The Oskaloosa herald., 1909-08-12

: ming to decay and the inscription ar
very dim. Robt. Fulton, Charlotte
! Temple and Alexander Hamilton ar
/ buried here. On the Hamilton monu
, ment were the lines, His ideals shall
live after him." and lot more tina
can't remember. Hamilton was no
democratic, but was an aristocrat and
believed in the few ruling the many
Then took in Coney island, had 6
ride on the sheet iron waves and ate
an ice cream soda, MIXED direct from
a Jersey COW into the soda glass. The
COW was made of plaster paris and the
cream she gave was about as rich as
| you would expect from a cow OF hel
kind.
i At night | went to see the IA
nous Salome dance, which was adver
| tised as being educational, artistic
graceful, etc, etc. All have to say
about it is that if had not known
was in a public play house and could
| see the audience around me, should
have thought | had gotten into a
lady's bathroom, by mistake.
| l again started for the west and
stopped to see Niagara Falls. | took
a ride in the Maid of the Mist and
| saw all there was to see, which COM
pleted my sightseeing trip of the U.
S. | have been in ali of the large
cities with the exception of Boston
After leaving Niagara 1 went to Os'
kaloosa. From Oskaloosa ! went to
Ell Paso and across the line into Old
Mexico to see a bull fight, the FIESTA
| in Juorez, last December, and the day
| | was there they killed four bulls.
visited the Alamo in San Antonio, Tex.
and gathered some items of interest
| for this letter, but | lost them, so
| will give you a brief description.
consider the Alamo one of the greatest
places of historical interest that |
ever visited. 1t was built by Francis
clan Monks in the eighteenth cen
fury and was fort and church COM
bined, with walls about four feet thick.
Here occurred one of the bravest acts
in all history. 1856 men were in the
fortress and the MeXicans sent 1900
soldiers to take it in March of 1892.
Before the attack, Gen. Travis realiZ-
ing the conditions, called his men
around him and told them that they
would probably be killed by the Mex
leans, whether they surrendered or
not. He then took his sword and
drew line, telling all those who want
ed to stay and fight with him to step
across it and all crossed but one, even
to Gen. Bowie, who was lying i'll OF a
fever in a small room near by who ask
ed to have his cot lifted over the line.
The one who did not cross told Gen.
Travis that he was afraid to die and
also that he was not prepared to meet
his Creator and he thought he could
don Mexican clothing and make his
escape. His name was Jesus Ross,
and he was altogether of a different
character from me man for whom he
was named Madam Candeleria who
was nursing Gen. Bowie, said he killed
| about fifteen MeXicans with his knife
while lying on his sick bed. And that
is how the Bowie knife received Its
name Those 1S6 m;n EillCd over
2,OCO McxiCans, but they all lost their
lives. Madam Candleria lived to be
lit years old has a daughter living
in San Antonio now who is sc years
old, and | guess she is good for III
years herself. There are not many
relics in the Alamo and many tourists
hurry through in a few minutes, not
realizing that the Alamo is sacred to
American history. The old lady in
charge showed me almost the exact
spot where Davie Crockett was killed.
He was the man that made the remark
| that will live through all ages, BE
sure you are right, then go ahead.
I was there nearly a whole day read
ing the history and poetry that has
been written about the Alamo. | re-
| member especially two lines:
| ooh! what sermons in these walls
| were told,
How men may fight for nobler things
than gold.'
was in the Don Verinandi palace
| the doors of which are of two large
solid pieces of wood, hand carved
that have hung on the same hinges
| for nearly two hundred years. Gen
| Bowie married daughter OF Don
| Verimandi, who was then governor OF
| Texas. From this palace was the en-
| trance of a tunnel which led to the
Alamo, several blocks distant. On
my way from San Antonio to New Or
leans | crossed the highest bridge in
the world that across the Pecos val
ley, which is 321 feet high.
| stopped off at New Iberia, where
as it was holiday time they were sell,
ing round trip tickets. While waiting
in the depot an old gentleman and his
| wife entered The woman was large
and fieshy, weighing 400 IL she weigh,
ed pound. She seated herslf in a
seat the best she could and the Old
gentleman went to the window and
asked for 'go and come back quick
ticket to New Orleans for my Wife.
| q laughed.
| | run across some amusing exper
fences in my travels. While in Win