that tired feeling" come
over me which spareth few and deadens
all other feelings, whether they be of
sad or a joyful nature. After several
liberal offerings intended to appease
Neptune, rolled down the stairs and
tumbled into my "bunkn without
thought Of my toilet; didn't care
whether my hair was parted in the mid
die or on the side.
After an hour or so my wife ca me
down and made her entry with con-
siderable less dignity than l did, tri-
umphantly declaring that she stayed on
deck. longer than / and was now salts
fed to rest on her laarels. For 27 hours
the steamer pounded against the heavy
head sea, never slackening her speed
though sometimes thought she would
split. Now and then We ventured up
on our knees for minute or two to look
out Through the portfolios, and strange
to say it was not without a feeling OF
glee we saw staunch boat tossed aside
by some particularly large wave as
though she had been toy, but soon
she would again regain her course and
as they attempted to block her way.
We passed many vessels, mostly North
Sea fishing smacks, laying to with small
sails and dragging their heavy fishing
apparatus. At O'Clock the following
day land was sighted, the low, sandy
and bleak west coast of Denmark, and
the wind blowing off shore the sea
smoothed down, which circumstance
we were not slow to take advantage of.
| was soon on deck and thanked the
Lord that was again permitted to hold
my head erect and able to look my fell
low beings in an ungrinning face. The
steamer was soon thereafter at her dock
and we went ashore light hearted and
jubilant that the last big water was
crossed and that we were again on terra
irma. The North Sea had once more
proved his boisterous character-as
though such thing was snecessary-and
yet, when we look back at our expert
ence on this trip it is neither with fear
nor trembling, and we should not hesi-
tate moment to embark on the same
boat, -. G. La Cour," any day. She is
elegantly and comfortably furnished
and as on "Lucania" there are many TO
do your bidding. At Esbjerg we went
through the custom house more for the
sake of formality than anything else,
for when | told the officials that we
were on our way to Sweden, not even
question was asked.
Esbjerg is a small seaport town on
the west coast of Denmark. The houses
are well built of brick, the streets smooth
and exceedingly clean. 1t exists on fish
and tourists, and | was told the latter
are always found to be more tender than
the former, though seldom cooked. This
sldtCAiCnb UCllCNC dtlCI my
own experience there. There was
train about to leave shortly after we
arrived, but as it was a mixed freight
and passenger train we concluded to
wait till midnight when the 'flyer" left
for Copenhagen. In the meantime we
drank coffee and smoked excellent cigars
which cost two and half cents apiece,
and yet they were equal in both quality
and quantity to those we pay "bit" for
in ''the States," but we were Americans
and had to be plucked in some way and
the 'Great Danes" chance came when
| paid for the lunch. AS we yet felt like
anything but eating a hearty meal, |
ordered some bread and butter, cold
meats and milk and for this they
charged one dollar per person, though
ordinarily twenty cents would be a big
price in Denmark, but there is no
teacher like experience and the next
time | travel in Denmark it shall be in
the guise of a plain Swede and not an
American. At 1910, midnight, we left