The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-02-05
LETTER FROM TEXAS.
A henderson. nan Abroad-"Fathe
Prince" Gives Gold Leaf Readers
ESome First Impressions of the Lone
Star State.

NACOGDOCHEs, Ten, Jan. %. 1903.
FRIEND misunderstanding to prom
Use will endeavor to give you some first
impressions of Texas, which by the
way" may be materially changed ''aftel
better acquaintance. The first point
reached is at the crossing of Sabine river
The country from there is the same il
general appearance as in Louisiana from
New Orleans by the Southern Pacific Rail
road being but little above sea level. Al
this time much of it is under water tn,
soil when tillable being black and very
fertile. All along we pass through large
tracts of swamp lands, bearing large
growth of pine, oak, cypress. etc, draped
with grey moss, supplemented by a thick
underground ofpalms. The sugar planta
lions and rice fields, as well as the towns
gave evidence of a prosperous country
in their good buildings. clean fields and
neat grounds.
A few-twO in particular-things sur
prised me; first, the negro was only con
spicuous by qis absence. Ispent two or
three hours on the streets, both at New
Orleans and Beaumont and noticed near
ly all drivers of express wagons, hacks,
buses, drays and other teamsters were
white. Also, after reaching the real
South, saw no crowds loafng about the
railroad stations as at home. | was in
formed that there are many of them, but
their employment is such as to keep them
more in the background Another sur
prise was to find a large percentage of
sugar cane still in the field. The exces-
sive rains of the last six weeks had
caused some delay, yet | was informed
that after being cut, the exposure did it
no injury, making it only necessary to
get it out of the way of the next
crop.
Vance county people sometimes Justly
complain of muddy roads, but if they
could ride or walk through-not over
some of the mud down here, they would
consider themselves particularly blessed
in that respect.
At Beaumont our course changes to
the North, and the appearance of the
country gradually assumes the general
features of Vance county. For some fifty
miles, more or less the soil is grey, sandy,
nearly level, becoming more rolling until
at this point red hills predominant. The
schedule time from Beaumont to this
place is hours and 50 minutes. Actual
time 8 hours and 30 minutes, and loss of
only about 3h hours on a run of 121
miles. The last half of the road was in
fearful condition, the ties in many places
resting in pipe clay IoblOl!y, cars rocking
from side to side; at times, one rail being
at least foot higher than the other, but
a careful engineer finally brought us safe
ly through, though two or three miles
out we were obliged to walk around a
freight wreck and make the home stretch
in box car The conductor told an
anecdote of his experience on his vacation
last summer. He took in a trip on Lake
Erie where he was caught out in severe
storm, and while all the other passengers
were sea sick, he was walking about
doing what he could to relieve their dis
tress, with no disturbance of his gastric
arrangements. He was accOsted by the
captain of the vessel with this remark:
Friend, you must be accustomed to the
water" ''On the contrary he replied,
II was never on the water before. =
''Why, then, are you not sick like the
others?" asked the captain. That is
readily explained was the reply. Il am
a conductor on an East Texas railroad,
and the motion is so similar to this that
it has no effect on me-
This letter is too long already and |
must defer description OF this place to
some future day.
Yours to command,
NJ b. PRINCE.