The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1872-07-04
TEXAS CORRESPONDENCE.
June l8, 1872,

TEXAS CORRESPONDENCE.
DALLAS, DALLAS Co., TEXAS,
June l8, 1872.
DEAR HERALD:
Before leaving the Gland of the
beautiful prairies," / promised to
write to you from the "Lone Star
State" Our
journey down the Mississippi was
pleasant and interesting. From Is
land No. 10 to New Orleans, was
one vast panorama, that BROUGHT to
our minds the thrilling events of the
'late unpleasantness." We passed
from the scene of Grants first at
tempt at canal digging to the shad-
ow of Vicksburg's frowning bluffs
The Notifications all along the river
are in very good state of preserva
ton. Side by side in their narrow
beds, rest peacefully the noble sol
diers both of the North and South.
Let them sleep on, and over their
ashes let the North and South clasp
hands and become more and more
brothers. Stopped few days in
New Orleans and visited all the pla-
ces of interest in that "modern Co.
morrah." Passed over the ground
where England and America the last
time crossed swords, and as l passed
along the line where the breastworks
were erected from which the English
so hurriedly retreated, l thought
with a thrill of joy that then as now
"Cotton was King" One thing /
remarked, and presume every per-
son that passes down the "Father of
Waters" notices the same: that is,
that the river flows down ridge. A
half mile from the shore only the
tops of houses and trees are visible
above the river banks, and canal
cut through the banks would mum
date the whole country The Mis-
sissippi, like the Nile of Egypt, by
years of constant deposit has formed
ridge down which it flows to the
to the sea. But We are aboard the
City of Norfolk, the most beautiful
ocean steamer that plows the Gulf.
Gradually the lowlands disappear
from view, then the hills, and gradu-
ally the tree. tops melt away beneath
the distant horizon, and you feel that
thrill that only those have felt who
for the first time pass from the view
OF terra tirma when nothing greets
the eye but the blue sky and the flow
ing white caps. You see the dolphins
basking in the sunshine, the flying
fish dart hither and thither like evil
spirits; you see the sun sink grandly
meath the waves, painting the sky
and sea and clouds the most beauti-
tul colors and before your vision
fits all the fantastic forms and de,
mon shapes your brains can imagine;
the breeze dashes the briny spray
into your face; the vessel rocks ard
pitches on the waves; presently you
become dizzy, and sick at heart and
worst of all sick at the -
Oh my! All this beauty loses its eff
feet in an instant and a "Hawkeye"
tossed on the briny deep, wishes him
self back on his native flower COW
cred prairies where sea sickness is
unknown. Sea sickness has been
very quantity described as process
Of turning the stomach inside out ev-
erv five minutes for twenty-tour
hours. shall leave the question for
my friends to compute how many
times / went through that process
But as sick as / was / had to laugh
at very large and fleshy old gentle
man who insisted on making his will,
and giving his effects both personal
and real to charitable purposes. But
as we are steaming into Galveston
Bay must leave the subject of Sc,
sickness for others more pleasant
Galveston is a city of some thirty
thousand, built on low sandy island,
and is noted only for its fine harbor,
which is the best on the Gulf We
60 aboard the cars and are soon fly
ing on the Texas Central r. r., over
the broad, beautiful flower covered
prairies of the "Lone Star State" L
had always thought that Iowa had
beautiful prairies, but they are small
things when compared TO those OF
Texas. Take trip of one hundred
and fifty miles east and west and two
hundred and fifty miles north and
south. commencing al the north line
of the State, and you have ~ beauti-
full and rich country a. the sun ev-
er shone upon. One continuous roll
ling prairie, crossed here and there
by creek or small river of spark
ling water, the banks of which are
covered with timber of all kinds
The soil is very black and rich and !