Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1906-01-12
Letter from Seattle.

Dear Sentinel Having been granted th
privilege to be q native of Montgomer.
county (than which there Is no iairer spo
for one TO open ones eyes TO the beauties o
this WORLDLY and having spent my life, ex
cept the past two years, In that same county
should like to borrow space IN your vslua
able paper to tell little of this great west
ern country. Ea
We left Washington City In October fol
Omaha, Nebraska, where We remained three
weeks-from there we visited Nashville
Tennessee, and then came direct to Seattle
The country and conditions are so varied
that II would be impossible TO tell 1t all, even
If one could flatter ones self that II would
be read, which is doubtful problem. Oma.
ha is busy, hustling city-the people, kind
and generous, with welcome smile and
hearty handshake for everybody. The ma
tive Westerner does not fnd u 10 his daily
life to question "Who's who P"-he simply
feels that it is fellow being travelling the
same road and that is sufficient. There Is q
ruggedness about Westerner that is not
found in the East; yet when one considers
what these pioneers have endured TO bring
into civilization this vast wilderness, ono
forgets the ruggedness and feels greater
respect for the hardy man Of the West.
Some one was asked (which is better, an
Eastern or Western MANI ?" The reply
was, flake an Fastener and put him In the
West five years and he 10 the best man liv
ing--the fastener is too conservative and
the native Westerner is too rough, but thu
westernized Easterner 10 the best OF al
men," l am somewhat of that opinion
there needs to be q commingling. Not
withstanding all the ruggedness, th'
West is right up on education. Hardship
may have prevented the foreiathers IRON
getting an education, but the present gener-
alton Is not likely to suffer that way; graded
schools and high schools are TO be iount
everywhere, and no matter about minor ex
cuses-the child must go.
Passing on south we find the cotton field
with numbers of people, young and old
white and black, picking cotton-the slow
easy-going motion OF the Southerner being
noticeable The lordly Mississippi flowing
msjestically on as IL has been flowing FOL
ages, and carrying great RATS Of logs, wa
most beautiful; it surely made one feel tina
"men may come and men may go, but &c
on forever" Wyoming with her great sand
hills is not specially interesting, except Il
watch the sand sweeping In clouds and
drifting as snow. Nothing 10 the way OF veg
citation can grow there and provisions fol
the villages are all shipped as needed. Or
entering Oregon there 10 Q vast change; thu
land Is fertile, we'll located and the thriving
ranches testify as to the crops. The scenery
along the Union Pacific from ::Pendleton Il
Portland, days ride, is magnificent
on the one side we have the Columbia river
and on the other side Ia the beautiful Gas
cade Range with its snow capped peaks
mountain gorges and leaping waterfalls, al
combining to form q moot gorgeous PIANO
rama. The most noted points OF interest are
Bridal Veil Falls, Horse Tail Falls and Mul'
tonomah Falls, the last named being the
most beautiful; st. Peters Dome, o peculiar
stone formation, and Pilot Rock, used BY
the Indians as q signal station. The stately
| fir, spruce and hemlock trees, standing LIKE
sentinels on the mountain side, are 30 tai
and straight that one can scarcely see th'
tops, and the peaks Of the mountain ar
covered with snow while at the base th'
ferns and wild flowers looked like midsum
mer. The effect of ell this can better b
imagined than described, except to say tina
ii was grand, having been arranged by thu
Master Hand, which Art can never quit
equal
Seattle is progressive city Of 100000 In
habitants from ell points Of the globe, ane
il you ask them II they like Seattle they
look at you In puzzling way and say
"Why, yes, don't you ?" Nobody seems Il
want TO leave, once settled here. The PEG
pie are kind and friendly. and the climat'
very mild at this writing the mercury ha
not been below thirty this season. Tit
grass and flowers are green and pretty
gathered flowers out of the yard New Year
Day. Puget Sound is very beautiful, dottet
with steamers coming and going, and o
night when all lighted up 1t Is decided.
worth seeing, but there are many othe
things 0i interest here.
For fear that have intruded too long
shall close. Best wishes and kind remem
brance for all my friends, with whom
would still sing maryland, My Maryland.
Very sincerely,
MRS. J. B. l.. HICKERsoN.
Seattle, Washington, Jan. Q, 1905.