The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-03-05

l Il
none. The porter passed through ant
his attention was called to it, but b,
made no sign and brought no water
Children began to cry for It, and
would have given half dollar for ,
bucket full for them, but tho trair
wouldn't stop long enough ct station
for me to step out and buy it. It was
raining outside.
Water, water everywhere, but not
drop to drink. Somebody blundered
on that train. Some of the passengers
were from Texas, going east to visit
their kindred, travelling on the half
rate excursion. and thsY were dis
gusted. This is worse than Texas,
they said. We were due in Meridian
at 8 o'clock and got there at 1. It was
a long, long, weary night to me and is
the last time will ever travel during
Christmas holidays. I was half sick
all the time, but had to keep on and
fill the appointments the bureau had
made for me. If had been at home
l would have gone to bed where 1 am
now. 1t reminds me of my negro
Bob, who spent two years in the chain
gang, and says, 'Dey hain't got but jes'.
two laws in dar an you must 'bide by
'em. One is, you must do full days
work eff you is we'll. The oder is, you
must be well. Heap times I i'm
agine I was sick, and would have
been sick eff had been at home, but
de boss say wasent sick and de boss
knows"
But I met lots of good people in
every town and they don't seem at all
Frustrated by the low price of cotton,
for almost every farmer has bunch
of cattle, and they mean by that from
30 to 500 head, and they have no guano
debts to pay. Peaches are coming to
the front very rapidly in eastern Texas
as a commercial product. I never saw
finer orchards or more of them than
those around Henderson and Jackson
vile. All that region is about on
parallel with Savannah and Brunswick,
but is as cold as Atlanta and Griffin.
The line of equal heat is very crooked
one for me. read that the winters in
the state of Washington are not as cold
as ours and the boys go barefooted all
the year round. Henderson pleased
me very much, for the streets are sandy
and the rain makes no mud and the
people filled the long hall from front
to rear.
Nacoydoches is perhaps the oldest
living town In Texas and one of the
best. There are older towns, like
Jefferson, but they are dead. This
town was named for tribe of Indians.
So was Natchez, in Mississippi, and |
both tribes are now extinct. Like the |
Aztecs, the red men are passing away.
There is an old stone fort right on the |
corner of the public square. It was
built by the Spanish Catholics for a
mission house about 200 years ago and
is preserved as relic of the ages. It
has no doors or windows to the ground
floor and the entrance is by ladder to
q window or opening some ten feet
from the ground. What an earnest,
Jealous people were those followers of
the Saint Ignatius Lovola who pene-
trated the wilderness of all countries
to convert even savages to their faith.
This little city was the home of Tom
Ochiltree in bygone days-the Beau
Brummel Of America. He practiced
law here for while in partnership
with his father, and the sign was over
the door, "Tom Ochiltree and Father"
would like to enlarge upon the at
of this growing city and the
good people I met, and would make
special and grateful mention of Mr..
Minis and Mr.. Schmidt, who are two
II natures noblemen, both in walk
ind conversation. I wish that the
world was full of such men. They
we're kind to me in many ways and it
Will ever give me pleasure to recall
hem in memory. was told after I
eft there that Nacogdoches had many ]
'uch citizens and was an exceptionally
efned community.
On reaching Meridian I found that
10 train made close connection with
'urs save the Alabama Great Southern,
md just had time to buy ticket and
ret aboard for Chattanooga. By this
ime we had big lot of Texans who
anne by New Orleans and were going
asst, many of them going to Georgia
o spend the holidays. We sat up
nd talked through the night and by
unrise had reached that wonderful
ity called Fort Payne, the strangest
ity ever saw. Tom Hood once
'rote q poem about q haunted house
nat almost scares you to read it, but
ere are thousand haunted houses,
Il abandoned and forlorn, and they
II look haunted. I wouldn't walk
mong them In the night. Some Of
,em are fine houses and cost much
loney. and there is . hotel Of fine
,ueen Anne architecture with no
uests and not even . curtain to the
indows. There are unfinished or
Dandoned foundries and machine
hops and mammoth livery stables .
18th no horses in them.
Der all these hung shadow and fear, 1
A sense Of mystery the spirit daunted,
nd said as plain as whisper In the ear,
The place is haunted.
70 human figure stirred to 60 or come;
No face looked forth from shut or open
easement;