Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-06-10
a Railroad Ride in the Lone Star
Sta G,

n
Sta e.
Our starting point is Palestine, in the
north eastern part of this great State. This
little city is the headquarters of the Inter-
nationsf& Great Northern Railway, whose
contemplated line reaches from Long view,
s. miles north, to the city of Mexico. The
road is already com pleted 247 miles to San
Antonio, under contract to be flashed to
Laredo, IN the Mexc border 185 miles
farther, by October next, and to be in the
city of Mexico within two years. This
company also controls an important branch
direct south to Houston and galveston,
and number of smaller feeders. We take
our places in an elegant sleeper and are
soon rolling through the darkness-our
leaving time being IL p. m. By the faint
moonlight, we catch glimpses of the
country, and see that it is q wooded, and
and rather poor looking region, but. we
are to d, quite fertile and good fruit
country. We run rather slow but are
surprised to note the smoothness and
steadiness with which we Gid along. We
soon fall asleep, and are not disturbed till
We reach Hearno the junction sof the H.
q S. Q. L. r. Here the noise Of transfer
trunks and the rush of incoming passen-
gers rouses US SO thoroughly that we are
still awake where 20 miles beyond, we
reach Milano the junction of the G. G.. &
5 Fe. Here another rush Of passengers
and when we pull out from this station our
crowded. We soon doze off and when we
wake again broad day light stares US in the
ia g. And what q beautiful scene greets
US! We have left the wooded country and
are gliding over the broad prairie. The air
is warm and ballny the grass is green
behind US the sun is just rising and here
and here over the prairie feed horses,
cattle and sheep, We throw up the
window, and for miles revel in the beauty
of this lovely spring morning, the mean
while plying our friends in more northern
latitudes. who must sit shiveriHg over their
stow fires, longing fOr their tardy Spring
What beautiful sights on every sdei Here
n sloping bank all blue with violets and
there side by side the Spanish needle and
the Cactus in mum berless varieties and
forms the little runs" whose b 4nks are
lined with bushes INT rspers with the
stately live oak and the pecan. The
herdsman with bis larJat tending his cat
tie and the shepherd with his dog guarding
his sheep, while anon the sharp whiStl4 of
the LOGON olive warns some stray animal
from the track Here and there at long
distances rise the homes Of the Lords Of
the soil" Some comtOIta0 Die and even
elegant, sure sign that No thern or
Western farmer has settled here. Others
poor and squaid-a blight on the beautif Al
landscape. And So we run into Austin
THE City of the Hills" and the ca itol
the Lone Slar S ate. A city whose avs +
opportunity are passed, That missed It's
chances of bling one of the great cities Of
the Sou Invest, through the slinginess and
narrOw>minded ignorance of It's own pc :
pie. 1t will never have any prOmi enCe
other than naturally belongs to the capt.
toll city of any State Here the legislature
is now in session, doing Il little good, and
not much harm. Ana when We know that
this State is out of debt, and with a large
balance in It's treasury we may we'll say
that it is doing we'll as States run in the
United States. But its narrow policy il re-
| gard to common schools and the encourages
ment of immigration is doing much to
| -etard its advance W lie the rapid prog
ress of railroaJ building within its limits
| progress unprecedented in the history OF
the United States, and the zeal of private
| corporations is doing much to atone for
| the lack of legislative action. But while
|
! have also been eating very good break
| fast, and are now rafting on; across the
| Colorado, on a lOng and elegant bride
| through hllly ridge over frequent
| streams, and soon out upon the prairie
| again The county here IS more devUted
to agricultural, han stock raising purposes.
! We see in the same field laborers pickin g
| the remnants of last year cotton crop and
| others putting in the leeds for the new; the
women hold the pillow and hoe, as freQupnt>
| ly and readily as the men. Here is t3ld
velvety green with springing grr in and
here one brown with s1dge or cotton stalk.
Here and there are Little ridges clothed
with timber and ming led with the green oil
tie trees is the gray moss hanging in long
| festoons and the brightness of bloomir 2
| shrubs and creepers. But the most beauti-
full of ali to US were the many beautiful
rivers, which gush forth fror great springs
| in the hills few miles back, AL as clear as
crystal ana as cold as ice We pass New
Braunfels, a town founded in the days Of
the old Texas Republic, by poltics
refugees f,om Germany. 1t is not yet q
| thoroughly town, many of whose in habl'
tants cannot speak English. and the resort
of many who wish to make them ell yes
familiar with the German lang age. A few
miles f,rther over prairie ana through the
chapparal and mesquite bushes, and we
are II San Antonio The Alamo City u
many Of whose inh abtans lovingly call il
the CITY of the Plains" Here our journ
| nev and our story must end, but if the
! Editor permits, we prom Sc you in some
| turiur day. sketch Of this vueer ole
Mexican city, San Antoine.
A w ANDERER.