The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1906-03-02
A LETTER, FROM. KEY
Dear Pioneer Express:

81 ~ o0H SS'SnA Inc oISdtus 30 MUCH
so that my left arm is all sore from stick
ing IN pins to see whether I'm awake or
not. Me and the boss and the rest of
the family got here in fine shape few
days ago and are stopping at the ''Ryan"
for the present. Found the Ryan family
able to sit up and notice things and look
real peart.
When l left Pembina my best girl 1.-THE
red-h AIDED one) said, ''Now Likely, when
you pass through any big cities, be sure
you write then go ahead" but her paw
sort of objects to my scribbling notes to
her, so as l have been used to writing to
you, l thought I'd put it all in one charge
and fire, by columns.
Flowed I'd seen deep snow in Penn
bina but it has to take back seat now,
The snow on the mountains that we
came through was twelve feet deep and
still plling up, though it's rain
ing down here and has been nearly ever
since we came. People in the valley are
tickled to death to think it's showing so
hard on the mountains, because it don't
bother 'em any down here, and they
want to borrow some Of it next summer.
This is funny place anyhow. All hills
and valleys and the ground looks like it
had been left out during a rain and got
rusty. but the grass is getting green and
there are plenty of trees out in full Leaf,
so it looks swell to me. All Pm afraid
of is. that it will end. in bump and I'll
find myself in North Dakota, trying fire
up to keep the salt water on the olives
from freezing in the store. Well, I'm
going to give the nightmare a pretty
stiff trot, anyhow. while Pm at it.
A fellow chased himself up to me yes
terday an said "Say Kid are you from
Dakota?" l confessed. do you know
man named Frost up there?" asked
for his front handle, when he said elm"
l told him no, but that l was very init
mate with Jack. Saw him just before
left. Told him he always spent the win
ter in Pembina. Sorry had never met
Jim as we might become warmer friends
than Jack and l had ever been.
There's lot OF funny people out here.
1t don't seem right for them to monkey
with Providence and nature the way they
do. They make things grow on trees
that nature never intended to put there,
and the next time my Sunday School
teacher asks me do men gather figs
from thistles?" you bet I'm going to tell
her they do it to fare-ye-well in Califor.
MIA. The water companies make water
run up hill and when they get it there
they make the people pay to have it
run down again. People don't have
cist rms cause the hard water is all soft.
There's no excuse for anybody being
caught out in rain without an umbrella
for it can't rain until the wind gets in the
east and it usually takes about two days
:ooling around before it gets there. The
warm winds here are from the north and
the cool from the south and things are
generally mixed up, or seem to be.
The orange groves are good for sore
eyes to fellow who has been accuslom.
ed to eating snowbaIls all winter. The
foliage is dark green and some of the
groves are bordered all around with
fan palm trees, SO large that one leaf
would make fan big enough for a
whole family, and l tell you it looks
peachy. What breaks nv heart is to
see SO many oranges going to waste.
For, several years ago an orange was
an orange, no matter what breed it was
and it was cheaper to plant seeds than
to buy trees, so people did it that way.
Then some fool of doctor invented a
disease called appendicitis and people
began to yell for seedless orange for
fear some day seed might stick in their
appendix. and not having money enough
to pay for an operation they would
have to call it sons thing else or 60
hence on too short notice to make prop.
er arrangements for a tnneral, so Cali
fornia was appealed to for seedless
oranges and was Johnny-on-the-spot.
Now, people won't have any other kind,
so the Seeding orange trees are hanging
full of fruit, waiting for someone to
come and pull them. I've many time
wished I could turn all Pembina people
!. loose in some OF the orchards to enjoy
themselves. If freight wasn't so high
you could get good ''Ikey oranges" in
Pembina for cent piece. Lots Of
seeding orchards are being dug up and
set to other fruits.
Boss and ! went to church Sunday just
% let them know that Fasteners some.
times do that It home. ! followed down
the program until announcements
appeared. when the minister, much to
ny surprise delivered himself g follows
Yonng Peoples meeting tonight $50, d
be followed byrsgular preaching. Pray.
q meeting Tues evening. On Wed.
Ineeday = 1nsnto (that's aboul