Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-04-24
BIG MUSTACHE.'
A Characteristic Letter from Jim Moi
fitt---His Views of the Great West.

A Characteristic Letter from Jim Moi
fit His Views of the Great West.
To the Standard
PINE RIDGE, OAK, April 10, 'S6.
Having no news that would inter-
est you, will give you a brief his
tory of my trip West. Col. Wallace
and myself arrived in Memphis at 5
a. M, March 31st. There and then
the Colonel broke our agreement. We
left McMinnville with the understand
ing that neither of us were to go into
a saloon during the trip. Not being
very well acquainted with the little
city, we hardly knew where to go for
breakfast. The Colonel discovered a
light across the street, went over,
walked in and asked for the nearest
hotel. He looked up and discovered
that he was in a saloon, whirled and
came out without the desired infor-
nation. We walked three or four
squares, and | was gazing like boy
who had never been to town. | dis
covered the word "hotel. " We
turned, walked up near the door and
the first thing that met our view was
a drunk man stretched Y the door.
Neither of US liked the sign, turned
our course, went a few blocks and
found very good hotel-We were
not looking for the finest-eat break
fast, rested Il hours and boarded the
train for Kansas City.
We crossed the Mississippi and
came laundering along through the
swamps, gazing out of the windows
trying to see everything that hap
pened along the railroad. We had a
parlor car, and everything to make
one comfortable. l suppose the SUI
perintendent of the road put it on es-
pecially for us, as it was my first trip
West. The Colonel amused himself
playing some kind of a game. Idon't
know what you would call it. II
was played with -. pieces of paper
: with pictures on one side of some Of
them.
Dinner time came on. The porter
gave us nice lunch free fora quarter
After / dispatched my lunch / re-
sumed my gazing and found some
pretty country through Arkansas
t We stopped at a little place just il
the edge of Missouri and got supper
Just permit me to say in this connec
ton that here l saw the prettiest CIR
| ever saw in my life, except my owl
! sweetheart. The Colonel had hare
g work to get me away from there.
am glad now | left that one. ! fount
5 out since that she had been married
and left her husband. We founC
nothing but lady walters from there
on. You bet | eat three times a day
: We arrived in Kansas City mex
lay at 10 a. m. You will not fine
= anywhere a prettier country than you
will see in Southwest Missouri. TIL,
Northern portion of Kansas is a beau
tiful country, also. My eyes suffered
= 1t was something new to me to SCI
miles and miles of country, and not
tree, hill or anything of the kind t.
y. obstruct the view. In my opinion
in all the resources and requirement
;, that go to make people rich, wis
:, and great, Kansas has no equal. Yol
cannot run an imaginary line aroun,
any one territory that has NOR
miles ofrailroad, wheat, corn, cattle
hogs, ETC., which twenty years ag
was in possession of the Indian an
d buffalo.
y Kansas City seems to be the focu
l. for all railway lines to center. 1t is
l. large city of nearly 100000 peoples
d l was informed by some one. A
l. trains run in and out of one larg
T. union depot. We expected to see on
l. old friends Sam l.. Colville and job
80 F. Waters, but failed.
" have wondered since l passe
10 through Iowa why the people of thu
Vi State left it and went to Tennessee
IL and bought such land as they do.
IL am informed that Iowa has 80 coul
TO ties, and a railroad to every count
II seat, and not a dollar in debt.
yS Nebraska has valuable farm land
also pasturage. l find from readin
a 1Oc book that 1 bought on the ca
that Nebraska was organized a teri
s. tory in 1866, State in 1867, and hi
ge today population of 100000. 1t
in fast Settlinp IN Tho nanp1a oro oOu