River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-10-29
EDITORIAL JUNKETING.
Wisconsin Editors Visit the Land
of tho Cotton and the Cane.


The Wisconsin Press Association
never enjoyed more pleasant outing
than that of this season over the
Monon route through the sunny fields
of the South made classic by the
events of 1858. We were gathered in
Chicago, Monday, Oct. 18th, party
consisting of 81 gentlemen and AZ
ladies. After arranging the details
for the excursion there was time for
those who wished to visit the Battle
of Gettysburg panorama and the
LIBBY PRISON WAR MUSEUM,
to which our badge admitted us. The
old Libby Prison was cut into sections
and removed to Chicago last spring. 1t
is filled with war relics from the bat
tlefelds of our own country and those
of other countries. There are also
some pieces of furniture used by each
or nearly all of our former presidents
and innumerable likenesses of historic
characters. The courtesy of the .rail-
road companies interested had pro-
vided three handsome Pullman vesti-
buled sleepers, Orta, Taro and Urso,
for the special use cf che association,
and the party was personally con-
ducted'' by the genial and painstaking
General Passenger Agent of the Monon
Route, James Barker, to whose unin-
Permitting attention the party owes
much of the pleasure received during
the progress of the trip. Leaving
Chicago from the elegant Dearborn
Street Station at $50 P. N. and passing
through the state of Indiana 325 miles
we found ourselves in Louisville, KY,
at 80 A. NJ. Tuesday. We breakfasted
at the historic CAN'T House. The city
seemed old and slow. Everywhere
We met the mule teams and the picka-
ninnies. The most beautiful remem-
brance we have of the city is Cave
Hill Cemetery with its magnolia trees
and roses. 1t has no equal west or
south in beauty of landscape. At 800
O'Clock we were Fastening on our way
| to the far famed
MAMMOTH CAVE,
crossing the high trestle bridge once
burned by Morgan and the sights of
many skirmishes in wal times. We
found bountiful supper ready for us
at Mammoth Cave inn, hospitable,
old fashioned, rambling house, part
of which was built in 1912. About
half past eight the long lamp.light
procession entered the cavern accom-.
panied by three guides and the great
gate was locked behind US. We walked
and walked until we had traversed
nearly eight miles of subterranean
labyrinths, and the sights we saw and
the things we heard would make a
newspaper article in itself. Five
hours were passed in those mysterious
depths and the tired party spent the
rest of the night in soundly sleeping
while the palace train swept onward to
NASHVILLE
which we reached at an early hour.
We were met by committee from
the Nashville Commercial Club, fur
nished with badges inscribed "Our
Guests and escorted to the Maxwell
House, fine hotel, for an excellent
breakfast only surpassed by the spe.
cial dinner prepared for US at the same
hotel in the afternoon. We were
taken to the state capitol where the
Adjutant General made a speech of
cordial welcome in the absence of the
Governor which was responded to by
Mai. Mark III. Barnum of the Torch of
Liberty, Wausau, denominated as the
Demosthenes of the party. We were
then given the freedom of the street
cars and when all were aboard we
were deluged with peanuts and taken
to Vanderbilt University, the gift of
the wealthy capitalist, and to the Fisk
University, the gift largely of the
sweet voices of the Jubilee Singers,
one of whom led the pupils in few
selections for our edifcation. We
were next carried by special train to
the celebrated Belle Meade Stock
Farm, one of the largest in the world
and devoted most especially to the
raising and training of blooded run.
ming horses. There is also a large
dairy and on the place and over 300
deer in the park, which the manager
had driven up for our inspection. The
farm is about five miles out of the city
and consists of about 5000 acres.
After an evening reception we again
passed the night in our royal cilariots
while they were rushing swiftly
down to
CHATTANOOGA,
where we were again received on
Thursday morning by committee of
citizens who decorated us with more
badges which were a pass to all their
linas of railroads and tho fulI poscac