The Dolores star., 1906-02-09

West must have had when they crossed
these deserts with their OK teams and
their prairie schooners-no water, no
wood; nothing but sage brush.
When we arrived at Salt Lake there
was twelve or fourteen inches Of snow
more than they have had in years.
Sleds and cutters could be seen every
where. The people seemed to enjoy
the mantle Of white as 1t remined
them of the purity Of their religion.
We arrived at Ogden about p. nj.
January /. There was lots of snow on
the ground and the weather was bitter
cold. Our train being late we had to
lay over there until midnight, so we
took jaunt throught the city. 1t is a
beautiful city. At this place we had
to change cur ticket, and instead Of
going to Portland, Oregon, they were
kind enough to send me through Idaho
and up to Spokane, Washington. /
had no voice in the matter; they had
me bfanded, ear-marked and tagged,
SO they run me through OIL whatever
route they wanted to.
Our next run was from Ogden to
Pocatella, Idaho. We arrived there
about 9 o'clock in the morning and
found lots of snow and cold weather.
At American Falls we caught our first
glimpse of the Snake river. AT this
point it is about the size of the Dolores
river at the bend. The government Is
doing some work here; l think it Is
putting in q dam and building some
ditch.
This whole state is barren of timber
from PocatellO to Huntington. Across
the entire state l did not see tree,
only silch as had been planted. The
water question is great problem here,
as well as with us. In taking up land
here you get stock in the ditch the
government is building. You pay $2S
per acre for the water and have thenty
years, without interest. to pay itin; SO
was informed by parties going there to
locate. These people had left Oklaho-
ma TO better their fortunes in that
bleak and barren country. l thought
to myself that some people would not
be satisfied with front seat in Heaven
but would want to move to warmer
climate.
All along the Snake River valley
there are fine ranches and large
orchards; also lots Of cattle and sheep.
The valley is fifty miles wide and one
hundred miles long. There is lots of
room here for thousands of dissatisfied
people to locate. The American people
are migratory lot Of ducks. We met
people from the south going way up
to Alberta in Canada; others going
from the East to the West; others from
West to East, moving from one state
to another until they struck Washing
ton, along the sound, and there they
would stick lin the mud). Here's
where they struck the fifth application,
as the good old preachers say, and we
used to know when they struck this
application. that they were only hi1f
way through.
When we arrived at Seattle we
thought we had struck Old Noah's
windows of heaven, they had knocked
out the whole side of the house, for it
just rained and rained and in the MORN
ing it rained some more. We have
been on the sound for over two weeks
and it has rained nearly every day
dark, cloudy, rainy weather from
November to April. Fruit trees are
covered with moss. Apples that are
grown here look like some of the scab-
by potatoes they raise In our valley.
So far have not seen, along the sound,
more than about fifteen acres cleared
in one patch.
concluded next week.