The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-22
GALVESTON.
The Weather, the Beach and the Poltea-
men as Seen by Stranger.
Especial Correspondence

unbalmy visits of the norther The
+ norther is a vigorous marrow freezing
wind born and bred amid the icy tops
/ of the mountains of the far north, and
its special delight seems to be to frolio
from thence, sweep across the great
prairies of Texas and play the mischief
with the thermometer in Galveston and
the other points along that part of the
gulf coast In the winter time here the
glass registers an average of 70 degrees,
but in few hours the norther may bring
it down 60 80. You will be standing on
a corner enjoying the subtle, warm
/ caress of the weather and thinking how
good the gods are generally when sud
denly you Will observe blue, peculiar
/ CLINT in the sky. If you are wise, you
Will rush off and get out your overcoatl
and extra fannels, for you will know
/ that this blue CLINT is the fringe of the
/ great cold wind and as the people here
/ very rarely have adequate freplaces in
/ their houses you will probably be forced
/ to SILVER, grit your teeth and perhaps
anathematize. But it is an i'll wind that
! blows no one good. The norther keeps
away the yellow fever.
/ Galveston is separated from the main
I
miles across. This is spanned by two
i trestle bridges belonging to rival rail-
road companies The people here flock
down to the depot two or three times
day to await the coming of the trains
over the bridges. In town of this kind
| the coming in of a train may mean
/ great deal to man. 1t may mean the
letter, with money, to get him away off
! 10 h
of the law to arrest him for half for
gotten misdoing. I thought of this yes
terday as l sized up the curious, many
nationed and many experienced crowd.
Here were standing together the hardy
tramp. the prosperous money grabber,
the bronzed, 1.-THE Texan, the negro, the
Mexican, the gambler, with his cold,
acute eyes, the subtly dressed woman
of fashion from the north and others of
differing stations and places.
But must tell you something of the
beach here. tt is one of the finest and
most beautiful in the world. It is
smooth and so hard and firm that in
walking along it you leave not the
slightest footprint. 1t is as if you were
walking over a marble surface. The
Beach hotel is a f1ne noble looking
building. Far out into the gulf you see
the sails of the ships. Along the shore
fishermen are hauling their nets. The
sky is clear, blue and beautiful. The
water is soft and bright of look and
splashes lazily. It lacks that hard glisten
peculiar to the Atlantic.
Many strange and odd looking fish are
brought up into the light Of day by the
nets of the gulf fisherman. No one but
a skilled ichthyologist could tell all
their names and breeds. You will find
pretty nearly every species and cross
species from the octopus to the sprat.
Tho sight OF some of them is outre and
uncharming enough to startIe an Inger-
soil into fervent prayer, or Turk from
off the straight road to Mecca. A word
about the octopus He is a cIutcher and a
squeezer from away back. He looks as
if he could almost give a New York po-
lice captain pointer or SO concerning
the art of taking in everything in sight
He has a beak like a parrot, two horri-
BILE, dead looking eyes and eight arms,
with thousands of suckers on them
These arms are as strong and ruthless as
the grasp of the laws invented by the
people for the general well being, mer-
riment and edifcation of the people.
The police of Galveston are modest,
tired looking set of gentlemen. They
lack that I'll-elub you if you-look-
crooked air which dignifies the classic
features of the New Y ork police. 1t may
be the climate that is responsible for
their allowing the citizens the privileges
of breathing the ozone. Be this as it
may, however, they are surely not a set
of offensive, parasitic bullies That a
sense of the artistic, too, is not lacking
in some of them, the relating of the fol
lowing incident will prove: A night OF
two ago l was standing on the corner OF
fremont and Market whistling lugu-
briously an air from Meyerbeer's 'Gli
Ugonotti. =" The air was the most doleful
one in the whole opera. I had been think
ing of home and wondering if I'd ever
happen along there again on the life side
of the fence of existence. On I whistled,
growing sadder and sadder, till, 10 and
behold policeman lightly touched me
on the arm. / started and stopped whis-
thing. I expected to be dubbed for assault
ing the atmosphere. But no. l was moi
in New York. Tendesly and easily the
officer asked me what tune was Will
ting and where I had first heard it.
told him I had first heard it when l wa:
a boy in Europe He said that it was
nice, sorrowful tune and made hin
think of home and mother / moved on
1t is sight to see the stevedores truck
ing great bales Of cotton along tht
wharves and into the holds Of the ships
The ships are opened at the sides to ia
cilitate the loading. There are two mel
to pull over the bale on to the trucl
l and one man to run with the trucl
! along the wharf and down the gang
plank into the hold, where he dumps of
I the bale 1t is the hardest kind of work
l Only strong, active men in the prime O
{ their health and vigor can stand it.
BART KENNEDY.