Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-11-30
supper at Live Oak.
AN INCIDENT OF TRAVEL IN FLORIDA

You will get supper at Live Oak, sir
This was sid by the gentlemanly clerk
of the Metropolitan Hotel at Jacksonville,
~ l paid my bill. The day was intense
ly hot. / WAS to leave by the 4 p. IN. train
for Savannah, and having taken but a
light dinner, very naturally expressed
-ome interest in the matter Of supper
The assurance of a supper at Live Ok
was pleasant. Ny good Fri nd, DR.. Mitch
ell, drove me in his buggy to the station.
aud in wishing me good journey "a we
parted, said, You will get supper at Live
Ok When I took my ticket il quired
tor a Sleeping car, for it WIS to be an all
night journey. Sleeping car and supper
| ~ Live Oak,' wns the reply. We started
eff 1T a fair rate, the 'colored' car ia front
with a solitary passenger, while the
! white car, about half filed, brought up
the rear. l bad selected a comfortable
seat on the shady side, and was busily
Engaged with my newspaper, when the
condueto touched my shoulder and ask
ed for my ticket. What time do we ar
i've at Live OakP' 1 inquired. Eight
| forty-fve,' 'Sleeping-cars there ? No.
The sleeping-car went down last night /;
but you'll get supper there. You will
get nice supper at Live Oak. SIR be ad-
ded, ss if that would Offset the loss of
nights sleep. 'All right. A. 45, you
say, we Will get there Yes sir /
looked at my watch. Four hours and
| half vet seemed a long time to wait but
that nice supper seasoned with a good
appetite, would be all the more welcome
after a wholesome fast. read and doz
ed, reused myself to look ut the swamps
and pines, then dozad again, and, from
doing, | slept end dreamed. We were
at "Iive O4k.' A laundering gong
sounded all along the platform. A color
ed waiter, with sn0w-white jacket and
sprou, entered the car, and invited "dS
ladies and genlems' to supper. A spaci-
ous saloon was just opposite the cars.
across the platform, and following q
crowd, 1 entered. A dozen cosy tables
| were nicely set, the cloth and china were
spotlessly white, cutelass water bottles
vlistened and sparkled in the light of the
chandeliers which hung overhead, a score
of tidy colorea eirls, in bright ginghsms
and white aprons, were in attendance,
and, a. 1 took an offered chair, congra.
tulated myself on my light dinner, my
long fast and my keen appetite, for now
was to enjoy THAT long-promised luz
ury, a supper at Live Oak. Coffee, sir p
Yes, please what else. sir p ANY
thing you please. You she'll select my
supper for me- The coffee sent it's frsg-
rance before it, and only needed the tiny
white pitcher Of boiling hot milk and
| couple of Jumps of loaf sugar to msks it
delicious. Nice ard nicely cooked ham
and eegs, broiled chicken, tenderlein
steak, fried potatoes, "a la Saratoga oys-
tiers fried and picked, fresh garden rad
ishes, hot biscuits, corn cakes and hard,
golden butter were spread before me. and
to these ripe oranges, bananas, grapes and
melons were added. Drawing my napkin
frem lis silver ring, I was about to begin
nv feast, when a loud scream from the
engine whistle sounded, and-I awoke
The train stopped Live Oak! Supper ?
was yelled by a ragged darby, who rush
ed through the car and vanished through
the rear door. l got mp, rubbed my eyes,
and went for it not the darby, but the
supper) looked over the way for the
saloon of my dreams. but it was not there.
Close beside the train though, and on the
platform was q kind of tent formed by
some pieces of old canvas drawn over a
rough framework of poles and beugbs,
huu III WbiCb was N boh'u tdD1c
and the '-upper at Live Oak In the rush
l managed to secure box for a seat and
plate at the board. One of half dog
en- ragged, dirty and dilspidsted darkies
came to me and demanded fifty cents.
which promptly p id and asked for
acme tea. Got none Some coffee, then
The ccffAe was brought. 1t was the gen.
uine Turkish srticle-one-half grounds
and the other half dirty water. Now
some milk Got none Some sugar
Sugar all done gone A glass of water,
them Got no waterfall gone. Better
look sharp, sir dis zere train be off in
bout a minnit.' just then the whistle
sounded, and the conductor shouted 'all
aboard looked around for something
70 grab. A piece of boiled pork. a mys-
FERROUS plaster pie, and some bot biscuits,
were the sum and substance of the sup
per. caught up three Of the biscuits.
and Jumped on the train ju5t as it was
moving eff I took nv seat and at my
leisure proceeded to investigate the bis.
"uit. They we're sour, musty and heavy.
tried them honestly and fairly to DO
them juatice. and only succeeded when
threw them out of thekwindou.8r Nssp-
pointed, sad and huugry,1 folded my
self mp as best could on,a .thres-feot
seat, q think I ran my legs out ofthe win