The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1923-07-12
PRESIDENT HARDING'S TRIP

The presidents party have don
! the Yellowstone park, the Oregon
Trail celebration at the top of tn
Blue mountains in Oregon, spen
the Fourth in Portland, boarded
transport, the Henderson at Tacom'
and are doing Alaska.
| They went up what is known a.
the Inside Passage to Juneau ant
Skagway, then returned to Cros
Sound and took the open sea for 60(
miles westward across to Seward
! just east of Cooks Inlet, and were
slated to arrive there about Satur
day morning, July IA. From there
they travel by rail mostly, to Fair
banks on the Tanana, in central
Alaska, some 500 miles from the
coast. They have a number of en-
gagements along the way, and from
Fairbanks they were scheduled to
return to Chitina over the trail
about 400 miles, roughing it. While
at Juneau the conferences Of leading
men of Alaska advised against their
taking the trip over the trail, saying
it was a needless hardship. They
can cover it in automobiles, but the
roads are bad and some of the party
will have to sleep in tents and camp
out. They were quite pronounced in
saying that Mrs. Harding ought not
to take the trail. But Mrs. Harding
was equally pronounced in saying
her preference would be to take the
trail. She thought it would be such
a wonderful experience among those
rugged mountains, where each today
tapers off thru twilight into tomor-
row. The president consented to
cancel that part of the schedule, but
when they put to sea and he got to
thinking it over he revived the sub
ject and asked if they didn't think it
was mistake to make that change,
and wouldn't it really be all right to
let them go over the trail Mrs.
Harding took fresh hope and said
she was for it if they could make up
their minds to let them do it.
The Presidents trip into Alaska
with members of his cabinet is very
decidedly business trip. No presi-
dent has ever set foot on the soil of
Alaska before, and much important
government business has been held
up pending the visit of these Of
ficials. Alaska has been a name to
them rather than condition, and
they hold conferences all along the
way to get first hand information
and see what they can of it. The
government has just expended
thirty-five million dollars building
one line of railroad into the rich
copper country, and has bought and
built many short lines and much
valuable terminal. property.
Wherever they go in the west, the
President impresses people with his
neighborly, farmer-like ways, and
Mrs. Harding gives the impression of
being good friend, likeable,
friendly, sincere, ready to try any
thing once. At the Oregon Trail
celebration the party rode in an old /
stage coach the first move, but when
hey got in the second time, Mrs.
wanted to ride with the
1river, and she did, much to the
liking of everybody.
They held a meeting with many of |
he old timers, who travelled the
Oregon Trail, and it was so good to
nix with these very old folks, that
he Hardings stood around visiting
With them after the time was up and
hey were due somewhere else. Then
he Indians wanted them for a pow
vow, and got them, and once into
he pow-wow it was too good to leave
Ind again they stuck around long
Ifter the time for them to move. The
President was adopted into the tribe
md made real Injun, much to his
lelight, and Mrs. Harding was proud
h I11nl rfv d,a
reception and Misunderstanding at
Valla Walla, but that looked so
mall, and the rough and ready
hings on the top of the Blue noun
aims looked so good, the Hardings
ct the hours slip away until they
ust had to go, to be at all fair to
he white folks waiting for them.
AS you look at your map Of Alaska
o see where the party is travelling,
ote that the Gulf of Alaska oc-
upies the curve in the ocean be-
ween the main land and where the
niger runs out into the Pacific. The .
arty cut across part of this gulf, but |
OF far enough to reach any part of
ne finger. 1t may not seem like
90 miles from Juneau across to
ook's inlet or the Copper river,
hose things are probably marked
n your map, but it is that far, and
very mile is full sized one. Find !;
he Yukon river and then look for :
lie Tanana (Tan A Naw) a great :
flowing into the Yukon on
le southern side, and about mid ..
ay on the Tanana is Fairbanks, :
lie farthest north the party goes.
-.s.--
J-THERAN CHURCH SERVICES }