Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-12-02
ON A TRIP TO ST. LOUIS.
AVALON, VA. NoY. Ia. 100.

the Northern Neck of Virginia and
contiguous parts of Maryland have
been to the great st. Louis Fair this
year and none of them have published
an account of it for the benefit of
those who did not go. If you chose
you may publish a small part of my
trip.
talked with Z. G. Harding, the
editor of the Baltimore Herald.
He said after staying there ten days
he saw no one that he knew. You
know David Crockett said ga strange
man in a strange city was valued
about as high a rabbit-skin in his
day." If so then, how is it at this
day? Well, l talked with J. Thomas
Morris, of st. Marys county, Md. All
he could tell me was he saw glass
threshiDg machine. Mr.. L. II. Fallin
would only tell me be saw a man in
Chicago that favored Mr.. Crane,
formerly resident of our county,
but said Mr.. Crane did not recognize
him. heard later that T. II. Fallin
did not admire the western country.
Now for my short trip. l boarded
a palace car at Camden station at 8
p. IN. Went by the way Of Harper's
Ferry; got nothing to eat that night
but sandwich. Next morning they
hitched on a dining car somewhere
up in the mountains and we had
breakfast at $50. 1 ate pretty
heartily. When l wanted dinner
inquired for the dining car and was
told that they unhitcLed and left
her in Cincinnati. / asked them
about my dinner, as my appetite was
getting the best of me. The proprietor
said we would soon be in st. Louis.
We arrived there at 2 p. m. You
can imagine how l felt, having eaten
only one meal in 2S hours.
Well, the country, particularly in
Illinois, attracted my attention, so /
partially forgot my hunger. For
hundreds of miles l did not see a
top cut from the corn nor one blade
of fodder pulled, so asked chum
with whom l had scraped up an
acquaintance, how about feeding
their stock in winter? He said they
turned the stock on it in winter and
thus saved their fodder. 1 saw great
quantities of hay stacked in the fields
for hundreds of miles. Saw no
barns, don't believe they build any.
The dwellings from Cincinnati to
st. Louis were small and plain. The
country was simply a sea of corn,
could see no end to it, only now and
then small field of wheat that
looked like it was sewed about the
middle of August. 1 swung on to
my old chum and finally we went to
supper together. Felt surprised when
they brought me the bill for As cents
when / expected it to be at least
$1.00. AS was worn out and very
tired ! asked the waiter to bring us
some good cocktails, but my friend
shook his head-said he was strictly
temperate.
After supper my friend pointed
out to me seven first-class hotels.
went to the nearest one and found
prices all o. K. Got up early next
morning and boarded car for the
Fair ground, which was about two
miles from there. Paid SO cents to
go in the gate. When inside ! strolled
along by myself taking in different
things that interested me, until l got
to show "From New York to the
North Pole;" a man was standing
hugging the North Pole. but it was
too cold for me. A portion of the
building was covered with something
resembling hornets nest, but signs
were posted "keep hands off" SO l did.
Next | moved on by the old Ferris
Wheel and into Machinery Hall
where l found two gentlemen of my
acquaintance, one was A. B. Farquhar,
proprietor of the Pennsylvania Agri-
cultural Works. Most of the people
in the Northern Neck know him
we'll. i was o. X. then as they
showed me a great many places Of
interest. That night between sun
set and twilight the fun began. We
saw men walking in the air, / sup
pose they were one half mile high.
Four hundred japanese in their uni
forms celebrated their kings birth
day. 1t was great sight and they
attracted much attention. The
prettiest state building 1 saw there
was the Cuban. / did not like Rus
sia's state building at all. / did not
see much improvement over the Chi.
cago Fair. 1t was about the same,
only larger. You will find people
there of every kind and color, al
though saw very few colored people,