The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1912-10-24
A TRIP TO WASHINGTON.
N. Yokima, Wash,
Sun, Sept. Is, 1912.

Iit'I WhCu CiOoeu ldsG puduay' may
not even reach this city in this letter
as haven't much time for ] am going
for drive through Fruitvale this aft
ernoon, and expect to leave about l:30
p, M. Hope, Idaho, is a pretty little
town at the head of Lake Pend d'Oreil-
lie, and in fact all Idaho towns, through
which we passed, are indeed picture
sque. Lake Pend d'Oreille is fine
body of water, our conductor telling
us the finest in the Rocky mountain
country, 50 miles long and from 2 to Is
miles wide. We skirted the lake for
many miles and finally crossed it at
its western edge. The blue waters of
the lake, blue as the heavens, fill what
was once very steep mountain cam
yon extending north and south with it's
general direction and long arm to
the west. Our conductor informed us
that soundings have been made to the
depth of 1000 feet without finding a
bottom. Rising from the edge of the
lake on every side are huge mountain
peaks covered with forests. Back
from the lake one range seems to rise
tier by tier upon the other. Located
among those ranges are many mining
towns.
We reached Spokane. Wash, (alt.
1919 ft.) about 2 o'clock Thursday, p.
NJ. The trip from home to Spokane
was indeed interesting. but from there
on we had dust, heat, alkali stretches,
sage brush, &c. too numerous to men
ton, so, from Spokane to here, began
to grow tired and realized the extent
Of the trip to the West. The city of
Spokane is splendidy built at loca-
ton where nature has contributed
many advantages. The Spokane River
running through the center of the city
falls over great ledge of rocks
and forms Spokane Falls. This Falls
provides power for electric lights and
street railway service not only for Spo-
kane but also for use at Ceour d. Aliens,
town 80 miles distant. The more
wealthy residents of Spokane have
their homes up the steep mountain
sides and the natural lava lodges and
knobs serve as an adornment to their
grounds.
h The agricultural regions of Big Bend,
Palouse, Clearwater, Walla Walla and
Calville Valleys produce immense crops
of wheat.
West of Spokane to the Columbia
river is known as 1.-The Big Bend Coun-
try" In this region large crops of
wheat are raised without irrigation,
but of late ranchers find apple, orchards
more productive, and it is said that
crop failures sin the Palouse" are like
angels visits, few and far between.
We next reached Cheney (alt. 2345 ft.)
Cheney is called the Finland Empire"
of Idaho and Eastern Washington on
account of its rich agricultural loca-
ton. One of Wash. S State Normal
schools is located at Cheney. Soon after
leaving Cheny we reached little town
called Lennon, where our porter said
to some of our coach, 81 would rather
let you off here than at Paradise, only
this town spells its name with Two ms.
All along our trip he was very Jolly
and had to answer a thousand and one
questions as to "where are we now2"
or "when do we reach such and such a
placer" His answer always to the last
named question was sob, some time
tomorrow"
TO get back to where | was at, will
say we passed through Ritzville (alt.
1872 ft.) and Lind (alt. 1864 ft.) with
just a slow down of second or so, and
reached Pasco about & o'clock Thurs
day evening. Here or rather before
we reached the station the conductor
told Lillian that as the train did not
stop at Kennewick (alt. 37S ft.) she'd
better get off at Pasco (alt. 33l ft.) as
it was but miles from Kennewick, so
she did as he said, but before the train
left Pasco, he decided to request the
engineer TO slow down at kennewick
so as to let her get off there. While
the train waited at Pasco, we also got
off to inhale some outside air. Kenne-
wick is at the foot of this valley. Lew
is and Clark in 1905 encamped where
Kennewick now stands, went up the
Columbia TO the Yakima river mouth
and called it the Topical river. 1t
seemed lonesome to part with Lillian
and to know we were going to different
parts Of the state, where we would not,
as at home, meet at an occasional
Teachers Meeting or Institute, so |
watched her until we were well out of
sight and saw her going toward Hotel
Kennewick
we went IN to supper after we left
kennewick and the view along the
Columbia from the diner was fine.
Thirty-eight miles from Kennewick
is ProsSer, (alt. GIL IT, This city is
well into the famed Yakima Valley and
we reached there just about dark, that
is so dark that we saw no more of the
Valley till awoke here next morning
We were told that considerable Of the
land around Prosser is unoccupied, but
that where irrigated there were fine
orchards. We could see that our train
followed water which the conductor in
the next Pullman to ours told us was