The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-07-29
A TRIP TO OMAHA.
The Annual Outing of the Tennesste
Press Association.

remembered as one of the most delight
full outings in the history of the organi-
cation. From the time "Rufe" Fields,
the iOvial eX-President called the AssO-
citation to order in Nashville to the time
of the home-returning OF its members,
after seeing the big show of the Great
West, there was naught but mirth and
enjoyment, and nothing occurred to
mar the pleasure of the occasion.
Besides being permitted to see a show
that any State would be proud to
possess, the Association had the oppor
tunity Of passing through one of the
finest sections of country in the Union.
Leaving Nashville AZ O'clock Tuesday
evening, July II, on a special train of
Pullman sleepers, they passed through
Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana in
the night, and awOke next morning on
the broad plains of Southern Illinois.
rhe great Eads bridge over the mighty
"Father of Waters" was crossed at $780,
and short stop was made in st. Louis.
The Journey westward was then re-
sumed over the Missouri Pacific rail
road, the route from Nashville to ST.
Louis having been travelled over the l..
IL n. From ST Louis to Omaha, through
the states of Missouri, Kansas and
Nebraska, the scenery is intensely
picturesque. For seventy-ive or eighty
miles before reaching Jefferson CITY,
the pretty capital of Missouri, the road
skirts along the bank of the Missouri
River and its wide spreading waters are
never lost sight of. On the other hand,
high, wooded entertainments rising in
places, with here and there broad fields
of wheat and corn, form a pleasing
scene for the eye.
Kansas City was reached at p. m,
/ of wa
made. A large number of the party
took the cable cars at the depot and ell
joyed ride through the business sec
! ton and fashionable residence part of
the city. The journey through the land
of cyclones and grasshOppers and Mary
Ellen Leases, and thence through Ne
| braska to the point of destination, was
/ made in the darkness, but fortunately,
on the return trip, the greater part of
this section was traversed in the day
time
One thing was noticeable along the
entire route, and that was the health
full condition Of crops that seemed to
prevail. From st. Louis to Omaha, for
miles and miles, broad fields of wheat
and corn met the travellers vsion-the
former being gathered into copious
garners, and the latter bowling its gold
EN- tassels and waving its long, green
blades in the breezes.
Thursday morning, early, the Associ-
alton set foot i'll Omaha-somewha at
wearied by the journey of nearly 800
miles, but ready to "do" the city. After
resting and taking luncheon at the
New Mercer hotel, where Mr. Richard.
son, of the Department of Publicity of
the Exposition, met the party and pre-.
scented them with official badges and
| tho first vi sit Uas T1a1p th q
show.
And great show it is, too. 1t is one
in which Omaha-and not only Omaha,
but the entire West-should justly take
pride. Naturally, the first question a
Tennessean would ask would be,
"How does it compare with the Centen-
NAL" And a just critic, who had
thoroughly inspected both shows, could
not help answering that the Omaha
Exposition is equally as good as that of
Nashville. The exhibits, perhaps, are
not so good, but this deficit is fully
made up in the surprising beauty and
grandeur of the bui dings. The
architecture is superb, and the group
ing of the buildings is strikingly beau
> tiful. The main structures which house
the exhibits are built in rectangular
group around a court and lagoon, or
canal, nearly half-mile long. The
Government building, perhaps, con,
tains the most interesting exhibit, but
all of them are worthy of note. Out
side this group are the State buildings
and the Midway, which, in many re-
spects, is a reproduction of vanity
Fair" But many new features have
been introduced, and one seeking
amusement can find it in abundance
here. 1t is hardly necessary to say
hat a w a 4
, became we'll acquainted with the Ten
nesseans before they left. on the
chutes and the giant see-saw, in thu
+ foreign villages, and at every Othe
place of amusement, it was little
trouble to find Press badge floating
= around with member of the Associa,
' ton pinned to it.
= But the Exposition was not the only
! place Of interest to the party. Friday
, morning special cars conveyed then
. out to Fort Omaha, a short distance
from the city, where the silver-tongueC
orator of the Platte, the young leade
of Democracy, and the next Presiden
/ of the United States, was encamped
= getting his regiment in readiness to g
4 to the front. Many of the party wht
2 had seen and heard Mr.. Bryan, tn
I orator and private citizen, were anXiou
. to behold Colonel Bryan, the soldier
u and give him their hearty wishes TO
, success. The Colonel had his head
/, quarters in a large brick building oil
Z the camping grounds, and, when tn
9 compliments of the Association wer
! presented, he readily acquiesed to thei
y wishes and came out to meet them
. Dressed in his martial attire-ever.
/ inch OF him a sOldier-his handsome
: figure was displayed to a better ad
y vantage than ever He had smil
and a hearty hand-shake for every
one, and for fifteen minutes engaged il
delightful conversation with the rep
e resentatives of Dixie. When called OF
= for a speech, however, he begged to b
Y excused, saying that he was preparing
= to fight now, and would speak for then
o in 1900. Three rOusing siXteen-tO-Ont
A free-silver cheers were given him, ant
= everyone expressed their wisl e5 for hi
success alike on the field of moral strif
J and in his political conflicts at home.
4 From here the Association were cal
ried by Swift Il Company to their man
q moth packing establishment in SOut
Omaha, which covers % acres of groun
: and is the second largest of their ST
e different plants.
Other points of interest were ais
, visited in Omaha, and number of tn
party went over to Council Bluff:
- Iowa. Omaha is a city of 10000 il
habitants and its many pretty build
ings and streets were greatly admired.
The members of the Association RI
turned at different times, many {
them stopping at places along tn
route to spend a day or two. Thank
ara dua tho railroads and EXppgitiO