The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-04-17
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM TEXAS.
A Baltimore County Lady's Trip to Texas
What She Saw and How She Fared
"A Graphic Account
RucKHoRN. TsxAs. March Goth. 1894

"A Graphic Account.
BUcKHoRN, TEXAS, March 10th, 1885,
Dear Union AS you have had several letters
from this part of the clone Star State" thought
a few items from my journey to this place ght
interest you and would perhaps be of benefit to
you or any of your readers who contemplate q
visit to us. We left Baltimore on Monday, sth
inst. at o'clock p. M, from Camden Station, and
in one hour were in Washington, where we re-
NAMED ten minutes. A sense of loneliness creep
ing over me, looked out the car windows at the
many passers- by to find a familiar face, but not
one did know. 1 did not expect the President
and his Cabinet or any foreign Diplomats down
to see me off, but as the M. e. Conference was in
session thought some of the members might be
strolling around. The gong sounded and disap-
pointed settled back in the cushioned seat as the
train moved out, and tried to 60 to sleep. Every
one around me was preparing for slumber. 1t is
strange how a man can double himself up into one
of those seats and seem to snooze so comfortably.
I enved them their comfort and indifference to
their ludicrous positions. After awhile the door
opened and voice sang out "Harpers Ferry
We were crossing the Potomac. How longed to
see the beautiful scenery of this place, but all was
dark. 1 was the only one awake in the car and
so sick-sea- sick on land. felt a good deal like
the old woman on a vessel going to Europe, when
she begged the captain to "please stop the ship
and let her de-"
Nextmorning we werein Grafton, VIVA. Every
place was covered with snow. Now we could sec
and the prospect was beautiful. Winding in and
out among mountains and over rivers we swiftly
sped along, crossing the beautiful Ohio. The
bridge here is fearfuly high, not very soothing to
ones nerves to look down and contemplate the
train jumping the track. On we went, passing
through many very pretty towns, the names of
which have forgotten. That evening we reached
Cincinnati, where we were obliged to wait an hour
and half. The depot here is grand affair and
a handsome dining room adjoins the waiting ROOM
began to feel pretty tired and thought nice hot
oyster stew would brighten US up. I stepped up
to waiter and in Baltimore style asked him to
bring us three ffteen-cent stews. With Cincin-
natl dignity (only used here) he informed me that
ga stew of half u dozen oysters 40 cents and
one of dozen oysters WIS IS cents" He almost
took my breath away. With resignation walked
out of that dining room and opened my lunch
basket, and I may as well tell you right here that
when you come bring well filled basket or we'll
filled purse, for everywhere people imagine that
travellers have an unlimited supply of money, that
they are overburdened with the "fthy lucre" and
long for an opportunity to rid themselves of it.
After enduring the usual amount of hustle,
crowding, pushing and display of i'll manners, we
are on the train. 1t is night again and showing
hard. The car is crowded, people getting off at
every town. At one place. North Vernon, think,
a large fire was raging close to the track, where
the train stopped some minutes. was told it was
the station buildings, which were entirely con-
sumed.
Next morning "Wednesday we came in sight of
the broad "Father of Waters" the Mississippi, and
crossing it over the massive and wonderful bridge
entered the city of st. Louis. Through tunnel
we are taken direct to Union Depot, and what a
place 1t deserves its NAME Union Of railroads,
Union of every nation, color, condition, age sex,
and I W pOin o. n ga animals parfect ha6la m
Screaming babies, chattering children. voices of
foreigners, whining of poodle dogs, all mingled
Here we were doomed to stay for one hour and ten
minutes. 1t seemed day to me. The train be-
ing ready we now start over the Iron Mountain
road, following the beautiful Mississippi for q
long distance, the sun is cleaning on its waters,
blocks of broken ice floating down its course and
graceful steamers gliding on its surface, making a
pretty picture. The conductor tells US that Iron
Mountain and Pilot Knob will soon be in vieM41
We leave the river side and plunge in pine forests,
past large farms and through many tunnels. Piles
of iron ore warn us that we are nearing the far
famed mountains. Now we see one. Numbers of
men are at work in its sides digging out the ore.
All is hustle and activity. A gentleman in the
next seat informs US that all the mountains in this
region are solid ore ready for the furnace. For
Iron Mountain, and will continue for years to
come. The supply seems inexhaustible.
We spend the day and night going through
Missouri and Arkansas, arriving at Texarkana on
Thursday morning, at 6 o'clock. am told this
town stands on the corner of three States and is
partly named for the three, Texas, Arkansas and
Louisiana, hence called Tex -ark-ana. Here we
change cars, taking the Texas and Pacific railroad
The land is now swampy, trees stunted as if they
too had the shakes, and the hou es mean looking.
1t seems wonderful how the people sustain life in
of these places. The railroad track is large
ly laid on trestles through this swampy country.
We reach Long View in the afternoon where we
remain until midnight. This is miserable look
ing place. The station is cold and cheerless-no
fire, window panes broken out, wind blowing hard
and raining. / went out to hunt up the agent and
ask him for fire, and he obliged US. We have
the room all to ourselves until dark. 1t is then
nniea1 n-nrnd "thet q lndy ord envarol children
all the way from Baltimore are in there" Then
we see faces peeping in the curtainless windows.
After awhile a drunken man staggers in, almost
falling over me. He sits down by the fire, falls
and drags pillow, that have carried all the
way, under his ugly head and is soon snoring
The children fall asleep on the rough benches and
1 walk the floor to keep awake. AT last the train
whistle is heard and we are again on the 60.
At Palestine we change again to the Inter
national and Great Northern. This is a very
pretty and busy place with frst-class accommoda-
tons. We leave all faces that have become IA
miliar on the road and start on different route.
All things change. We see fruit trees in full bloom,
flowers by the waysde, aocks of cartridges fly up
as the train passes, farmers blowing, some plant
ing corn, and others cotton. Forest trees COW
cred with long gray moss hanging in festoons from
the limbs. In the afternoon we reach Hearne
where we have to remain until half past IL. On
the start again over the Houston and Texas Gen.
trail, we arrive at Hampstead at o'clock Saturday
morning, right glad to let the train off with
out us. Shortly after our arrival a kind looking
man came in and enquired if "this was Mrs. -"
A friend at last He knew when we would arrive,
and although perfect stranger had come to take
us to his home, where we were most Hospitality
entertained. Next day we started for this place
in an open Dayton wagon. | was informed be-
fvre starting that we had to cross the Brazos river
on ferry boat, but expect this kind of a ferry
would be as novel to you as it was to me. When
we came to the river the driver left his seat took
rope and tied the wagon wheels together then
led the horses down the steep bank (almost per-
pendicular) onto a fiat bottom boat, something
like a raft, which was fastened to stake driven
into the bank. A wire cable reached across. the
river fastened to trees on either side 20 or 80 feet
above the water. rope over pully connected
the boat to this cable. Then a slender rope was
stretched across fastened to stakes driven into the
bank on each side. By means of this rope the
ferryman, hand over hand pulled the boat along
anu the PuIly rope on the cable kept 1t from GO
ing down the current of the swift, surging river.
1t Is very wide ut this point and fearfully deep.
My heart was in my mouth, as the saying is, until
we were safely over and the horses had pulled up
the steep bank on the other side. The next day
man started to go over for my baggage, but on
reaching the river found that the wire cable had
parted. was very thankful that it carried us
safely over, but do not think will ever repeat the
experiment of crossing river on Texas ferry
boat. Yours. &C.. n u
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
TRIP TO OLD POINT COMFORT nv