The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-02-17
PILGRIMS ON THE WAY
Redwood Falls Pacific Bound Excursion
lists Sizing Up the Situation as
they Go Westward.
W. H. Gold Tells About New Towns.
Old Friends and Interesting
Experiences.
Correspondence of The Gazette.

Correspondence of The Gazette.
With the view Of fulfilling my par
tial promise to write you about the
country and the old Redwood Falls
friends we meet. and owing to the
fact of spare time on our hands, due
to a tie-up of the Southern Pacific
on account of bad washouts in north
ern California, will try and tell you
little of our two and one-half weeks
experience, and you can use as much
or as little as you wish for Gazette
readers
We selected the Northern Pacific
for our trip out of Minneapolis, and
left on the North Coast Limited on
a Wednesday forenoon. We found
very jolly crowd in the car and as
Mr.. Peterson has no trouble in get
ting acquainted with the ladies and
yours truly with the men, we soon
knew them all and all seemed to be
good mixers" Between learning
each others destination and plans,
viewing the ever varied scenery,
lunching. reading and playing chess,
the time passed very rapidly.
The northern route to the coast is
not the best route for winter trip,
if you have An eye to scenery. Still
the ruggedness and majesty of
bleak mountain and plain appeals to
something strong within you and
you can imagine the bloom and
freshness Of spring, soon to sweep
away the chill of winter.
One Of the most interesting sights
of the outward trip was at Helena,
Mont. We approached that city at
about Z p. m. of an exceedingly
dark night. While about Is miles
from the city, there flashed on our
sight what appeared to be thousands
of brilliant firefies on distant hills.
The city evidently lies on high hill
side and our train coming up the
valley gave us view of the electric
lights, and it was splendid. We en-
joyed the spectacle for a full 80 min
utes The lights disappeared for few
seconds. owing to curves in the road,
and then reappeared. We reached
Missoula, Mont, at midnight the
second night out. and owing to a
washout Is miles ahead we were
sidetracked there. Early in the
morning we started out to explore
the city. They have about $1,000
population and are evidently grow
ing very rapidly. Scores of business
blocks and residences are springing
up all oyer the city. The Milwaukee
road has built a magnificent road
bed of solid rock along the Missoula
river through the city. Mining and
numbering backs up the town. The
Bitter Root valley, somewhat fam
Gus, we were told, for its apples and
grazing lands, extended so miles out
; and is a good feeder. 1t appeared
to us that the town had a good fu-
ture. Its citizens were progressive
and optimistic.
We reached Spokane that evening
} at 9 p, M, about IA hours late.
Clark Miller met us at the train, and
during our 60 hours stay at that
place we met so many friends and
acquaintance that it would have
been easy to imagine ourselves in
Redwood, Falls, had the city been a
little smaller. We secured rooms at
. a rooming house conducted by Hen
ry Kuck, Sr., and far better than
his good beds and rooms was the
good visit and fellowship we enjoyed
with the family. John Kuck had
reached. Spokane two days ahead of
US and was. visiting his parents.
We, of course wanted to hear
BILLY" Sunday. Five thousand
, people were turned away the night
we arrived, so we did not attempt to
go Saturday night. Sunday morn
ing and Sunday afternoons mems
, meeting we enjoyed immensely.
He's the same old Sunday. Some
think with a little less fire and We
hemence. nevertheless with seeming
ly more power. He handled 10000
men inside the tabernacle. with as
many more surging on the outside,
as easily as he did 1900 at Redwood
: Falls A years ago. He introduced