The Newtown bee., 1909-10-15
HOME NEWS.
 A WESTERN TRIP. Newtown to Sioux Falls, s. D.

When our people at home found
 we were to take trip to South Da-
 kota, so many importuned me to
 write something to The Bee, l was
 led to consider the matter, and that,
 together with my fondness for the
 children of our town as a whole is
 my only apology, for what may ap-
 pear in print in connection with our
 trip, in hopes that the children, with
 those who can resist the whirl of
 their everyday life long enough to
 stop to read it may get some satis-
 faction out of it. From Newtown to
 Sioux Falls in South Dakota, by rail
 over the route by which we went is
 about 1700 miles. Not wishing to
 be in the jam in New York incidental
 to the Hudson-Fulton celebration we
 left home by way of Albany, thence
 by N. Y. c. & H. R. railroad to Buffa-
 To, thence by Lake Shore and the
 Michigan Central to Chicago, and
 thence by Chicago, Milwaukee and
 St Paul R. R., to Sioux Falls, s. D.
 Leaving home Tuesday, September
 29, at 10.30 a. m., we leIt Albany at
 4.3O p. m., of the same day. Twi-
 light came down upon us at Schenec- tady, and at midnight we were at
 Buffalo. We lost all the richness and
 beauty of the Mohawk Valley, but as
 we had previously traversed the same
 route several times we did not feel
 disappointed as we otherwise would
 have done. The smoothness of the
 roadbed and the gentle motion of our car had the effect upon us that our mothers rocking of our cradle
 in our early infancy did. No change of cars at Buffalo, at which place we arrived at midnight. Our train of
 Pullman coaches was not overload ed, the lower berths of our car only
 being occupied we had plenty of
 room. At 6.20 the following morn ing we passed through Toledo, 296 mics west of Buffalo, though still about 25O miles east of Chicago, so that practically we travelled only about 300 miles between Albany and Chicago by daylight and as we never want to reau on railroad train we took in not only what we coulu see of the outside world, but also of what is to be gained by contact with fel- low passengers. We arrived in Chi cago at 12.3O p. m., the second day from home. As our train from Chi cago to Sioux Falls was not to leave until 5.20 p. m., we had plenty of time to get our sleeping car tickets and good lunch,, soon after which we were warmly greeted by two young ladies, former friends in Red lands, Cal, who had been apprised by Eastern friends of our expected arrival. They called a taXicab and for one and a half hours we were whirled through some of the most beautiful portions of the city, in- cluding the parKs and long stretches along the lake shore. Thus far we had come on our journey without hitch or a break, and at 5.4v p. m., we moved out of Chicago for Sioux Falls, which still 4ay over 800 miles to the westward. The northern part of Illinois and the northeastern part of Iowa we passed through in the night. We crossed the Mississippi river at Dubuque, about 15O miles west of Chicago. Here is~one of the gateways that opens cut of Illinois into Iowa, which state, it's people up- to-date, claim to be the garden spot | of the United States. At g o'clocK in the morning of Thursday we reached Sioux City, 800 miles west l of Chicago. Here we had our first | view of the Missiouri river, Sioux City being at the junction of the Big | Sioux river with the Missouri, on the | border line between Iowa and South and about 100 miles from Sioux Falls, our destination. From Sioux City to Sioux Falls, the Big Sioux river is the boundary line be- l tween Iowa and South Dakota, the railway running along the Sioux val ley the whole distance, and so crook ed is the river that we cross it by eight bridges going from Sioux City to Sioux Falls, so that we pass in and put from state to the other several times between the two cities, mak- ng a perplexing position and condi ion of things for state official when n puruit of a suspect, for if the suspect" can scoot to the opposite tide of the bridge from the officer, he an put his finger to his nose and iay ''Ketch me if ye can." Railroads n South Dakota have the reputation If being much off tfme," so when We arrived at Sioux Falls we found 'ur son had been in waiting for us overtime one and a half hours. annot close this letter without ac- the fact that our station gent at Newtown, Mir Holian, through his courtesy and business