The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-08-22
TOLD THEM THE TRUTH.
Polk Miller informing the Westerners
About the South-Sees and Hears a
Few Things In a Trip Across the
Continent.
Richmond Dispatch.

sum mcr cnauLauqua CouFcueu, aAo
held forth for two nights TO large
crowds. Just half mile away is Mon
terey, the Oldest town in California,
and few hundred yards farther is
the celebrated Hotel Del Monte, sit
uated in q dense forest of cypress,
pine and cedars, with the most beau
tiful walk-ways and drives ! have
ever seen.
Scores Of Cinnamon are employed
in keeping the grass and fower-beds
in order. l have not seen anything
in Florida to compare with the lovely
| resort, and the temperature is such
that visitors can wear the same cloth
ing all the year round, while the
shrubbery and flowers undergo no
change, apparently, as the seasons
come and 20.
IGNORANT ABOUT THE SOUTH
The ignorance of the South-even
the educated-regarding tho people
is amazing. told ny audiences that
| the manner in which was advertised
forced me to give them that which
was humoristic, but that l felt that
| 1 would be recreant to my duty il [
did not defend my people against
such charges of cruelty and inhuman-
ity as are depicted in that play which
they seemed to like the most, called
"Uncle Toms Cabin"
All over the towns of Pacific Grove
ard Monterey there were pictures of
what we used to call ''big buck
negro" tied to the beam between two
upright posts, like an old Virginia
HORSEBACK. The countenance Of that
poor wretch was horrible sight. A
tough looking white man, with a
mustache as big as squirrels tail,
two big pistols sticking out of his
| pockets, and black snake whip big
ger than he is, is pouring it upon the
naked back of his victim.
| At the bottom Of this horrible, lying
picture is printed in big letters. "A
Whipping Post Down South"
l told the people that it was a lie,
and that if thought they believed it
of US, would return to my home and
tell my folks that when such an in
suit to our humanity was Haunted
into our faces thirtysix years after
the war, such thing as peace and
fraternity between us are out Of the
| question. | told them that my work
was educational, and if it was not,
and did not make the people outside
of the South think better of us.
| would not be doing it.
| L told them, also, that | had nc
apology to make for slavery. or the
| part we took in the war; that close
analysis OF Mrs. Stoves book made
little Eva tyical Southern girl-s
| lovely character; Uncle Tom a true
picture Of the pious 'sarvant, master, >
old negro, and the man who did the
whipping act was New England
| Yankee.
| THEY LIKED IT, TOO.
The bulk of my crowd had come
from down East" and it was anus
ing to watch the faces of the people.
Scattered around among them were
people from different parts of the
South. mostly women, and after il
was all over they crowded around me
and thanked me for "speakin' out in
meetin'," while the old soldiers of the
North focked around me and said,
That's right, my boy, you told 'em
the truth, and that's what we like
about you Southerners. You call 8
spade spade"
| am delighted with Washington,
Oregon and California, on account oil
the climate and the fertility of the
soil
Montana, Idaho and Nevada, the
latter in particular, are a tiresome
and unbroken chain of hills and
sandy valleys, with nothing to please
the eye.
The stations are wide apart, and
when one gets to them and sees how
beautifully the trees grow. we wonder
why the railroad people don't plant
them along their right of way, just tc
rest the eyes that are weary of sage
brush and sand.
The favorite tree is the old fashion.
ed "Lombardy poplar" rarely seen
nowadays in Virginia, which gives q
shade which resembles the shadow
cast by telegraph pole.
l am now running through Utah.
In passing Salt Lake the ground over
which the water has been at high
tide and receded looks like a light
fall OF snow.
FEW "GENTLEMEN" THERE
The manners of the people out here
are so unlike ours that oftentimes you
have to pay for polite answer to a
question. | have bought cigars at
the stands in order that l might get
information, and even then Won don,
always get a soft answer
The hotel man calls the porter and
says to him, "Show this man to TO-
The word gentleman" is rarely ever
used.
Such a mixture Of races as are found
out here | never saw. l stood on the
platform yesterday at small town in
Nevada with Indians, Japanese, Chi.
nese, Italians. negroes, Irishmen and
Dutchmen. The laborers on the
Northern Pacific sections are Italians
On the Southern Pacific, in California,
they are Mexicans, while in Eastern
California and Nevada they use the
| Nhi'ahan' ANU IL is Salu, ne Is the
best of all.
l don't think shall ever try another
excursion" ticket. The RAILROADS
make great fuss in advertising them
and everything is made to look lovely,
on paper, but the amount of red tape
and cross-questioning through which
you have to 60 is enough to test the
patience of Job.
I Railroad officials seem to think il
their duty to subject a ticket-holdel
to cross-examination, to ascertain
whether he bought it from a scalpe,
or stole it. l am now en- route tc
Denver. POLK MILLER.