West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1897-02-25
TRAVELLING In TEXAS.
THE EDITOR At LARGE IN THE
LONE STAR SrAFEn"
An Interesting Letter On History
and Travel From the Great
South: West.
GALVESTON, Texas.
BEACH, HOTEL BY THE GULF,
Eahrnarv 10 1907

| EDITORIAL Ramblings for The ARsUs
We left kingwood IN the morn
ing week ago to day, driving over
to the depot In a sleigh. and snow
and ice abroad in the land. Here
we have been for several days eating
fresh vegetables Of all kinds aud
sweating as much as We did last
June. The thermometer stands at
about 70 on an average, and the
weather is mild and balmy as sun =
mcr time at home: My old fash
Toned home made yarn socks, that
had been wearing all winter. hurt
my shoes so that / had to lay them
of and buy cation ones. My over
coat and oyershoes are also in Il
state of fnnoeuous deseutude. But
| ana getting ahead of my story and
must begin at the beginning.
We came out from Krngwood on
the Limited over the w. Va. & N.
and remained over night at Graf
ton. Friday a. IA. we took No. 3,
or rather it took us. At Grafton
we were joined by Charles Benja-
min Hinkle Sincell, Of Oakland,
who is a delegate from the Mary
land Association. At Clarksburg
We picked up Hon. M. S. SpeTry,
of the Tribune, and at Parkersburg
Hon. w. s. Wiley, of New Mar
tlnsville, so that we had company
enough from the beginning. We
all had sections adjoining, on the
Pullman from Grafton to st. Louis,
arriving Saturday morning. We
met number of old friends en-
route and many others at st. Louis,
where we all stopped at the Ter
minal Hotel. Here we met Hon.
A. d. White, of the Parkersburg
Journal, who had come in from
Chicago, and Julian Il. Fleming,
DR.. Geo. b. Morris aud Miss Ger
tie Hayes, of Morgantown, who had
arrived the day before. Saturday
night we left ST. Louis on a special
train of ten Pullman Palace cars,
the finest made, with baggage car
and two engines. There we're about
$50 in our party, and 1t was very
jolly crowd. We played cards and
sang till midnight to while away
the time. | didn't sing much my
self for fear of side tracking the
train, but at cards, and most any
game, | could make full hand,
Especially with cold deck.) If
you don't understand this fully,
we refer you to Presley Morris, Of
the Richie Gazette, as he has been
reading up on Hoyle here lately.
Next day being Sunday, we couldn't
play cards, bat passed the time
eating, (drInking), smoking. chat
ting, reading, writing, watching the
landscape while speeding south
ward, singing songs, calling on
friends in the other cars and renew
ing old acquaintance and forming
new ones. We got a splendid
breakfast at Monet, Mo-, and din
ner at Fort Smith, in Arkansas.
We remained here two or three
hours, as this is historic place.
1t was named after an army officer
who commanded here In the carly
days OF frontier life, when it was
but an outpost of civilization. A
Substantial stone fort was built by
the Government, with rampsrts,
barracks and officers quarters.
These are all standing yet, but not
in as active use as formerly.
There IS quite romantic bit OF
history in connection with the old
lori not generally known. IL was
here that jeff Davis Wooed and won
his bride when he was dashing
young officer in the service Of the
United States. lie was a graduate
from West Point aud WIS a Lieu.
tenant in the regular service, sta
toned here before tho Mexican war.
Col. Ilck Taylor was in Gem mand
Of the fort thon, and Lieut.. DAVIS
employed his spare time making
love to his daughter. This the
Colonel forbid and opposed the
match, which, Of course, made the
girl more determined to capture
JEFF, and hang him on the family
tree. afterwards he was threat
ened with hanging on a sour apple
tree.) One night this gay young
bochinvar stole her out Of an ~.
afafro sDtr.F~ - - T., tho sL.-I -