Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-07-03
California as it Appears to a Tonnes
sean at First Sight.
To the Standard /:

Saturday morning, May Sth, left
the quiet little village of Viola, bound
for the "golden shore" l stopped
in Nashville until 7:l5 a. m. Monday.
We arrived at Mckenzie at noon
and changed cars for Memphis. The
L. & N. train was behind, as usual.
From Mckenzie to Memphis l had
the toughest, dirtiest and most un-
pleasant ride that / had Oh the whole
trip. West Tennessee along thisroad
is fiat, swampy and poor, and is Gull
tivated in cotton generally.
We arrived in Memphis about p.
m. At 6p. m. we left for Kansas
City, distance of 4S7 miles. This
road is in most excellent condition.
l had never seen the cars transferred
across the river, and watched with
much interest the proceeding. The
descent to the river was steep, butnot
enough to be dangerous. There are
two tracks to enter the transfer boat,
one for high water and the other for
low water. These tracks can be adj
justed to suit the river. The transfer
boat has two tracks long enough to
take three coaches each.
AT the river we came in contact
with the famous buffalo gnat. Sew
eral years ago, while crossing the
Trinity river in Texas, 1 saw some
thing of this pest, but not so much as
here. They swarm around the face
and get into the nose if possible. l
had to hold my handkerchief over
my nose for several miles. The citi-
Gems on the west side of the river had
fires made in their yards to smoke
them away, and those that had stock
had them herded around burning log
heaps. The cattle would hold their
heads in the smoke to keep the gnats
away. l was told that a good many
mules had been killed by them near
Memphis.
After leaving Memphis we travelled
many miles through the swamps.
This is the most dismal looking coun-
try ever saw, yet where there was a
spot of land high enough there was a
house. 1t is strange what kind OF
places people will live in. Darkness
came on before we got out of the dis
NAL swamps of Arkansas, and when
day dawned again we were in the
neighborhood. of Ozark Mountains,
in Southwestern Missouri, almost as
different in appearance afrom the
country we were in at dark as could
be. About noon we arrived at Spring.
field, Mo-, beautiful little city in a
beautiful country. A part of South.
western Missouri is as pretty country
as | ever saw. High rolling prairie,
all fenced, some in cultivation and
some in pasture. Southwest Missouri
Central and Eastern Kansas are pretty
much alike in appearance, all prairie
and as rich as soil could be. That
black soil is better for corn than any.
thing else, though they raise i'm.
mense crops of wheat and oats some.
times. The wheat crop in Kansas is
very poor this season, owing to the
severe winter.
Tuesday we reached Kansas City
Mo. 1t is certainly the busiest city
ever saw. They claim 11O,O inhab
itants only, and yet it is said thai
Kansas City does more business thar
st. Louis. The scene at the Unior
Depot is beyond description. 1t is {
human bee hive. The trains all stOI
here, and I never in my life saw 81
many people travelling at once. Al
ages, classes and conditions are rep
resented, travelling to and from every
quarter, and for all purposes. Will,
delayed in Kansas City, took in thu
city and felt repaid.
Our travel the next day was through
that beautiful portion of Kansas above
referred to. At daylight THURSDAY
we woke up in Western Kansas, tn,
portion of the State so famous 70
grazing and stock raising, and wher
so many cattle froze to death las
winter. The first thing that greetet
our eyes was carcasses of dead cattle
During the severe billiards. last win
ter they drifted to the railroad fenc
and died by the thousand. This par
of Kansas is very sparcely settled, n
one here except few stock men.
good portion of Western Kansas ha
alkali, and produces nothing but
little grass.
About a. m. we crossed the Stat
line into Colorado. After awhile W
no,,,o b. eo,,,o mountainous oOuptr-