The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-05-06
SKETCHES TAKEN ON
THE WAY TO SPOKANE
Report of an Interesting journey From
Florida by California to the
Northwest.
Spokane, Washington,

4otH, 1S1A
Editor Star:-At last I have gotten
still enough to write a few letters and
will, l promised at the train, write
you something of my trip.
Our trip up TO St Louis was un-
eventful except that we were sent
around by Evansville, Ind, instead of
the reguar Dixie Flyer route, this,
on account Of the floods around Cairo.
We saw nothing Of the flood until
we got to ST. Louis, and nothing there
only we could see that the river was
very high, railroad tracks along the
river front were submerged. We had
all day in st. Louis waiting for a
through train over the Burlington for
Spokane At Kansas City the family
and 1 separated, 1 going down the
Santa Fe to Albuquerque, n. NJ
In New Mexico the new state legis-
lature was in session and they were
certainly having a great time with
their new law making bodies.
y fair idea of the way that they are
going TO run things can be gotten from
a bill that 1 noticed was before the
Legislature, and / understand became a
law, Fohibiting the pulljns-eff--a Of any
prize fights tha&-are Scheduled to go-
more ~-t4an forty-five rounds This
piii W as lHlIOuuteu Dy d representa-
tive from Los Vegas and was built to
fit the F1ynn-Johnson fight that is
to be pulled of in that city
While in Albuquerque we had one
of the sand storms peculiar to that
part of the country, these storms are
indescribable TO those that have never
seen a storm on the desert, the dust
is so thick that it is impossible to
open ones eyes unless they are well
protected by glasses.
Our train ran out of this sand storm
into a very severe snow storm on the
divide" in Arizona, and out of this
snow storm we ran down into the San
Gabriel valley of California with its
vast acres of orange and lemon groves
and vineyards, some of the groves
show very plainly the effects Of the
cold last winter. The lemon groves
were hard hit. L saw a great many
oranges that had been dumped out in
the fields to rot. l do not think that
the wood of the orange trees is hurt
but the crop of oranges that were on
the trees is very badly damaged.
Southern California at this time of
the year, truly "beggars description"
The beautiful groves of orange trees
bordered by the tall eucalyptus trees
" lti the SDO" uo"H from tie
mountains within a mile of the groves
to one used to the level surface of
Florida all this appears unreal The
fact that we can stand in one place
and within easy reach of the eye are
all the climates from tropical to frigid
is more than nature really promises.
/ had one day in Los Angeles which
enjoyed very much. From Los An
geles we traversed the San Joaquin
valley running almost north and south
This valley is very level and produces
quantities OF grain.
At Stockton, California. I waited
all day in order to catch a train that
would pass through the Mount Shasta
country in the day time
| Although l have seen much of the
United States l have never seen any
thing so grand. so wonderful as this
Shasta country. At Shasta Springs
the whole mountain appeared to be
! chock full of water and leaking all
over. Sparkling water gushing out
everywhere and bounding down the
moutainside through the most beauti-
full underground Of flowers and trees,
makes a picture that poor mortal man
gaZes at and if he has the faculty of
serious though it makes him realize
wonders of nature.
Old Mount Shasta herself stands
more than fourteen thousand four hun
! dred feet high and has snow enough
| on her to cover Marion county a foot
| deep all over I will not try to con-
vey an idea of the size of this old fell
, low, is too big. Some idea of the size
| can be gained however, by the fact
| that a passenger train is in sight of it
the greater part of a day.
Crossing the Cascade mountains on
! a railroad train at times looks a little
like shaking dice with the grim reap
/ err 1t is here that the engineers dis
| played their greatest talent. At times
| train will work for hours to get up
/ on the mountains from a valley and
after you have gotten to the top you
can see the whole lay out.
| In Portland / found that the city is
! counting on giving the B. P. O. E.
| big time this summer. It is truly
beautiful city and those coming out
! to the convention will enjoy it very
| much.
| Trees are budding out little here
! but it is very cool yet and a fire feels
mighty good
| l wish that you would send me the
weekly to the address given at the
beginning of this.
| With best wishes to all my friends
1 am, Yours very truly,
Percy L. Billingsley.
| P S:-I called on Mr.. T. 3. Snyder
in Portland. found him in splendid
health and doing nice tailoring busi
ness He like all the rest is great
/ booster for the Northwest. p L 3.