The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1906-08-31
Some Things About the Galveston
Excursion.

u
of numbers, than even the railroad
company itself had anticipated, is
proven by the fact that all along the
line the supply of tickets was COM
pletely exhausted, and many went as
far as Beaumont or Houston before
they could get their tickets. The train
which left here one hour and forty
minutes late, continued to lose time
all the way, arriving in Houston about
6:45 p. IN. Our train consisted of four
teen cars, fully packed. Between
Orange and Beaumont we passed
through some of the finest rice fields
that we have ever seen. In but two
instances did we see any one harvest
ing. That the crowd was a thirsty
one may be judged by the fact that
one dispenser OF drinks at Beaumont,
disposed of 1000 bottles of beer during
our twenty minutes stop at that place,
reaching Houston at about Gas. We
had 10 minutes to get onto our train
for Galveston. Realizing that it was
case of the early bird getting the
worm, as far as seats went, there was
grand rush for the train which was
standing on the track when we pulled
in. Twelve coaches carried the crowd
that went to Galveston, a good-many
remaining in Houston. One feature of
interest to many was the long bridge
from the Mainland to the Island,
two and half miles in length,
| Arriving at Galveston ut 10 p. m. our
party of ten stopped at the Royal Ho-
tel, which proved to be royal cheat,
from which we moved early next morn
ing.
Galveston, city claiming $4,000 is
situated on sandy island whose
length is IS miles and average width
is one and half miles. The natural
formation of the island is only two
and half feet above sea level. The
Island has been filled up until the
portion now occupied by the city has
an artificial soil of from five to four.
teen feet. The natural soil produces
little in the way of vegetation but
marsh grass, sparingly, and salt &C.
dars, degenerate of the Pinaecea Or
der. The artificial soil is bearing a
fair vegetation and many of the yards
have number of our common trees
growing in them. There are many
fine buildings scattered throughout
the City, making it very attractive.
Galveston Bay, north of the city, is
one of the finest harbors on the
American Coast. There we saw many
ocean liners receiving and discharg-
ing cargo, laying up for repairs, or
remaining anchored at a distance serv.
ing out the FIVE days quarantine, which
is imposed upon vessels which come
from sicklv ports. In a ride of four
Teen miles on a pleasure yacht we saw
many OF these ocean vessels, the light
house, several government forts and
the jetties which narrow the mouth OF
the bay and render the harbOr more
secure.
The greatest attraction of the CITY
is the famous sea wall This wall.
which in seventeen feet thick, is built
of solid masOnery, the base is forty.
four feet below sea level and it reach.
es fourteen feet above the surface.
The water front of the wall is concave.
so that waves striking it curl up and
fall back on themselves. Outside of
this is breakwater, made of huge
blocks of granite, weighing from one
to twenty tons. On the land side there
is gradual grade reaching from the
top of the wall back one thousand
feet, filled in with stone and cement
and covered with layer of yitrifed
brick, which forms magnificent
driveway looking out upon the
gulf. The wall extends a distance
OF five and One-half miles along the
CITY front.
The beach is the most popular pleas
ure resort in the south, the bathing
being ideal in every respect. Its pop
ularity Is testified to by the fact that
thousands battle there daily. When
the tide is out the level sand of the
beach furnishes beautiful driveway
for carriages and automobiles.
The crowd whom we were with, which
consisted of DR.. Lewis, Miss Bert Lew
is, Bert McBurney, Mrs. Bridges, D.
r. Read and wife, of Welsh. and Mr..
and Mrs. Fl. |. Longenbach, c. H.
Findley and Miss Jessie Findley, of
Iowa. closed the day by listening to
an excellent sermon by Rev. DR.. Lit
tie, Of the First Baptist church.
The return trip. like the one going
down, was one of hilarity and a Jolly
good time.
Welsh furnished a delegation of
about QUE hundred on this trip. al.
though less than half that number Sc.
cured their tickets here. owing to the
fact that but forty tickets were sent to
this station.l