The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-08-28
THE GREAT WOODS
| OF WASHINGTON
NORTH DAKOTA WOMAN TELLS
OF THE NATURAL BEAUTY
or THE GREAT NORTH
WEST STATE.

Yelm, Wash, Aug. 21.--To The
woods of washington within sight of
woods washington, within sight of
Mount Rainier, only wishing that my
brief stop. en- route from Claremont to
Seattle, might be much prolonged.
1t is a wonderful trip up the coast
line of the S. p. through Santa Bar
bara and other beautiful and historic
places. past Palo Alto, the seat OF
stanford university and the adjoining
home where Mrs. S. lived so long in
solitary state: the table always set for
three. with fresh boutonnieres for the
departed son and his father.
During the night / amused myself
watching the waves break into phos-
phorescent foam far down the shelving
beaches and fling their shining frag-
ments at the bluffs along which the
train runs for many miles. 1t must
be wild ride in stormy times, and in
fact, much of the track was washed
away last season and the road over
the mountains the only one in use.
To one interested in farming the
processes in sight from the train were
very Instructive. Coming up the PaJaro
valley were broad fields OF dry farm
4 ing interspersed with the brilliant
| green Of the irrigated alfalfa. In some
places were the great machines that
cut thresh and sack the grain at
once; then stock are turned In on
the stubble. others had been headed
and threshed; still others were cut
with binder and stood In the dear fa-
miliar shocks. But however harvest
ed, it is always sacked, and the huge
elevators of our northern roads are
replaced by broad low warehouses, ex-
tending for hundreds of feet along the
tracks and sheltering not only the
myriads of brown wheat sacks, but the
bundles of oats and barley, cut and
baled when green, and answering the
average Californian horse for both hay
and grain.
The high peninsula on which stands
/ San Francisco prof acts to the north
like an enormous thumb protecting the
southern part of the great bay. Up
this thumb for many miles runs the
coast line of the S. p. There are fire.
quent glimpses of the bay and its
shipping on the right while on the
left among the hills and hollows are
all sorts of suburban enterprises and
homes. We pass through at least five
tunnels and under many streets be-
fore the depot is reached.
/ enjoyed a marvellous birthday din
ner Of Chinese dishes given at a hand
some restaurant in that quarter. The
dinner was given in honor of my step
mother by her sons, and all speak
Chinese like natives and are well
known in the quarter.
It would surely be an eye opener to
those who think the Chinese all look
alike, to see them in animated con-
versation with American friends who
speak their tongue. The mask of wood
en- immobility adopted at will by these
orientals drops, revealing features as
various and full of expression as one
will see among any people. San Fran
cisco made a brilliant, long to be
treasured picture, as we left it by
ferry at night. Midnight found US
crossing the Sacramento into the state
capital and morning saw us climbing
the mountains toward the sources OF
the river. 1t was lovely ride among
the tumbled rocks and foaming green
waters while the dark woods lowered
above. Finally we climbed abruptly
out Of the cool canyons to a broad
plateau glgowing under the Angus
sun, and saw on our right huge
brown patacake, partly covered with
snow icing and looking cool as the
proverbial cucumber. We were al
over 1000 feet but Shasta rose abrupt
ly to a height of 14,50o, and was Wis
ible for hours. At Portland / took the
Portland Heights car at washington
:, and Sixth streets, and had fine view
D of this beautiful city, which should
e have included Mount Hood, but 1t haC
: been shrouded in blue veil for days
: Here, Rainier obligingly revealed itsel
: in dazzling beauty for some hours
j and tomorrow shall be in Seattle foi
Y Dakota day. At church this morning
o Mrs. Robt. Smith, formerly Of Con
z way, told me to hurrah for her, as sni
: could not go up, but her sympathiei
e are there. There are about one thou
2 sand North Dakotans in and about Lo
: Angeles and always wonder If the!
d are there from choice--I would not be
a Katherine ". King.
/