The Crescent" Student Newspaper Archives and Museum
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Digital Commons @ George Fox University "The Crescent" Student Newspaper Archives and Museum 11-1-1911 The Crescent - November 1911 George Fox University Archives Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/the_crescent Recommended Citation George Fox University Archives, "The Crescent - November 1911" (1911). "The Crescent" Student Newspaper. 109. https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/the_crescent/109 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Archives and Museum at Digital Commons @ George Fox University. It has been accepted for inclusion in "The Crescent" Student Newspaper by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ George Fox University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE CRESCI3NTJ VOL. XXIII. NOVEMBER, 1911 NO. 1 c.ttuarb o! To one whose practical knowledge of American geography has been gained from occasional journeys thru various parts of that limited section of Uucle Sam’s domain known as the Mississippi Valley, there comes somewhat of a thrill with the thot of crossing the Rockies and having a peep at the other side of the great wall which Mother Nature has thrown up to keep the old Pacific from deluging Kansas and some of the other “dry” territory “back east.” There is the interest which always attaches itself to the sight of new scenes, and none the less of new people. I wish in the begin ning to plead guilty to all the feelings which are char acteristic of such an one. For many weeks before I left the realm of Hoosierdom I had been looking for ward to my trip. I shall not attempt to tell just how far I fell short in my anticipations of the journey itself. Suffice it to say there were a few things which I did not expect. The first thing necessary in making such a trip is ‘T THE CRESCENT 2 THE CRESCENT 3 choose a route. This I did. I made up my mind to came part of the way with us, but were drawn aside a well—I early which road I would take, which was little later on by the grandeur of some of the Canadian changed three times, each time to accommodate some ani scenery. one else. Scientists tell us that “man is a social At St. Paul we entered the car which was destined mal,”—so Rather than the journey of am I. make to be our home for a few days. It was just an ordinary three thousand miles with my own thots for company I looking sleeper, with the usual trappings, including the allowed friends dictate to me, to change my plans my to porter. But when we entered every one of the seats even consulting me, to bring me to the place without which we expected to find empty was full—brim full of humbly asked “Please, what route may I take?” where I possibilities. They were fairly bristling with them: big often, For further particulars as to why I changed so ones, little ones, some active, some quiet, others un consult Prof. Weesner. The final result was that the classified. At first they were very indefinite. By the Canadian Pacific was agreed upon. Prof. and Mrs. time we left Minneapolis most of them had assumed Indianapolis fifteen minutes Weesner and myself left tangible form, as in the case of the section just oppo after noon on September 15. We met Miss Beck in site ours, where a small woman, with a weary expres Chicago the same evening, at which time I learned that sion hanging down over her face, a baby on one arm, a person whom it is a pretty difficult job to recognize a large basket on the other, and a group of children close you have never seen even tho you may have received a ly pursuing, was, after much delay and many exclama mathematically correct description. We left Chicago tions peculiar to the African race, finally installed by at 6:45 p. m. via the Chicago and Northwestern R. R. the ebon-hued porter. And then the fun began. There Before we had gone many miles we astonished the por were five of them; i. e., the children. The two oldest ter and drew upon ourselves the attention of our fel were twins, each slightly over seven years of age. passengers making preparations to eat—a thing low by From this point the others trailed off in true stair-step repeated at intervals throughout the trip. which we fashion, the youngest member of the party being a baby After appeasing our appetites we slept; that is, I sup which had probably seen one summer and about an pose we slept. I do not remember of going to sleep but equal number of winters. The boys were placed oppo waking I have vivid recollections of up several Limes. site the mother and baby. The space in between was We arrived at St. Paul about 7:30 a. m. and remained occupied by the lunch basket and the two remaining three hours taking in the sights there about and writing members of the family, a boy and a girl. The mother postcards. Miss Beck bought something to eat, also. was dressed in light blue; so was the little girl; the state capitol more entertaining. I found the It is a baby, not to be outdone, followed the maternal lead. marble and granite structure, situated magnificient up Before the day was far spent I was thoroly convinced which on some high ground overlooks the main business of the truth of the Scriptural promise that “your young section of the city. While here our party was increased men shall see visions,” because I began to have them addition of Mr. and Mrs. Charles by the Morris, who myself. The same gift of second sight seemed to be 4 THE CRESCENT THE CRESCENT 5 the property of others as well, for about this time a quite unconsciously but none-the-less surely young lady came sailing down the aisle with main sail drew down upon himself the sobriquet of “Foxy Grandpa.” full before the wind and an ensign at the bow which I can only mention in passing “the man and woman proclaimed her to be one of the “upper ten.” She gave with one” —the “one” causing more profane wakefulness than one look at the family party in No. 9, and her nose went the “woman with five,” the “English lord,” up to an angle of about forty-five degrees. She snorted who wast ed much energy hunting a mail box, the out “Ugh! babies and lunch baskets! I can’t stand excited com ment made by the aforesaid “Christian this,” and forthwith tacked about and retraced her Science lady” when Miss Beck informed her that our little course. She demanded to see the Pullman conductor, party con tained a pair of “newly-weds,” and many but the porter was unable to find him. In the course other inter of esting things, happenings and a few hours, during which time she kept the inmates people, a full account of of which would make a good sized at least two cars in a turmoil, she was finally trans volume. No more have I time to describe the beautiful nat ferred to the next car in the rear. However, we re ural scenery we saw; to tell of the broad expanse ceived a proper explanation of her conduct when she of Dakota and Canadian wheat fields we passed; to relate confided to one of our passengers that she was a victim our impressions when we first caught sight of the snow of nervous prostration and knew she never could stand capped Rockies, or later wound about such a strain on her nerves. Altho she lacked consid them, now look ing up, up, up a bare wall of rock which towered hun erable of looking the part we took her word, and from dreds of feet above us, now gazing with admiration that time on she was dubbed “the wreck.” She never from a superior elevation down into let the train stop for two or three minutes without some deep gorge where a tumultous mountain stream tumbled alighting, and this habit of hers came near having fatal headlong over its rocky bed, reflecting in prismatic glory all the results at one time. Just how close the call was must colors of the rainbow and anon crawling at a snail’s be left till some other time, and had better be told by another. pace over a long, spider-web looking trestle or groping our way fearfully thru dark tunnels and One of the most fruitful sources of miles of snow amusement sheds. The scenery of the Canadian which we had while on the road was inventing nick Rockies can be fully appreciated only by one who sees it for the first names for our fellow-passengers. Thus there was the time after having lived all his life in the comparatively “Christian Science lady” with whom Miss Beck visited level country of central Indiana. while not reading magazines “swiped” from “Reciproc After traveling four days we reached Vancouver, ity Man.” Then there was the “fat woman up in B. C., where we immediately took passage front,” who later very dramatically earned another for Seattle on boat which we afterwards learned title; with her were associated two Canadian a made a journey girls. from the Great Lakes to Puget Sound via Cape Horn. The group being waited upon and entertained by a semi-elderly gentleman in a salt-and-pepper suit We were on the boat from 10:30 a.