The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1886-03-18
A RAMBLIRa HARaATIVE OF A SHORT
TRIP SOUTH.


In roundabout way and By sundry
and diverse meanderings, our cOHpag-
non dc u0yGgs, r. T. Watson, and
ourself. arrived on q stormy Saturday
ia the "Future Great,n where we pro-
cured transportation for Galveston
which is by the sea. II Is not our
purpose to write q descriptive letter Of
two or three columns Of . journey 10
MISUNDERSTANDING 10 panoramic
views Of the soil traversed, the peO-
pie, the cities-fOr we wrote all this
once before in = trip 10 the Island City
although by another route than that
n the "lrOn Mountain" II there
are on this great through route
any lovely vlstas, graceful green slopes,
glimpses Of the picturesque, or scenes
Of awful grandeur, they must be bid
den by the sable pail Of night which
hides all things external during the
first half Of the trip from Sc. Louis.
During the balance Of the Way-say
commencing at the intersectiOn Of the
Iron Mountain with the Kansas City
and Memphis line. at the crude little
settlement Of HOXIe-a perception Of
dense, sWampy, forest land Is not
fragmentary or transltory, but cOntin-
uous, uninterrupted, wearisOme. To
the traveler-with no homestead or
pre-emptlon notions in his head, ii Is
more mOnotonOus than the sandy
wastes ofthe desert. Yea, the desert,
IN q stand-up aud knOek-dOwn fight
with the cypress swamp Of Arkansas,
has the advantage. There is plenty
Of room, however, for the advebtur-
Gus and veracious real estate agent 10
paint glowing pictures Of the Eden
loveliness Of the land, aud talk Of un-
developed resources-resOurcesw which
will remain unGevelOped for the next
twenty-five years. We say room for
such pictures, for the Aforesaid real
estate agent can with his faeile pen
transform the pestilential missna OF
that region into an invigOrating, pure
air:-lts lOw-lying, jungle like forests
into beautiful stretches OF fertile fields
where the crOak Of the frog, the buzz
Of the mosquito or the hiss Of the rep
tile is never heard. No doubt the
time Is coming when all this wild er-
ness may be drained OF its now never
drying waters, when its soil will have
become ridden OF the interminable
forests and transfer med into u rich
and healthful farming district; when
an energetic and Intelligent people
will cultivate the fields but not In
our generation, and hence we will not
take any stock In the roseate pictures
OF the real estate agents Of Arkansas.
At TexarkanA ian eating statiOn) a
sign stuck up midway over the plat
form upon which passengers alight,
informs the travelling public that on
the north side Of the sign Il Is Arkan-
sas. while on the south Il is Texas.
Accordingly, friend Watson steps
into Texas and the writer hereof into
Arkansas, and clasp hands across this
great demarkation line. 1t WAS n mo
mentOus and impressive ceremony
and conducted with all the forms and
ceremonial incident to such magnifi-
cent and perfectly awful occasions.
Entering northeast Texas the "pine
openings" came 10 view, and with
them the red clay, aud saturated soil,
which seemed TO ask the question
and answer it in the same breath
"What'ssuch land good for 4? Dunno"
1t was really much relief to glide out
Of the mOnOtOnOus accOmpaniments
Of the twelve hours back, aud catch =
view Of the ea(-after quite long run
over the bOundless pampas which
separates Houston from GalvestOn-)
and as well snuff the salty, sea air.
II the wearied horse pricks up his
ears and quickens his pace as he snuffs
in the wind the green pastur es and
sweet waters Of the oasis OF the desert
so in fact does the travel -stai ned
occupant Of the car feel new spirit
aud new vigOT as the train shoots out
on to the long causeway which spans
the bay-separating Galveston from
the mainland. This first glimpse Of
the great watery waste is surely u
most pleasing sight for the inhabi.
tant Of the interior, who passes long
months and years with no other
watery sights than infrequent views
Of the dark and fathOmless eistern,
the turbid currents OF the Smoky or
Saline; aud the Venetian canals
which line our streets in times Of
heavy rainfalls.
We are only telling our readers
what they have already heard Of
when we say that Galveston, the
"Gem Of the Ses," a. II is calleI, is a
delightful winter aud spring resort.
IL Is useless 70 go 1900 miles 10 the
Atlantic coast to enjoy sea breezes,
surf bathing, oysters, clam chow
deFs, fish and fishing, TO secure
these rich and enjoyable prizes,
when q ride Of eight or nine hundred
miles will make them equally possi-
ble. Galveston is said 10 possess the
most even temperature Of any south
ern city. The climate In summer or
winter is mild and equAble. The ex-
tremes Of heat or cold are seldom
reached. The season" begins with
May 1st. The hotels are all brushing
up for that occasion. The pleasure
seeking thrOng was already arriving
when we were there, but not in large
numbers.
Galveston in ancient days was the
favOrite resort Of bold buccaneers
from the Caribbean sea. It was here
also that LATTE, the pirate, Of whom
Geo. w. Cable has written so enter
tainingly in the Century, made IA
vOrite station. Strange that Its found
srs should have taken q fancy 10 es-
tablish their penaies on this long
stretch Of sandy shore land,-in-
isolated, cOnfined-salt water |