Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1888-07-07
OUR TRIP TO CHICAGO.
A Pleasant Trip-Girand Beauti-
full Seeneries-A Great BOdy-HOme
Again.

Again.
On Saturday morning about $3.50
o'clock, on the 10th of June, we
reached Washington City, en- route
for Chicago. to witness the proceed
ings of the Republican National Con-
vention, which convened on the 10Th.
The North Carolina delegation was
provided for by that good man, Hon.
W. P. Canady. and assigned to the
BRISTOL in the second section of the
excursion trains that were leaving
Washington on that day. This was
a train of eight Pullman slcepers and
five sections about the same size left
Washington that day.
| Our ticket entitled us to three meals
each way and sleeping birth. We
had carload of North Carolinians.
They were all good-lOoking, clever
gentlemen. We left Washington 1920
in the morning-hence an all-day
ride, with a full view of mountains
and farms of Pennsylvania.
We took the Pennsylvania route,
which took us through Baltimore,
Harrisburg, Pittsburg, Altoona, Fort
Wayne, and other pretty Western
cities. The scenery along this route
was perfectly grand. From Washing
ton to and beyond Baltimore it was
somewhat dusty, but as we crossed
the line between Maryland and Penn
sylvania We met rain in gentle, re-
freshing showers, that cooled the at
mOspherc and made riding pleasant.
As we followed the graceful curves
of the Susquchanna river, along the
foot of the Allegheny, the scenery
was superbly picturesque and magnifi-
Gently grand The graceful slopes of
the beautiful towering hills, the
mighty massive rocks, the frightening
ravines, thick forests and ripping
streams, fields green with grain and
grass, dotted here and there with
herds of cattle and sheep, comfortable
farm houses, busy men and women,
kept us admiringly delighted, gazing
upon the wonderful works of nature
and industry. and ingenuity of man.
This is a grand cOGhtry. The farms
are well cultivated. Wheat, clover,
corn and oats seem to be the principal
products. aside from garden vegeta-
bles. This is also great iron coun-
try. As night came upon us furnaces
could be seen blazing in every direc-
ton. Sometimes it looked like an
hundred great lamps in row. Natural
gas is burnt in this country ALSO
Many of the cities we passed on Sat-
urday night displayed great blazing
lights, some of them three or four
feet. 1t makes powerful and beau
tiful light.
After enjoying many others besides
the sceneries mentioned, we slept
sOundly, and walked early in the
morning to find ourself well up in
Indiana. the Hoosier State and home
of our next President. Here we be-
gan to notice the we'll prepared coun-
ty roads and that in every town and
city, the school-house and the church
were the best and most prominent
buildings to be seen.
About midday we entered the
prairie land. There we're clusters of
trees here and there, but no hill nor
valley nor stream. Miles and miles
of level plains were before us farm
houses could be seen FIVE and ten
miles distant and cattle looked like
small hogs in the distance. Early in
the afternoon We came in sight of the
great Lake Michigan, and the porter
yelled: Chicago in few minutes. "
But it took US nearly half hour to
reach the depot after We got in sight.
Chicago is a great city. 1t is the
metropolis of the West. 1t has a
population of 10000 1t has about
$4,000 cOlOred people. The police
force is 300 men. The mayor gets
$40, 900 a year. There are many
magnificent buildings here, among