Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-06-26
mind) for we went thru the Rocky
Mountains and the Glacier National

Mountains and the Glacier National
Park during the night as was also the
case in part when going thru the CAS-
cades, but in this latter case the fore
part of the evening was spent viewing
the strange freak of nature work Here
we went thru a four mile tunnel
A mountain range is very elusive and
misleading. One is very apt to think
that the mountain you are viewing is
much nearer then in reality is the fact.
AS an illustration, at Leavenworth,
Wash, a town at the foot of the Cascade
mountains, we made a short stop and
to me it seemed that those gigantic
mountains were but couple of city
blocks away but was told by the resi-
dents of the town that they were four
miles away.
To me the most interesting part Of
our trip was our travel between Willow
Greek and Wenatchee, Wash. Here We
went thru the most gorgeous and beau
tiful scenes that one could ever wish
to see, constantly winding about along
a swift running river and exceedingly
high sand hills and with The sun Just
setting in the west, throwing Its rays
on the hills and water made a golden
panorama long to be remembered. On
the immediate bank of this river all
along was orchards of apple trees. The
reason for planting orchards on the river
bank is in order to have easy access to
water for irrigation, the water being
pumped up from the river. Another
reason for so placing the orchards >prob-
ably the chief one) is because there was
no other place to plant it for the sand
hills would grow no apples.
Wenatchee is famous for it's apples
and boasts of being the home OF the
red apple.
We arrived at Tacoma early Tuesday
morning the 2Sth, a few hours ahead
of our schedule. After a few hours wait
here we were taken out to Camp Lewis,
American Lake, and got our first glimpse
at the place that we are sOjOurning at.
Literally speaking the camp is bee
hive Of humanity where every thing IS
executed with speed and snap, in fact
make itsnappy" is a word that is much
in vogue with the officers and it is being
lived up to in every respect. We got
our uniform and gun practically as soon
as we got here and were Immediately
put to drilling.
The officers tell us that we are to
do work in months time that took
three months for the men to accom-
plish that were here before us. and
believe they mean it for we sure are
working hard.
we dIc III ol1ACS AudA ~ We
have had no opportunity to explore the
camp as a whole. They however. took
'us out one day on seven mile hike
in what is known here as mo man
land" Here we saw trenches of all
kinds of shape and manner and every
thing else imaginable to the essence OF
modern warfare training.
All of us Kadiyohi county boys, with
the exception of few that volunteered
for the spruce cutting camp at VAN
couver and have gone there, are in the
oath Co. in what is known a., the Depot
Brigade and which is really only a distri-
button place. After a months stay here
we will be assigned to regular companies
and then undoubtedly We will all be
separated.
1t was my pleasure to see the strange
phenomena of a total eclipse OF the SUI
here last Saturday afternoon at about
o'clock To find it all oe sudden
getting dusk in the milst of day and not
! a cloud visible is rare thing anu some
thing that don't happen very often.
In conclusion, a trip to the west is
very interesting and enjoyable but only
as such. For me give me good old Min.
nesota and particular spot, Randi
yohi county and it suffices.
With sincere greeting, I am.
Respectfully,
Albin Wahlstrand,
Gath Co. Bn.
166 Depot Brigade.