Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-09-28
tFor the Spirit of jefferson. ]
LETTER FROM MISSOURI,
KANSAS City, Missouri,
Septemher 18th. 1869.

.
with my carpet-bag in hand, 1 boarded the
cars in your town, bound for my home on the
distant plains Indeed it should be evening
when the links of friendship are broken-ties
severed that are dear to the heart, for the gen
eral aspect of nature is much in sympathy
with our feelings. 1t is the close of the bright
day of Joy and pleasure, the sunset of the
presence of these, whose beings warm and
tighten our pathway and the shrouding of our
loveliest scenes in the shadows of the past.
AS stood on the bridge at Harper's Ferry,
my eye tracing the outline of the mountains,
my ear lulIed by the musical pean Of the
waters beneath, my mind recalled many scenes
of other days, Not far distant could be seen
the walls of my old barracks in the in
cipiency of the war-the plateau in front
where [ performed the first evolutions as a
soldier and on those same mountain tops, now
lit with the parting smiles of the day-god, L
performed my first tour of picket duty
Whet changes have taken place since then
| The heart sickens at the thought. OF that
many company that mustered there many
have gone to their last account and the few
! that remain are scattered here and there
As draw my vision nearer in time, | recall
the memorable night preceding the surrender,
when Jackson's cannon reverberated through
those mountain passes, lighting the surround
ing scene with lurid glare, while along the
waters of the Shenandoah foated the sharp
crack of the rifle. Then as the first blush of
the morning tinted the heights the lines of
Infantry pressing forward in unbroken coll
umu aud the white flag all came crowding
upon my memory, until in the brightness oil
the vision, seemed to realize it all anew.
But the shrll whistle of the engine breaks
in upon my dream and soon l am vending
my way through the mountain passes OF
Western Virginia. About day>break awoke
| to find myself on the banks of the Ohio, and
my ear was soon greeted with the welcome
intelligence, "thirty minutes for breakfast"
Indeed 1 was little astonished to hear OF
this extension of time allotted and naturally
concluded something extra would DO furnish
ed, but far greater was my establishment as L
entered with elastic steps the cabin saloon on
the ferry boat and recognised upon the table
that very suspicious and mysterious dish, the
terror of all boarding house eaters-hGs".-
| Beside this delicacy l found "taters with
gravy" and onions, the rest was of like nature.
l wendell my way back to my seat in the car
| q hungrier but wiser man, learning by sad
experience that time is often the chief essence
of contract and quantity and quality value
less However the time was not wholly lost,
for as the travellers were vainly attempting
to appease their hunger and slake their thirst,
the boat was conveying the train over the river
and as soon as the shore was reached it was
buckled to an engine and started in the direc-
ton of Cincinnati. At Chillicothe we were
again tantalized for dinner. l remember
neighbor once telling me how he fed his cat
tie and saved his corn Twice a day, said he,
| take couple of ears and go the rounds, Civ
ing each one sight and smell. thought
this unreasonable, but the proprietors of these
eating houses on the "great short line cas-"
have denied their guests the poor privilege OF
seeing anything palatable, and offended in
stead of appeasing their olfactories. Travels
Ter be,cdre of he PdrkerS6urg boat and the
Chiyicothe Railroad house.
After reaching Cincinnati and being bussed
around to the Ohio & Mississippi depot, l
tried to get sleeping car, but found it crowd
ed and was compelled to roost in what was
termed the ladies car, but which on this &C.
casion deserved the more infantile cognomen
of ssnursery" Just in my front were four
of these notable nocturnal squealers with their
bellows we'll filled, who discoursed music from
Cincinnati to St. Louis. Had old Van Win
kle been there in his best sleeping days, with
a cargo of cotton in each ear, he would have
acknowledged himself failure. We had all
the operas from the highest flights of Brig
| noli, Jenny Lind, etc, down to file on
cross cut saw, all beloved into one. When
l reached ST. Louis, thought my troubles
were at an end but imagine my disappoint>
ment when l entered the Pacific cars and
heard the squall It was anything but pa
cifc. Emigrant families crowded every car
and stilled the clanking without by their
thunders within. Don't think [ am hard on
babies No, they are very sweet until they
cry, and then ~ 1 won't say what. You,
who with kind and sympnthising heart, have
pitied Job in his Affections or lamented the
burdens and trials of the poor Pilgrim, dom
fail to drop tear on my sad and grievous
Journey, and on the sold woman who lived in
the shoe" After wonderful display of pa
tience. fortitude and forbearance, Kansas city
was welcomed and my evil genii disappeared.
| Along the entire route excepting through
this State / found the corn rather short, in
iured as LEARNED by the drought, In Missouri
the season has been wet and the corn, though
generally good, has suffered some from mat
tention.
know YOU will pardon me for noting a
few observations made during my visit in your
midst. OF course the transition from this
city to Charlestown would be marked, YET
while the latter, it is true, has added some to
it's residences. its business is duller than ever
| saw II indeed a good camel might without
undue exertion carry all the dry goods in
the town. One evening was paying call
on Main street, when l was interrupted by
orv in the street "Express." peeped through
the window blind expecting to see fine
enuipage. when, much to my amusement, l
saw Henry Cook (col. mounted in an old go.
cart snch one as Bill Arp used on his mem
orable retreat from Big Shanty, with an ami
NAL attached BY fastenings little more Sc
cure than Bill Apps caudal knot. AT noon
day the streets are deserted by every one, ex-
cepting those two worthy "mine hosts of the
Carter" who seem to think their success de-