The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1914-11-11
-etter From Mrs. Thomas.

Letter From Mrs. Thomas.
Portland. Oregon, Nov. Editor
Leader: After long wait take my
pen in hand again. Let me see the
last was written in Denver, the place
thought by many to be the far west
but it is only the gateway to the
great west, AS our train sped along
over the great Rio Grande road my
mind went back to my childhood days
in the old home in Iowa when so
many of our friends and relatives de-
cided to go westward The first
uncle went in 1S49, then in 1851 an
other uncle and family and a num-
Der of friends made up one great
caravan of OK teams and great heavy
wagons with supplies to last the three
months journey, most Of the people
walking | remember so we'll the
letter that came back telliag just n
part of the privations and the hard
ships endured in the long journey. |
remember that letter SO wei, no en-
velope enclosed it, but it was care
fully folded and sealed with sealing
wax we all kept a piece for sealing
up our letters and the postage on
these first letters was twenty five
cents if memory serves me right.
Well again l was made to ask how
did those pioneers ever get over and
through those hills and mountains
and now a great highway is planned
where the automobiles already are
humming along carrying The merry
PARTIES. Truly man has seen his et-
forts crowned with success and even
the great Rockies must be cut in
twain to make a road for the white
man. poor I4o was satisfied with
path and tepee. Our train met with
no accident, we were on time, halted
short time at the larger towns.
Leadville was only seen in the dis
tance, being four miles from the main
line, but our train stopped and we
could see the fire from the great
smelters and the lights in the city,
and while we were viewing the lights
in the darkness a large building be
gan to burn and was soon consumed
by the fire, all the passengers saw
one great fire that they could not
run to: the altitude soon began to
make us wonder why our cars were
hurting so badly and it really suited
us much better to sit up than to lie
down in our berth but by erd by we
were going down grade and got a
little sleep; the mountains OF Utah
next morning had white tops but the
snow was rain when it got to us
therefore we were not permitted to !
see the city called Salt Lake City as
a heavy cloud Of smoke and rain set
tied over it like great pail so we
sped on to Ogden where sister and |
brother left us on another road to |
the Golden state. We decided to re-
main a day and night in Ogden;
found some old Iowa friends who
came west over forty years ago and
we were treated to a view Of ogden
our friend taking us in the
observation car and | will advise any |
of our friends who may come through /
Ogden to not fail to take a trip 1
through Ogden canyon; in some
respects it is more wonderful than
the Royal Gorge, and you don't feel
as though you may be crushed at any
moment by a falling boulder / was
really glad and the nervous tension
relieved when we emerged from the
gloom of the Royal Gorge, ms friends
said no danger but three days later
YOU no doubt read of the tons OF
rock tDaJ lei Oh d pdsoCHbSA Ni
crushing a coach and killing several
and iniuring many, just as the train
passed out of the great gorge; as we
are thankful that we are not living
n Europe at present so we are thank
nj that we were not riding on that
II fated train, the only wonder to
ne is that many more such accidents
10 not occur.
After leaving Ogden the FOUNTAINS
we're ever in sight. saw but little good
and as the road follows the river and
Mountains and hills on either SIDE I
is said there is much farming land 4
n Idaho but we could not get a
.limpse Of II. Saw a few orchards
,ut more after getting into Oregon
assed through Ontario in eastern
dge of oregon just as day was
reaking. so we could not see the
title city where our former towns
nan. Mr.. Cockrum and family live
20 sned on reaching PendletOn at