The Republican journal., 1911-04-13

while others of more robust constitu-
ton fall by the wayside through failure
to properly use the physical powers pos
sessed. Though the delicate tissues of the
brain may lose something of the buoyant
force of earlier years, yet the loss from
this source in health ought not to be as
great as the gain in the powers of the
mind from experience and other acquisi-
tons. The human soul, born from
healthy parents and cared for continual
ly according to natures laws, might
with propriety be compared to kernel
of wheat growing, maturing, and finally
dropping into the granery. The ripened
kernel contains less activity of tissue, is
less plastic, is assuming dormant con-
dition, yet its possibilities are as great
as ever. The maturing process ought to
furnish as much pleasure as the most
buoyant day of youth.
There is some snow in spots near
Devils Lake, North Dakota, and some
stunted bushes around tn lake. Moist
ure from breath freezing on windows
makes it hard to see the country. Some
brakemen are careless about ventilation.
We see some good land, but it is billy
west of Minot and the ground is well
covered with snow. About half the pas
sengers get off at Havre, Montana, at
a. m. East of the Rocky Mountains is
vast level bench, so dry that government
offers homesteaders 800 acres, but at
that cabins are few and far between.
They seem to be trying to raise stock
without much feed, as about so head of
dead animals were counted along the
track. We see light growth of bushes
and some small fir, mostly dead, among
the mountains. About half way from
the summit to Spokane our train was
slowing up on account of disabled
freight train with broken wheel. Just
as we came around curve our engine
hit stone which had rolled on the track,
large enough to nearly demolish the cow
catcher on our engine. They chained up
the cow catcher, threw the disabled box
car off on one side the track and the
wheels on the other, pulled the freight
train out of the way, and went on.
After running nearly an hour they de-
cided our engine was not suitable to pro-
coed and sent for another. We had
scarcely got underway with the new en-
CINE when we were tagged on account of
stone on the track. Thus all the de-
lays of the trip occur in few hours on
the west slope of the Rocky mountains.
After passing Spokane in the early morn
ing we see water in low places instead of
snow. We pass lots of grain ware
houses, sage brush land, and arrive at
Odessa, WASH, soon after sunrise.
Near Adrian are many fumes and irri-
eating bitches. We hear much said
about Wenatchee, but as we approach
the town, we see nothing but very DESC
late looking mountains covered with
snow. After passing the town we see
some fine looking orchards. We have
seen one man blowing and another har-
rowing this morning.
At Leavenworth we have two engines
for climbing the mountains. A two foot
wooden pipe runs for miles up the stream.
1t is tunneled several rods through a
ledge bluff and stops at dam across the
stream. At Merritt the valley is about
one-fcurth of a mile wide. Some lumber
is still uncut. Perpendicular snow-clad
peaks tower hundreds of feet. Lights
are lighted to go through tunnel. The
engine whistles and stops amid immense
snow drifts. 1t is fine springlke day
and the passengers enjoy snow balling.
On the west side the scenery is most
picturesque. Long snow sheds are held
up by posts 2 feet square. We see a
railroad track in canyon 100 feet or
more below US. Another track on the
other side is 100 feet or more still lower.
We are soon down 100 feet and see a
track above and another below. We
can see our engine as it rounds the turn
to go down on the other side. We can
now look up the mountain and see the
two tracks we have just passed over.
The mountains of rotten stone are al
most perpendicular and covered with
medium sized trees, mostly dead. Train
men seem to feel as safe here as man
on house. l would prefer they would
make up lost time on the prairie and go
slow here. We passed good sized saw
mill. At Skykomish coal sheds are on
high tressel, SO that the coal is easy to
load. The valley becomes quite wide
275 miles from Spokane, or 60 miles from
Seattle. Monroe is the first town of any
Importance. We reach Seattle about
dark and have to wait until 1.3O, reach
ing Portland, Oregon, about o. clock the
next morning. find myself rather late
for spring work on the farm, but con-
slider the past two months well spent.
"God hides his love within the love
OF those whom we love best,
The smiles and tones that make our homes
Are shrines by Him possessed;
He tents within the lonely heart
And Shepherds every thought;
We find Him not by seeking far;
We lose Him not unsought."
Geo. M. COLE.
Husum Wash March * 1917