The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-11-05
fine TRIP IN WEST
MR.. AND MRS. w. H. TIDLAND
STRUCK WITH ACTIVITY THERE.
Country Is on Boom; Signs of Pros
perity Are Everywhere; Seattle
and Spokane Are Hammers; the
Beautiful Orange Groves of Cali
fornia; Trip Through Arizona,
New Mexico and Missouri.
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
Mr. and Mrs. w. H. Tidland returned
from their journey through the Pacific
coast country this morning. Mr.. It'd,
land left Mankato the 2Otn day OF
last May and Mrs. Tidland Joined her
husband at Spokane, three months
later and from there they went
through western Washington, thence
visited friends south as far as River
side, CAL, where they visited friends
Fro mthere they passed through
southwestern California Arizona, New
Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas,
Missouri, Iowa and back to their
home state, old Minnesota.
Mr.. Tidland states that the west
coast country shows much more life
and business activity than was shown
on his former visits.
Buys Fine Farm.
Mr.. Tidland said: 81 was so well
pleased with eastern Washington, after
giving it pretty thorough inspection,
that l bought 240-acre wheat ranch
west of Spokane, near the Spokane
river, where they harvest their wheat
with machine that in less than three
minutes after tine wheat is cut it is
in the sack, sewed up ready for the
market. This is certainly the neatest
and cheapest method of harvesting
wheat, and as some might think, this
rapid method of rushing their grain
into the sack is necessary in order to
secure the grain before it becomes
over-ripe, but this is mistaken idea,
because l have seen blue-stem wheat
in Lincoln county stand just eight
weeks after it was dead ripe before
it was harvested and the straw stood
up as straight as tooth picks and the
berry in perfect condition; and it is a
very common thing for wheat this
season to test sixty-two pounds to the
bushel. And the yield, of course, varies
from ten to sixty bushels to the acre.
Seattle Is a Wonder.
Mr.. Tidland says that the A. Y. P.
exposition was very neat and attractive
but the city of Seattle was about as
much of an attraction as the exposi-
ton, and thinks that Seattle and Spo-
kane are the hummers of the north
west, although all Pugent sound cities,
as well as Portland, show a very
strong and vigorous growth. Mr.. It'd
land was somewhat disappointed in the
appearance of San Francisco, although
that city has done wonders in re-
covering from its recent disaster. Many
of the ruins are still untouched The
city was very gaudily decorated with
bunting, flags and streamers in honor
of the celebration of the anniversary
of the discovery of the Golden Gate
by Don Casper de Paretolo. eve next
stopped at Los Angeles, which is cer-
tainly live city, though none of the
California cities seem to show as much
new and fresh business activity as does
the cities of Washington.
Oranges and Grapes.
NOW we come to the oranges and
grapes at San Bernardo and Riverside,
and would like to devote one full page
of The Free Press-and it would re-
quire ito a description of the beau
tiful drives through the orchards in
and around this-the garden spot-of
the Pacific coast.
Here we met many of our old Min
nesota friends, among whom we made
extended visits. We found w. p.
Goodell and wife enjoying life and
good health, considering their ages, in
a beautiful home in San Bernardino.
Next we found M. Collins and wife
enjoying the best of health and busy
taking care of their fine orange and
lemon groves at Rialto. We next went
to Riverside and had most delight
ful visit with William and Charles
Clark, who entertained us with their
old-time hospitality. They took us in
their carriage and drove us for many
hours in and around Riverside which
is virtually city in, an orchard, the
beauty of which / am at a loss to
find words to describe. The weather
was fine though little warm Though
the mercury stood at 90 on Oct %,
l02 on the oath and SO on the 25th,
we did not experience any unpleasant
ness. And at noon the 9th we bid
farewell to our friends and the beau
tiful country of oranges and roses.
Before night we found ourselves look
ing from our car window upon coun-
try that was contrast in the ex-
treme as we were passing through one
of the most worthless and uninterest-
ing pieces of country that 1 ever
looked upon. Through southeastern
California, Arizona and New Mexico it
was very much the same thing. But
through Oklahoma, Kansas and Mis-
souri, the crops were fine and there
was evidence of prosperity on all sides
We spent one day at Kansas City,
which is certainly fine city land
from there we sped north through the