The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1905-02-08
TOMPKINS' JOURNEY SOUTH.
(Frem Sd page.)

whirled across the fertile plains OF
Illinois, the natives of which are
all suckers, and Indiana, where
boosters are bred, until we reached
Lafayette. | noticed that the en-
CINE made several attempts before
it succeeded in starting the train
from the station and upon inquiring
of the conductor the cause, was in
| formed that there was something
wrong with the great engine which
had been pulling US along at rate
of speed of from so to go miles an
hour. The great Iron horse" was
sick. 1t groaned and struggled on
with its load but kept getting more
and more hopelessly behind time,
and we did not go into Indianapo-
lis much earlier than we should
have reached Cincinnati. The dis
abled monster was sent to the hos
pital at Indianapolis, new engine
took it's place and an effort was
made to make up some of the lost
time, but when the schedule calls
for an average speed of fifty four
miles an hour, it is next to impos-
sible to gain much on the regular
time, so we found ourselves so late
into the metropolis of Ohio that the
regular Washington and Richmond
train on the G. & 0. had gone. A
special train was made up in very
short time and we were hurried on
our way. Crossing the Ohio river
into Kentucky, the home of the
thoroughbred and the "feud, and
then the Licking river, the name of
which reminded me that we were
now passing over the old hunting
and trading grounds of Daniel
Boone, settled in 1775. Musing on
the stories of this early settlement
which I had read in my boyhood
days, l drowsed off and the the last
words / heard was the remark oil
the conductor to some anxious pass
engers. II told Bill to pull the
throttle and catch No. 4 at Coring-
ton. Va, or burn off the wheels. ,
But Chill" did not catch No. 4 al
Corington nor any other 'ton" IN.
til we reached old Richmond at 4
o'clock in the afternoon of that day
Wednesday morning when we
awoke the sun was shining over
the tops of the mountains and {
more beautiful sight never beheld
The scenery on the Chesapeake an6
Ohio is grand without being aus
tere. Streams flow down the noun
tains through messy banks and ovel
gravel beds, singing merry sons
as they hurry to join the Big Kama
wa, New, Greenbrier and James
rivers. The first three rivers men
toned empty their waters into thu
Ohio river, while the James rise.
on the east side of the Blue Ridg,
and finds its way to the sea almos
at the entrance of Chesapeake bay
| Judge Henry F. Benson, circui
| judge of the first judicial district O
Oregon, who was very congenia
companion for me during the entir,
trip from Chicago, was delighted
with the scenery in the Alleghenies
remarking that it surpassed in var
iety, beauty and grandeur anythin,
he had seen east of the Rockies. ant
had the advantage over western
ranges in the absence of any quan
tity- of snow during the white
months, except on the tops of til,
mountains; and also the many points
of historical interest along the en-
tire route.
The 100 miles beside the beauti
full Ohio, on the surface of which
steamers and odd craft of ever,
description find passage, we misset
seeing on this trip, but our trail
being late we were fortunate in hav
| ing daylight for the succeedin,
miles of graceful curves along thu
banks of the Big Kanawha, then tn,
canons of the New river, with thei
awful wildness and grandeur, til,
waters of which are almost red a.
blood, from the sediment which
they contain; the gentle Greenbrier
| with its pastoral loneliness; the Al
leghenies, with their matches
beauty of scenery; thefamous sprin,
resorts; the renowned Shenandoah