Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-04-20


station, and there remain until in
proper condition to go on. The
prospect of such delay made two
ladies so nervous that they required
second examination before pass
ing. After they examined the pas
sengers, the same process was gone
through with the ship crew.
But finally we got away again,
and a happy, Jolly crowd promenad-
ed the decks during the II 20 mile trip
up the river to New Orleans. There
was much of interest to see along
the shores, the fishing, the levees.
the big sugar plantations, the large
mansions with negro quarters ad-
AGENT thereto, the big steamers
passing us, bound for ports in all
parts of the globe. flying various
flags (but seldom our own Stars and
Stripes, some propelled by steam
and some by sails, launches, skiffs,
canoes, RATS and craft of every
kind, a trip in itself full of interest
and delight.
Finally we arrived at the dock of
the United Fruit Company late in
the afternoon, where dozens OF
trains were waiting to be loaded
with bananas. Here we found an
other tedious delay that we had not
anticipated. While aboard ship we
had listed the articles purchased in
Panama, which we were bringing
home and expected that it would be
but a few moments task to pass the
custom house officers, but we were
held up here an hour and half
or more. The new customs laws
were just being put into effect. and
of some fifteen or twenty officers
stationed there to wait upon the
passengers, not more than two or
three of them knew their business
at all, and they were not as we'll
acquainted with their duties as they
should have been. But finally, after
submitting our baggage to the most
minute examination possible, we
passed the customs house and set
foot on the good old U. S. A. We
had only a little over an hour in
New Orleans to purchase our tick
cts, look after our baggage, go
across the city for our mail, eat a
good dinner, and catch our train at
7:10 p. m. for Chicago.
The run to Chicago was made in
one of the magnificent steel trains
! of the I. C. r. r., in twenty-fOur
/ hours time. We awoke in the
morning at Memphis, Tenn. aud that
morning ran through Tennessee, for
the most of the way through a roll
! ing timber country, dotted here and
there with small shacks, passed into
/ Kentucky at Fulton. In this state
we found many little old fashioned
! shanties on poorly kept farms which
| looked like nothing could be grown
on them, tobacco fields, niggers and
mules being in evidence on all sides.
At noon we crossed into Illinois at
| Cairo, across one Of the longest
bridges in the world, and ran on to
Carbondale, where some of our par
ty left us for the west The run to
Effingham was made through coal
mining and farming district, and
then We saw hundreds of acres of
apple orchards. Soon We passed
Centralia, little later Champaign
and Kankakee and arrived in Chi
oago. at the /. C.. r. r. station on
the lake front, with just twelve
minutes to get across the city to the
union station in time to catch our
train for home. We hailed a taxi
cab, and the driver soon whizzed us
over TO the station, so that We
caught our train just as it was about
to pull out, and arrived home the
next day, safe and sound and happy,
after pra actically a continuous ride
of ten days on the homeward jour
ney, since leaving Panama While
we were mighty glad to get home
and get to work again, yet we were
very thankful that the opportunity
had been given us to make the trip,
which we shall always remember,
and which, up to this time, has been
the most eventful and most enjoy
able of our lives.
AS stated at the beginning of this
series of articles the National Edi-
torial Association of the United
States meets once a year and then
takes trip to some place or coun-
try of interest. Last year they made
tour through the northwest tern
states and thence by ship to Alaska;
this year to the Panama Canal and
next year they expect to meet at
Los Angeles, Cal, and then tour
California, afterwards going by
ship to the city of Honolulu and
visit the Hawaiian Islands.
These articles have been some
what extended, but not nearly so
much as they might have been.
There was so much to see and
learn that they might have been