Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-09-07
Former Augusta
Woman Writes
Interesting Letter

terest to many Augusta folks as the
writer, Mrs. I. NJ. Lyford. and daughter
Miss Hazel Lyford. have many friends
here:
Butte, Mont, Aug. TO-
Dear Friends: There are SO many
things to write about that hardly know
where to begin. Naturally the things
which are out of the ordinary come Ne
fore me FIRST but I'll weave them in with
the commonplace as best 1 can.
III go back to Augusta and come this
way once more. Friday. SIS A. NJ, We
were glad to see several friends at the
station to bid US goodbye. From Au-
eusta to Boston the scenery is too famil-
lar to all to be described. am sure At
Boston We left the B. & NJ train and
walked to track No. 10, found our sleep
er and we're soon settled for nearly two
days We tipped our porter. therefore he
was at our service as far as Chicago.
AS a result OF the visit from the Gus
toms officer, the lock on one trunk was
twisted to one side and all trunks were
ieft unlocked for the remainder Of the
UP much to our disgust We passed
HuHaio, Syracuse and other place in the
night, So saw nothing Of them. but along
Lake st. Clair we were wide awake and
enjoyed the sights to the full 1t took
III minutes to pass through one tunnel
che Hoosac). absolute darkness. and
smell-oh. my.
One OF the prettiest places through
"hich we passed before reaching Mon
lana was Shelbourne Falls, Mass, near
North Adams. From Boston to Chicago
among other travellers, was a girl who
was returning to her California home
AFTER an absence OF about nine weeks
she 'ourneyed from West to East by auto
Win friends living in Boston She occu-
PIED berth opposite ours and shared
Win US her dainties, prepared by her
trlcnds. When we were about 70 retire
she passed a glass of wine across ~
slsie' which, Of course, was declined with
'hanks' as a close observer might have
expected In view Of the fact that white
rfooons adorned our coats.
AT Chicago We entrusted our Iuepa se 20
red cap Representative OF Arm
s'rongs transfer) and saw norton ~
the city from bus. Finally after MANY
winnings and haltings we reached our
station-the Chicago Milwaukee & s.
faul. We were nearly starved, so during
our hVe-hour wait we went to a nearov
care and. you may believe, the pork
chops' Tried potatoes. etc, tasted good
to US.
Inc chicago station has nice Ladder.
room, fitted up with large high-backed
rockers, writing tables, couches toilet.
fountains and all necessary things 70
make IS comfortable for weary travellers
we went downstairs to our train about IL
minutes before leaving time
Just here begins the really difficult nart
Of my task. Words fail me when l think
of the sights we saw after leaving the big
twin cities of the Middle West (Minneapo-
lis and St Paul.. The miles and miles
of growing corn, the monotonous stretch
es of uninteresting looking land, the
herds of cattle, horses, now and then a
fowl. and few sheep-fewer people. We
saw the harvesters at work in the dis
tant fields and it seemed that there we're
as many as is horses having but one
driver
At town on the road we beheld a pie.
horses on high, elevation outlined
against the sky, one with his head over
the back of another-sweet COMPANION
ship.
In some sections we saw a feathery
weed called "fox-tan'-pretty, but a men
ace to the farmer. We also saw golden
rod and yellow daisies along the border
Of the grain fields. which delighted the
eye, reminding me of home
Now we're in the Dakotas. when wa
should be travelling up the mountains Of
Montana. We went from side to side in
the car, trying to view the scenery in
every direction.
Down the mountains. we could see
the road. winding Ike a gray thread
in and out, and occasionally we spied
an auto moving along. looking to us
at our dizzy height, like a toy, now
in sight, then hidden for a time to
appear again farther along. We climb
ed up, up. now between cliffs too high
to be Seen from the car then on, over
level stretches with mountains Of gor-
geous hue, glistening In the sunlight
just far enough away to produce the
ii4''t SHfil ming tlteCl. seeming 10 be
about 40 miles distant. when in real
ity. they We're hundreds of miles away.
There seemed to be no end of t,in-
nels, taking perhaps two minutes to
go through. In some places the noun
tains seemed full of caves, and far
above, boulders. which seemed Just
balancing upon other larger ones.
I must go on; it would take many
days to tell of all the wonderful sights
along the route.
Here we are at last at the c. NJ
& st. Paul station in Butte. many
thousand feet above sea level
From the station we had a ride
home in four thousand dollar
white" machine. / was in the back
seat, and beside me sat bright eyed
laddie of three years, called Buddy"
and ahead were two other loved ones
enjoying the ride as much as did their
grandma"
A royal welcome. a bountiful din
ner Gas the evening meal is called
prepared by one Of our western girls.
who knows how to do things right
Buddy's mother (be sure and sound the
r as Buddy" does).
We are on the side Of mountain,
near the Butte Duluth mine, and about
a ten minutes walk from the public
gardens. They told me I'd see no
grass or trees hare b,,f That barreo