The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-01-08
California Letter.
NO. 2,

NO. Z.
My readers may be surprised at see
ing my first letter marked No. 2.
send this first for two reasons:
1. Our immediate personal friends
will feel more interest in our present
condition and prospects than in re-
hearsal of our trials on the way, or a
description of the country through
which we passed.
3 My lachrymal glands supply more
than the necessary amount of moisture
to my eyes when l think of the fare
well words of dear friends at Lynnville.
Let me begin then at Texarkana.
Here we spent Friday night in the de-
pot hotel. IL was quite cold. but we
could get no room with fireplace, and
so had TO retire cold. Slept very well
and arose early to make some -observa-
tons GA the town and the customs of
its inhabitants. The town 1--WE found to
be sort of Siamese twin, composed of
two separate entireties; one in Texas.
the other in Arkansas, each having its
own town government and laws, and
yet connected by a bond of union, the
general good of the whole. The only
custom of the inhabitants that | OBJ
served in the short time spent there diff
| ferent from other people was the ex-
IRENE appearance OF simplicity they
could affect while charging a traveller
twice what some necessary article was
worth.
At 20, a. M, we LETT, travelling
through a country of pines for nearly
| 100 miles, At almost every station
there was a saw-milI and immense piles
of lumber, and nothing MORE" After
passing Marshall we came on some
some prairie lands that seemed fit only
for pasture. AS we neared Dallas, how
ever, the land seemed to bear cuItiva-
ton more, as was indicated by the cot
ton bales on the depot platform, but
saw more cotton in Pulaski on Friday
before left than anywhere on the road.
Passed Dallasand Fort Worth during
the night and therefore saw nothing of
the country. At daybreak the cars
halted at Abilene for breakfast. On
rising l found myself sick, very sick
no breakfast, nor dinner nor supper for
me. The next morning l was able to
drink cup of coffee. Texas is a coun-
try "of magnificent distances"-S74
miles from TeXarkana on the east to Ell
| Paso on the west. In western Texas
the depots a,e % or 80 miles apart, and
for 200 miles you find nothing but the
station house, occupied by the section
boss and few Chinese road hands
They say Jay Gould has put Chinese
on the road all the way along, and pays
them 10 or 10 cents a day more than
an American in order to take a little
mean revenge on the poor American
voter. This, however, may be a base
less suspicion as to the motives OF tie
great capitalist. The towns along the
road for 500 miles are supported only
by the railroad and struggling COWBOYS
| from the neighboring ranches. In New
| Mexico and Arizona they receive less
help from the ranches, but the loss is
more than compensated by the mines in
| the mountains near by. Yuma is said
to be the hottest spot in America, and
the irreverent iuha bitants tell of a
tramp who died there, and on reaching
the internal regions found the tempera-
ture so much cooler than he was accus-
| toned to, that he sent back after his
blanket. Here we found the Yuma In
dians almost in their primitive state.
Around the depot they wore kind of
clout covering a small portion OF the
body, but in their houses they all wear
their "birthday clothes" with only a
little red paint added. Yuma is on the
! Colorado river, short distance from its
mouth, and there are traces everywhere
OF the Cuffs having in ages past ex-
tended above it far up the valley. Ar
rived at Cotton exactly one week from
the time | left Mrs. Smiths hoSpitable
| home near LynnVille, and found my
brother at the depot expecting me.
Here we had to part with our friends
made on the train Among them was
a newly welded pair from Tucson (Too-
SOM who took great interest in the
| poor gentleman with a "consumptive's
cough" and the Two motherlessF little
girls seeking health in the far west.
The fair bride washed the children's ia
ces, combed their hair, and fed them on
candies, nuts and watermelons. The
groom offered me his cough-bottle and
expressed his sympathy by many other
acts of kindness. They babe us an af-
fectionate farewell, kissing the little
| girls, and as hObbled by the window
l saw te Ardrops on the brides fair face.
Thus rough western people express
their feelings of sympathy, Like Dido
"not ignorant of misfortune" they
have learned to succor the unfortunate.
May God be with them in far off Neva-
da seeking for gold! 1 found all our
Giles county friends well except Mrs.
d. B. Garrett who has not been very
greatly benefited by coming. Mr.. Gar
rett left yesterday morning for dear old
Giles, carrying Mrs. G, to her kindred
and childhood's home. John Campbell
and family are we'll pleased and in ex-
cellent health. Mr.. Westmoreland, who
very narrowly escaped deathfrom:pneu-
monia some weeks ago, is now up at
tending to business, California has
doubtless prolonged his useful life. 1t
has been raining for several days, and
you may imagine how your correspon-
dents rheumatic back aches. ! don't
see any particular characteristic in the
climate so far to encourage me in Think
ing it will be very advantageous to
rheumatism, In hemOrrhageOus forms
of lung trouble, the atmosphere seems
healing to the lungs, but in tuberculo-
sis OF the lungs it is of little value. 1t
may be valuable in preventing the for-'
nation of tubercles, but after they are
formed, it is only serviceable in being
a mild and equable temperature that is
not aggravating to them. 1t can only
postpone for awhile the death certain to
come. Such is M judgment from what
L see and hear after stay of ten days.
Religious service is said to be cold
and formal here, and not much attend !
ed. 1t rained all day on the only |
Lords day we have spent here. An |
old resbyterian church, Northern, | |
supQOse-is the only salvation OF the |
town. There is, too, an Episcopal
chapel, but no clergyman or regular
service. Little regard is paid to the |
Lords day by the wicked. Saloons are
open all day, and many men carry on
their work as on any other day. The
noise of the carpenters hammer and |
the anvil's ring commingle strangely
with the tones OF the church bell. Many |
are not only wicked, but openly infdel
in regard to religion. They speak of a
christian as a misunderstanding cuss."
''The harvest truly is plenteous but the
are flew. Pray We therefore
the Lord of the harvest that he will
send forth laborers into his harvest"
GEO. w. CAMPBELL.
Cotton, CAL, Dec 18th, 1884.
Se-s-