The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1905-08-12

his departure for the empire Of the !
West. You rise steadily upward for
800 miles in going to Denver, but
before you reach the "Queen City Of
the Plains" you imagine that the
train is either lost out on the desert
or gone beyond the city. For you
travel miles on miles through tawny,
desolate ocean with its rolling waves
of sand. A region of death that not
even irrigation will rescue to any
great extent from the whitening
grasp of the desert. It's most power
ful attraction is its unattractiveness.
Whatever man likes in this world Is
absent from that place. You see
nothing but sage-covered plain and
naked aridity. But paint it however
forbidding, somebody will want to try
It'll 1t seems strange, incredible, that
any one would want to go to western
Kansas or Nebraska to live. Life
there is reduced to low terms. 1t
might be good for one in a devotional
way. The Arab exclaims at sight of
water, "Ged is great; God is mer-
clful!" and yet romance has ever
hoyered over desert sands.
The deadnesU thing you have TO
contend against on a trip West is the
sleeping car. You are whirled away
into the darkness, hoping to Slumber
in the arms OF night and get the
better Of space without knowledge Of
time. Some one begins to whisper
soft and low. 1t penetrates those
gently swaylng curtains beyond belief.
At first it is amusing, then trying,
then distressing. growing more and
more painful, intolerahle, finally un-
enderable, after which you sink into
deathlike coma from which you are
hardly rescued by the porter just in
time, for the "last call for break
fast"
We left Missouri in mid summer,
when we reached Denver 1t was-we
did not know what season it was.
Two hours after sunset one needs a
spring wrap; by midnight. furs; and
it would take an expert to tell it from
winter.
One half the world does not know
how the other half lives. On account
Of the dryness Of the atmosphere
matches ignite spontaneously in Col,
orado AS your train crosses the line
the women's baggage is searched fol-
these terrible little devils as they are
called out there, and the mems pock
cts are turned wrong side out. Thil
queer custom we learned from the
Information Bureau gives rise tt
most Of the reports of terrible hold
ups in the West. The men do lool
singularly odd and robbed-like. Mos
people being generally cautious seel
shelter the first time they hear ont
man ask another If be has any rock
in his pocket. After running till HI
has heart failure they learn he wants
flint to start the tow with which Il
light his cigar. 1t is not general.
known that from this fact originated
the style, now so universal amonl
men, OF the clean face. rhe tow ant
mustache seemed to have a natura
affinity for one another. Though vi
were solemnly assured not more s,
than gunpowder and fire. Som
Fasteners so much object to the tov
process that they will draw at thei
neighbours cigar for two hours ant
thirty minutes to get light. Ant
we heard that one man gave up smok
ing. This we could not verify.
The Information Bureau gives yol
all the facts you ask for and volunteer
more. "There were too many womel
10 some places, we were told, whel
I we asked about woman suffrage. S
the Centennial State hit upon th
scheme of making Colorado the stat
Of woman's opportunity, as she ha,
none before.
"No man today In Colorado eve
reaches the polls unless married, an,
even then they have previously Ger
tilted that their vote will in 40 wa
change the general returns. I" Womel
? do believe in Justice, II sometimes the
t do believe a little too much.
I There are enough places Of interes
!. In every city TO wear your eyes ou
j looking at them But If a Mlssouria
3 you should see their capital made O
marbles and onyx and finished i