Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-02-25
sunny SUMMER LANDS,
Snap Shots En- Route and a Few
Notes from the Coast Country
OF Ttxas.
Galveston Entertains the National
Editorial Association.
GALVESTON, Texas, Feb. IS, 1897.

Dear Brother Albert This is new
life, surely It is also labor-labor for
pleasures sake. Every day, on an out
ing like this, is long day and a full day.
The hour schedule for our tourist work
men is about from a. N. until u mid
night or after, and it requires no boss
nor foreman to see that we are on duty
every minute. We get what we make
and draw our pay every second that We
| work. Remuneration is not in the form
of dollars and cents, but far better; ii
enriches memory, broadens our concep-
tons of life outside our little circle OF
usual movement, and gives us at once
an impressive lesson in geography, in
history and in political economy. Since
starting from home / have been reading
delightful chapter from natures book
in the school on wheels, and | find it
| the only first-class teacher. Where to
90 and what TO see has all been ar
ranged, and all we have to do is to keep
our eyes open and look. Needless to
assure you, Bro. Albert, that IN the
1850 miles already travelled from Grand
Rapids to Galveston | have been LOOK
ING. The journey has been full of never
ceasing interest, but the best is yet to
come.
You expect me to write to you and
for our readers. Don't expect too much.
These long days are still too short, and
1 wish to spend all possible time mid
new scenes. A snap shot here and
there is all | shall attempt now.
Leaving home Thursday evening,
February 11th, was met at Milwaukee
| by Brother Paul. He has had head
quarters there for several weeks. Visited
with him until Friday noon, including a
car ride out to soldiers home and chat
with "Unser Fritz" Fritz is in fail
health, though evidently declining rap
idly in rugsedness and strength. He is
content with his present quarters and
surprised us by the honest statement
that he had appreciably mended his
drinking habits. The inmates of the
soldiers homeland there are many
hundreds; it is now crowded to full
capacity, vacancies occur only in case
of death-have crossed the divide in
life and are rapidly passing down the
other side. But here their lives are
rendered easies az happier, and they
are receiving the reward which a nation
gives for heroic actions in the field
For them, the manned and Scared, we
seemed to hear whispering in tile
trees which said, as in the Faerie
| Queene:
"Sleepc after toyle; port after stormIe seas.
Ease after ware; s does greatly please"
In that big, dirty town, Chicago, ele-
ven hours were spent. At the office OF
Adolph G. Wipperman, cameras and
photo supplies, No. + bull's-eye cam
era was secured which is our boon COM
panion on this trip. Adolph is a brother
of H. and Chas. Wipperman. | found
| him most pleasant, courteous gentle
man. Calling at 594 Jackson Boulevard,
our friend Frank Pomainville took us
under his munificent entertaining wing
and made it pleasant while we waited.
Frank is in his second year at Rush
Medical college and is making encour-
aging advancement in his chosen line OF
study.
At the college Of Dental Surgery, in
what is known as the Latin quarters, we
were greeted by Frank R. Houston.
Frank holds a responsible tutorship in
the college as demonstrator of ofoperative
dentistry. He has supervision of 150
chairs in the infirmary at good salary.
DR.. Houston is a progressing example
of what young men can do when they
get out and hustle, and we are pleased
to mention his success. Frank expects
to locate a business of his own next
spring, probably in Illinois or Indiana.
Ellis Rogers, formerly of Grand Rapids,
now of Stevens Point, is studying den
tistry here.
Leaving Chicago at 11:30 p. m, over
the Chicago & Alton Ry., we awoke at
S:l5 Saturday morning in the mammoth
and elegant S6 6,O00.D00 Union station, st.
Louis. Thirty tracks, side by side, lead
out Of this depot, and the arrangement
of passage through gates to tracks and
for directions to travellers are the sim
plest and most convenient we have yet
seen. The interior of this palatial
building is as elaborate as the exterior
is grand and commanding in architect
ural beauty There are few railway
stations in America that excel st. Louis
Union depot in point of beauty and
accommodations for those who pass in
AMI out Of its doors. There was no
snow at st. Louis, and we were told
that it had disappeared from the ground
at least one hundred miles back The
Mississippi river at Alton was open to
traffic. At East st. Louis we came to
the long" bridge which takes fifteen
minutes TO cross. Brio ge tickets
please" cried collector, ar d we paid
cur quarter Every train ntering St
Louis from Chicago, the east or south
east crosses this bridge, and very per-
son on every train, either way, must
pay toll of twenty-five cents I guess
the bridge is paying for its elf even
though it cost a mint of money.
In St. Louis our former resident John
G. Love took Us in hand and kindly
conducted US about the city ST. LOUIS