Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1916-06-29

In Camp on Banks of Wreck

Dear Mother and Father: Lunch
is just over and as we have little
work this afternoon | can write
you now instead Of this evening.
! can then walk ever to town Mo-
clips),. mail the letter and it will
reach you a day earlier.
We got out to our camp about
"A o'clock yesterday and set Ia
work at once clearing a place for
!. tents, and believe, me it is not
like going out to the fair grounds
and setting up a tent on nice level
ground. We had to cut down
brush and ferns and level off
/ great mounds of earth, etc, MAX
ing regular camping. We had to
get our own tent stakes. too, not
from the floral hall. either.
last night we slept on the
ground in our sleeping bags. We
made mattress of ferns first,
then put oil CLOTH. rain coats.
elnny sacks and paper over these,
then we put down our beds
(sleeping bags and crawled in.
! was SO tired that I didn't mind
the lack Of mattress. and !
silent like log all night. never
noticing the cold. was asleep i'm
about two minutes, think. We
got mp at o'clock this morning.
breakfast at 6:3O and started ON
our first trip at Z. We worked
until 1880. then came '.home"
and had our lunch. Now we are
all sitting around the campfire
writing. reading or looking after
camp duties. There are thirteen
in the party. In addition we have
an experienced guide. We have a
charming place here: a little
stream runs right by our camp
and in fornt of US is a nice sandy
ocean beach. Back of us are the
hills and forests dense and wild.
We have fOun sleeping tents. a
cook tent and dining hail." Our
cook is a good one we all eat like
harvest hands. Tin discs. black
handled knives and forks. tim
spoons and similar articles. reg
ular camp stuff. make up the
utensils. II doesn't take much
time to do the dishes, because one
plate and cup apiece is all we
have. M numerous side dishes
here. But we have good eats ana
plenty of it..
Mrs. Smith. Lucille who goes
to Ames next year.. Nina. am
oberlin graduate of 1917. and
myself have one tent and. we gel
along fine. The rest of The party
is divided UP into groups and
everything is extremely pleas
ant
We had circus coming out on
the train. We had a special ear
and we're. alone most of the fine.
l.
though occasionally. by special
arrangement. some. one else was
put in, but this did not bother us.
The first day out of Chicago we
passed through rolling country
until we reached Lacrosse, Wis.
where it became very hilly and
beautiful. The scenery near por-
tage. Wis. especially through
The Dells.' is very unusual and
attracts the attention of every
one. I'm glad ! Joined the party
at Chicago instead of meeting il
at st. Paul. as we had So much
fun and a pleasant trip the first
day in addition to a lot of study
which the professor compelled ms
to do.
Next day we woke up on the Da-
kota plains and travelled over
them all day. The third morning
we were up at Z O'Clock to see
the Rockies. That was Sunday
We didn't have to study or take
notes that day, but | took some
just the same. II was hot i'm the
afternoon, SO we lounged i'm the
car most of the time irving ia
Peep cool. At one station some
- us walked through a spray thai
as playing on the station lawn.
mat Kept us cool for a little
While. We went through the
Bitter Root mountains SUNDAY
afternoon. They are unusually
pretty, though not as high as the
ncckies. We went through eigh-
teen tunnels in twenty-five miles
and wound up and around and
a"onnd and down the mountains
right beside little river all the
way. II was certainly beautiful
scenery. We were up al Z a. m.
Monday. SO we could see the Cas-
cade mountains as we passed
over Oh, l tell You. this crowd
didn't nroI,ose to miss any sights
We got into Seattle at $40 and
went direct to the New Richmond
- get cleaned up. ] called up
Mrs. Jessie Burbank and as She
wanted me to come right out she
sent Fred with a car for me. He
took me out to their place. where
l had few minutes visit. They
have a lovely home right ND on
the hank of Lake Washington.