The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-08-22
THE DALLAS DAILY HERALD
MRS. MOHL's LETTER.
Correspondence of the Herald

Correspondence OF tne ieralu'
HARprRs FERRY, Aug. II, 1880.
Saturday Mr.. Mohl and l made a trip to
Charlestown, eight miles from b ere, and on
our way took look at the paper
works" at village called Halls town, mid
way between our starting point and destina-
ton. was very much interested in the pro-
cess of making pasteboard, which is the only
thing made at this mill. Wheat straw il used
exclusively, and the mill is good market
or all The straw raised in this vicinity. As
here may be some among my readers who,
like myself, have never witnessed pasteboard
making, and as I have nothing else to "pad"
my letter with, l will try
to give them some idea of the
process. The wheat straw is steamed until
perfectly limp; then it is ground into pulp
and passes through a sewer or conduit into
the press room, which is long room with
about twenty huge cylinders in row along
the centre. The pulp pours into vat,
whence it is taken up by the first roller and
spread upon broad "belf' of what looks
TO me like camel's hair; anyway, it is very
furry, and ticks up the pulp as it passes
through it. Two large and one small cylin-
der press this pulp into such consistence that
/ separates from the belt and passes between
huge cylinders filled with steam until it is
perfectly firm and dry. Above the last of
hese rollers, which revolves in trough
full of paste, a great roll of white
paper is placed on a revolving rod, and as
the board passes out of its paste bath the
white paper meets it, they pass on together
to the next cylinders which press and iron
he white paper and board together, and at
asst the finished board is trimmed and cut
INTO oblong squares Just as we see 1t in the
shops for sale. II seemed to mo as l watched
the conversion, or transformation, Of that
black, ugly muck Of steamed and blackt ned
l would have to 90 through some such
crushing and pulping and smoothing pro-
cess to Be made fit for such companionship
as Hope to have in the future when time shall
be no more, and after all the purifying and
crushing down of unseemly bumps and inc
qualities, my soul will need the pasting on of
the white robe Of Christs righteousness to
make it all presentable in that good assembly
of pure intelgences. Another thought
pressed itself home TO me of more mum |
dane nature, to-wit: why isn't there such
actory in Dallas the center of what will
q hortly be the greatest wheat country on the |
continent! What do Dallas county farmers |
do with their wheat straw? Here, where
there is good market at their
very doors for it, farmers can't sell |
all their straw, because they need most, and
ometimes all, they raise to make their cattle |
comfortable in winter, ana also to enrich he
soil. This last is done by spreading it r
the ground and burning it. Now, the Texas
armer doesn't need the straw for either Of
these purposes, so wonder what becomes
of it.
We found Charlestown very pretty | title
town of 1000 inhabitants. There are some
beautiful homes here, with all the accessories
which distinguish the cultured mans home
{ rom the Ignorant mans house.
We called at MIR. James M. Mason's office, |
and had the pleasure of meeting that gentle
man, who is a son Of the Hon. |
James M. Mason, confederate states
commissioner in London during
the war. We had the great pleasure Of
knowing the distinguished father and other
members of the family, among them Colonel
George Mason, Of Galveston, and we're anx- |
GUS to hear something of what they were all |
doing Mr.. James Mason is prscticing law
Charlestown, and his sisters, Mrs. Amber
and Miss Mason. are living near Alexandria,
Virginia. The youngest brother, John, 10
with them.
The Davenport place, the finest estate now
eft in Virginia, is about mile west Of
Charlestown, and is well worth visit.
One thing have noticed in my travels
hereabouts, is the marked difference in the
upper and lower classes of white people,
You can no more mistake Virginia lady or
gentleman for anything else than you can
mistake polish for roughness, but
ong years, continuous, even, Of
association, have not transmitted any
of this culture and polish to the COM
mon people. The difference is as marked
here, the separation as complete, as it is in
England. Poverty has not brought down
the aristocrat nor money raised the plebian.
Another phenomenon is that while in other
old countries the pesssntry emigrate, in
Virginia the sold families" leave the homes
made desolate by war and emancipation
edicts, and seek new homes in other states.
Fortunately for Texas she is the favorite, and
thousands of cultured, educated, refined
people go annually FROM Virginia to Texas.
We could not have better class ofimmigra.
ton than this.
Tanner seems to survive not only his fast,
but his feast. How curious is the
enthusiasm aroused in the public
mind by this fast. The papers
tell US that Clarendon hall was
not only filled, but surrounded by dense
crowd all the last day Of the fast, and that
his every gesture, and every word was re.
ceived with applause ably the excited popu.
lace" can account for scientists inter.
est in such a phenomenal fast, and in the or.
ganization that can stand abund.n feeding
thereafter, but what should the "excited non.
ulace" care about it? think it must be be.
cause they have nothing else to get excited
I" but / have become thoroughly
tired Of life, ard having no hopes for the
future, shall take my life in my own
hands,"
Thus wrote II. I. Cleveland, who commit
ted suicide in Cynthiana, Ky last week. 81
may say" he continues "thst in almost
everything my life has been failure" Alas,
alas who does not feel this at times Fail.
ure! Who can say at night 81 have done
all purposed to do this morning?'' Who
can say when death calls us, ~ have finished
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