The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1905-09-07
THINGS SEEN AND HEARD
On a Trip by One Who Travels With
His Eyes and Ears Open.
Communicated.


everywhere. No matter where one goes
he can find 1.-The best in the world, the
largest i'm the world" and things galore
| that are unparalleled.
Twas walking along on Chestnut street
| in Philadelphia on Tuesday when pa
triotic Pennsylvania said to me, there
is the largest store in the world | saw
| that it indeed was very great building
and that people passed in and out OF 1T 8
doors, and along the aisles and up the
| elevators story after story and down into
| it's Easements in such crowds and with
such feryOr, that to conclude that shop
ping must be done there or nowhere, was
almost inevitable Still | could not ex-
actly repress little doubt about it's
| being the very largest in the world. lhad
| not gone i've squares from that place be-
| fore was shown another building. 1.-The
| taLest in the world" the famous Wash
| ington monument being just a little
| taller. The greatest of everything was
| there. VIM. PENIS old home, just as
| he left it: Liberty Bell, crack and all and
| the building where the Declaration OF In
| dependence was signed. The house. made
of poles for Gen. Grant to live in near
Richmond during q winter campaign IN
the Civil War, has been taken down and
restored exactly, in that famous city OF
liberty lovers to be viewed by all VINO
come as worthy their most patriotic ado
ration, 1t is almost reasonable not to
go to Willow Grove and see Tor yourself
Valley Forge, and hear again recount
ed the stories of bravery OF the Revolu-
tionary Fathers.
| (;irard College and the Girard es-
tates can be seen everywhere, for as rich
| l, =
| could not take it with him into the
| grave. Stephen Girard was called a
| philanthropist, because he gave his money
| to buy him a reputation and yet he gave
the college with the condition that mo
ecclesastic, missionary or minister OF
any sect whatever is permitted to hold
or exercise any station or duty in the
college, or to be admitted as a visitor
within the premises" There it stands
| with it's high walls looking asfOrbidding
as a penitentiary.
4 short walk from the tallest building.
| came to 1.-The finest theatre in the
world" and so on until was about to
decide that | was in the superlative city;
but took sleeper that night and slept
across the State and awoke in Pittsburg.
| had scarcely arrived before | was
informed that a circle around that place
with q radius of % miles would in
close ''the richest place in the world
| of like size. Just few squares away
was suddenly called upon to stop and
behold 1.-THE largest store in the world!''
| was bound to call halt by saying to
my informant, who wanted me to go in
and see the wonders, that | had been to
New York and Philadelphia and to the
big store in Henderson. | suppose they
all told the truth, but truth is very much
like some good old tunes ! used to know.
they are still played; but they are played
nowadays with variations. Imagine
my feelings after had been tired of turn
ing up my nose at the Dragging Yankees,
and had let it down again to it's normal
position after getting into Vance county,
before | could get no me saw in biz
letters 1.-The best on earth,' and said by
a Southern man.
Lest what shall now relate may seem
to be personal, fit should come under the
| observation of whom it concerns, | will
say that, as | passed through kams-
chatka a very masculine looking woman
came into the car. Her eyes, in color and
CLEAN were very much like highly polish
ed blades. Her jaws hanging down
| beside her ears warned one of dan
ger. Her mouth shut together like a
steel trap except that it seemed to be
tilted up at the corners at an angle OF
about ID degrees. She seemed to be
physically as cJol as a cucumber; but
dare say her disposition stood at $3.50
Fahrenheit | saw no sorrow in her face
or manner; though | am sure from the
signs OF mourning on her hat that her
husband, poor man, had gone to better
country; though know nothing OF his
life here. nor would | change the express
sion if knew he had been a bad man.
The word better you know, represents
no absolute quality but is a relative or
comparative word. The lady in question,
as soon as she came in, seated herself oc-
cupying an entire seat. \ man and his
wife and two children came in at the
same time and the four sat opposite our
heroine in one seat. With great effort
at commiseration, shesfnally suggested
that one OF the little ones might sit with
her. 1t was a very hot sultry day and
nearly every window in the..car was open,
as the heat was almost uncomfortable. 4
gentleman came in at the next station
and took seat in front of her and began
to raise his window; but she soon
squelched him, much to the amusement
OF the passengers. Finally she moved
her seat and got in front of me and
wanted my window down;but explain
ed to her that | was suffering from asth-
ma and that fresh air was an absolute
essential to my happiness, and she must
excuse me; so stabbing me with her knife
like eyes she yielded the point; but first
inquired with an insinuating toneifI had
ever travelled much? | replied that my
opportunities in that particular had been
somewhat limited. | fear there was
some sarcasm in the reply. In n few
minutes we rolled into the great station
at--let us say Cairo. There coffee
and sandwiches were brought in for sale.
l took a sandwich and coffee. She took
a sandwich and coffee. AS soon as the
Odor of her sandwich penetrated her
Olfactory nerve her nose turned up like
the neither end Of a wasp preparing for
battle and she said to me- Mister, NAV
| throw this out of your Window"
said certainly. Madam, as far as | am
concerned; but think it would be a VIC
lation OF the law to- BY that time
she seemed to have warmed to 969o and
threw the whole thing through my win
dow diagonally, half her sandwich land
ing III my coffee. To be thussdeprived.
when there was no chance of getting
another, somewhat spoiled my very affa-
BILE disposition, and could not help tell.
ing her OF my travels in several states
OF America, and some little in Canada; but
had never hoped to see as much as |
had seen that day-that my experience
with her was new one and that | was
glad OF 1t. She left the train in Borneo,
which helps America that much. The
last L saw OF her she was striding along
with an air OF Il can take care of NV