The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-09-29
Enchanting Scenes in The Noun
tains; Points of Interest.
Incident of the G. A. R. and w.
R. C. Meetings.
From Saturdays Daily,

d. Fritz, who has been spending the
past two weeks in Denver and Colorado
Springs:
I'VE left St. Paul on the morning of
Sept. 2nd, over the Chicago and Great
Western railroad on a special train
known as the official OF headquarters
train of the G. A. K. and W. r. C. II
was elegantly equipped with Pullman
slepers and chair cars and everything
possible was done for the comfort and
pleasure of the passengers. There were
eleven coaches comfortably filled with
Minnesota people with the exception OF
one coach which started from Fargo
\. d., and carried the department of,
fcers and members of the Grand Army
and Woman's Relief corps of that state
Commander c. F. Macdonald and
wife of st. Cloud were of our party
and the Commander spared no pains in
looking after the needs and comforts of
his official family
AT Omaha our train was switched
onto the Union Pacific tracks and we
spent Sunday in crossing the plains of
Nebraska. At North Platte we saw the
home and ranch of Colonel Cody, better
known as Buffalo Bill of Wild West
fame. For many miles we followed the
Platte river which is more than mile
wide in places but perfectly dry. We
questioned the conductor who boarded
the train in that part of the state, as
to the cause of this, and told him that
was not the kind of rivers we had in
Minnesota. He replied that the people
of Colorado had stolen all of the water
for irrigation purposes. Later we learn
ed that the state of Nebraska had tried
to get an injunction on the state of
Colorado to put stop to the drainage
process, but the people of Colorado de-
clare that the river has its source in
their state and is watered from their
mountains and they have right to the
precious fluid if they can corral it be-
fore it gets away.
1T has been customary for number
of years for those on the official train
to hold a religious and patriotic serv-
ice when travelling on Sunday. There
were several fine orators on the train
who gave very interesting talks. Among
them were Commander Mcdonald Sen.
ior Vice Commander Judge Pierce of
Minneapolis. Junior Vice Commander
Barrett of lie Sueur, Ex-Governor Van
SAINT, Capt. Henry Castle of Saltwater,
Col. George Whitney of Wadena, Past
Commander White of Luverne. Mary f.
Plymat, department president of the
Woman's Relief corps, Mrs. Lodusky j.
Taylor, past national president of the
W. r. c., and several others. The
speech making was interspersed with
the singing of patriotic songs.
Among the historical facts which
were related was the one concerning the
building of the Union Pacific railway
over which we were travelling. Granville
Dodge, now living in New York city
and member of the Sixteenth Army
ba &c h..
transcontinental railway about the time
of the close of the Civil war. He in.
duced 100000 ex- soldiers who found
themselves without employment to come
to the far west and perform this gi
gantic task. That they did it and did
it well goes without saying and the
road was named in their honor, the
"Union Pacific"
Upon our arrival in Denver we were
impressed with the cleanliness and gen.
eral beauty of the city. The electrical
Examinations were only excelled by
those at the worlds fair. The streets
are very broad and are paved with as
phalt and the Barber Asphalt com.
pany's name is everywhere to be seen
'We found Will Thoms, a former
resident of Mankato and brother OF
George Thoms, with the Denver Dry
Goods company, one of the largest and
most pretentious stores in Denver He
is in the drapery department where he
has held responsible position for sew
eral years. He showed us lace curtains
which sell for $57 per pair and says
they have good demand for these ex
pensive goods in the city. Mr.. and
Mrs. Thoms own a pleasant home Of
their own and have little boy anc
girl.
Miss Nellie Shields, former cashier al
Brett's holds similar position with
Daniels & Fisher, one of the exclusive