The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1910-06-16
FROM FAR WEST
Rev. F. II. Oehler Writes of His
Trip to Coast
ENTERTAINING tPISILE
Sank Centre Pastor Tells of Sights
and Incidents While Touring
in the West

TOO late IOr puDHcdllOn last week,
came a breezy letter from Rev. F. H.
Oehler, of this city, telling of his trip
to the Pacific coast Mr.. Oehler is
home again, but this letter of his is
so interesting and so entertaining that
The Herald is sure it's large family
of read rs will be glad to see it in
print. Under date of Sutherlin, Ore
gon, June 4, Mr.. Oehler wrcte' as
follows.
eve have had an ideal pilgrimage
UP to this point, having left St. Paul
On Saturday night. There are about
forty people in the company, includ-
ing two women, and representing the
states of Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska
and Minnesota, most of them being
from the last named state. Bank rs
ard business men form the majority
Of the party, although there are two
doctors and an undertaken among
them. l am the only clergyman. So
you see that we are well provide to
help people on their journey in this
world as we'll as to the next. AS
yet no one has succumbed, and even
in spite of such adverse circumstances
we hope to reach our journeys end
unscathed.
"On Sunday AFTERNOON, We held an
| impromptu memorial service in one
OF our two cars. Mr.. Hughes, the
manager of the excursion, came to me
and asked me to conduct it, as he
had learned there was an old soldier
in the party, a Mr.. Payne, of Hast
| ings, Nebraska We all gathered in
one Of our two cars, when l made
an address, which had less preparation
than any address, think, that l ev<r
delivered in spite of which some OF
them were kind enough to say kind
things about it. I called on Mr..
Payne to respond, and, also on eX-
mayer James Gray, of Minneapolis,
who is one of our company. After a
prayer by myself, we closed the eX r
cises by a verse of the national hymn
One man said to me that he would
never forget the impression made on
him.
"On Sunday, we passed through
) North Dakota and the eastern part OF
Montana The vast level stretches OF
these two states are very impressive,
North Dakota particularly, showing
the evidences of it's fertility as a
farming country, although stretch
of 80 or 40 miles southeast of Devils
Lake looked about as poor as any
have sen. At Williston we had an
opportunity to see the government
irrigation project, where the water is
pumped from the Missouri into great
: reservoirs to be used as wanted. The
Milk River project was passed during
the night, so that l can not say any
thing as to that. But on all sides OF
the Great Northern railroad, we could
see the shacks and little villag-s OF
the inrushing settlers, which are COW
ering these great plains like a flood.
Dry farming must be followed. for
west Of the Milk river country, the
rain fall does not exceed II 1ncnes
) per annum. The alkali crops out fire.
I ouently. In fact, it is to be found all
through this country. Personally,
J could not be hired to live in this
; country, a prejudice which is strength
!, ened nv what l heard from those
acquainted with the region, who at
i firmed their belief that within five
years. the settlers would be going
out, as they are now rushing In. VI
course. with irrigation possible, this
: Judgment would not hold.
Monday morning, about 4 o'clock
the passengers began crawling out OF
their berths to see the mountains, but
still the plains stretched away on
every side. Some hours later, / saw
: what appeared to me to be a low
range of halk hills These were the
snow capped peaks of the Rockies,
!, about 100 miles away on the south
western horizon. We seemed to crawl
towards them, and l thought we
would never get up to them; but
: about 10 o'clock we reached the
summit of the pass, through which
the Great Northern worms it's way
$500 feet above sea level. At Bel
ton we passed the entrance into the
famed Mcdonald region, with its
great peaks, rushing streams, placid
lakes, and irristible glaciers, which
is about to be set. apart as Nation
al park, larger than the Yellowstone
and said to rival or surpass it in
scenic features. Large game is abun-
} dant in these great strongholds OF
rock and forest. How longed to
go out and have trial.
i "Along this railway, the western
, descent, all the way to Spokane, is
) far more interesting than the APP