The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1913-09-11

lHS luS 0hIluCJ NOlCduO, UlIy
miles from Tacoma, which is
called Mt. Rainier in Seattle.
n 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 real name-"the mountain
that was God" writes a correspon-
ent of the Boston Herald.
The peaks Of Switzerland are not
as a rule higher or better covered
Rainier. But the Swiss have brought
their mountains to their visitors. In
clined railroads and other devices
have made the peaks accessible.
Beauty has been put on the market,
so to speak. Ours, on both sides the
international boundary, is still in the
rough state, but on that account, not
less winsome.
Some hardship and a dash Of ad-
venture are involved in reaching our
mountain tops. Instead of an cleo
trio railroad threading it's way in a
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 a narrow trail On the back
of a broncho. But there is a charm
in the very wildness of the western
mountain that fully compensates the
traveller for this extra effort.
b. Travel on Logging Road.
So many people visit the Puget
sound cities without getting more
than a distant view of this famous
mountain that l am moved to de.
scribe with some detail just how the
trip to it may be made.
Go to the station Of a logging rail.
road in the outskirts Of Tacoma. This
road runs two trains a day, or rath-
er keeps one set of cars on the road,
to the extent of two round trips per
diem. Buy a round trip into the park
for SIS, then spend 35 cents more for
a seat in the parlor car. One such
vehicle, hauled over the road back
and forth, fills a long felt want. The
railroad ride Is thoroughly interest.
ing. 1t is ~perceptibly up grade. The
~snow-capped peak flashes in and out
of view most cap~riciously. So many
curves does the track take that the
snow mass appears at the most sur.
prising n of the sky, on one
occasion looming up directly behind
the observation platform, although
the train Is 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 wag.
ons are in readiness at Ashford.
These should be horse-drawn, so Sc.
we're Is the jolting over what remains
of a road. How any man-made en-
CINE can staSd the bumps thus infict'
ed on the route between Ashford 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
1t bring the sightseer to Longmire
Springs, and to the National Park inn
maintained there. under government
supervision, for the entertainment OF
mountain guests.
Carry No Baggage.
The next morning, bright and early
the party gathers at the broncbc
headquarters. Divided skirts have
been supplied to all the ladies. No
body of either sex is allowed to car
ry anything like baggage. ven where
the purpose is to stay over night on
the mountain and let the horse thai
afternoon come down empty" Nc
provision for keeping the animal 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 mp for them.
The day I made the journey there
were fourteen in the party. with two