Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-12-25

porter ana transfer manipulation, who
usually infest the depots. / asked a
private citizen to direct me to a ho-
tel, he quickly pointed out one to me,
and soon engaged room for the
night. The night clerk at this hotel
amused himself by shooting stray
dogs in the back yard at intervals
during the night, which had ten
dency to modest the quiet slumbering
of the guests. AT 5 o'clock the next
morning we were all aroused from
our slumbers by an attache of the
hotel double-shuffiing and cutting
the pigeon-wing clear across the hall
up stairs in the hotel. This is only a
Texas way of waking hotel guests in
time for the morning train.
/ took the TIP. train for Fort
Worth and travelled all day through
a poor black, jack and prairie country,
passing through Dallas at dark and
arriving at Fort Worth at 8 P. M. 1
spent Friday, Saturday, Sunday and
Monday in and around Fort Worth.
This town numbers about 10000 in
habitants, and is 81 miles west of
Dallas. 1t has sprung up as if by
magic, and is still growing rapidly.
There seems to be spirit of rivalry
going on between Dallas and Fort
Worth, and / cannot account for the
rapid growth of two cities so close to
each other, and it seems to me at
some future day one of them will
have to give way to the other. Alto
gether / was favorably impressed
with Fort Worth, and if the country
was not so well ventilated I would
like to live there. l hunted
up our old fellow-citizens, Col. Will
son and Ed ]. Mason, who are living
there, and who are hale and hearty.
I was entertained by them with a de-
gree of old Tennessee hospitality one
seldom meets with in the West.
Sunday went with Ed and his in
estimable wife to see her parents at
the little town of Cleburne, 80 miles
south of Fort Worth on the Fort
Worth and Galveston railroad. Here
again l met with a warm reception
and passed the day off very pleasant
ly indeed, Notwithstanding 1 was
suffering with nervous headache.
After partaking of a neatly prepared
dinner, consisting of a large baked
turkey and cranberry sauce and other
things equally as palatable, Ed drove
me over the town in a buggy, which
aided my digestion considerably.
Cleburne is neat little town, about
the size of McMinnville. 1t has some
very handsome buildings, among
which may be mentioned the court
house, Jail and public school build
ing, etc. 1t also has water works,
and from the public spirit of her citi-
zens, i think will some day be a
city.
took a sleeper for Ell Paso Mon
day night, and travelled all night and
the next day through what seemed
to me sandy desert, now and then
running into a small town. But
what keeps these towns up is ques.
ton / cannot solve. We would travel
for so miles sometimes and not see q
single sprig of green Vegetation. Al
one place on the road the train stop.
ped to get water, and l noticed an
old steer standing under the tank
with his head up catching a small
stream of water about the size of q
knitting needle that was leaking
from the tank. l don'tsuppose there
was, with this exception, any water
in 20 miles of this place.
Wednesday morning, Dec. LIST, at {
o'clock, found me in this town, that
recently came so near getting the
United States and Mexico into a wal
over a little Cutting affair. / will
amplify upon this place and its sur
roundings in my next.
What has become Of your Western
correspondent of "Big Mustache" re-
nown. / apprehend that either the
frigidity of the Dakota weather OF
the rigidity of steel has curtailed thai
luxuriant growth of maroon coloreC
fibrous eXcresence from his upper
lip, and he, Peacock like, has tran
quilted until it grows out again. We
would like to hear from him AGAR
through your columns.
O. /. STIR.