Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-09-22
FROM A WAUSAU YOUNG LADY
WHO Is In WASHINGTON.

went west to teach school, has reached
her destination and writes home to her
parents in Wausau and from her letter
the Pilot is permitted to take the des-
criptive parts which will be very inter-
esting to her many Wausau friends, viz:
CATHLAMET, WASH, Sept. lst, 1908
Dear Folks:
"Wel, 1 Isuppose had better begin he
story of our journey. We arrived in
St. Paul at 9 a. M, Tuesday, where we
stayed one hour and fifteen minutes,
finding no trouble IN making the change,
and securing sleeper ticket to Butte,
Montana. After boarding the car, the
conductor and porter secured us tickets
for lower berth clear through to Port
land. st. Paul is fine city but of
course we went through the worst part
of it. We passed through Minneapolis
also. Minnesota is much like Wiscon-
sin, level in places, and diversified by
high hills in other places. We passed
many fine wheat fields, and found
vegetation, generally, similar to that of
Wisconsin. When we reached North
Dakota we soon noticed a great con-
trast. Long, level plains, naked of
trees, or verdure, and of browhish
yellow hue, stretched away on either
side as far as the eye could reach. The
first sunset on these plains impressed
us as beautiful sight. | thought of
the song, mid the Wild and Wooley
Prairies," many times in crossing these
plains. In some places there were
clusters of bright wild flowers, and
more vegetation than at other places.
l was surprised to see brow-eyed susans
growing in considerable quantities
throughout some parts of Dakota.
While passing through Montana we
found the country much more elevated
and gray, lonesome looking mountain
peaks rose before us. Some of the ele-
vations, in fact most of them, were
absolutely bare, reminding me in their
rugged grandeur of fancied picture of
desolation. Often we saw prominence
that was almost as smooth and regular
as pyramid. The country here was
odd looking, peculiar but not what /
should call beautiful. The second night
we were lulled to sleep by the restless
motion of the cars through the magni6-
cent Rocky mountains. Some of the
huge points of rock were so near the
car that we did not dare poke our in
1uisitive heads out of the window
Great boulders in wild mass jutted
from each other in such amazing dis
array that it did not seem possible that
such great work could have been ac
by the hand of Nature
alone. Not a sign of life, not stir,
but only the gloomy gorges and cav
erns. la watching sunset on the
YellOwstOne river in the mountains,
we saw, indeed, a gorgeous and won
1erful sight. The tunnels were no
source of terror to me. In fact, l rather
enjoyed going through them. The porter
turned on the lights before we entered
,he long ones, but we went through the
short oLes in absolute darkness. On
Thursday morning we awoke in
1reary, and homely portion of Idaho,
that the cars should come to
4 stand-still where there.was no station,
n bare and desolate spot, but we soon
earned that there was a freight train
wreck few rods ahead of us, which
would possiblydelay us for "a hours.
After dressing we went with the rest
If the crowd to the scene of the wreck,
and saw that several cars were off the
rack, some being pretty badly smashed.
Matters were not so bad, however, as
reported, as we were able to proceed
after delay of five or six hours. The
remainder of our journey was unevent
.ul, except for the increasing beauty of
he scenery through Washington. Here
We were no longer surprised by the
1esolate appearance of the mountains,
'or plant life became more and more
1Uuuudut anu bHo uolSuto Adu
cool, green, refreshing appearance.
We crossed quite a number of pretty
bodies of water on the way, but in no
place was it so beautiful as the view
hat lay before US in the glow of the
Thursday morning. Here we
saw broad and mirror-like expanse of
water, crossed at one place.by long
bridge of delicate and intricate trellis
work construction, with the lofty blue
as a background, their
peaks becoming illuminated with the
rising sun, and the varying lights and
shadows upon the cool, bright waters;
it was as artistic and lovely picture
as we could imagine.
At many western depots we saw cow.
boys in full array, riding upon their
ponies and also girls and ladies in rid
ing habits, mounted upon their gallant
steeds." saw many homes. situated in
the most wretched places imaginable
almost at the very terminus of huge
cliffs where it seemed to me some of the
great rocks might, at any time, become
loosened, fall upon them and crush
them out OF existence. Through Wash
ington we saw fine apple and pear trees
and a large amount of vegetation.
Flowers of many varieties bloomed in
great abundance. At several places in
the Rockies the track was so curved
that we could see our engine, and look
ing backward, also the last coach of our
train. 1t often seemed as if we were
not making very much headway. On
Friday our train crossed the Columbia
on the ferry. Mabel and l went out on
deck, but were soon driven inside by
driving rain. Oh now dismal it seemed
to think of arriving in Portland in a
rain storm. However, our fears were
soon dispelled, for the clouds cleared
away and we had most beautiful
clear, fair morning, when we arrived at
the great Union depot at Portland
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