Iron County register., 1899-12-21
As l Travelled.

The Iron Mountain and Southern
evening passenger trains make close
connection for western points at Mem
phis-the latter, when on time, ar
irving at 7:1O and the former leaving
ten minutes later. But the stations
being about two miles distant from
possess his soul in patience for another
two hours, the refrain. $50 near and
yet so far" surging in his impatient
bosom. Or he may recuperate his
wasted powers in sleep o'ernight and
take his departure next morning-for
the train service is excellent in its
frequency. To the Through" pas
senger the P. NJ. train is as good as
any, for he can take a Pullman and
sleep the night through; but the way
slider has different conditions to con-
tend with, and / was a waysider.
Nevertheless, determined to dare all
the vexations attendant upon an all
night vigil, and so, after hasty hand
out lunch, boarded the 9 o'clock ex-
press and headed homeward. Our
train on the Southern that morning
was thirty minutes late when we left
AshevilIe and at Memphis it was an
other twenty minutes to leeward. This
knocked out concocted party supper
for two at Gastou's, the aforesaid hand
out for one taking its place. This was
disappointing, but they who go down
into the deep in ships or hasten their
way on land devouring cars must abide
their chances.
The writer, before bidding adieu to
the management of the Southern Rail-
way, desires to bear testimony to the
kindness aud courtesy of it's agents.
The way was made pleasant by them,
from start to finish; they took pity on
the lone editor and in numerous ways
reduced the burden of his unsophisti-
Gated perplexities and anxieties to the
minimum. Being intelligent as we'll
as willing. they impaired to me much
useful Information, to be treasured up
until the campaign is on when some of
it may be poured upon the devoted
heads of the offending enemy, or be
made to hold up the hands of the faith
full. OF course, that portion not avail
able for, or antagonistic to, the desired
consummation will be gently sifted into
the waste-basket of unavailable mis-
information.
The p NJ. train out of Memphis is
pre-eminently an accommodation train.
This fact, on entering, became ap-
parent to the naked eye. The cars
were crowded with ladies going home
from shopping. and every available
rack, nook and corner was occupied by
their recently purchased belongings:
parcels of all sizes and shapes-hat
boxes, band boxes, shoe boxes, baskets.
valises, etc., etc. l was fortunate
enough, being a sooner. to obtain
seat, but, leaving it to go to the water
cooler, lost it to a good-looking young
lady. There is always room for one
more in the smoker. aud / squeezed
into a seat and stayed there until at
the next station we disgorged a por-
tion of our surplus human freight; and
by the time the train got thirty miles
out of the city there was room galore
for those of US left.
AT Wynne junction we were rein
forced by dozen Methodist preachers,
more or less, on their way to Confer
ence at Searcy. One of the uew-com-
ers-a man of goodly proportions
whose outward mien bespoke love
for the good things of life and his abil
ity to do full justice to the traditional
'yaller-legged chicken"-took the va
cant chair beside me. The preachers
were a genial. jolly set-as why
shouldn't they be? The gentleman by
my side was quiet and very decoroue
in his manner, and l gave him credit
for being little. more straight-laced
than his liveler companions. OF
course l stood upon my good behavior,
and even took my chew of the weed to
solace the hours of night, with mis-
giving.
With the preachers came lady we'll
advanced in years, tall, with a deter
mined countenance and her head sur
mounted with heavy growth of hair
white as snow. But senility had taken
no grasp upon her yigor, physical and