The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1907-06-27
,e seen: it cannot be described.

nrSt looking down one wonders how faf
it is to certain points in the trail down
the sides. One man thought he saw two
newspapers on the ground below, but as
a party of us went down, discovered
that it was couple of tents used as a
dining hall. What we thought was
grass, was willow trees and still were
only half way down to the river. At
the top when we made the start, it was
showing and on reaching the halfway
place it was raining and on winding
around the mountain going down at an
angle that made one slip considerably,
for three and one half miles more and
we are at the Colorado river. The river
roars like Niagara and surely would put
a steamboat out of business.
Some of the boys took off their shoes
and by sitting on the rocks and dipping
their feet into the river, good foot
bath was soon the result.
On looking up from the river one
would wonder how person would ever
get out of such a ditch. Shut in on
both sides of the river by walls OF solid
rock one mile high is a sight never to
be forgotten. The rock in the walls of
the canyon are of different colors as
they appear in layers, red then white,
black and blue and slate color. On our
descent the sun shone at short intervals
and then the scenery was something
immense. Being one mile straight
down below from where we started, it
was somewhat warm, but as we followed
the trail back toward the top it gradu-
ally got cooler and in reaching the top
the mercury stood below the freezing
point and we were in binding snow
le,ko
inches on the ground when we left the
rim of the canyon, Monday morning.
At one o'clock Monday we passed
Colorado river. We thought of E. B.
over the river.
At Needles the Mohave Indians
swarmed around the train and enter
ed their goods and trinkets for sale.
From Needles until night we passed
through the great desert with nothing
in sight but sand and telegraph poles.
We passed from this desert, or Death
valley as it is called, down from the
mountain in San Gabriel valley during
the night, and when the porter awaken
ed us the next morning we imagined we
|
were in orange groves with flowers and
palm trees on every side.
At Sanbardinedo we saw Henry Pit
man from whom it was hard to get away
in time to catch our train. He loaded
us down with oranges pulled from the
trees that surrounded his residence.
We saw Glen Mason at Redlands. We
found him experimenting the cultiva-
ton of an orange grove. OF course he
was surprised to hear 'hello" from
Levi Staum and myself, but he knew
us both and when he said "Im glad to
see you any one could see that he as
we'll as all other Hoosiers we met really
meant it deep down in their hearts.
Glen pulled oranges from the trees and
we sat down in the shade, ate oranges
and reviewed the early days of our
lives, and as we only had one hour to
spend with him we lost no time in con-
versation.
Nineteen years make changes in
young men, but we all agreed that we
hadn't changed much, but of course
didn't remove my hat.
The moving away of the street car
separated us from Glen and boarding
our train we reached Lordsburg at four
p. m. where we are now stopping for a
few days.
While at the breakfast table James
Wyatt sent message to us at the hotel
where we were stopping that we should
show up at the Postman store immedi-
ately after breakfast, as carriages
would be waiting us there to carry us
on a sight seeing trip through the
orange groves and to mountains visit
ing the neighboring towns. The party
consisted of my brothers Abe and jeff
Chas. Walters and myself Wyatt &C
companied the party and and we saw
> some of the prettiest country that evel
was seen.
:. Mr.. Wyatt is taking an active par
in booming Lordsburg and is still lead
ing a very active life. He informs u!
that his health is very good and he
; looks we'll. Young men in the tow
> tell us that they are helped by him tt
. get start and he is considered almos
> as the father of all young men who tr,
! to help themselves.
Thurman Williams and his brothe
q Clarence are located here, coming here
7 from Hagerstown some two or three
4 years ago. Clarence is working at the
4 carpenter trade and Thurman is clerk
l ing and soliciting for a general store
Q getting $50 per month.
Thurman left our town with jus
q money to land him in California ant
: now he owns a lot on which he ha
built nice cottage of five rooms con
d tanning bath room and everything up t.
S date.
d From where am sitting we can se
e the snow on the mountain top and her
in the valley it couldn't be more pleas
Il ant. To speak the truth, don't wan
+ for fear of making my Indiana friend
g feel bad thinking they would like to b
n here. Very truly yours,
o. DAVE HOOVER.