The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-05-23

but the train on which we came was a
little behind time, so we did not have
long to wait before we boarded one Of
the oldest little accommodation trains
which scrambled out of the station
backwards and took us over into Ken
lucky to Latoni where one Of the fine
trains Of the L. & n. railroad was wait
ing for US, When we got off the accom-
notation to get on the other train we
could have thought we We're in Africa.
A mob Of negroes surrounded the train
for no ostensible purpose that | could
see except to see the wheels go round.
The through trans Of the L. &, n. are
very convenient. All the day coaches
have reclining chairs and are well light
ed. We were soon running across the
blue grass and arrived in Louisville
about nine o'clock in the evening. /
think we made three stops there. 1t
seemed we were on q see-W Washington
automobile and where taking in the
town. The train would run for a few
minutes and then stop and then go on
again for while. After we had seen
Fourth Avenue and a part of Mrs.
Wiggs' Cabbage patch we at last pulled
out for Nashville. At Glasgow juno
ton We passed over d part Of the Mann
moth Cave and anyone of Vivid imagi-
nation might Of heard the gnomes as
they carved out the wonderful subter-
ranean halls.
We had planned to make connections
in Montgomery, Alabama, with train
which would have caused US to reach
our destination twenty four hours soont r
than We did, but one can never count on
making connections in the South. When
we reached Nashville we found that the
train from St. Louis was two hours late
50 we were shunted over u siding to
wait for it. All of you have probably
been reading about the floods Of the
Mississippi. Between Nashville and
Birmingham much of the country was
under water. 1t sometimes seemed
chat the train was running through a
lake studded with trees. We stopped
in Birmingham long enough TO say we
had been there and then we We're of
for Montgomery where we arrived an
hour after our train had left. We were
not sorry when we remembered that We
were in the first capital Of the Confed-
crate States of America. As we enter
ed the porch we saw bronze star in
the marble pavement and inscribed on
the star was the information that JEFF
fersOn Davis, the president of the Con-
federcv, had stood on that spot when
he took the cath Of Office at his inaugur-
alton. asked my wife to stand there
while | took her picture. When we en-
tered the building genuine Johnny
keb. gray uniform and all, met US and
escorted US all over the building and
showed US many things Of interert con-
nected with the days Of the civil war
Among them were the many battle flags
which had been captured by the Union
troops in battle and which the United
States government a few years ago re-
turned This act Of courtesy is much
appreciated by the people Of the South.
/ think the guides name was Yelverton
and he considered it to be more an honor
to have been one Of Standardization s
men than to be president of the United
States. There is also here one Of the
most beautiful monuments ! have ever
seen to the soldiers and sailors of the
ConfederacY.
We left Montgomery about eight
0 clock over the West of Alabama rail-
road for Selma. There was notice in
the car | think must have been written
by an Irishman, it was such a bull. 1t
read as follows: "All passengers are re-
quested TO keep their feet off the seats
and the conductors are ordered to see
that they do not do this. =" We spent the
night in Selma and most of the next
day. 1t is very pretty little town
which is supported by a large cotton
trade. The Alabama river gives access
to the gulf by water and there are three
or tour railroad lines passing through
there. We arrived here in Thomaston
an the second afternoon after we left.
The country around is slightly rolling.
The soil is sandy with clay subsoil and
seems to be well adapted to raising cot
ton and negroes. There is a plenty OF
both and both seem to be of good var
lety. Nearly all the horses here are
mules, which would be naturally expect
ed, but there are some very fine saddle
and driving horses. The people are
kind and friendly and gave US a hearty
welcome. One of the letters of the al
phabet was lost on the way down. |
have not been able to hear a medal r.
since have been here. There seems
to be no use for it except at the begin
ming of a word. The speech is soft and
pleasant to the ear, but would of course
sound strange to anyone not used to it,
Roses and other flowers are in bloom
and Strawberries are ripe. Peaches
and figs are as large as UipaOn eggs and