People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1897-02-25

JOmOTIOW.
PORT ARTHUR, Tex, Feb. 10, '97.
We arrived at Port Arthur last
night at midnight. The sight that
greeted US this morning when we
awoke and looked out of our Car win
dows was very pleasant one. Build
ings were in process of construction
in every direction. The Gulf road is
erecting handsome depot and a COM
mOdiOus round house. The scene was
a parallel to Kansas in her boom
days. Our party left the sleeper
early and went to the Hotel Sabine
for breakfast. There were many evil
dences of substantial growth, along
the streets. The first question we
asked was "What is lumber wOrth?"
The reply was 81 to $40 per thousand.
We used to pay $50 per thousand for
much poorer grade in western Kan
sas.
The tOwnSite is level. In fact, the
whole country for many miles, is fiat.
Port Arthur stands only about twelve
feet above sea level. The hotel is a
splendid structure, built on a most
elaborate style, handsomely finished,
to show the beautiful natural grain
of the timber. There are two other
hotels here. The Sabine is owned
and conducted by the Port Arthur
TownSite Co., which is in reality the
K.C.P. & G. Railroad Co.
l will not attempt in this sketch to
describe the town or lands surround
ing Port Arthur, more than to say
that it is beyond my expectations.
My travel today was on the water and
| must speak Of that, leaving the land
until l have seen and examined it
more carefully.
At $50 this morning party OF
fourteen, Of whom was one, boarded
small naptha launch (which in
palmer terms is little passenger
boat propelled with gasoline engine
at the terminus of a pier extending
1000 feet from shore in Sabine lake,
and sailed down the lake, through the
pass and out to the point Of the jet
ties, five miles out in the Gulf OF
Mexico. This was about twenty-five
miles, and counting other points
visited the captain calculated that
We had travelled about sixty miles
when we reached the pier on our re-
turn. 1t was most enjoyable voy'
age. Lake Sabine has only about siI
feet of water. 1t is twelve mile;
wide and thirty miles long. Sabine
pass is reached from Port Arthur
however, 10 about five miles and here
the water is from twenty TO thirty
five feet deep. The pass is about twelve
} miles long and about two miles wide,
We landed both going and cOminl
al the old town of Sabine Pass, ant
ate some oysters of native catch
J They are quite plentiful. We coulC
buy whole gunny-sack full lin tn,
t shells for 25c. They are being ship
ped into the interior and when Ou
: center of commerce is shifted from
| the Atlantic to the Gulf coast, Balti
e more oysters will be suprlanted b.
e those from this coast. Fish are ais
] plentiful in the lake and pass and il
: all the bayOus.
We counted thirteen large sail YES
b sells in port, most Of them lOadiD
Il with lumber. We boarded one whicI
# was being loaded with $50 tons to b
!, taken to Ipswich, near London, Ems
t 1t was German boat, captain, N
e OhsOling. He invited US into th
r cabin, set out the German bottle an
y cigars, of which all Except tn
q writer partOOk and smacked the
], lips in very complimentary manner
,e OhSOling extended his hOspitalit
<. still further by playing Home, Swet
n | 4 l. n