Plain View Farm, Bryant, SD

One Awesome Drop-off!

We drove on now to Lewiston, Idaho, where to our astonishment we came, as it were, to the edge of the earth. We had heard at Moscow what was coming. This is one of the most fascinating sights I have ever viewed, in fact. I have seen nothing to compare with it, so don't expect me to describe or picture it for you with my poor words. The big sign informed us--11 miles to Lewiston, and there it was right below us, down that rugged mountainside. I stopped and looked--is it possible? A road down this mountain? It was just like looking out the window of my airplane one day when I went up alone high above the clouds over Sioux Falls back home. Almost the same sensation exactly, only I felt safer by far, in the plane than coming down that awful mountain in the old car for it was just one horseshoe turn after another.

Land of Great Extremes and a Royal Welcome

We had now descended into the Snake River Valley. The heat in this region was terrific and those big barren mountains were burned to a golden brown crisp without a single tree on their slopes. We drove close to the country--a good name for it. I don't see how any stock could exist in this region, for there wasn't much. Gone were the fields of wheat and peas and the fine timber. A long stretch of this until I thought the tires would melt off from the wheels. The oil was so hot that it became as thin as water and the car consumed so much that I began to despair. Finally, about 2 o'clock in the afternoon of the 23rd of July, 1942, we reached the city of Walla Walla, Washington, where we quickly located John's brother, a railroad man, who gave us a royal welcome. As the two brothers had not met for many years, you can imagine it was a royal welcome. John yielded to his persuasion to stay there, his brother also informed us that there was a demand for carpenters at high wages; but nothing could keep me in that country after that awful day.

Sage-brush, Pasco, the mighty Columbia

You recall, Alf [Papa Alfred Stadem, his father-in-law at Plain View Farm--Editors], the heat out on the plains of Western Kansas as we came from Denver that time, well, that was a picnic compared to this. So I left John there, he was a good, honest man, humble and sincere, I hope to meet him again, but of course it is not likely. After lunch, I went on alone across a vast expanse of barren sage-brush desert in eastern Washington. After a long time I reached the city of Pasco, Washington, a big, teeming city of industry and railroad center on the banks of the mighty Columbia River which I crossed on the longest bridge I have ever seen. The river is wide there and very swift and ugly looking. My course was charted through the high mountains of Rainier National Park, and I was now rapidly approaching those big mountains which had appeared on the western horizon in the early afternoon long before.

The World's Fruit Basket

Just at dusk, I entered the wealthy city of Yakima, the greatest fruit region in the world. There I filled with gas and oil. The attendant informed me that I should reach the summit of the high mountains just at darkness if I hurried. I have since learned that the blending of the cool air from the Pacific Ocean, with the warm air of the prairies provides a combination so essential for the ripening of the delicious and luscious fruits which make the Yakima region famous the world over.

Sunnyside, the Cascades, and the Summit

I also must menton that I passed through the little town of Sunnyside, Washington, Lossie Brown's home, a lady who is a sweet christian and wonderful servant of God, our friend and your friend who had lived at our home in Sioux Falls when she was at the Mission [Union Gospel Mission, Sioux Falls, which the Ginthers supported--Editors]. How I would have enjoyed seeing her but could not very well stop at this time. At midnight I reached the summit of those big mountains and I could see in the moonlight the snow-covered peaks of the Cascades all around me. At one turn in the road, a deer, apparently dazed by my headlight, stood in the middle of the road but not long, he leaped off into the thick forest.

"Keep on, Pilgrim!"

Descending out of these mountains I hit stretches of thick fog and I figured that I must be nearing the ocean, but I discovered later that it was the Puget Sound. About 2'oclock in the morning I came down into a big bright city and asked where Cedar Street was located. "Where do you think you are?" "Tacoma," I replied. "I thought so," was the answer, "but you are 40 miles from Tacoma."

Another "Chance Encounter," Tacoma, Thanking the Lord, and the Shipyards!

Going on, I came to the little town of Sumner, Washington. I didn't guess then that this was going to be our favorite town and that later on we were to live close there on a farm. It was early morning as I entered a busy restaurant with big buses lined up at the curb. I sat down on a stool next to a fine-appearing man and upon questioning him, "behold" his name was Thomosgaard, an uncle of Sidcils, that fine Christian girl and friend back home of all of us. He gave me some very pertinent information being himself a shipfitter at the Shipyards. I took his address inending to visit him later, but lost it and have never seen him since. Obeying his instructions, I followed the big buses and reached Tacoma, Washinton, just before 7 o'clock on Friday morning, July 24, 1942. After four days of almost continuous driving, without buying a meal other than the bowl of soup and coffee, I reached my destination. I was happy and thankful to the dear Lord for his kindness in permitting me to reach my destination.

Going immediately to the Shipyard district and employment office I was informed that I must first go to the Union Office uptown. Getting into the morning Shipyard traffic for the first time I was just about scared stiff. What an awful mess as these thousands of rushing vehicles, four-abreast in some places, began to jam up near the yards.

PLEASE LINK TO PART FIVE, "REMINISCENT REFLECTIONS"!

Links to other pages on these Websites:

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Stadem Families Saga Continues

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Part Five, "Reminiscent Reflections"