The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-08-14
A "TRIP WEST,


ui.haps 10 II Commercial Traveller
companion
TO the Edltor ofThe Herald
Nsar thelast days IN July after MANY
nenretua efforts to cool Oh At Bogel
"nj the st. Louis cellar stood upor
Wnn street painting like suilocatmg
XIII / had been TO all the good places
anal nv soul began to despair OF escape
ham the tropical wrath, when some
ope tapped me on the shoulder II
was my friend jeff, commercial tray
orr who weeks ago had invited me tC
accompany him on four weeks triJ
10 the prairies of the far west,
Are you ready" said he, "lor that
rip9' when do you start said j.
Tomorrow" said he, "ln Gods name
YES said j., land let's 60 to Bogels ia
Commemorate the occasion, for ! feel
saved and blest." We went.
That night CATER many commemom.
tons) dreamed, and in my dreams |
lelt upon my brow the cooling caress
ofthe sweet south blowing across grand
prairies, where dwelt, in silence soil
tude and beauty, and independence.
Next morning was ready. | had a
splendid double barreled breach.loader.
borrowed from Joe Crosby, who swore
that it was the best gun in tne United
States; one frying pan, one coffee pot.
two tin cups, knives and forks and
one keg
About ten o'clock jeff pranccd up
with his team. Such Il team Two
well matched sorrels, Shiloh and i'm.
that cayorted us if they didn't at ali
understand that two thousand mile
trip lay before them. Nobody but jeff
could drive them, and nobody but
Tompkins, the great implement man of
north Texas, could furnish such an out.
fit for his salesman. We loaded and
started, turning first in the direction of
Waxahachie, Or route rs laid out,
embraced some twenty counties,
extending into the far west, where
the hostiles dwell We notified
friends of this fact, hut they seemed to
be wanting in sympathy and didn't
start us with brass band or anything
of that sort So much the better for
the keg,
During the day, our course being
southerly, we passed through country
richer in promise than any | had ever
seen. The soil was black waXy. Rain
sufficient had fallen everywhere, and
the corn and cotton, by their healthy
appearance, silenced the doubts even
of the granger. Corn enough to do the
next year and three fourths of bale of
cotton per acre were regarded as secure,
jeff, who is u constant traveller and
every day familiar with the country,
tells me that a wonderful change has
been effected within the last year In
Dallas, Ellis, Hill and johnson the
grand ocean-like prairie no longer
exists. 1t has been fenced in. Where
very recently ii stretched its plains to
the far horizon with an unobstructed,
sweeping view, now are to be found
comfortable houses and cultivated farms
teeming with the growing crops that
promise wealth and prosperity to our
section.
Because of the local option, we pass
ed Lancaster the home of Bob Guy
without halt. About five o'clock we
reached Red Oak, in Ellis county, a
town with three inhabitants. Here we
bought, from an old French lady, two
bottles of native wine and loaf of
bread, and went on. We proposed TO
camp near Waxahachie, on the north,
and 20 into town next morning, and we |
began to look for wood to cook our sup |
per but we looked in vain. Not even
a spare fence rail could be found. So,
we drove on, in the dark, through the
town, and camped under tree in the
creek bottom, south of the prosperous
little city. Here our camp life began.
The cunning jeff. said; III unhitch
and feed and build fire. There is a
house, suppose you take the bucket
and get some water to make coffee.
Just follow the fence till you find a
gate and 90 in" He said this in a
sweet. low voice, such as he uses
to induce people to buy plows
and things, and | seized the bucket
and started. | went up that fence |
about two hundred yards.without find.
inc the gate. Then saw house and |
heard voices, and / concluded to climb |
the fence. Evidently ! had missed the
gate. got over the fence and found
myself in hog pen, Then | climbed
another fence and found myself in
COW yard Then climbed another
fence and reached the horse lot, where
men were feeding the farm stock.
Said /, IL want some water to make
coffee. VERY well, sir said voice,
for saw no one, Just follow the road
till YOU come to a little house ON the
hill YOU will find there q spring and
plenty of water Now, ] hadn't seen
any road, and didn't believe there was
one; but / marched on, and ran against
a gate. climed he gate and marched
ON, A voice followed me shouting
Look out for the gully But that
voice came too late. was heels over
head in the gully. Then picked me
IN and saw the little house where
dwclt the spring, many furlongs ahead
struggled on and reached that spring
but how did it, and how ! got back
to camp with the water, and now we
made coffee and slept ON bed oil oats
! mean to tell you in my next letter
SIGMA.
~, -. ..,.,,.. NRr,,oN has stood