The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1886-03-06
Our "Trip TO Cincinnati.

the delegates who represented the LouI-
siana Press Association in tho general
convention of the journalists of the
United States, held in Cincinnati on the
23d, gath and 25th of last month, n brief
synopsis of whose proceedings we give
elsewhere and we have thought that a
sncclnct recital of some Of the events of
our trip to and from the ''Queen City"
and our pleasant sojourn there would
not prove uninteresting to some of our
readers. We will therefore jot down
| somewhat discOnnectedly, perhaps,
(having taken but few other than men
tai notes)-a few of the most striking
incidents of this, to all participants,
memorable journey.
We took our departure from Opelou-
| sas OIL Friday morning, the 10Th, via
the Morgan railroad, arriving at New
Orleans the same evening; and the
next day at 1880, in company with
most of the members of tho Louisiana
delegation the worthy president of our
State Association, Gen Leon Jastrem-
ski, at their head we boarded then O
e. North Eastern railroad, one of the
lines of the Queen and Crescent System,
with passes to Cincinnati aud return,
| good until March 18th For this highly
appreciated courtesy, III the absence of
which most of us would have been com
PEELED to forego the journey aud its at
| tendant enJoyments, We are indebted to
the liberality of the managers OF this
first-class route, which offers many. ad
vantages to the traveller, the least Of
which is its being the shortest line to all
points north and east.
Soon We were speeding over the 90
mile bridge across Lake Pontchartrain,
aud shortly after dark had reached
Meridian, Miss, where we we've joined
by the Texas delegation, some twenty
i'll number, who had come from Dallas
in palace car, via Shreveport aud
/ Vicksburg We were not long in max
ing the acquaintance of our jovial broth
ers of the Lone Star State, in whose
! pleasant company we remained until
we reached Cincinnati, and even after,
for we stopped at the same hotel; aud
it was owing to their earnest solicita-
tions that Gen Jastremski became a
candidate for the presidency of our as
sociation, aud to heir enthusiastic sup
port and nntiriDg effort in his behalf
that he came within an ace of being
elected.
Early the uext morning, having ira
versed Alabama during the night, we
passed Chattanooga, Tenn, and viewed
from our car windows the historic Look
ont Mountain and Mission Ridge, the
scene of the famous and sangulnary
"battle above the clouds !" and from
this point our route lay almost half way
to our destination between two ranges
of the Cumberland mountains, which,
as our readers know, are Il spur of the
Allegheny or Appalachain chain, partly
in southeast Kentucky, though the
main portion is in Tennessee. Its form
alton is coal, slate, and carboniferons
limestone. It is a plateau in places
i nearly 1000 feet abnye tide, and nearly
! so miles in width, with steep descent on
both sides. A few hills in the plateau
rise 700 or 500 feet higher. Alnug this
part of tho route our Grain rnshed head
long through twenty -seven tunnels and
numberless deep cuts in the sides OF the
mountains. Bnt the widest, most awe
inspiring scene we helleld burst upon
our bewildered gaze rs the train tilnli-
dered at full speed acr,Ss the Kentucky
river on what is said to be the highest
bridge in the world. Sever will the
recollection of that brief moment be ef-
faced from the tablet Of our memory
the dizzy height, the rocky, preeiritea,
banks, the awful, seemingly reckless
speed with which we few over iht
frightfnl ehasm have left an indelihle
impression there and we cannot, even
now, recall that weird aud quickly
shifting panorama without a feeling q
awe, almost shudaer.
AT o'clock p. NJ, on the 2lst (sun
dayl we more deliberately crossed the
, Ohio and entered Cincinnati, the great
and growing "Queen City of the West
To recount the experiences that We
crowded into the small space of fiys
days--the period of our stay-to emu
, merate the many invitations, the NUM-
+ berless courtesies we were made the r.
cipients of, wonld require a volume
j More eloquent tongues, ADLER and mors
, graceful pens than ours have given ut
f terance. in behalf of the visitors, t,
their grateful aud kindly feelings to
wards the generous citizels of Cincln
] natl who SO kindly, courteously ant
Hospitality entertained lis aud made eul
. stay among them so agreeable; bu
none, we trow, have quite expressed al
/ the thanks, all tie gratitude which blab
, bled up from and flooded the hearts o
those amongst us whom Murat Hal
stead described at the banquet on THUS
day night as rural roosters.s Tles'
were less accustomed to such treatmen
) than their more fortunate metropolitan
brothers, and the many delicate atten
tions and kindnesses showered upol
them touched tender chord IN theI
! breasts one all unused to such pleas
, ant vibrations.
One of the first places visited was th
j Geological Gardens, where very larg
4 and fine collection of animals and bird
Z is to be found, including lions, tigers
! le5pards, polar and grizzly bears, 81
Q raffes, zebras, q hippopotamus, an os
: trich, a sea lion, porcupine, pelicans
6 cranes, whole house full of monkeys Q
] avery size and color, and d greater vari
: ETY. of bright plumaged birds (pheasants
t pigeons, parrots, &c, than we ever i'm
] agined had been gathered together any
: where. We also visited Heuck's (pro
nounced Hlke's) Opera House, said to
!. the finest In the West, and saw Rolan
! Reed play Humbug;' We went u
. Walnn6 Hill on the inclined plane an
4 went through Eden Park on the cabl
f road (said t0 bs the invention OF Ger
!. 8 Fl.a,,,sf.-va,slA. svLnrc tl,n hirthnlacn {