St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1907-10-18
YE EDITORS TRIP
Description of Journey From
st. Johns to Iowa.

Believing description OF trip
from the coast to the east might
prove of interest to many of our
readers, we will endeavor to out
line our trip. First we would like
to say few words about the o. r.
& N. We never met a more con-
genial and nicer set of officials than
we found on this line. The cars
trip along over the incest and
smoothest track in Oregon without
enough jar TO spill glass of water
carried on one S head.
1t was late when we left Port
land, because we had to wait for
the mail OH the jerkwater road
that comes into Portland from the
south. This line is always so late
they meet themselves going back
at Corvallis. We had a fly engi.
neer pulling us when we did get
started, for when we got to Bon
neyville there was hot box under
the smoker which you could smell
mile. At Hood River we were
the third train to cross on the new
steel bridge. II is beaut and has
enough curve in the track to sup
ply a Tri-League pitcher for a
whole season.
We reached Pendleton with the
sun about a neck ahead. The
scenery from Portland to Pendleton
was much the same; all that was
in sight being bunch OF old maids
and others who wished they were
because their babies were so cross.
The first thing worthy Of mention
east of Pendleton was Hot Lake,
which seems TO be the overflow
pipe from Old Nick's water heater.
In a level stretch of country, with
out any apparent reason the water
bubbles up with temperature that
will hard boil an egg in four min
utes, Waterbury time.
A short distance from Pendleton
we entered a great canyon up
which two big moguls called
"hogs" because they eat so much
coal, took MS at merry clip. Right
here II is interesting to note what
nature has done and Is doing.
Geologically, the strata changes as
you climb the canyon from
clayey, chalky, sandy formation to
one similar TO that about Hood
River. showing the action of heat
in the red and purple color Of the
soil and rocks and lava-like forma-
ton. The trees also change from
the cottonwood and willow, which
are the only kinds visible along
the route before, adding oak, yell
low pine, Oregon red fir, spruce
and hemlock as we gain in altitude.
Those lovely ferns" as the east
erncrs call them, but which are
qualified by adjectives beginning
with double "d's" in the language
OF the Oregonians, are omnipresent.
Up at the top of the canyon we
come out on a small stream which
We follow between a stretch OF hills
on either side to La Grande, where
the big sugar factory and fine, large
switch yards Of the o. X. * n.
are located. The sugar factory is
an immense concern capable OF
furnishing enough Saccharine TO
supply all the candy shops this side
OF Honolulu and, with the yards.
take up so much room they left no
space for the saw mill and they
were obliged To put up a front on
one of the big cliffs west of the
town for that. The business men
here are the most economical adver-
tisers we know OF, They beat our
hustlers all hollow. Instead OF
putting up bill boards they take
extension ladders ani paint their
ads OH the rocky cliffs.
Fast OF La Grande lie immense
beet fields. big as Hood River
county, and the beets are just get
ting ripe, in fact, we saw two car
loads that had been picked.
Stretching on east for several miles
the country is as smooth as moth
er' 5 pie crust before she puts the
fringe on, covered with fertile |
farms and comfortable farm houses
10 considerable extent, but occa-
Sionally will be seen the little two
by-shanty, where some one sleeps
Two OF three nights in a year. steals
his patent from Uncle sam and sells
/ for $500 or $1,000. East of this
line tract OF land the dirt is tipped
ip to an angle of IS degrees so
hat the sun will strike il all alike
md warm it up evenly; then we
'ame to where they had SO much
llrt they could not smooth it out
md had to stand it OH edge. This
5 the kind OF land Alderman King
lud Brother Ogden advertise as the
most valuable, because You can
cultivate both sides of the soil at
he same time, thus growing two
'rops at once.
This is the section of country,
90, where the engineer and pull
nan porter had mixup. The
engineer threw out a defunct quid