The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-02

most part. Spent the afternon knocking | about town, and had some little confab | with the natives-one of the most pleas ing ways to fill in time, on jaunt of this kind. And then we felt the lure of a picture show about o'clock, and this,
 together with quite a downpour of rain
 night in Danvlle.
 May 3-Yesterday morning we found
 there were no through freights leaving
 for Richmond before D. m. however, when the the time came, and we had got
 comfortably housed in box cara car
 we were told would carry us to R..
 Imagine our chagrin when the string of
 cars on the next track began to move, and
 we were left in the lurch, irrevocably We
 had boarded the wrong train. Reconciled
 it best we could and despite the lateness
 of the hour, we struck out walking and
 reached the next station, five miles dis tant. in about an hour and a half. Here
 I walked the night operator who allowed
 us to sleep in the passenger waiting | room. This operator also had little store nearby, where for breakfast we re- galed ourselves on sardnes, tea cakes and soda pop. Boarded an empty car al forenoon and climbed out at Drake g
 branch, miles distant, and 81 miles from Richmond, at 2:3O p. m. Here We | had lunch at one-eyed mans restau- l rant. Fancy the devil sans all semblance of comeliness, and you have an idea of our landlord-but his woman was fa- nous cook. We gorged, and afterward got us a bed at the Branch hotel and l slept till 10:30; then went to the station, where we learned there would be no | freights until the morning.
 May At 5 o'clock we entered Burke point, at o'clock, feeling pretty fit. This is the best walking we have done so far. For supper had some bread and butter and well water, after which we climbed into an empty freighter pretty well filled with crossties. This car we
 were told would carry us as far as Crewes station, where another could be caught for Petersburg. I had settled my self comfortably back in the shadows. A talking machine back in the dim-lighted town was playing La Paloma' quite l just the act of stretching out tired limbs was the greatest privilege of all-when a long train of empty freight cars clat- tered in and broke my reverie. It was a through freight destined for Norfolk. via Petersburg, and we lost no time in swing ing aboard. We were in that box car from D. m. Saturday till 12:30 D. m. Sunday, without water or lunch of any description, and, strange to say, at the rides end we felt no unusual fatigue at all This long ride was not of our own choosing, however, for at a station on the route the train fagman fastened us in all unconsciously, I have reason 10 believe as the door was loosely hung on It's grooves. The door being ramshack- ly affair we did finally manage, at a sta ton called Dwight, station about four miles beyond Suffolk, Va, to squeeze our way out. We tramped to Yadlin, six miles distant. where we bought from an old chap some salmon, Uneeda crackers and chocolate candy. Yadkin Is just ten miles from Norfolk; when within seven miles of the city we caught trolley which landed us in Portsmouth. feeling first class, hungry as 19 picnicking kids. We got us beds at the Y. M c. A. build ing, where good hot baths made us joy full: thence to a barber shop and got our boards trimmed. We are brown as ber- ries, with full boards, and I never felt stronger or better in my life, in spite of irregular meals, exposure, and all that sort of thing. l am writing this on my single bed at the Y. M c. A. after at tending services at Court St. Baptist church. There was some splendid quar- tet singing, but the sermon was rather stupid mud singing affair." The pastor denounced socialists bitterly, Christian Scientists, and most all the other modern gestures of society. Nothing was worth while save what our fathers believed, he said in substance. I'm going to sleep and forget about 1t all. Oh, but the music was worth while. We will take in the ex- position tomorrow, though l understand the warships in Hampton Roads are about the chief attractions out there.
 May 6-Been in Portsmouth and Nor folk most of the day. After lunch rode out to Ocean View, little more than half way to the exposition grounds, where a splendid glimpse of the sea Is to be had -or, rather Chesapeake bay, and the sea though ones vista isn't prescribed on that account. I could see water quite to the horizons edge, which, after all, Is the main thing.
 On May I we visited the fair grounds and were distinctly disappointed. I shall omit here my impressions of the exposi- ton. My disappointment in the James, town fair I can attribute only to the free open life I have lived for the past month, The splendors of the day and night. mountain and wood and stream the masnifcent and only realities-with these I have been on good terms. l ex- perienced a feeling of nerve strain through my whole day out there. or course, there was much to interest both of us, in a way. 1t being our first fair of any magnitude, but think Portsmouth and Norfolk, with the Elizabeth river be- tween, and the ferries and tug boats, and the big ships coming in and out Of the harbor pleased me more than any thing else.
 Florence. s. C., May 11-We've been. having such a strenuous three days or IL getting out of Norfolk that haven't had time to put pencil to paper. We walked out of Portsmouth far as Yadkin, town we were familiar with, and on the 9th bummed along leisurely sleeping outdoors for the most part, eating with section men, swapping tobaHo..,and iies-and ,s aa Rocky Mount, N. C., we took our chances again in a box car and the ride went beautifully until we reached Selma, N. C., where we missed getting arrested by hairs breadth, and here's how: Before boarding our car we asked the negro brakeman If 1t would be all right" for us to ride. He said he had nothing to do with 1t. This inspired me to press quar-