The Forrest City times., 1888-05-19

"o SAtehu our neartleSt thanks for three days of most royal entertainment. Certainly We can truthfully say there was nothing lacking.
 The carriage drive around the city was thoroughly enjoyable and many places of interest were visited.
 Texarkana will always have a warm place in the hearts of myself and oth- CTS who attended, in fact our English is insufficient for the occasion,
 Friday afternoon at 3:45, perhaps forty-tive of the members boarded 4 through train to Galveston, where we arrived Saturday night. Space forbids a lengthy description, and it will be suf- iicient to say what we saw and how we were treated. The citizens of Calves ton were not informed of our coming. An escort from the Beach Hotel met us on this side of the bay and escorted us to the Beach-a magnificent hotel within hundred yards of the finest beach in the United States. The local press hearing of our arrival. made haste to extend us the hospitalities of the city. We were given most enjoy able ride upon the bay, where we were caught in d severe storm and all badly scared. We saw the Porpoise and the Globe or Jelly fish, the former, very large, the latter very beautiful. We went aboard the "Comalr an ocean steamer-Galyeston to New i ork-and were given full liberty to examine her She Is grand in her furniture and rig ging. A bath in the surf was exciting. refreshing and very enjoyable. The white caps were facinating, and gath ering shells from the sea shore" very interesting, tour specimens may be seen at this Offiee.l To the gentlemen of the press and the citizens of Calves ton we return our hearty thanks and best wishes for their prosperous car eers, for the kindly and courteous treat ment given us. We had the pleasure of meeting an old time friend there, in the person of J. Chalmer Stanley, of the Galveston News. ! was, indeed, pleasant to be with him. Regretting the necessity, We boarded the train Monday for Austin. The only compli- ment we can pay Austin is that she has the finest state capitol building in the United States. We think howev. CT that the citizens of Texas made a big mistake by not erecting that build ing at San Antonio or Galveston. This building is to be a fire proof structure classic in design. Its form approxi. mates il Greek Gross, with projecting center and Hanks; rotunda and dome at the intersection of the main corri- dors. It is 566 feet, 6 inches long; in elusive of porticos, and 2SS feet 10 inches wide at its greatest width. ltis 3ll feet in height, from grade line to top of statue of Liberty on dome. Be sides the basement and dome eleya- tion isthree full stories in heighth, com prising business and storage depart ments, offices, vaults, etc., for the entire Executive, Judicial and Legislative de- partments of the state government, in- cluding arrangements and apparatus for lighting the building by electricity steam heating, ventillating, plumbing, drainage, sewerage, hydraulic eleya- tors, and all the appliances and con- veniences of complete modern state capitol. It is the largest capitol build ing ever erected by any state in the union. It is only second in size to the capitol at Washington, and is the seventh largest building in the world. It covers two and one quarter acres of ground and contains 26i elegant rooms It is built of solid granite, taken from quarries near Austin, samples of which may be seen at this ofiie. Besides be- ing 3ll feet high, this magnificent structure has been erected upon the top of hill, from the dome ''peer holes'' one can see the country foI miles around. Well we were glad to get away from Austin, and we reached San Antonio, the hospice city of the southwest. This ancient city (the oldest in the United Statesl like Texar- kama offered everything they had for our special pleasure, carriage drives to all the principle points ill the city and to the government post, the old mis- sion buildings, San Pedro springs, and numerous other sights. Hotel bills were paid, invitations from railroad presidents extended, and goodness only knows what not. An excursion to Corpus Christi was declined with much regret and many thanks. We spent two nights and one day in this beauti- ful city.
 Fort Worth was next visited and the citizens began to maks extensive prep arations for our entertainment but the marty divided and the invitations were declined for want of time with heart felt thanks.
 We spent only four or five hours at Dallas, from which place we returned to Texarkana and Forrest City.
 In this limited space we have failed, we know, to give justice to the hospi- tality and generosity of the citizens who entertained us but we will have more to say of our trip in the future. posore. closing we desire to extend