The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1919-11-20
LETTER FROM THE NORTHWEST
Mr.. H. V. Leighton, of Mountain Lake Park
Writes Entertaining of His Trip


Under date of October 18th, Mr. H.
Leighton, of Mountain Lake Park, who, accom-
panied by his son, made d trip through por
ton of the west and northwest, directed the fol-
lowing letter to The Republican from Castle
Rock, Washington, but it is with regret that
until the present issue Of the paper it has
not been printed owing to the mass of adver-
Using matter appearing week after week since
its receipt, but like all good things Mr.. Leigh
tons letter has not lost anything by reason of
the lateness of its appearance in print.
To the Editor of The Republican.
Perhaps a short letter descriptive of our trip
through the northwest, may be of interest to
some readers of The Republican, but l shall
use only small space of your newsy paper.
NV son Herbert and myself left Mountain
Lake Park on September 9th, going by way
of Chicago, where we had to lay over between
trains for five or six hours. We were glad
for this time as it gave US an opportunity of
seeing some of the business places and meth
DDS of Chicago
After spending these hours in the great city
we resumed our Journey westward. We were
very favorably impressed with the State OF
Iowa and Eastern Nebraska where we saw the
rich black soil, the wonderful crops of wheat
and corn, with almost every utilized, but
as we came on west into Colorado this con-
dtion was very materially changed. The farms
were not so productive and far between. Vast
stretches of prairie lands were passed through
much of it covered with sage brush, some at
fOrdlng good pasture, ana we could see many
cattle grazing on these lands.
The prairie is almost as level as floor and
extend for miles. One party told me he had
chased deer the prairie for seven miles
in an automobile, regardless of roads.
We then began to ascend the Rockies, and
these to one who has never before seen them
is a wonderful experience.
We stopped off one day and night at Colo
RADIO Springs where we spent busy hours with
an automobile and guide visiting the places
of interest. 1 would not pretend to describe
the sights about this Rocky Mountain city.
Suffice 10 say we visited the Seven Falls. the
Garden of the Gods the Cave Of the Winds
(three-quarters of a mile in extent). At all
these places the scenery was rugged, but per-
fectly wonderful. Several times we passed
through gorges barely wide enough for our
car to clear with almost perpendicular cliffs
rising to a heighth Of a thousand feet or more
on either side. We also went by auto the top
of Pixies Peak This driveway has recently
been built at an expense of half million dol
lars, the distance being 81 miles to an elevation
of $4,000 feet. Much of this road is built on
a twenty per cent. grade and it takes a good
car to ascend the mountain. For nine miles
of the climb our big Cadillac was in low gear
and made low speed at that. After we got to
an elevation of 10000 to 12,0 900 feet we could
see snow in the cliffs that had been there
since last winter, and as got farther up
the wind was blowing and the snow flying,
and Notwithstanding had our heavy lap
robes and coats, by the time got to the top
we were blue with the cold but to our delight
and comfort we were taken to cozy inn, with
a big wood fire burning brightly, and where
we were served with a hot lunch before re-
turning. We did not dare exercise very much
up there on account of the lightness of the air.
1t is not everyone that can ascend to this ee-
walton. Personally l made to feel very
lightheaded and weak kneed. Our only reason
for not seeing more from this point was our
shOrtness Of vision.
Last but not least of the places of interest
about this resort is Cripple Greek, the gold
mining region with output of $16,000,000
| of gold annually.
| After nights rest we started on our way
over the Union Pacific, going through to Salt
| Lake CITY Here we stopped long enough to
| see the great Mormon Temple, Tabernacle and
other places of interest. We got into Boise,
| Idaho, after night where | was met by my
| brother, who drove out to his ranch and
the next few days he kept his busy show
ing US around the country, looking at the
| bloOded stock, fine fruit and crops such as are
raised in the valley. This part of the state
| has a complete system of irrigation, which,
with its mild climate, rich soil and three hun
| dred days of sunshine each year, great crops
of almost every kind are raised. Three and
four crops of alfalfa are cut in the year, yield
| ing ten tons and over per acre. Wheat, so to
| 60; oats, 100 to so bushels per acre. We went
| from here to Weiser, Idaho, where another
| of my brothers live. This is the same valley
| ana the conditions are largely Cne same as at
| Boise, except that here the people go more
| largely into the growing of fruit Some of
| the finest fruit | have ever seen is grown here.
Hundreds of carloads of apples and prunes
are now being shipped from this section to all
! sections, especially the eastern states.
One afternoon we drove for sixty miles
! through this fruit belt, passing orchard after
orchard of the bright colored fruit.
| We are now with a sister in Castle Rock,
the town being located up in the big timber of
| Washington state. We made trip out to
| the high line logging camp where they
| high line cables and engines, bringing in the
| whole tree from the woods to the car. Some
of these trees are $50 to 200 feet long, almost
without knot, and scaling from 5000 to
| 10000 feet each. To an eastern lumberman
this timber looks good. We were told that
from this little town of Castle Rock $4,000
worth of evergreen blackberries were shipped
| to canning factories this season, along with
| $4,000 worth of cascara bark.
| The weather is warm and nice, but the wet
| season is expected here in this state at any
| time
We will start on our return in a few days,
| going down through Oregon and California,
| stopping at Portland, Oregon, San Francisco,
| Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, and
| taking the Southern Pacific back home
l beg pardon for using so much space, but
| one gets so enthused with such wonderful ma
| este scenery as you see all through the north
| west that l find it hard to stop writing.
| H. V. LEIGHTON.
| co1l;o, 1. IL