The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1905-05-20

DIR. Dunn Tells Of His Trip to |
Laredo, Texas.
Laredo. Texas. May Is, 1905.
Editor COlfix Chronicle:
| Matt Dunn and | left COlfax on
May 9th in response to u call from
our brother. VIII Dunn, very i'll at
Laredo. He is a conductor on the
Mexican International railroad. run
ming down as far AZ Monterey, Next
co. where he contracted fever. and
was brought back to the Mexican In
ternational hospital at this place.
| On April 18th n violent cyclone struck
| the town and wrought great dam
| age. Sweeping the roof from the
hospital, he was exposed to n heavy
down pour of rain. and the terror of
the situation resulted in a nervous
shock that came near being fatal. He
was transferred to the Mercy hospital
and il now clear OF fever and we hope
soon to be on the road to recovery.
The storm killed nine people, wound
ed many. and the terrible havoc can
yet be seen. The iron bridge across
the Rio Grande. the two spans on the
Mexican side. were whirled and twist
ed and thrown into the river. A man
named Newton, who came here the
day before to buy land, is buried at
the bottom of the river under the de-
bries. In the city of Nuera. Laredo,
across the river. great destruction
was wrought also.
i We left Alexandria on the Southern
Pacific railroad and wbirled through
the beautiful valley of the Red river
and the matchless prairies OF south
west Louisiana, that similitude of a
dream, vet a reality. We passed
some fine interminablc forests. One
can speculate on the vast population
the alluvial lands of Louisiana and
Texas can support when once in cul-
tlvatiOn; teeming thousands 1t will
be. did not see much alfalfa grow
ing after left the Red river valley at
Fair Washington, on the Courtableau.
where the waters of the Bayou Beouf
, flow away to the Gulf. From there
/ were hundreds of acres in rice. cane
) and corn. The Jennings oil fields are
interesting. counted IA derri.ks up
at WEIGH.
The Sabine, Trinity and Brazos
rivers are all OVERT owed, as In also
: the Neches Before reaching Lake
Charles the prairies stretching away
! to the sea WIS n grand sight.
/ We crossed Sabine at 4:30 p. M,
and was In the land of greatness In
all things, Texas. Rain has extend
ed (too much rain) to the Rio Grande.
: The crops are SO far ahead OF us-eO
green IL the verdure. what we term
black green. Crops through Central
: Texas. and way beyond San Antonio
: are fine.
n We left San Antonio at noon on
the 18th, and by way of diversion
Icarried as a passenger an old Texas
Indian fighter. who had looked upon
the wine when 1t was red and was
feeling very badly from it. He slept
; with his feet out of the window, and
the conductor demonstrated with
: him, telling him his feet might strike
{ the cattle cars. The old man want
: ed to know IL he was afraid he would
! hurt the cattle? The conductor said
? no, but he did not want him to be
? dragging cattle into the cars. / took
7 a lay-off on account OF this and had
: a laugh.
!, After we passed San Antonio some
). distance we ran for hours through a
: lslumbering waste forcenturies of cac-
= tus. mesquite. rattlesnakes. horned
! toads and coyotes. The scenery neal
u the border of the Rio Grande Is
= grand-a range of vision far beyond
= which the eye can accommodate it.
!, self. The fora and fauna of the
L country is entirely different to ours.
want to tell you something about
the onion crops raised from irrigated
II lands here. Mr.. Nye received $1,000
; rent on nine acres of land. His crops
q always net from $3.50 to $3.50 per acre
y This is law abiding place Will
: 5000 Americans. Il, 900 Mexicans, bean
!, tiful plazas, and music played by
+ bands freely through the town. PEG
a pie promenade a great deal. W.
~ went down to Monterey. Mexico. ont
70 day, and must say this Is one ofth'
i prettiest cities / ever saw Flower
n and fine ornamental trees. 1t Is won
" derful. People all out on Sunda.
II promenading-won go one wa!
,r and the men the other. Man ma!
- plot and dwell on his loneliness. bu
"a the hand that rocks the cradle rule
~ the world. / saw the prettiest ladie
.. in the world in MISUNDERSTANDING
il French. American and Mexican la
o. dies-the poetry of motion and form Il
+ pink flesh and blood. The hull figh
q was so cruel fed from the scene an
III declined to see 1t.
a Nuera, Laredo, is quite a tow
r. across the river. and these town
have beautiful parks and the peopl
gather I'm them and hear music an
promenade, while ours stand aroun
on the streets and smoke cigarettes
whttle sticks. and miss the missio
nd in life God intended them for. Thes
lie people can teach us contentmen
Dy happiness and enjoyment. Mexico
he filed with Americans. and | got
RS great deal of conceit taken out oil n
ID. when came to see their works
a art. They are superior musicians.
ed MILTON DUNN.
ice MasOns to Build Lodge Hall.
Up III, roIfax 1o1po ~ MasouS th