The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-11-27
w. II. DONALDSON WRITES
Eugene. Oregon, Nov. 141s


Editor Register:
Dear Sir: AS several people wanted
to hear from Us shall write a few
lines for the Register. We left Brook.
ings October %, the day Of the snow
and wind storm. We reached Omaha
the next a. m, and stayed there until
4:30 p. m We took a sleeper for Den
yer and wakened up the next morn
ing in Colorado, still there was snow
on the ground. Had a thirty minute
stop in Denver. From Denver, we
went to Pueblo and from there On the
scenery was grand. There was always
two and sometimes three engines on
the train. The Denver and Rio
Grande railroad follows the Arkansas
river and the track is very crooked
through the Royal Gorge, sometimes
1t passes between rocks straight up on
both sides with just room enough for
the track and the river, sometimes
passing through a tunnel. The trip
was n grand scene after another all
day and during the night we passed
through the western part of Colorado.
The next morning found us in Utah,
but still in the mountains although
they seemed like hills. We arrived at
Provo at HOS p. m, stayed there one
day. Provo is in a fruit country in a
very productive valley with a large
lake on the west Of the town and
mountains all around. BY the way,
there is a farmer there who raises fall
wheat by dry farming. He divides his
ground into two fields and sows to
wheat year after year. He ~fall-plows
and c~ultivates his ground we'll and
sows the wheat early so 1t gets a
good start before winter. He raises
from 40 to 70 bushels per acre. l did
not have time to see his farm as he is
out five miles from town. Irrigation
is used extensively around Porvo. Our
next stop was at Pocutello, Idaho, a
railroad town. We didn't see much
there as it rained all day.
From Pocatello we went to Weiser,
Idaho. Weiser Is a nice town in a
fine looking valley. Nearly all kinds
of fruit is raised there by irrigation.
The weather was clear and warm.
From Weiser We came on to Lagrande,
Ore, and the wind never blew worse
in South Dakota than 1t did the day
we spent there. Fruit growing Is the
specially there. Lots of apples are
shipped from this productive valley.
There were lots Of apples on the trees.
They have large stores and lots of
hotels and restaurants.
We left Lagrande, Wednesday morn
ing for Portland. BY this time l had
turned my watch back two hours. We
arrived in Portland after dark and
spent all day Thursday there. We
saw Mr.. and Mrs. Fred Carlisle. Mr..
c. and I went out on a fifteen story
building and had a view of the city.
I also visited the saw mills on the
river.
We landed in Eugene Friday at
2:30 p. m. when Beatrice met US and
took us to rooms where We stayed
until we found a house. We have rent
ed a new bungalow just about com
pleted.
Eugene Is a nice little city Of 10000
with four banks and drug
stores "a dry town. lots OF nice de-
partment and grocery stores, nice
churches, the University OF Oregon
all kinds Of fruits and vegetables.
They are canning pumpkins and pack
ing prunes now. There are lots of
prunes and all raised around Eugene.
There Is also an excelsior plant here.
Wood is used for fuel and one sees
lots Of cord wood piled in different
parts of the city. The most of the
streets are paved, have street cars. one
line uns to Portland, and two steam
laundries. A road Is being built from
here to Marshfield on the coast.
Yours truly,
". H. Donaldson.