The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-05-26
Life in a Railroad Camp.

CO.reSpODueAceO OF tne lieratu.
WYL1E& W1LMANs' CAMP, May IS. 1881.
Although wet weather has interferred ma
terially with work on the Chicago, Texas q
Mexican Central, dirt has been thrown rap-
idly, and the progress made on the contract
of Belcher g. S!ranahsn, Camp No. l has been
remarkably good, and the grade is frat class
Camp life is exceedingly lonesome TO
one not accustomed to it, and whose duties
do not require that he should drive mules Or
hold pillow or scraper. The monotony of
the existence is unlimited. There are noun.
tains OF monotony out Of which rugged
ledges:: pure wretchedneasc, rops in its ma
tive unalloy. As one sits in the shade BY
his white and melancholy tent, and looks
across intervening space, where ia stretched
before him little city of tents, and
then beyond, a short distance,
watches the rapid msnoeuveripg
of men, horses and tools, he is forcibly
reminded of old war times, of bitches,
breastworks, cavalry, artillery and infantry.
Boom! booml Here's change. The monot-
ony slightly broken. Boom, BOOM again,
and the air is full of flying stones and earth,
and the smoke of burned powder goes up to
the sky. Now it is easy to fancy the ground
strewn with the dead; you can almost hear
the groans of wounded and dying heroes
whose lives are being sacrificed in fruitless
war. Boom, again and sgain, and the
monster rock that has silent in its quiet bed
-, thousands-possibly millions-oi years is
rent asdnder and removed by puny man:
sand there was a sound of deviltry by
night" Mon ,topy is growing less Tuonoto-
nous since began this letter. Some OF the
boys are having little fun over at the Boz
canvass LeGrsnde, and there will be black
eyes and sore noses tomorrow.
They are deciding the ques-
ton of the sizs of the Philadelphia
centennial building to whether it cover
ed 800 miles or 800 feet. Several minutes
elspse; swearing and knocking are oyer; the
question is settled; the 800 mile man is the
victor, and the $40 time checks, s'eked on
the result, 60 to him.
Here's another Sunday morri :, and q
welcome order from hesdquar' "Break
camp and pull out for i on Young's
field" This field is only two miles from
ID alias, and on the same side of the river as
the one from which tho amiablo old parson
drove us about month ago, while he and
the railroad company settled matter of
dollars and cents in court on the value of
right of way. We cannot help wishing that
he and President Hale might have settled it
in a more speedy manner-ss the centennial
question was settled. II is all over now, and
work Is moving with such rapid y that the
frat three miles out from the city will be
completed within the thirty days,
and connect with other completed
work on the line. The cars will be
running on this fra, twenty-six miles of road
before that intelligent portion Of the people
of Dallas, who take no paper because they
cannot spare the money from their beer aud
tobacco bills, learn that there is such road
10 course Of construction.
This is Tuesday morning, and here we are,
all settled in our new quarters, and so close
10 the city thAt yo1 can afford 70 come out
and see us, or at least 10 take look st the
progress that Is being msde-and-aDd well
pop q can Of peaches. We use nothing
stronger.
II dii seem little strange 70 move away
from one town 10 another, and End the very
people that we had left behind US living al
our new home They must have taken q
shorter cut than we did. lvEEs-