The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-31
First Notes of His Trip Around
the World
Begin With ssDad Griffith the
Topeka Conductor.
GOING TO NEW YORK.
Surprises Fellow Passenger In
curing Destination
By Announcing Eastern Trip
via San Francisco.

Here are the first notes of the trip
around the world. just started by E. W
Howe Of the Atchison Globe:
When a man starts on a trip around
the world, his neighbors say to him:
wi nat q good time you VIII have.
7 haven't had a very good time, so
far although rather enjoyed the trip
last night between Atehison and Tope-
kas because Dad Griffith Of Topeka, the
Santa E'e conductor, sat with me part
OF the time, and told me how to quit
smoking. He quit Is years ago, and
his wife praised bin so much that he
has never smoked since: in her pres
ence. When away from home. however,
on his run, he smokes as much as any
body but always fuTnigates himself be
fore returning to his family. He has
been a sneak Is years. and does not
enjoy his Wife'S praise. When the sub
ject Of smoking comes up, Mrs. Griffith
says any respectable man can quit
the vile habit, and Dad is compelled to
take it. He says that nearly every day
he resolves to confess to his wife, but
she is so proud of him that he has
put it OF Is years 7 have two favorite
theories: one is that no man ever really
quit smoking, and the other is that ev-
cry man who goes to sea, suffers from
sea sickness.
At Topeka, while standing ON the sta
ton platform, waiting for No. 9, the
Flyer (due in ten minutes), two rail-
road men carrying lanterns, met in
How is No. %" one man asked the
other.
Fifty minutes Iate,'' was the reply.
Wen, that means an hour and a
half" the other said, and he made a
good guess.
we were to get breakfast at La
JUntas Col, at $3.50 am accustomed
to breakfast at $50, and this morning
No. was two hours late. Then I made
another H5GrnWnTsyTs- PASSENGERS f0F the
west set their watches back an hour at
Dodge City That meant brea kfast at
about noon. Thereupon said to my
self
''That good time the neighbors talked
about; I am still looking for it..
awoke this morning in the Arkan-
sas valley, where the people depend for
prosperity on hay, politics and the I'M
dernoW. While lying in bed, the train
stopped at q little town. and ] counted
80 WindmilIs on one side of the train.
These Windmills are used to pump wa
ter from the underhow. The Arkansas
river is so dry that wild ducks in great
numbers fly along its course, looking
in vain for q pool in which to swim.
People living along the river say there
is plenty OF water, but it flows under
grounds therefore the importance of the
underdoW. The Arkansas valley is Ger
tainly beautiful, and never before saw
so much hay. Among other noted towns
IN the valley is Coolidge, where the En-
Gerprise is published Coolidge was for
uerIy a division point on the Santa Fe,
but this was taken away, and Coolidge
is now somewhat dun, which may ex-
plain why the editor of the Enterprise
gToWls so much. A peculiar thing about
the Coolidge Enterprise is that while I
see It quoted a great deal, have never
seen a copy Of the paper.
Soon after crossing the Colorado line
I began seeing sugar beet factories, inn
Inense brick structures which look like
cotton mills. An occasional elevator is
seen, and these seem to be devoted to
alfalfa seed. That's the story out mere:
Sugar beets and alfalfa. And it is a
pretty good story; the country is un-
doubtedly prosperous.
Awhile ago I went into the smoking
room. and a man asked me:
Where are you going?"
I replied that I was going to New
York
The man thought about my reply a
long time, and finally said:
well, you're going in q queer direc-
ton, if you're going to New York"
At Trinidad you begin to see patches
OF snow in the mountain foothills; thai
which seemed to be cloud or a noun
tain, two hours ago turned out to be &
mountain, and the train viii cross it al
Ration, at the highest crossing made by
any transcontinental railroad. At Trim
dad, also. you begin to appreciate why
the Santa Fe company exploits FREQ