The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-08-08
An Interesting Letter From One of
AbbeviIle's Boys In Arizona.
Nogales, Arizona

Nogales, Arizona.
Jnly 30th, 1906.
My dear Mama and Papa.
While my friend Jack Is taking nap
I will try and sketch an outline Of my trip
from Abbeville TO Nogales, Mexico. I could
will start with the first state, South Caro-.
lima, the grandest In the Union with her fruit
orchards, cotton, corn and oat fields for miles
little cities dotted here and there with lovely
shade trees. Then next comes Georgia with
her peach orchards. AS far as you travel
through the state you can smell the fragrant
smell OF the fruit Of which she is noted. And
fields Of grain and cotton, pastures OF COW
and horses Is q picture for anyone to look al,
After we travel through Georgia We enter
Alabama, the home Of Jefferson Davis, and I
am sure any southerner would feel proud TO
old state. She tB noted also for her cattle
raising and vegetables OF oil kinds, the seen.
cry is grand, for miles and miles nothing but
grain. Then as We leave Alabama, down in
the Southern part, we strike Louisiana, the
state Of swamps fiat, low, unhealthy coun.
try. They raise nothing but rice, still the
rice helds are beautiful, some We're flooded
every few miles. But the grandest sight is a 8
you enter Gulf Port, we crossed the Pearl
River eight times in the course of two miles.
II Is about mile wide everywhere and
Lakes here and there that are blue with the
old time water lilies. A blue mass, from a
distance looks like blue sheet thrown across
the Lake with diamonds scattered over il.
The lilies are 80 thick you can see the water
very seldom. That grand sight nature has
put on the earth Tor ones eyes TO feast on.
AS We leave Gulf Port TOR twenty miles we
travel again in swamps. nothing to see but
Weeping willows loaded down with grey
mos. moss II reaches from the top 10 the bottom.
In the South. We strike the famous Mississ.
ippi River where ferry boat is awaiting for
the whole train to roll on. "Now for q boat
ride" OF six miles and then It strikes the
railroad again and as we pull of of The boat
and on land again we start ira elling on that
great railroad the Southern Pacific, with It's
grand chair cars 10 make you as com Portable
as possible. with the speed OF sixty miles an
hour, with Its double headed engines that
burn oil, they don't know what coal is. And
now we are travelling through Mississippi
with Its swampy fields OF rice.
Then we enter the Lone Star State. Texas.
and here is where your cattle ranches start,
nothing but mules. horses, sheep, goats and
pigs, and then the prairies with the COW boys
with their big hats minding their cattle. You
bave bs"l oen hHafd @ sne ola saying there is
was one solid black one in every flock OF
sheep.
', Aswe left Del Rico, Texas we follow the
great river was built by the Indians hundreds
and hundreds OF years ago, and now and th en-
you could see cliff where they dwelt and
some OF the rocks had Indian heads, their
gods whom they worshipped, a sight
long to remember. We crossed the Rio
Grande over tressel a mile long and 1856 feet
high, what do you think Of that? Three
times higher than the cotton mill smoke
stack. Now we reach New Mexico with It's
barren deserts and lofty mountains. All the
people mako their living by mining. Some
eof the richest copper mines in the world are
In New Mexico. Then we leave New Mexico
and reach Arizona the state OF cattle ranch
Ing, oil wells and copper mines. You can see
oil wells ten and twelve together, all OF them
spouting oil with big tanks that hold millions
OF gallons, We only travel about half way
through Arizona TIL we change cars on a
northern road II is Fedoust De Sonora,
mexican railroad which brought US TO our
destination NogaIes, ARIZONA, the little city
situated In the midst Of mountains which IL
very healthy place.
Well / will close with hopes OF hearing
from home real soon. ! remain your most
attectionate son,
Frank Sign.