The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1897-06-11
The Home Circle.
A Trip Across the Continent.
LETTER FROM A koxBURY
CITIZEN.

We left Roxbury for Bridgeport on
the 26 p. m. train, Thursday, May 20.
Remained at Bridgeport over night and
at l.30 p. M, May 2lst, took the Colonial
express for Washington, D. C. At HaI-
lem river the train was run on to the
steamer Maryland and transported down
the East river around Castle Garden and
over to Jersey City. We made a quick
run to Trenton, thence to Philadelphia
and Baltimore, arriving at Washington
at As p. IN. % our arrival the personal
C onductor, Mr. Evans, informed US that
ON the way East they were obliged to
abandon the train some 10 or 10 miles
east of Ell Paso, Texas, on account of
the food 10 the Rio Grande river. The
passengers and baggage had to be trans
ported with teams some eight or nine
miles around the inundated district and
new train made up to come East. The
sleeper which we occupied had not all
the conveniences of the through car, but
we found it very comfortable. Next
morning we hired a carriage and the
driver took us to most Of the places of
interest viz: The Capitol, the new Con-
gressional Library building now nearing
completion and costing some six mil
lions OF dollars. 1t is we'll
WORTH A TRIP TO WASHINGTON
to see this magnificent building, the in
terror of which Is so elaborate that will
not attempt description. In short 1t
must be seen to be appreciated. We also
visited the Monument, the Mint, the new
Postoffice building, the Musems, the
building containing the State, Navy,
War and Interior departments, costing
SIC, 700, 600, the White House, the build
ings of the Commissions of Agriculture
and Fisheries, with the hatcheries, and
many other points of interest.
At Ills a. m. we commenced our
journey westward, passing before night
fall through Virginia and a part of
North Carolina, withItheir little log cab
ms on poor looking red soil and poor
diminutive looking horses and cattle.
Sunday morning we were in Georgia.
stopped 20 minutes at Atlanta, saw the
State house and beautiful cemetery. The
soil appeared better thaa in Virginia.
Soon we we're in Alabama. Stopped at
Montgomery the Capital. At Flomas-
ton where we stopped we were three
hundred feet west of the Florida line
marked by a tree which was in full view.
At Mobile the rivers were very high and
a large percentage of the vessels In the
harbor we're flying the English colors.
Next Scranton and Biloxi, Mississippi,
were reached and after crossing the
beautiful bay of st Louis, at dusk we
arrived at New Orleans. We found that
the sleeper which had been abandoned
near Ell Paso had arrived, which necesi-
tated hurried and unexpected change
Of cars at this point. Mr. Evans went
back for a moment to see that nothing
had been left in the car and was carried
to Canal street. He telephoned to hold
the train, employed team to bring him
back and when he arrived our train had
been transported on a steamer across the
Mississippi. He hired a row boat and
man to take him across and finally
reached his train.
MONDAY MORNING WE AwoKE IN TEXAS
to End ourselves among immense cattle
ranches extending as far as the eye
could see, with great numbers of cattle
and horses scattered everywhere. Soon
we were running through forests with
hanging moss clingIng to the branches.
We passed the largest sugar refinery in
the south with II, 900 acres of cane at
tached. The corn was fully grown and
fit for the table and the cotton fields
were very fine. 1t had rained all the
morning and when we reached Houston
there was a steady dOwnpour. They
said 1t had rained all night. II m, Colum-
bus, crossed the Colorado river OF Texas.
Between Houston and San Antonio,
where we arrived at 4 80 p. M, there are
immense fields Of corn, cotton and cane.
We stopped at San Antonio 20 minutes,
regretting that we could not visit the his
toric old Alamo, it being half mile dis
tant. In all the towns of Texas we saw
the beautiful umbrella tress with foliage
so dense that no ray of sunlight can PEN
citrate it. Next Hondo, county seat
with fine Court house. West of San
Antonio the country abounded with
prickly pear aid mesquite bush. These
are the stock raising ranches of Texas.
The cattle cannot be fattened here but
a.e driven northward to Colorado and
othes places for that purpose. Monday
evening" we were at Spofford junction,
where q t>in was ready to start for the
city of MeA'eo. About midnight we
passed over th.> great bridge spanning
the Pecos river, 2lot feet long and 32l
feet high. Tuesday morning the noun.
tains were In full view across the plains
IL m, about 80 miles east of Ell Paso,
with the Rio Grande close by on our left.
People cutting alfalfa with moving ma
chimes and baling the cured hay. We
were In the midst of
BEAUTIFUL ORCHARDS AND VINEYARDS.
soon we came to the place where the
train had been abandon ed. A temper
airy track which had not been ballasted
had been constructed around the inun-
dated district and over this we slowly
passed to Ell Paso, the extreme western
town of Texas, having ID, 600 inhabitants
One cemetery was submerged and thu
tops of the monuments appeared above
: the water. The adobe houses standing
in the water were falling and people
were congregated on the high places
The tracks of the Santa Fe line were
covered and their trains were compelled
TO run over our line as far as Deming IN
fINew Mexico. We we're glad TO cross
1.-THE Rio Grande and leave it behind
since our leaving Ell Paso two breaks II
the levee have occurred and 400 familie
are homeless. II is 952 miles by raj
across the state OF Texas. In Alabama