Farmers Independent

Former Bagley Editor Writes From Seattle
John Burns Tells of Incidents on Western Auto Trip. Says Seattle Prepares for Harding

Nearly a year has elapsed since the writer, his wife and son, were mingling with the good people of Bagley and Clearwater county, and although we are residents of a large metropolitan city surrounded by nature's scenic beauty, we have a soft spot in our hearts for Northern Minnesota and a longing to again greet the genial folks of Minnesota's garden spot—Clearwater county.

Our trip overland from Bagley to Seattle, a distance by auto road of approximately 2,200 miles, was without mishap and the old Ford car stood up remarkably well considering the mud sand, gravel and rocky hill and mountain roads traversed. With the exception of burning out a set of brake bands when descending the Montana-Idaho range of the Rocky Mountains, our repair expense was naught. We left Bagley last July 15, arriving at Portland, Ore., August 11th taking our time and visiting at different points enroute. Leaving Bagley we traveled southwest to Ada, Minn.; Fargo, N. D.; Jamestown, Valley City, Bismarck, Dickinson, and Beach.

Crossing the North Dakota-Montana state line at Beach, we entered Montana in the first rainstorm since leaving Bagley. Our first stop in Montana was at Glendive. Then at Laurel, Forsyth, Livingston. Leaving Livingston we traveled south to Gardner entering the Yellowstone National Park where we spent several days seeing the wonderful sights of

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Former Bagley Editor Writes From Seattle

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nature atop the Rocky Mountains, including Old Faithful geyser. (Right here I would like to say that it will be worth while to those traveling through the West Coast to make it a point to stop at the Yellowstone National Park. Leaving the park, we drove west to Helena, Mont., thence to Missoula, Wallace, Idaho; Spokane Wash., south to Pendleton, Ore., and again west over the famous Columbia highway to Portland. Ore. O yes, we stopped over night at The Dalles, Ore. the former home of Dr. and Mrs. D. R. Campbell of Bagley. And by the way, we wrote to Doc., but did not hear from him, presuming he was too busy arranging a fishing party with Val Post. Rev. Sorenson and P. A. Olson. Enroute from Pendleton, Ore.,to The Dalles. Ore., we had the pleasure of passing thru a regular desert sand-storm. and it was so disagreeable that we stopped at a little town over night awaiting the abatement of the storm. After spending five weeks near Portland we drove north to Seattle to visit with Mrs. Burn's father, mother and sisters, and although our intentions were to drive south to California for the winter. the weather was becoming disagreeable and it was so late in the season-septemberwe decided to remain in the Queen city—Seattleand here we are, all well and getting along nicely. Seattle is preparing to recive President Harding on his trip to Alaska where he will study the conitions of that domain first hand. According to news dispatches from' the national capitol city. the president will not make campaign speeches on this trip, but judging from the eleborate ar-rangements being made here to greet the president, he will have to give the people some idea of what he will do if elected for another term. Senator Ladd of North Dakota is traveling up the Coast on the U. S. transport, "Grant" to examine the Alaskan situation with a committee from congress. He went via Panama —where the President expects to travel by water on his return trip from Alaska. There are no bands, chamber of commerce committees or parades or arrangements to meet Senator Ladd, however. Th local post of the American Je: gion has charge of Seattle's July 4th celebration, and the boys are doing things up brown; selecting pretty Washington girls as candidates for Miss Liberty and her court of six charming girls to reign over the fes-tivities. Besides the largest display of fireworks. etc., there will be about 60 U. S. battleships, seaplanes, aero-planes, etc., in the bay for summer maneuvers. Sir Conan Doyle is coming here with all his spooks and ghosts. He has 'em eating from his hand, this noted Briton boast. He doesn't pay their railroad fare when they are making trips, he doesn't have to spend a cent to feed his astral pets; or keep his chorus girls supplied with cigaret-tes. Sir Conan wrote so many ghost stories as an author that he now be-lieves in 'em. Whether we believe in spirits or not, Seattle policemen are rounding 'em up everyday-same as Sherif Oliver Barness does accasionally in Clearwater county. I had a couple of letters from "Dad" Covey while he was in Califor-nia. and although he promised to visit us here before returning to Bagley. he never showed up. Probably "Dad" was in a hurry to get home and took the air line. thus avoiding the possi-bility of being "hit" for a ten by an old friend. Friends who take time to read this stuff will not be surprised at ye for-mer ed's ability as a toreador, but to avoid getting Editor Furusteh called upon the carpet by the board of direc: tors for allowing publication of such unimportant matter. I'll quit for this time." With kind personal regards to friends and acquaintances.

JOHN L. BURNS