Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-07
My Trip to the Sunny South.

/
sunny land Of flowers and strange new
beauty. / boarded the Illinois Central
train at Chicago and l must say that
when it does, it GOES, but it does all the
business in Illinois. from north to south
stops at every station, thereby accom-
modating hotel keepers. The longest
and only delay worthy of note was at
Cairo in the extreme southern part of
the state, a short period of ONLY twenty
! two hours before connections
could be made with the st. Louis,
Arkansas and Texas r. r. for there is
only one daily train going to Arkansas
on said road and that is at night /
was escorted to the hotel by colored
gentleman and was shown every kind
ness, but why not, it was a So 90 day
house kept in first class style, and is
called the "Haliday House" I was
very tired having travelled then two
days and as many nights where all was
confusion and to add more to petty
annoyances, from Centralia, Illinois, to
Cairo, we were honored with twenty
one little cherubs ranging all the way
| from six months to three years, all of
whom had good lungs and exercised
them to their hearts content. NotWith-
standing the rumbling of the car wheels
as they clicked over the rails, the loud
laughter and as loud conversation of
the passengers, those little darlings
made themselves heard above the din
of battle. 1t was the squalliest time
ever experienced and it is my candid
opinion that the best regulated mind
would be weakened in a very short
time, If that music had to be listened
to. When was teaching in Lincoln
County | often received circulars
addressed to the teacher of the school,
naming the district where I was
employed stating, that by sending to
certain firm Il have forgotten where)
a method could be gotten by which ''to
teach children to cry easy" regretted
deeply that [ had not sent. [ rested
well at Cairo and was ready to set out
again when the train was ready on the
st. l.. Ark. and Texas r. r and
rougher road [ must say would
be hard to find. The speed is 45 miles
an hour, those employed on the train
are so nice and graceful (?y about taking
Oh another car, SO gentle coupling the
same. You would be led to believe if
you were not sure you were seated
therein, that the coaches were loaded
with Texas cattle going west. After
being transferred across the Mississippi
River L was then Ill Missouri for a
short time, after which Arkansas was
reached and anxiously did [ watch the
stations. There are number Of little
towns that are not, down on the time
table and | think very unpronouncabe
ones too. l had heard that the South
ern people used phrases different from
those used in the north and | was
waiting patiently to hear the same, but
did not hear any strange expressions
until l reached Brirkley. The train
stopped for few minutes when a
gentleman boarded the train to speak to
a lady friend, and upon bidding her
good bye he said 'You'ns come up and
see wens" and she replied, 81 reckon
we'ns will for it is heap nicer here,
although it will be right smart STEP"
[ was vastly amused, said nothing but
kept us a terrible thinking. l admired
the country very much, the beautiful
forests, large cotton plantations, etc,
etc. After proceeding number of
miles [ began to think we must be
nearing Humphrey, the train slackened
its speed but being in the chair car
was some distance from the station and
as the porter did not announce anv
place [ supposed my destination was
not reached, but alas! I was carried by
to the next stopping place called Wau-
baseca where had to wait two hours
and fifteen minutes; there [ met No 2
and came back to Humphrey. A real
Southerner stepped up to me and said
''your relations were here to meet you
and reckon they were mighty sorry
you did not come. They live over
yon." asked how far it was and he
said 'It is a right smart sprinkle" /
thanked him and set out alone for
Mr.. Weston's mill distance of about
one mile. A Mr.. Stillwen who keeps
store near by kindly offered to hitch up
and take me up there, but being tired |
preferred to walk. | fastened to Mr.
Harris where l found the folks very
mnch pleased to be able to welcome me
in their new home. Mr.. y. Weston,
formerly of Stevens Point resides there
ownes very extensive saw mill, PLAN
ing mill and store and is very ener-
getic business man. Is always pleasant,
kind and courteous, and | noticed when
man who worked for him, even
though colored man asked for settle
ment, or for a small amount of money,
he would say, "all right I will attend to
it now." Some mill owners mot a
thousand miles away when asked for
money would give the poor victim one
whitening look enough TO tear him all
to pieces.
The timber is cypress, willowoak,
blackwalnut, hickory, gumwood, and
many kinds. The timber is very tall
and straight measuring about three feet
through and it is an every day occur
ance to see tree out of which seven
logs can be made sixteen feet long.
Inst beside the mill is a body of wafer