The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-06-10
Across the Continent
From Maine to Washington via California.
The Northwest.

" the EDIION Vt AhE JOURNAL: In |
my letter last week l omitted to sneak
of the climatic changes that helped mix
me up as we'll as the fairy scenes in Yuma
and California. Leaving Boston in a snow
storm to find myself ten days later among
blooming roses, palm trees, and orange
trees laden with the golden fruit, gave
me shock; and since then, in the short
time of two months, l find a gradual
change from what would be June and
July weather down in Maine to back
ward spring in Seattle with the apple
trees just blooming; and now, in Billings
Montana, the willows are just leaving
out and all other trees look dead. Thew
expect snow here any day now. June
Is, 1908, at Butte in this State they had
a foot of snow; so that eastern people
who like their native climate should come
this way. But for me, give me sunny
California, where roses bloom out doors
in January, and good oranges are sold on
the street for to 10 cents dozen. The
scenery from Seattle to Billings, 1000
miles, is classed among the best in the
world. 1t is continuous succession of
snow capped mountains and green val
legs. The Rocky mountains are rightly
named, for they are mostly all rocks.
My route was over the Northern Pa
cifc, which takes in the great cattle
ranches and the Yellowstone Park. The
mountains differ from those through New
Mexico and Arizona and part of Califor-
MIA by being covered with trees, while
the others are bald-headed. The west
is growing so fast that one not on the
spot can hardly realize it. New railroads
are being built to haul out the vast lum-
Der supply and grain. Don't think land
is scarce here, for Uncle Sam has land
enough for all to have farm. Settlers
are living in tents, abandoned freight
cars, and log houses, when they get time
to build them and can find the logs.
Plentiful as lumber is in Northern Cali
fornia, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and
Montana, there is large part of the
country between the heavy timber lands
where there are not trees enough to
build log houses. Horace Greeley's ad-
vice to go west is still good; but don't
come without little money in your
pocket after you land, for money makes
the mare go. The more you have the
more you can get, and the easier.
There is new railroad line just finish
ed from the east to the Pacific coast,
making seven complete lines where but
a few years ago the Union Pacific was
all, and it will take seven more to carry
the freight in less than score of years.
All passenger trains are loaded now, and
western travel. The Seattle fair gives
the eastern people opportunity to obtain
great value for their money. Buy your
tickets via Niagara Falls, Buffalo and
Cleveland, Ohio, instead of via Canada,
from Niagara to Chicago and over the
Union Pacific to Salt Lake via Yellow
stone Park and Butte, Montana. Then
take the Great Northern to Spokane,
Wash, via Everett to Seattle, Tacoma
Portland, Sacramento, Oakland, San
Francisco and San Jose and the Coast
Line to Los Angeles. And when you get
to Los Angeles, don't fail to visit Pasa-
dena, Long Beach, Riverside, and as
many more places as you can. And go
home by the Southern Pacific, via New
Orleans, Washington, D. c., Philadel
phia, New York, and by Fall River Line
to Boston. Then if you haven't had your
moneys worth send your bill to me and
will see what l can do to make it up to
you. On your way home you can visit
the Grand Canyon in Arizona and see
sights through Arizona and New Mexico
that will keep you thinking all your life.
Try and travel by day; stop off and sleep
nights to rest and see the sights by day
that you would otherwise pass by. And
when you arrive at Ell Paso, Texas, take
a short run-it is only very short one
into Old Mexico The farther you go the
farther you will want to go. Select July
or August to go in and October to De-
cember to return, for the climate is
adapted to the routes best at that time.
Should you go in cold weather, go by the
Southern Pacific and return the other
way north in spring.
From Billings go to South Dakota,
Nebraska, Colorado, and through New
Mexico to Ell Paso, where my story
crosses tracks, and there l take new
route back to Los Angeles, where l have
decided to make my home until can find
better place, and should this not be too
tiresome l will tell you more later.
JOHN K. Brown.
bruises, mammals sore throat, grandma's lame