The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1897-03-17


where one can be extremely comfortable,
| II his pocket-book is fat. Crossing Canal
street, however, into the French quarter
aud walking block or two down Royal
street, brings one to the Hotel Royal, a
| place OF much more historical interest.
1t was here that the rich planters, Of old,
used to stop in the palmy days "befo de
wah" and many we're the orgies, pocket
games and campaign suppers, which con-
stantly occurred. The stairway is study
| in spiral architecture ascending as it
does In continuous graceful circles from
Office floor to dome. We were intently
studying this when the changing Of a
gong in the street with continued and
curdling activity accompanied by roar
like a cyclone, made our hair stand on
end and rushed us outside to see the fire.
1t was only modern electric car turn
| ing itself loose down the little narrow
French street. We ran in sgain at once
to keep the thing from knocking us off
the sidewalk.
The French Opera stands out in bold
relief as the grandt st play house in the
city. 1t is magnificent, comfortable and
has an orchestra Of fifty or sixty must
clans. We enjoyed the music immense
ly and laughed heartily at the opera.
This advisedly because the bill assured
us it was comic and the people present
gave us our laughing cue.
Deeper into the French quarter is the
Archbishop's Palace and st Mary's Chap
ell. The Palace is said to be the oldest
buildingin Louisiana. The French Mar
ket is too horrible to mention further
than to say it is the finest appetite de.
stroyer imaginable. Another old land
mark of this vicinity is the celebrated
Haunted House, which has figured in
much literature anent it's day. IT'S GER
tainly painful to see such an example OF
the fall Of the Mighty as is indicated by
its present signboard, which reads ''The
Haunted Exchange and Oyster Saloon
Lake Ponthartrain, the Coney Island
Of New Orleans was, of course, visited
together with Bayou st. John and the
City Park with it's collection Of magnifi-
cent old oak trees. ID zens OF other
things of much interest were seen, but
we will never get to California If we
don't hurry on, so pretty soon we found
ourselves skirting the West bank OF the
Mississippi with its double fringe of ship
ping and leaving behind the dark masses
Of the city. Into the great cypress for
ests we dash through tunnel-like paths
with the foliage luxuriating and running
riot on every hand. The trees are draped
in the long silvery Spanish mos, while
vines Irvine like interminable serpents
and swing from limb to limb.
At length into the land of the Acadians
which romantic people are responsible
for Evangeline. Thence by some great
sugar plantations and on and on until at
length comes the great State Of Texas.
Great in sense OF quantity, only, as
seen from the Southern Pacific, and in
the size and magnifcence of its schools
and public buildings, Galveston was
quite interesting for time with its salt
atmosphere, sea breezss and beech, its
wharf and jetties, and its several magnif-
cent residences owned by local million
airs of which Galveston boasts seven or
eight.
The old Alimo at San Antonio is the
most interesting sight at this place, after
which in regular order comes the Mex
lean quarter. A few things more and we
were again speeding over the great plains
OF Texas, the extent OF which seems truly
marvellous. 1t requires thirty-four hours
for the train to cross, during which time
one sees endless plains and straight
railroad track until he positively signs
for a little hill to 60 over or around. In
places the soil seems good, but in very
many places ii seems decidedly craw-
6shy. The most prevalent feeling in re-
ga to the State is one OF intense lonli-
NESS A little bit of fine scenery is en-
countered along the Rio Grande river.
At times the waters OF the river wash
the shelf OF stone upon which the track
is laid while the great wall of gray rock
on the right rises in csstellated turrets,
sometimes projecting in roof-like masses
that overhang the track. Over all shone
the silvery radiance Of the moon which
made oft a picture not soon to be for
gotten.
:, The Pecos bridge crossing DEVILS river
is remarkable structure in that it is
2. $50 feet long and 32l feet high. Thence
we sweep into the plains again and have
plains morning, noon and night until we
positively hunger for something else.
The crisis is reached at Sierra Blanco.
We can stand it no longer-we have a
nice lunch. The elevation here is over
$500 feet The atmosphere is cool, light
and exceedingly bracing. The clearness
is remarkable in that one can see the
snow-capped mountains OF Mexico, near
ly a hundred miles away. After FL Paso
comes the great dessert. Miles and miles
OF sand, which, by the way, haye only to
know the application OF water to become
most prolific gardens. This is abundant
/ Ia, va r,fiad hu tho uoodarf.,l .vr< nth III AZ