The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-01-22
R. F. HYND WRITES
INTERESTING LETTER
Former Heppnerite, Now
Visiting Parents in Scot
land, Tells About Trip.
ARBRoATH, SCOTLAND,
Dec. "A, 1918.

L
| Dec. "A, 1918
| EDITOR GAZETTE-TIMEs:
Complying with your request that
| write an occasional letter from
this side of the Pond" herewith
send you Il short account OF our trip
from the Far West to the heather
clad hills of Scotland.
Leaving Portland on November
18th on the O-W. X. 4 n. Chicago
Special, we had an uneventful trip
with the finest of winter weather all
the way to Chicago, where we ar
rived on Sunday noon. The sun was
shining brightly when we left Port
land and with the exception of a
thick fog hanging over Eastern Ore
gOn, we had bright sunshine and
cold. frosty nights all the way
through. At only few places, even
when up between six and seven thou
sand feet crossing the backbone OF
the continent" did we SEE any snow
ON the track, but on some of the dis
tant mountains the sun shining on
the snow covered peaks presented a
pretty picture. especially at sunset.
The days being short. the time for
sightseeing was limited, bnt one
could readily see that there are de-
velopments all along the line. The
district around American Falls in
particular shows Improvement.
Three years ago it was little more
than sheep shearing station. Now
the town is about the size OF Heppner,
with vast areas OF wheat growing
land, worked on the dry farming sys-
tenn, stretching out on all sides.
Warehouses and elevators We're full
and wheat sacks We're piled up all
around the depot. Vast irrigation
projects are being carried on in the
upper Snake River valleys, and this
leads one to hope that some day Ore
gon will wake up, and, like Idaho,
send men to Washington who will
see that the state gets what it is en-
titled to for the irrigation of it's arid
lands. Leaving Potatello the after
noon is spent climbing the western
slope OF the Rockies, and soon after
dark we passed through Rock
Springs, where Heppner gets it's sup
ply of coal Yes, the coal is hauled
nearly thousand miles, and we are
told that thousands of tons lie bur
led within 20 miles of Heppner. We
can't blame our representatives at
Washington for this condition of af-
fairs, and as it is not considered the
proper thing to blame ourselves,
why let's blame some other fellow
anything to shift the responsibility
from ourselves.
Not until one gets pretty well into
Nebraska do you find the comfort
able, well equipped farm OF the Mid
die West Here you find the large,
neatly painted farm house, the sub
stantial barn which furnishes ample
protection for stock and implements,
and the good roads, without which
no farming district can prosper.
Every foot of land seems to be under
cultivation and every few miles one
passes Il thriving town, everything
indicating Il prosperous community.
whether the farmers are making
more money than our Oregon farm
ers | do not know. but it is very evi-
dent they are enjoying home COM
forts unknown to the average West |
erner.
During the four hours we spent in
Chicago awaiting train connections
with the Grand Trunk System two
trainloadS OF immigrants came into
Dearborn station under the direction
OF Il Government immigration officer.
They were herded into a large hall
there to await the arrival of their
friends. and if these were samples of
the immigrants we are to receive on
the Pacific Coast when the Canal is |
opened the outlook is not very fiat |
tering. Their dress and general ap-
pearance indicated that they were
from the lowest classes OF Southern
Europe and one would think that
one such shipment would be all that |
Chicago could assimilate for some
time to come, but learned that
many such consignments arrived |
every week.
On the way to New York we spent |
one day at Hamilton. IL lively city Of |
Southern Canada, beautifully located |
on Lake Ontario, and the principal
manufacturing city Of the Dominion. |
During the past ten wears it has more
than doubled In population and now |
hOusts of 100 OUO inhabitants II L. |