The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-09-11

trains run on slow schedule through
the mountains, but not so, we were
drawn at an average rate of thirty
five miles an hour, aud the road in
spector told me that his section had
very small wrecking percentage.
Thus, on we Travelled, watching
tie mountains grow less with the
distance between US until at four
o'clock l found myself we'll out OF the
mountains, and soon began to pre-
pare for supper, for which we made a
stop at Knoxville, my train arriving
there at $50 p Nj On entering the
eating house for supper, by chance l
met an old college mate who insisted
on my spending the night there. l
secured a lay-over and spent the
night with him.
Being interested in the changes
which began noticing after leaving
Asheville l detected decided change
in the laborers. Here l found the
white cab driver, barber and boot
black, which was somewhat singular
to Carolinian's eye. Hound further
that owing to the foreign element
among the laboring class, Knoxville
is q fast town, with many liquor
dealers, gamblers and criminal as
saults.
AS l was leaving on the following
morning | saw the University and it's
beautiful campus, which is situated
on high hill in the outskirts and
overlooking The city. My traiu left
Knoxville at $3.50 a. N. and by noon
we were at Harraman Junction, a
gap in the Cumberland ridge. Here
the Cincinnati passengers were
changed TO the Queen & Crescent
route, and | had a splendid view OF
that section Of Tennessee and Ken
lucky through which the Crescent
route passed.
On inquiring into The signal SER
vice and block system OF the Crescent
route | learned that the road is di-
! vided into mile sections. At the ter
| minus of each section there is n dan
ger signal post. The approaching OF
| train from the front, any ubstruct-
ion on the track or the removal Of a
rail or turning CT the switch IS sig,
| nailed by means of an electric eur.
rent which is constantly passing
through the rails, and in case OF an,
OF the above named dangers throws a
red board by day and rcd light by
night.
The rich black soil and the grair
fields and pasture lands became no
t;ceable as | approached Kentucky
but | must not pass the coal industry
| of Tennessee without MENTION, for
caught sight of numbers Of chute.
along the read, here and there a side
| track running Off into the hills to the
mines, many sulall huts forming {
village surrounding the mine coul'
be seen in the distance, and now ant
then Il coai-begrime miner could b,
seen from the car window as W,
passed rapidly by.
[ soon found myself in the midst o
the blue grass sectio:. with hundreds
of horses and cattle grazing on it:
pasture lands. The whole countr,
had the appearance of wealth-thert
were no red hills and washed gulIeys
no poor horses lingering around the
cabin door awaiting the cleaning 0
the mortgage for the years support
But on the other hand there is tn
well-painted house, whitewashet
fences, large barns, fourishing corn
stacked straw, good meadows, ia
horses, cattle and sheep, with colt
and calves running here and there il
frolicsOme amusement
'Tho E,.1I do ,
size until darkness found me rca
Cincinnati. The sky overhangin
the great Queen City of the West
was afire, Illuminated by millions 0
lights in the CITY, Now we come {:
the great Ohio river. This was in
deed grand sight a. | glanced fror
side to side and saw the five grea
bridges that span the river. Cincin
natl is one OF the largest tobacc
markets on the continent, and as
manufacturing center it is second t
none.
l left Cincinnati via the Big Fou
at $3.50 p. N. to awake in Chicago o
the following morning at 7:1O. bu
was aroused by the noise under tn
shed at indianapolis, where l coul'
see the gas lights in the city. Th
gas is supplied by pipes driven int
the ground to its natural source
After leaving the city I was agai
awakened by passengers eager to Sc
the sun rise on the great grain field
OF Illinois. | soon caught the sam
feeling and began to prepare myse,
to join them.
The sky had already begun t
color, streaks of purple flashed acros
the horizon as one by one things be
came more visible, until at last whs
day had we'll broken and the su
risen found the grain fields in Hi
nois twice the size of those in Ken
lucky. The whole country SCENE
one great prairie sown with grain
corn and oats, corn rows as straigh
as an arrow lost themselves in length
AT every station there were one o
more elevators, and for II long Will
all that could be seen were fields, ele
vators and wind mills, together wit
large farm houses and barns in tn
distance. So on through field afte
hiSA", NoSh W tHc UtHci, uu |
We came to kankakee, a small tow
but great railroad center in Illinois
After leaving here we met train afte
train running out from Chicago, bu
as we are on a double track we ha
no more stops to make before enter
ing the city. Station beyond static
was hurriedly passed and as we wer
: nearing the city | noticed mum bers /
freight trains running in from all d
rections, but no double headers G
wrecking trains were to be seer
Now the whole ground seemed 10 /
a net work of rails-ruuning para
lei and horizontal, crossing eac
other at all angles overhead and III