Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-05-30
TIE TEXAS ExCuRsIoNIsrs.

give a highly interesting and favor
able account of their trip, and are
warm in their praise Of Texas as a
State and.of the people they met.
Although strictly a private party,
bent more on observation than
pleasure or publicity, they were
everywhere from Texarkana to San
Antonio and from Galveston to
Sherman, sought out by leading
citizens and accorded a generous
welcome. The course of the tour
from first to last was as follows:
Memphis to Little Rock, distance
1876 miles; thence to Texarkana,
built on the corner and named af-
ter three States-Texas, Arkansas
and Louisiana-distanc from Lit
tie Rock 145 miles; thence to Dallas
222 miles to Fort Worth 81 miles;
back to Dallas so miles; thence to
Houston 264 miles; to San Antonio
214 miles; back to Houston pa
miles to Galveston and return 100
miles; to Austin and return to
Houston $50 miles; to Clinton
and return 16 miles ; Houston to
Sherman 32S miles; thence to Tex
arkana l54 miles; to Little Rock
145 miles /; to Memphis 135 miles.
Total distance travelled by rail 2464
miles. AT Fulton, Arkansas, the
party was met by Mr.. Richard W.
Thompson, General Passenger and
Ticket Agent of the Texas and Pa
ciic Railway. AT Texarkana he fur
nished them a sleeping car, which
was occupied by them until their
return to the same point. The
tour was rendered the more agree
able by the company of Mr..
Thompson, who left his Office and
business and family at Marshall to
see the gentlemen over the fair
est and richest portions Of the
Lone Star State. Governor John
O. Brown, vice president Of the
Texas and Pacific railroad, and his
estimable wife, met them at Mar
shall, and accompanied them to
Dallas, Fort Worth and back to
Dallas. General Joseph E. John
ston, who happened to be in the
State on business, General Cabell, of
Confederate fame, and other promi-
nent citizens, united with the excur-
sion to Fort Worth and return and
contributed greatly to its enjoyable
memories. The numerous incidents
such a remarkable ride through
the most favored and enterprising
country on the face of the globe
cannot be condensed into an ordi-
nary newspaper article. A volume
could be written about San Anto-
MO, the most unique and animated
7illage-city on the continent. The
pleasure of such a description, how.
ever brief and imperfect, is reserved
for a future issue. One of the
most pleasing occurrences of the
entire trip was the presentation
Of a testimonial to Mr.. Thomp-
son, at Galveston. This was man.
aged SO well that the gentle
man had no idea of the surprise in
store for him In fact, he had
been led to believe that some dis
sensions prevailed among the party
that would come up for discussion
at the table, and also had just re-
ceived a dispatch that one of his
children was quite sick at Marshall.
Handling an excursion party at
best is not the most desirable occu-
patton a man could choose; add to
this a sick family at home and forty
or fifty business kilograms a day
from the central office, all reouir-
ing answers, and this young mans
predicament may be imagined.
At the conclusion of a magnificent
but tedious dinner, a massive
Of champagne punch was
at the head of the
table where Major B. j. Semmes
the testimonial was also
Iuietly slipped in and placed on the
loor Col. j. N. Heating, Of the
arose and announced that
he difficulty must be settled sooner
r later, and that he knew Of no