Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-05-07
LETTER FROM R. W. LYONS
Tells About His Trip West and
new Home.

Spokane. Wash, April Is, 1908.
Dear Mr.. FoNTAINE:
AS per promise, l will give you g
detailed account of my trip west anC
my opinion of the western country as
find it. / noticed nothing unusual
or worthy of comment until reaching
blSmark, n. D., which city we entered
In a furious snow storm. Bismark
has new state prison and just about
the time our train was entering the
city two prisoners managed to escape
from the institution and make for the
railroad yards. They were discovered
however, by the guards and before
they had time to secrete themselves
one was killed and the other one
severely wounded. The one killed
was serving life sentence for murder
and the wounded prisoner was doing
six years. This episode caused quite
stir among the passengers on our
train and, of course, brought to mind
stories of similar occurrences known
to almost every passenger. Some told
pretty good yarns of daring escapes,
Jail deliveries, etc, and, of course, |
had one ready when my turn came,
that made the majority of the other
yarns sound mighty tame.
We crossed the Missouri river just
out of Bismark and our journey takes
us along through a valuable farming
country until we reach Fryburg, N on
tara, where We struck the famous bad
lands. | am not familiar with the
bad land theory, but the land here
appears to be chiefly composed of
ashes which causes me to believe that
it came from some volcanic origin in
the early days.
A little further on in Montana. our
route takes US through the city of
Medora which city is boastful of the
fact that President Theodore Roose-
velt lived there at one time. |
questioned several tough looking
ranchers on the subject and in every
instance each one claimed to be well
acquainted with "Teddy' and had
hunted with him many time. These
same ranchers were greatly in favor of
Roosevelt running for the presidency
again and l judged from their
bounteous praise of him that they
would be most willing to create a
monarchy of our country and place
Theodore Roosevelt on the throne as
king Arriving at Helena, the chief
point of interest brought to my at
tention was the swell Broadwater
park and hotel. / was Informed that
this hotel was so swell that people did
not furnish it sufficient patronage and
as a result, it was closed. In the
park close to the railroad were two
buffaloes grazing and, of course, the
entire passenger list Of our train
crowded to that side of the train to
see the remnant of a once famous and
plentiful western animal.
At Sand Point, Idaho, l inquired of
young man at the depot if he knew
Edward Wheelan and Oscar Bandelin.
He knew them both and said that
they were both doing nicely in the
law business and that Oscar was pro-
bate Judge Sand Point, to my notion,
looked the most like typical western
town than any saw enroute. 1t was
evening when our train arrived there
and the many colored and brilliant
display of lights which decorated the
numerous "booze emporiums," and
the bronchos tethered outside,
brought to mind the word pictures
drawn in the novels of the wild west
l used to read behind my geography
while in school, when 1 should have
been studying my lessons.
From Sand Point to Spokane our
journey was very picturesque and
beautiful to those who appreciated
the mountain scenery. Our train
wound in and out among the hills and
rocks, verging deep precipice here
and crossing a fearful chasm little
further on, while in the valleys lay
the ranches, nesting between the
hills and surrounded on all sides by a
lofty natural shelter.
After the journey across the plains
and over the Rocky mountains, one
gets trifle tired and is ready for the
change from the quiet of the country
to the hustle and hustle of the city,
as he gets off his train at Spokane,
the ideal city of the west.
Spokane is a city of beautiful houses
and great business enterprises. There
exists here fraternalism among the
people so different from the east.
Everybody is willing and anxious to
do you favor. If you should jostle
somebody in crowd or step on some
ones foot in street car, it goes as a
joke and the extreme cordiality of the
people is noticeable from the first.
| Business opportunities are plentiful?
and money can be made in hurry by
the shrewd business man. Real es.
tate is the best proposition in the city,
because of the phenominal growth OF
| Spokane each year. Men who bought
acreage at $40 per acre there years
ago are now on easy street selling it in
lots ranging from s4OO to $1,000 per lot,
and still the growth continues SO fast
that the city cannot keep up with it
self in the improvements. Wages are
high here, common labor demanding
from s2.75 to So 80 per day, while the
trades bring a much higher wage.
Living is extremely high, eggs never
getting any lower than 25c and range
up to SOC per dozen. Gasoline BIC,
kerosene SOC, butter 45c, and SO on