Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-06-23
TEXAS LETTER.
YCLONES-PRAIRIES - -CATTLE-AND
BIG THINGS GENERALLY.


Fort Worth. May 31.-Well, l have
been in Texas cyclone and came
! through with n whole skin. | am glad
| saw it as | came out all right. just
as | was glad the last time | was in
this big state to be In storm on the
gulf when got ont safely.
This is a big state and everything
in it corresponds, big dimensions, 100
miles one way and 800 the other, Vir-
ginia would not more than make an
apron for her. Three or four hundred
miles is short trip, go in night.
spend the day aud come back to early
breakfast next morning. That's an
every day trip from Fort Worth to
| Houston or galveston, and they think
no more of it when they catch the
| Katy Flyer" train than we do of GO
ing to Richmond or Washington On
the F. T. V. The Katy" is as fast as
the f. F. ", but not as good train,
in fact in travelling neaIy $500 miles
on five different roads, have not found
an equal to our own vestibuled F. F.
V. of the G. & o, and travellers that
have crossed the continent say the
same thing.
But as 1 started out to say, every
thing in Texas is on a large scale-big
railroads, big pastures on big prairies
running back miles and miles from the
railroad as far as you can see, covered
with grass, sod that has never been
broken since the recollection of man;
big cattle with big horns, roaming at |
will; big herds of horses, some tame,
some wild; big hotels, always full of |
big crowds, something always going |
on to draw.
And the cyclones too are big, and do
great execution. Our train, as it |
rushed into one out on the prairies,
rocked like vessel in storm and the
hail and things beat threateningly |
against the window, the darkness
compelled turning on the lights in
broad daylight, but we went through. |
Again saw the cyclone, secure in one |,
of Fort Worth's solid brick residences
while the trees swayed in the fierce |
wind and broke and split, and houses
were twisted around or blown over,
windows and doors crashed in, two
churches blown down, the roof of the
church in which the General Assembly
met broken by a falling chimney, let
ting the water pour in, and a poor
telegraph operator crushed to death
by wall falling on the roof of bis
room. Many, apprehensive of such
things, build only one story houses
aud many others dig cyclone pitsuear
their houses where they run VIII en- a
blow comes. Most people, perhaps, in
sure their houses against such damage
and do not trouble themselves any
further about it, for probably no more
houses are blown down here than are
struck by lightning in old Virginia.
Though they do tell we'll authenticate
ed stories such as house being lifted
bodily and carried off leaving the fam
lily sitting at the dinner table, of a
fence pailing being driven through a
big telegraph pole and left sticking
there, of child being blown out of its
fathers arms and never seen again,
and so on, but the old Texan cares for
none of these things and just goes on
getting rich and richer, and making
big fortunes, building fine houses.
pallatial banks, elegant churches and
splendid business blocks. while the new
settler catches on quickly. follows the
pace that has been set for him and
soon makes fortune too.
wanted to tell you about the big
Swift and Armour combination, the
the great Texas butchers and packers,
how the slay and pack and eat, but
there IS enough in that for another let
|