The Ordway new era., 1913-09-12


mountains on the globe than
tho the extinct volcano. fifty
miles from Tacoma. which is
called Mt. Rainer In Seattle.
and Mt. Tacoma In Tacoma.
With the larger city Uncle Sam
seems to have sided in naming the
reservation which encloses the giant
peak. the mt. Rainier National Park." !"
Tacoma would have been better, or
perhaps. best OF all. "Tahoma," the
word which students of Indian lore
declare its resl name-'the mountain
that was God" writes a correspon,
dent of the Boston Herald.
The peaks cf Switzerland are not
as a rule higher or better covered
with snow. season for season. than
Rainier. But tle Swiss have brought
their mountains to their visitors. In
clined railroadA, and other devices
have made the peaks accessible.
Beauty has beeh put on the market,
80 to speak otrs. on both sides the
International boundary. is still in the
rough state. but, on. that account, not
less winsome. ~
Some hardship and dash of ad-
venture are involved in reaching our
mountain tops. Instead of an cleo
tric railroad threading its way In u
tunnel under the mountain cover, by
which Swiss sightseers are led up to
their seas Of Ice, corresponding
points on Mt. Rainier can be reached
only over narrow trail on the back
Of broncho. But there Is a charm
in the very wildness Of the western
mountain that fully compensates the
traveller for this extra effort.
Travel on Logging Road.
So many people visit the Puget
sound cities without getting more
than distant view of this famous
mountain that am moved to de-
scribe with some detail Just how the
trip to 1t may be made
Go to the station Of q logging rail-
road in the outskirts Of Tacoma. This
road runs two trains . day. or rath-
or keeps one set Of cars on the road,
to the. extent Of two round trips Per
diem. Buy . round trip into the park
for IS, then spend IS cents more for
seat in the parlor car. One such
vehicle, hauled over the road back
and forth. flls long felt want The
railroad ride 10 thoroughly interest
ing. It IL perceptibly up grade. The
snow-capped peak flashes in and out
Of view most capriciously. So many
curves does the track take that the
snow mass appears at. the most sur
prising corners of the sky, on one
occasion looming up directly behind
the observation platform. although
the train IL headed toward the noun
tain by what looks on the railroad
map like an air line.
Passengers for the park get out at
Ashford. The train spurs into that
point, and then backs down seven
miles. to pursue its main line journey
further. Automobile mountain vag-
ons are in readiness a. Ashford.
These should be horse-drawn, so se-
we're 10 the Jolting over what remains
Of . road. How any ma&i-made en-
gine can stand the bumps Saus infiict-
ed on the route between Athford and
the entrance to the National park,
eight miles away, is hard to under
stand.
Once within the park the road Is
somewhat better. Several miles Of
It bring the sightseer to 4ongmire
Springs. and to the National Park inn.
maintained there. under government
supervision. for the entertai2ment of
mountain guests.
Carry No Baggage.
The next morning, bright ard early.
the party gathers at the hroncho
headquarters. Divided skirts have
been supplied to all the ladies'. No
body Of either sex is allowed to car
ry anything like baggage. even where
the purpose is to stay over night on
the mountain and let the horse that
afternoon come down empty" No
provision for keeping the animsl over
night on the mountain has yet been
made, and the stay-over tourists
usually walk down the steep paths
instead of ordering a fresh horse to
come up for them.
The day made the journey there
we're fourteen in the party. with two