Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1912-10-24
INTERESTING LETTER
BY Miss Mercedes Milliman Graphs
cally Describing Her Jou1aey to
Far Away Washington.

The following is an extract
from a 26 page letter written by
Miss Mercedes Milliman, describias,
her trip to Winthrop, Washington,
where she has gone to assist Will
liam Brinksrhoff in the Journal of
flee. Miss Mercedes lis enjoying
good heath and likes the west i'm
mensely. She reports BRINK as
doing fine business and George
Milliman as surely sin love with
Washington:
I'VE left Atlanhic about noon
and got into Omaha about 8 O'Clock
in the afternoon. We staidl there
ten minutes and then started for
Denver, We crossed Kansas and
Nebraska in the night for which, l
was thankful and reached Denver
about ten o'clock a. m. 1t didn't
look as pretty as / thot it would
but it was raining and was dread
fully cold. The next stop was
Colorado Springs and we got our
first view of the mountains here
as it was too misty to see them in
Denver. Our car was side tracked
there and put onto the Denver &
Rio Grande, the most scenic as
we'll as the most dangerous rail-
road in the Rocky Mountains. We
kept going up gradually from Pue-
bio and when we got to Palmer
Lake got a little light headed
The elevation is over seven thou-
sand feet. We had snow storm
here. At Fountain we saw silk
Indians cooking their DINNER at a
camp fire along the track. They
were dressed Like COW boys. AT
Soldiers Summit we saw lot of
cow boys load pack horses ready
to start on trip. One felolw put
soak Of flour in one of the sad
dlebags. There was a crowd there.
From here we went to Canon City
one of the most beautiful places
Imaginable. We went out on the
observation car here and started
for the Royal Gorge. We passed
the penitentiary here. 1t is up ON
the side OF a mountain and we got
an awful good view of it. We
passed the hanging bridge. sky
lime dnive and Rainbow Mountain.
We also saw a steam dredger at
work lifting big rock. We followed
the Arkansas river 100 miles and
it was beautiful where it came
raging and tearing over the noun
taims. On Tuesday evening We
reached Salida. From here we
could see the Sangre Del Christie.
Range with the Mount of the Holy
Cross. 1t got dark before we got
to the summit, Tennessee Pass. .
The Top of the World, lit is called,
ten thousand and somefeet high,
and having the highest post office
In the world. The next mornim 6
we were in Utah. Here we
were going down the other side
of the Rockies and about noon we
passed Castle Rock. This is where
the Mormons went through, you
remember We got into Salt Lake
City q little after dinner and
changed cars there. Salt Lake City
is the most beautiful town ever
saw. 1t is in the most beautiful
location you could think OF. TEl
mountains are just far enough away
TO look their best on one side and
Great Salt Lake ON the other. We
saw the Temple but couldn't see
the Tabernacle. A man. ON the
train pointed out the hill Brigham
Young used to pray on. lit had a
flag pole ON top Of it. The towns
in Utah and Idaho have the
funnies names, such as Helper, Mon
ument, etc. PocattelIo, Idaho, is
a typical western town, just Like
you read about. The depoot was
dirty and full OF cow puncher
wadting to take THE train to Penn
dleton, the place OF the big round
UP. We reached Portland Oregon
about eleven O'Clock Wednesday
might We crossed the Willamette
just as we got into Portland and
got into Seattle about eight a. m4
When changed cars got on the
side the sound was on. Part OF
Seattle seems to be built on the
Sound. From the train you can
see almost the whole city. Mt
Rainier cam be seen from the train
near Seattle"
Nick Thielem took Mr.. and MIS-
John Eros 20 Templeton Satur day