The Oakes times., 1914-04-16
Glinpses of a Trip
to the Panama Canal
By HON. THOMAS F. MARSHALL

A drop in latitude from as degrees
north to about 9 degrees north, or in
other words, from q point about three
hundred miles south Of the Canadian
line to point about five hundred miles
north Of the equator in January and
February ordinarily means q change
from 80 below zero to something like
100 above, and call for q change from
fur-lined overcoats, woolen sweaters
and overshoes to gauze underwear,
linen pants and seersucker coats. In
the one place you are looking for
steam-heated rooms or . red hot stove
for protection against the wind and
snow and cold; in the other, you long
for grateful shade and ocean breezes
as relief from the burning sun. We
found the coolest weather of the sea-
son in Fargo during the latter part
of January and February. Minneapo-
lis and Chicago were no better. It is
always little colder in Chicago when
it is cold, little hotter when it is
hot, little more windy when it is
windy (which is all the time), and
the rain is q little wetter than any
where else on earth.
For Love of Getting Back.
BY way Of explanation, we want to
say we did not leave North Dakota
looking for better weather-we would
hive been ashamed to do that after
the beautiful weather we had. We
were moved by the same spirit that
sends the American people wandering
from one end of their country to the
other and to the Furthermore points
on the globe. am sometimes in doubt
whether it pays to travel for what
one sees. It does pay in a large de.
gree because Of the people you meet
and the friends you make. It pays
as you grow older to recall what you
have seen and talk over experiences
while away from home, but the hest
return Of all lies in the fact that you
can come back to North Dakota; and
you always come back sounder in the
faith than ever that our country is
the best country of all and that our
people are the best people on earth.
Travelling, in our case, is a good deal
such an experience as the boy who is
coasting. He is perfectly willing to
walk up the hill for the fun of sliding
down; and we are willing to 60 ava,
from home for the pleasure of comine
back.
Cold Weather Followed Us.
We left Chicago on the morning of
February 26th, having delayed SO as
to miss the world-famous Mardi Gras
Celebration, as we had no desire to
encounter the tremendous crowds OF
to pay the excessive hotel bills. Upon
taking the train in Chicago, we ex-
pected to arrive in New Orleans the
next morning; the land of sunshine
and fiowers-in fact, a paradise. 1t
was beautiful alright, but it was a
beautiful snow instead of sunshine and
fiowers-four inches of it, and more
falling; enough to do serious damage
to the Strawberries and garden truck
Papers were busy for several days ex-
planning for it was the first snow in
eleven years and it was very unusual
1t is strange, but it seems to be
true. that when one goes away from
home they always encounter unusual
weather, gotten up, l presume, es-
pecially to disgust the newcomer and
to enable the natives to put in all their
time explaining trying to square them
selves and make us believe that the
usual weather is all that is claimed fol
it and is as advertised. In all of sew
eral visits that we made to California
each time has been Unusually" cold
windy or dry-or all three. In Florida
We found the same Unusual" weather
During the eight years we lived in
Washington every winter was "un-
usually" cold, windy, or stormy, the
summers unusually" hot and dis
agreeable. During all that time there
was not one normal spring, summer
fall or winter. This seems strange
but it must be true, for the natives
were all ready to swear to it.
During the three days in New Or.
leans we found it uncomfortably cold
for that climate, the thermomete,
hanging from As to so; too cold to
ride in comfort with the dampness in
the air; but to their credit let it be
said that the hotels were comfortably
heated-something you do not always
find in warm countries.
Met Old Friends.
We were especially fortunate in
meeting friends. On the train 10,