The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-07-03
TELLS or HIS ALASKA TRIP.
Rev. f. n Bradshaw Write An Interesting letter About
Ills lonQ Journey to the Interior of Alaska.
Ruby, Alaska, April 80, 1911;

with your request and my promise
will tell you something of my trip
into the northland. Since leaving
Leon on Feb. 18th have travelled
about six thousand miles, going
through Texas, about two thousand
miles out of the most direct way.
AS most of the people of Leon have
crossed the continent, nothing l can
say of the country would be informa-
ton to them, SO / will confine my
self to writing of my journey from
Seattle to Ruby.
l will refer, however, to one ex-
perience in my cross-continent trip.
I ran into Ell Paso, Texas, Monday
morning, March oath and would not
be able to leave for Los Angeles til!
10 p. m. 1t was the night before that
Madero was assassinated in Mexico
City and everyone was thinking and
talking of the Mexican situation. Be-
ing near the borders of Mexico 1
thought l would cross the Rio
Grande and visit Juarez on the side
just opposite Ell Paso. In company
with a young fellow from Iowa we
wandered down through the Mexi-
can quarters of Ell Paso, on across
the Rio Grande, and into the adobe
town of Juarez. 1t was the first time
in my life when l was outside the
jurisdiction and domain of the Unit
ed States, which l did not realize
though most everything we saw or
heard was distinctly foreign. We
were curious to see the place where
on Sundays they have their famous
bull fights. Finally we found it, a
sort of coliseum, but we also found
Mexican soldiers encamped near the
building, and two soldiers guarding
the entrance to the place. Not real
izing we were in Mexico in time of
war and turmoil, our curiosity led us
on up to the guards of whom we re-
.quested the privilege of looking
within the enclosure The request
vas gruffly granted. l went in out
my companion remained without
standing near the guards. Suddenly
realizing our curiosity had gotten
the better of our judgment we soon
got away from the bull pen and beat
a retreat to the more congenial SUI
roundings of Uncle Sans territory.
The glimpse which I got into Mexi-
can life and conditions at Juarez
was enough to show that something
is certainly wrong with Mexico. Such
evident squalor, poverty, and mis-
cry! Perhaps the people of the
United States do not have the pa
tience or sympathy for the Mexican
people as they should The Mexican
people are struggling, blindly per-
haps, to solve some of their perplex-
ing problems and to bring in a bet
ter day for the great mass of the
people.
Leaving Ell Paso Monday night we
passed through the arid, desolate re-
gions of southern New Mexico and
Arizona. If Burbank can convert
those huge cacti of New 4Nexico and
Arizona into nourishing food for the
cattle he will be great public bene-
factor. 1t was great relief to me
wnen on Wednesday morning our
train ran along through the orange
groves of southern California. My
mouth watered for some of the gold
en- fruit as we passed one grove
where it lay in profusion on the
ground. A rain storm the night be-
fore had knocked many of the Or
anges off the trees and the ground
was fairly covered with them. On
round gently rounded hills and
through the valleys and plains of
southern and central California, on
through mountain scenery of the
northern section and through Ore
gon and Washington we sped on our
way till at p. m. Saturday March 1,
we arrived in Seattle, where we had
planned to outfit for our journey
into the far regions of ice bound and
snow covered Alaska, which as the
name signifies is the Great Coun-
try, in more respects than one.
The first boat to sail for points in
southwestern Alaska was the Samp-
son, due to leave Seattle on March
9Th, but as was sick in the hospital
in Seattle for nearly week after my
arrival it was impossible for me to
sail on the Sampson. So I did not
get away from Seattle till March
10th, sailing on the S. S. Mariposa,
one Of the largest boats of the
Northern Navigation Company. A
very large number of passengers
came north on the Mariposa and
large number of people gathered at
the pier to see their friends and low
ed ones off and to bid them success
in their adventures in the north. At
about II p. m. the Mariposa weigh
ed anchor, the boat seemed to take
on sudden life quivering with the
deep throbs of the engines, and we
were of to the land of hopes and bit
ter disappointments, of sudden sue
cesses and abject failures.
Mr.. Harrison, pastor of the Uni
versity Presbyterian church of Seat
tie, was at the pier to see me off and
bid nae God speed, on my mission. 1t
was my great pleasure to be in his
home in Seattle to preach for him,
and to meet the people of his church.
So it was real comfort to me to
have him at the pier to wave me a
friendly goodbye.
AS the Mariposa moved slowly
out of port stood on deck and
watched the lights of Seattle fade
away and enjoyed the witchery Of
Puget Sound One will have to take
the trip to Alaska along the inside
passage to realize what it means.
While to those accustomed to the
route, the journey during the win
ter trip becomes dreary and they
enjoy themselves playing cards and