The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-08-11
OVER THE HILLS TO SPOKANE
AND THE COEUR D'ALENES
Random Notes of Days Journey Through the Rocky Noun
tains and a Brief Description of Few Points of
Interest Which Were Passed the Trip.

When remember that some men,
Der of almost every family in Red
wood Falls has at some time made
the journey to Washington or Ore
gon, the fact is borne in upon me
that we are going oyer main trav-
eled road for many of our readers
and need not hope to pick up any
new or startling information for
such. But as this is our first trip,
we shall make no apologies for writ
ing of what we see and hear for the
benefit of such Gazette readers as
may be interested in this part of the
world.
While at Livingston | made some
inquiries about the cost of living and
wages. My friends there told me
that such items as clothing and dry
goods were not much dearer out
here than in Minnesota and that
staple groceries and meats were but
little more expensive. Butter, eggs,
and all farm produce are higher and
so are rents, which at Livingston
are approximately as dear as at
Minneapolis. Everything into which
skilled labor enters costs more in
the west. Friend Force told me that
he was paying his carpenters S4.
per day for eight hours work, all
mechanics beginning the day at 8
o'clock and quitting promptly at 5.
But lest our readers jump too hast
lily to conclusions, it should be
added that the cheap railroad rates
are bridging an influx of mechanics
that furnish several men for every
job in sight, at some of the more
accessible towns along the way, so it
will be we'll for those seeking better
0nditions for wage-earners to first
catch their job Mechanics in plenty
were applying for work every day
at Livingston and not always finding
it. Common labor in the towns is
paid for at $3.50 to $500 per day,
and at this time of the year there
appears to be good demand for it.
Of course the railroads are employ
ing an unusually large number of
men, the pay roll of the N. P. shop
employees and others at Livingston
running up to SIS, ZOO for the month
of July.
Other visitors to the west had pre-
pared US for the attitude which eve
ry citizen of the towns out here
takes in boosting his own locality
Livingston has many desirable points
as home, but owing to its situation
at the outlet of the Yellowstone
pass, at frequent intervals has a
draft through that defile like fac
tory chimney, so that Chicago is not
in the same class as windy city
with Livingston at its worst. The
day we arrived there, after rather a
warm ride in the middle of the day,
a cold wave greeted US that made US
glad we had brought extra wraps.
To be fair, we ought to state that
we did not notice any unusual breeze
and that no Livingston resident of
long standing will admit that this
circumstance amounts to any OBJ
lection in the long run. On the
contrary, every Liyingstonite is
ready to declare that his city has the
best climate on earth and that its
unique fan ventilation system is
really one of the attractions of the
city, since the most unlucky of its
residents never has any difficulty
about raising the wind. This writer
is willing to admit that he would
be glad to acquire such a back
ground of snow-capped mountains
as the Forces look out upon from
the windows of their living rooms,
for transplanting to Redwood Falls,
even though it was encountered with
the drawback Of occasional icy gales.
Quite early Thursday morning we
made the start on the 1000 mile
journey to Spokane, and trains be-
ing two hours late, were rather glad
to take local train as far as Helena
and escape the crowd. Emory Ma
son went with US that far. on his