a citizen of Tacoma
as to the whereabouts, from that city, of Mount Rainier, and the
gentleman, with considerable scorn on his countenance, declared
that there was no such mountain, but in a certain direction at a
certain distance was Mount Tacoma. The gentleman closed his speech
by saying, whether it was Mount Tacoma or Mount Rainier, our party
was unanimously in favor of the admission of Washington Territory
into the Union.

We visited some sawmills at Tacoma where lumber of monstrous
proportions and in great quantities was being produced by a system
of gang saws. This is a wonderful industry and as long as the
material holds out will be a leading one of that section. The deep
waters of Puget Sound will always offer to the industrious population
of Washington ample and cheap means of transportation to the outside
market, and I predict a great future for the state.

We returned east more hastily and with fewer stops than in the
western journey. We spend a night at Port Arthur, and the next
day, embarking upon one of the great steamers of the Canadian
Pacific line, found among our fellow-passengers Goldwin Smith, the
distinguished Canadian writer and statesman. We had a most pleasant
trip, arriving at Owen Sound without special incident; thence to
Toronto, and by steamer to Niagara, where we remained until the
next day, when our party separated for their several homes. The
trip occupied exactly a month and was full of enjoyment from the
beginning to the end.

After my return home I wrote a note to General Sherman, describing
my impressions of the country. In this I said:

"My trip to the Pacific over the Canadian railroad was a great
success. We traveled 7,000 miles without fatigue, accident or
detention. We stopped at the chief points of interest, such as
Toronto, Montreal, Sudbury, Port Arthur, Winnipeg, Calgary, Banff,
Donald, Glacier House, Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle and Tacoma,
and yet made the round trip within the four weeks allowed. We did
not go to Alaska, because of the fogs and for want of time. The
trip was very instructive, giving me an inside view of many questions
that may be important in the future. The country did not impress
me as a desirable acquisition, though it would not be a bad one.
The people are hardy and industrious. If they had free commercial
intercourse with the United States, their farms, forests, and mines
would become more valuable, but at the expense of the manufact