The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-09-28
A LETTER FROM MR.. CREWS
He Tells of Ills Trip From jackson.
Vile to Houston and Galveston.
Where He Made stops ON His WAY
Around the World.

did not appear in The Messenger OF
all the letters Mr.. Crews wrote US on
his trip. 1t was lost in the mails. but
he now supplies us with it from his
not book n it is published to COM
pIete the chain.-Editor.1
Houston, Texas, February q.
Editor Messenger:
After spending more than a week in
the pretty southern city of Jackson
Vile, Fla, seeing the sights which are
numerous there, writing you a short
letter, ETC., L boarded a 800 a. m. train
on the 18th of January and arrived
mere the next evening, the 9th, max
ing a run of 976 miles. This is the 21st
or February, and I am ready to make
another step. 1 may say, on my trip
around the world, / go from here to
Montery, Mexico, by way of Palestine,
Austin and San Antonio. Texas. 1
then come back to a Antonio and
from there L hope 10 go to San Fran
cisco. Since arriving here on the 9th
ult., to this time, February 21st, 1
have spent in this city and the beauti-
full city of Galveston. / thought 1
could not come so near the island
city" as Galveston is called, without
paying it d visit.
My run from Jacksonville to Houston
was made over the Florida Central
n Peninsular railroad to Chatta-
hoochee river in Florida. From that
point to New Orleans over the Louis
Vile and Nashville and from New Or
leans over the great Southern Pacific
to Houston. The trip from Jackson
Vile to Tallahassee, the capital of
Florida, was made mostly through a
piney woods, level country. Near Tai
lahassee, then till it was reached, and
Tor some distance past it, we were in
a beautiful billy country, but the most
interesting Of all that l saw from Jack
sonville to Pensacola was the pretty
little Suwanee river, which was cross
ed at Ellaville ninety-fiVe miles out.
/ thought of it before reaching il and
told some one on the train not to let
me pass over it without giving me
warning, as 1 had long heard of it
and greatly desired to see it on account
of the fame it had almost throughout
the world. made so by the beautiful
n soul-stirring song named for it
Away Down on the Suwanee River
n which was sung, | suppose, almost
wherever the English language was
spoken and, perhaps, by people of
many other languages. 1t was found
to be a small river with a rather deep
channel cut through the sand and
quite straight as far as could be seen
from the rain.
Night came on us between Tallahas-
see and Pensacola and nothing more
Of much interest was seen till New
Orleans was reached, having passed
Pensacola, F1Omaton and Mobile during
the night, cars being changed at
FlOmatOn.
Reaching New Orleans earlv in the
morning, we had breakfast, changed
cars, took a stroll through the city;
crossed the great Mississippi river and
were soon being rapidly carried
through the large cane and rice fields
of Louisiana. These were an interest
ing sight to me, as I a heard of
them nearly all my life. Just before
night, and a short while before reach
ing Beaumont, which is the first town
on the Texas side. the whistle blew
and l was, informed that it was the
signal that the line dividing the states
of Louisiana and Texas was being
crossed. | was here reminded that /
was now OIL new territory, having
never been west OF the Mississippi
river before.
Thus Houston, my second stopping
point on my trip was reached. Stop
ping here several days | went down
from here, N spent more than d
week. l found both TO be ~up-to-d2te
southern cities with lsome $4,000 peo-
pie in each. Houston is the more
progressive place. as it IS One of the
most important railroad centers in the
south. and is growing very fast. The
principal offices of the great South
ern Pacific are here, I am told.
| found Galveston to be the levelest
place / ever saw for a city. 1t is en-
tirely surrounded by water. the Gulf
of Mexico being on one side and the
bay of Galveston IN the other, and il
is very little above sea level. It is
an7In1 tho saTclnnI nStu - IN nannrrn ~
being surrounded by water. On my
way down to Galveston / saw a prai-
RE for the first time during my life
The country, like Galveston. itself, is
almost perfectly level, and no timber
to be seen for miles and miles. This
great plain is very thickly settled
now and then a house or small vii.
lage. but the whole country for miles
was dotted with cattle, being a fine
grazing country. Then the great rail
road bridge across the bay of Calves.
ton is passed over and the city reached
The bridge is several miles long and
the great bay is a beautiful sheet OF
water.
I can hardly realize that l am We
and that I am just fairly getting start.
ed or my long journey.
When l tell you that the elevation
from New Orleans to Houston at the
highest point is only go feet n mos
of the way nearly nothing you viii
understand how level it is.
I find you are exchanging The Mes
senger for the Houston Daily Pos
and 7 call and get it now and then
as I can get the news from North Car
Dina.
You may be surprised when I tel
you tina bar-rooms keep open here OF
Sunday and many other places o
business. Here. for the first time
ever heard people call milk toas
grave yard stew and people wh'
stand around and look at others worl
rubber necks." They also have a disl
served here called Chilli which wa
new to me- If o wish o can hav'
beans or tomatoes or both served witt
it. On a visit to the city markets her
n in Galveston, I found an abundanc
and great variety of vegetables, fruits
etc, n yet it is February. There ha
been but little winter here so far.
The Houston people are strong be
levers in Observation-Disclosures O
dollars are spent in making the cit,
and it's advantages known to the out
side world 7 find one large ill1Stro+o,