The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-02-20
Twenty Seventh Year.
STRANGERS In A
STRANGE LAND
What NOrtherner May See i'm
the Sunny South

WSShS VI IcSI perhaps IIeSS Icdu-
ers will stand for letter from the
"Old Man" with some degree of
patience, perhaps interest. Being
at home, seeing familiar faces and
places everyday, few people
out of any community are scarcely
missed. But put it the other way
and you are all in the same boat
some time or other why, its differ
ent. The sight of strangers and
strange things bring us to that state
of feeling when we would give any
thing for the sight of a familiar
face, and voice from home would
be music to the ear. In fact, a
yellow dog" from Hand county
would look good to us.
The first of this week we spent in
New Orleans, and saw many inter-
esting features of the old south
particularly with its ancient French
and Spanish history displayed in
this great southern sea port, where
large sea-going vessels come and go.
The old French quarter is still there
in its squallor of antiquity, marvel
IN this day of progress.
Our Southern Pacific Sunset Limit
ed train of sleepers, observation
cars, etc, was run onto great flat
boat and crossed the Father of
Waters, because as yet, mans in
genuity and daring has created no
bridge south of Memphis.
A half days ride through Louisi-
ana gave us a view of the sugar cane
plantations, the palms, magnolias,
and all kinds of vegetables growing
We entered the great state of Texas
Wednesday evening near Beaumont,
and it required two nights and one
day of continuous travel to reach its
western border at Elpaso. For the
most part it is a barren waste of
cactus, sage brush, sand hills, ETC.,
a tiresome ride with irksome monot-
ony, but over a splendid railroad.
Texas has two things of note-its
magnificent. distances, and what
some one has termed its "beastly
democratic majority" We would
not exchange one good 100 acre
farm in Hand county for all we saw
in Senator Bailey's baliwick during
the entire circuit of one sun.
Elpaso is an oasis in this great deS-
ert, a modern American city of 40,-
600. where tourists stop for a dav or
two of rest on their trans-continen-
tai flight There are Mexican quar-
ters here, of adobe houses, and many
Mexicans work about the city, but
in the main it is modern western
town of wide streets and brick build
ings. 1t is a division point for eight
railroads, which have built the fin
est union depot seen in the south.
1t has one of the largest smelters in
the world. 1t boasts jobbing ter
ritory of 600 miles around without a
rival. But to whom or what they
will job to is not visible to the naked
eye.
The altitude here is 3760 feet,
and the weather is delightful in
winter. In summer it must be so
light and dry they don't feel the
heat 1t rains here sometimes
after eleven months of dryness that
would make South Dakota look like
a swampy country in comparison.
1t is warm in the sun and cool in
the shade of buildings. There are
no trees, except the few scrawnv
ones being coaxed in the little parks
One can wear wraps or not, just as
they please. Birds are singing, and
the people sit about on benches, or
walk about the little parks.
After five weeks from home we
met the first ex-Millerites today.
While walking along the street
"rubbering" as strangers usually
do, we, caught sight Of this sign:
"Manford E. Williams, Attorney at
Law" And maybe that didn't
bring a rush of flashes from men,
ory's storehouse ancient history of
things political, commercial and soc
ial of life in Miller twenty years
agone. 1t was our Manford, all
right, with two decades more stamp
ed upon face and head. He is the
same quiet studious man. practicing
law, and is interested in an abstract
company. He came here from
Michigan nine or ten years ago for
his wife's health, but she soon died.
His daughter Ruth is Secretary of
the Chamber of Commerce, and his