The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1905-05-25
ACROSS THE PLAINS BY RAIL
Some Gossip OF Very interesting Section
By fancy Count, Traveller.

Just at break of day we leave the
sand hills and descend to the South
Canadian river, Il desolate looking
stream entirely destitute of timbc". 1T
channel is about Il thousand yard,
wide, tiled with quicksands and not 8
drop of water in il, though from tn,
appearance of things il must at time,
be Il raging torrent.
Crossing the Canadian we soon reach
the town Of Mania, the county seat o.
Roberts county, Texas, in the Pan
handle, the principal stock country o
Texas This is nice little town o
some twelve or fifteen hundred iuhabit.
ants, situated on Red Deer creek, the
Santa Fe gateway to the plains. As
there is no sign Of farming hercabout
the stock industry must support the
people, or like the old wOman's bows,
they must make Il living by trading
with eachother, From Mania the
road follows the valley of Red Dcer
creek something like fifty miles to its
source, and thence to Panhandle on the
plains. AS saw no evidence Of farm
ing here this town too must he kept up
by the live stock industry.
The view from here to the north.
west and south is over level country
as faras the eye can reach, with nothing
to obstruct the view until the earth
meets the horizon; but turning in the
other direction the view is quite differ
ent. The eastern slope of the plains,
which is rugged, broken and hilly,
contrasting with the level valley Of
the Canadian, and the sand hills of
Oklahoma some fifty or sixty miles
away, through which we had passed
the previous night, formed II pictur.
esQuc scene which shall always re.
member II any who read this doubt
that I could see objects sixty miles
away they will have reason to become
total unbclievers later op in my story,
From Panhandle the road takes Il
southwesterly course as straight as the
surveyors compass could locate thelinc,
and for many miles there is not cut
on ill in the roadhed to exceed three
feet in height or depth. The country
is perfectly level a. far as the eye can
reach, with nothing 20 obstruct the
Wow save here and there 4 ranch house
or Il windmill, Talk about cattle and
horses, They are to be seen here in
countless numbers. IL being Just after
Il severe February storm, / saw more
dead cattle in the four hours run from
Panhandle to Amarillo than ever
saw OF live ones at any one time in
southwest Missouri. As the snow.
storms sweep down from the mountains
of Colorado, with nothing to check
their fury for hundreds of miles, it is
wonder to me that any live stock should
live through the winter without either
food or shelter.
But strange things are OF often met
with in this plains country, Looking
of TO the south saw as fine lake as
ever looked upon; but presently, when
| turned to get better view, it had en-.
tlrely disappeared, as though the earth
had opened and swallowed it. 1t was
the mirage. And the only way could
tell the difference between the mirage
and real water was by the wild geese
and ducks which are often found upon
the real lakes; and | suppose they too
would sometimes be deceived and light
upon the mirage did it not disappear!
j. II. LAWRENCE.
tTO be continued)