The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1903-02-27
IN WASHINGTON
A Wagon Trip I'm that State
Made by Former Grant
County Lady
Block House, Washington,
E~ II 1Ong

| hi DO"lIlCs hliodlh ~. Icy DCdl
Sir:-As we are nicely settled at
last, | will write you describing our
trip to the Y akima Valley.
Leaving Block House October 10,
at p. M, we went round about
way to Goldendale, passing for the
first time our present home, making
the remark that if we could get place
like that we would look no further,
little dreaming that it was to be our
| future home. We arrived at Pleasant
that night about o'clock. We asked
passing farmer how far it was to
| Pleasant, he replied about four rods:
| looking ahead we saw dilapida lated
| building about 14x2O with the yard
full of pigs; however we made up our
minds that if they would keep us we
would have to stay. The post Office
and tiny store is kept by a pleasant
old gentleman, who crossed the plains
with an OK team in AT. He spent the
evening telling us interesting tales of
his journey and early incidents of the
country.
Early the next morning we started
for Cleveland, about 30 miles. Our
genial host telling us we had come
over as bad roads as we would find.
| We first went through picturesque
cany on, the road being mostly shaded
with pine and oak, then across Oak
| fat along beside the Columbian hills,
then coming to Rock creek, a harm
| less looking stream on the map, but
! such banks We travelled ten miles
to make two straight miles, and such
hills and roads cut out of the side of
hills, just wide enough for one team.
Having no brake on our rig we tied
| the wheels and then was almost afraid
to ride down, but thinking "where
man has gone there man can co. we
kept bravely on. Just as we reached
the bottom of the canyon we heard a
racket behind us, and drunken man
was coming on the galop. We gave
him the road: how he ever got through
that canyon alive is more than | can
see.
We ate our lunch in the bottom of
the canyon and after a short rest we
started up the other side, and such
hill climbing. We walked a good
share of the way and were thoroughly
tired out on reaching the top, and yet
there were some nice farm houses in
the bottom of that canyon, and some
fine orchards too, but it must have
been work of time getting them there.
After leaving Rock creek we came
across a nice level prairie country
extending to the east as far as we
could see. This is great wheat
! belt.
We passed Dot post Office and a
| fine church and school house. About
two o'clock it commenced to rain and
kept on until we reached Cleveland at
four O'Clock, wet through and tired
out with our long hard climb. We
put up at the first hotel. They soon
had rousing fire in big fire place
where we spread our blankets and
wraps to dry. Cleveland is a pretty
little town in the edge of the timber.
The next morning we started for
Mabton: they told US it was about
twenty miles, but it was nearer forty
such miles as we were used to, but as
every thing goes on big scale here
| suppose the miles have to match the
rest. We passed through Bickelton,
a neat little town on the prairie three
miles from Cleveland, and then we
were fairly on the road to Mabton
At the top of the glade, wide, deep
ravine, we saw the first finger boarC
we had seen in Washington. After
crossing the glade the country road
| Is IOuS IdSU dloSl
hill about one half mile long we were
in sight of the Yakima Valley.
thought of Moses of old looking of
on the promised land. 1t was a fine
view, TO the southeast as far as the
eye could see, which is long distance
here, stretched a wide level valley, We
could see several towns and in the
distance a train: we could see long
distance to the northwest, and or
looking across the valley we cOulC
see the orchards and small greer
patches which turned out to be alfalf;
fields around and beyond Sunnysid'
sixteen miles away While to th'
north of us forty miles distant
arose old Mt. Adams in all it
majestic grandeur After enjoying
the scenery few minutes, we again
tied the'wheels and started down th
hill, it being so steep the road zigzage'
all the way down, then on across tn
horse heaven country, though why
is called horse heaven is beyond me
as we could see no water, and tn
entire country being covered wit
sage brush, with a few stragglin
spears of grass scattered among tn
brush. The road here was one chuc
, hole after another, the wind havin
blown the light soil out in places, an
piled it up in others.
Sage brush country is the mos
, desOlate looking country imaginable
The brush is about the size of larg
gooseberry bush with very disagree
able pungen odor.
} After travelling eight miles throug
. sage brush we reached Mabton, o
the Northern Pacific at three o'cloch
where we put up at Japanese res
taurant. The Japs are better cook
| that the Chinese, and the restaurar
was nice and clean.
, The next morning we started O.
9 across the valley, crossing th
| Yakima river on a fine bridge Fabor
t one half mile long.
[ On our way to Sunnyside mile
from Mabton, after crossing th
Yakima and leaving the reservatio
, we came to clearings where the sag
3 brush had been grubbed out and SOW
! to alfalfa. After that we passed SON
, fine orchards and alfalfa fields wher
the hay stacks are actually in th
: way.
IL