Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1909-10-15
CALIFORNIA LETTER
Porterspjlle. Cal,
~ y IHHa

Ed. of the Recorder:
1t was my great privilege a few
months ago to once more visit old
Virginia, and more especially High
land county, where | was born and
reared, near Mcdowell. No matter
how far we may 60 or where we
may wander, our birthplace is al
ways bright in our memory, and
where childhood days were spent.
My visit to Virginia this last time
was of great Importance to me, for
it was on this special trip that |
made a new adventure in life. l
was married at the Virginia Hotel
in Stanton, July 22d, to Mrs. Ida
J. Beatty, formerly Miss Wandless,
and the same evening we took our
departure for the far West. We
left Staunton via. C. q o. Ry. to
Cincinnati and the Big -Four from
there to Chicago. At Chicago we
stopped for two days viewing this
great and noisy city, where all is
hurry and furry, day and night.
Here one could spend months ard
yet never see the great business
enterprises that are here. Here
we had the pleasure of meeting our
friend and neighbor from Peters
vile, California, Mr.. Chas. Boyd
ston, who owns 300 acres of orange
grove near this city, and is one Of
the firm of "Boydston Bros. I'm
dertakers" of 4247 Cottage Grove
Ave, Chicago. One of the largest
and best in the world. On calling
on him he took us out in his auto
and gave lis a ride through the
Parks of this great city, all of
which encircle the city. 1t was a
great treat to ride through the
many parks, returned after going
50 miles.
We left Chicago over the Chicago /,
Milwaukee and st. Paul R, R. for
St. Paul. Here we stopped for a
day and night, looking at this beau
tiful city and Minneapolis. Here
we visited the Minnie Ha-Ha Falls,
Fort Smelling, and many beautiful
places.
From here we took the 500 Line
to Winnipeg, Manitoba. This
brought us in to the British posses
sions. Here we found things diff
ferent to some extent to that of
the United States. This, | would
say is one of the best kept cities l
have ever visited. Winnipeg has
population lis, 250 and the CAPT
tai of the province of Manitoba.
Here we find the great wheat fields
of the North. A very rich and pro-
ductive country. People in gener-
al seem to be very prosperous.
And l was greatly impressed with
the richness of the-soil and beauti-
full wheat crops that were then be-
ing harvested.
From here we took the great
trans-continentalline the Canadian
Pacific Railway for the Pacific coast.
This is the best and most up-to-
date railroad that | have ever
travelled over. From here we
traversed belong stretch of prairies
toward the Rockies, passing many
beautiful and notable places--a
country which in a few years will
be marked with great prosperity.
From Calgary to Vancouver, a
distance of six hundred and forty
two miles, the beauty and grandeur
of the scenry is continues. There
is not a dull or uninteresting min
ute all the way, is the testimony
of every who has made the journey.
1t is like Switzerland and the Tyrol
on vast scale---is like score of
Switzerlands with loftier mountains,
larger lakes, mightier glaciers, end
rivers, thus writes famous British
Journalist. | can never describe
the beauties that are connected a
long this trip and through the
many ranges of mountains; the
beautiful glaciers at Glacier, B. c.,
is sight never to be forgotten.
One can only sit and wonder how
human hands could ever build rail-
roal and homes in such a place as
have been made beautiful in the
heart of these mountains. Here
we found many rich mines and all
classes of people at different voca-
tons of life and all seemed to be
happy and contented.
Farewell old mountains! Your
wales, with their beautiful verdure
and your sunny slopes, shut in
from the fierce winds and fercer
business of the outside world, have
spoken of earthly peace and given
glimpse of edenic beauty too rarely
seen on earth! Your snow crests
reaching about the clounds into
Durer atmosphere of the heavens
1aye been an inspiration ever point
ng to the Infnite Your great
glaciers with their enduring ice
nave been a monitor of the external.
Grand old mountains! Your frown
S terrible!
Yet are We even prodical of smiles,
Smiles sWeeter than your frowns
are stern