Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1905-09-28
Across the Country to Washington.

Miss Erva Howard. writing to her fam
lily from Ellensburg, Wash, for which
place she started from here with her cous-
ibs. Thomas Howard and NJ. A. Rand. on
Capt. b. F. Bowman's excursion septem-
Der /, gives the following interesting de-
seription Of her trip and the town that
was her final destination:
"Eilensburg looks rather queer, COM
pared with Randolph, as Il has no nice
residences except few in which the own
ers themselves live, while the rented
houses are somew hat badly kept. 1t has
about 5000 inhabitants, most Of whom are
too busily engaged in the pursuit Of mon
ey and health TO stop to make things
slick. ! am eontented, however, and lind
the people very kind and good.
After leaving Montreal the night OF
Friday. September /, we rode miles and
miles through the forests to Toronto,
which We reached at 9 80 Ia the morning
and then sailed on 10 Windsor, crossing
the Detroit river to Detroit on a ferry boat
that carried the train Of Y cars and the
engine. Most of US went up on deck for
view OF the city, which was fine. The
next night We were in Chicago, and as We
came into the city two large buildings
were on fire. A transfer took us to the
Dubuque sleeper for more ride to Council
Bluffs, then TO Omaha, where We made
stop Of 80 minutes. The Mississippi was
crossed in the night.
1--WE arrived at Denver at 3 O'Clock
Monday afternoon and found rooms at the
Aldine. The next morning we went TO
the city park and beheld Indians, bears,
hufialoes, deer, eagles, wolves, badgers,
aud so forth, and took a 25- mile ride on an
observation car, seeing the greater part OF
the city, including the section where the
tuberculous patients live. In the after
noon we visited the capitol until time to
4 grh "a
Tuesday evening, aud we stopped there
long enough for lunch. At Green River,
beyond Granger, we changed for Portland.
sFor two days we had been riding over
barren, sandy soil, OF which no use what
ever is made. Perhaps six, or even fifteen,
miles apart we would see little settlements
OF few old shanties, store, station and
always a saloon. The people live in tents
or houses OF mud, those of wood being
hardly larger than pigpen. These settle
ments are seen all the way from Chicago,
living to within few miles OF the large
cities We passed camps OF Indians and
thousands of emigrant wagons stationed
along the r5ute. We stopped al little
place called Sterling for lunch and during
the short time We were there Mr.. tlsh
from Bethel, whom we met al White River
junction, had his suit case stolen and
could discover no trace OF 1t.
"On the Oregon Short Line, saw on the
prairie prairie dog, cotton-tail and wolf.
Through Idaho the sand was such as you
read ot-tons Of fine powdery stuff heaped
up worse than snow. We all looked like
mulattos; for it sifted In through the
double windows There were places
v here the sand had drifted to within six
or four feet OF the top of the telephone
poles, and sometimes it formed circle like
a basin, the outer edge from 10 to 70 feet
high, while the center was swept out
clean.
~ cannot begin to describe how beauti.
full some Of the mountains were, looking
like Grecian and Roman work, where
parts had broken off. Rocks that weighed
several tons would stand balanced on the
very SUBMITS. Through Colorado the
coal mines lie out on the surface IN differ
ent veins. Sheep and cattle ranches were
passed with hundreds Of animals in EACH
accompanied by the COW punchers and
herders.
aWe only stayed an hour at Portland
and then took the train for Seattle and
Tacoma and wound our way over the
Rockies to Ellensburg. Often, IN going
around the short curves, We could see al
the same time the engine pulling and the
one pushing our line Of cars. Three large
engines were required most OF the way 70
get as along, and some OF the time the
train would barely move. Once we saw
TWO OLneE tFhins uuuuEShr u tSSN hhofS "
on a different range. 1t was a sight to be
remem bered. Trees grow so straight and
tall the tops are hardly visible, and rocks
are too numerous to mention. There are
tunnels also-one three miles long right
through the craggy peaks. Some of the
time the engine pulling US appeared to be
20 feet higher than the one pushing, but
after we reached the top only one engine
was necessary.
ssIn Nebraska, an old conductor told us
that 80 years ago they used to have TO stop
the trains on account OF the buffaloes
being SO thick on the track, but none
swarm over the railway now.
"rhe land here, when it is irrigated,
grows everything without any fertilizer,
and this little poem hits pretty CLOSET
Little drops u water
sOu little grains u sand
Make 4 mighty difference
with the Western land