Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1904-09-20
come to the train to sell the fruit.
| got the porter to get me few Of
each, they were large, luscious and
delicious.

kOb Tue pOrUer 10 get me lew VI
each, they were large, luscious an6
delicious.
Dusty travelling.
ALI Saturday forenoon we travelled
through this sage brush country and
although the porter was very solicit.
Gus about our welfare and brushed
our clothes and busted the seats re-
ligiously and frequently, yet / am
quite sure it will take at least a week
to entirely free my self of all this
dust and not until we near the Cas-
cadeS do we find a change. Near
Ellensburg, the Cascades are in sight,
and we begin the climb which takes
all the afternoon. This is delightful,
all through this region, trout are
abundant in the streams and often we
can see them jump up out OF the
water as we go whizzing by. The view
from the car is magnificent; we wind
in and out of the mountains all after
noon, often we can see both sections
of the train at once and seem to and
do 60 back and forth over the same
ground. The climate here between
the Rockies and the Cascades is hot,
but evenings are cool they say.
The Cascade region is rich in gold,
silver, copper, lead and quicksilver,
some of the mines in operation could
be seen from the track.
l imagine, if person lived in one
OF these mining regions or in the sage
brush country they would come forci-
bly, in contact with the "wild and
woody west," but going to a modern
western city you would Of course see
nothing or at least very little of it..
Eastern Slope Of The Cascades.
A few miles further on is Easton, at
the foot of the eastern slope of the
Cascades. Here the railroad begins
to ascend on a standard mountain
grade of 116 feet to the mile. l will
not attempt to describe the beauty Of
this region for no words of mine could
paint mental picture 1for yon any,
thing like the original. We are now
in the tunnel region of the Cascades
and nearing the Stampede tunnel, the
second in length In the United States.
We are told a wreck occurred in here
a few days previous and to make
matters worse, just as the train was
about to enter the tunnel it came to
a sudden stop. The conductor sitting
opposite me said, something had
happened" l was afraid to ask what,
but soon found it was nothing serious
and we moved on. We were
five minutes going through; for the
first minute the gas was very bad, but
after we reached place near the
middle of the tunnel where it was
do Hn grade, we didn't notice any gas
and the Pullman conductor opened
the windows. The air was delightful
The conductor informed us that on
one trip through this tunnel an old
man was overcome with the gas and
died on the train from the effects OF
it.
Now there is perceptible differ.
ence in the air, it seems so light, cool
and refreshing. The views are per-
fectly magnificent all through here.
On the western slope of the Gas.
cades we come to Hot Springs, beauti
fully situated in the midst OF the
mountains and in the picturesque
valley of the Green River 1851 feet
above sea level. The resort looked
thoroughly modern and conducive to
good health. In such spot one
would surely forget to be sick.
A little further on we glided by a
spot over which went into raptures.
1t was a typical mountain home
located somewhere about 200 feet
below the road bed and a cool noun
tain stream flowing directly in front
of it, shut in by mountains on all
sides. The family stood in the yard
watching the train 90 by, the only
sign of human life they see the year
round, presumably. 1t would be real
novel to remain in such picturesque
spot for week to learn what real
western life is like.
We are nearing the end of our trips
end at Auburn we must leave the
Pullman cars and take branch line
of the Northern Pacific to Seattle
It is growing dusk and as we come
into Seattle twilight is settling down
on the town with its 100000 inhabi'
tants and very little can be seer
except faint glimpse OF the Sound
Here wes must change again fol
Everett and as our train was five
hours late into Seattle, find there il
no train over the Northern Pacific t6
Everett until morning, SO decided tt
buy new ticket oyer the Great
Northern which left in five minute:
for Everett and thereby end N,
journey sooner. Hence ] arrived iI
Everett about 9 p. M, Saturday aftel
living for three days and three nights