El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-25

were over After leaving Washington
every station became of interest, ana
there was no detail from when 4
did not draw some moral ] had de-
termfned 10 pierce the border states
and seek for the Information 1 desired
from the land where the palmetto the
pine. and the live-oak live she py
side The windows Of the car nau
been raised. and through them came
the bracing winds from the Blue Ridge
and 1 could catch OCCASIONALLY the
strange minor notes of the negroes
al work in the fields was awe
to ever. impression, and I took out my
notebook to chain in my memory
some Of the passing scenes
That evening / finished my first
letter and mailed II from the train
When 1 reached Atlanta 1 made in
ouirv as to the best means of reach
ing some of the outlying counties,
where I could study the social and ed
vocational conditions Of this people gut
Of the beaten tracks and away from
the thriving centers through which 1
had passed. and which, according to
my preconceived opinions were the re-
suit Of northern capital or New Eng
land energy remained IN the VI
cinity Of this city for several days,
making journeys into the country and
taking notes Of the field hands and
making inquiry as to the wages paid
and the amount Of labor performed
by the average hand Ny zeal was
undated. and I was on the point of
putting all my figures into a letter
when my enthusiasm received a check
that came near causing me to throw
I'D my assignment which I would
have done without hesitation had /
not feared it would mean a sum-
mary dismissal from the paper as we'll
On coming in from the factory dis
trict one afternoon / found letter
from the managing editor 1t said:
we want facts Your letter
mailed on the train found use
less. and has been thrown in the
waste-basket- If true, it was a
very good editorial but we do not
want editorials from You If YOU
still have my order, read il over
and YOU viii find in IL nothing
about the racial question or poll I
teal problems. Study the white
people. especially the families or
the old regime and bear in mind
always that whatever you write
viii be copied there. Your letters.
therefore. should be just and
truthful whatever else they may
be- II you were an artist with
the brush, I should say paint a
picture Of some old colonial home
steads and ante-bellum planta-
tiOns. Since you cant paint,
write Of them as they are. Bring
the scenes in Georgia vividly be-
fore the people Of Boston. They
can draw their own conclusions.
Let your pictures be of people and
p
That was ais but it was sufficient
TO shatter my hopes and discourage
all further attempts TO make sure %
the electoral vote Of New England
DfscOnsOIate, and with a vague sense
Of my own ignorance, I boarded
train that night bound for somewhere
in a sOutherly direction, I did not
know and I did not care where.
Il
When 1 awoke the next morning the
OdOr which filled every creVice of the
car told me that 1 had entered the
I threw up my window and inhaled
great draughts of fresh air. felt
invigOrated and ready to carry out my
assignment, no matter where II led me,
the farther into the pine forests and
out Of reach Of managing editors, 1
thought, the better. Later in the day
I left the main road and took mar
dow gage line which I was told fol-
lowed the bed Of the savannah river
and passed through several of the
most historic counties CT the state
rich in memories Of the past and peO-
pied mostly by remnants of the old
colonial and anJe-bellum families, who
had in the past made them the most
influential centeTs Of the state,
The railroad wended its way through
beautiful rolling country studded
with pines and cedars. The wild
flowers grew I'D TO the very tracks
soft. velvety moss Through the
pines ] caught glimpses coca sionalIy
Of stately old residences. with their
gardens Unzept and the weeds growing
in wild prOfusiOn- Where the fences
had fallen they had been left to de-
cay, but the fields were plOwed and
showed signs Of cultivation at a cost
Of great labor.
We stopped at several stations, and
around each there was an air Of happy
incidence that lent a charm to the di-
lapldated wooden sheds which stood
for depOts, and in front Of these there
was always to be seen some antiquated
wagon or 'Carry-all." These latter
were invariably filled with half
grown boys and girls laughing and
chattering like a lot of magpies as
the train pulled Up. They were there
presumably TO get the mail but as I
of gossip and to find out what was
going on down the road. 1 gave
myself up to listening to their chat
ter and I found myself wondering as
the train would start again on its slow
journey how many of these bright and
innocent faces there would be at the
next station to greet US 1t would
indeed. take some time, I thought TO
get a proper estimate Of these people
whose clothes would indicate that they
belonged to the farming and laboring
classes. but whose conversation accent
and grammatical phrasing would lead
one 10 DelleNE they represented class
better educated and with more culture
than one is likely to discover in such
out of the way counties as those
through which we were now passing.
BY degrees the few passengers who
had taken this train got of, and to-
wards the end OF the journey there
was no one in the coach but a vener-
able looking old gentleman and my
self He wore a long frOck coat and
an old fashioned silk hat. He repre-
scented a type I had begun to know
and recognize He seemed well known
along the road. 1t was "HOwdy col
Onel TurpinE' at every station now
and some one always asked, How s
Elem, His clean shaver face would
wreath Itself in smile as invaria bly,
he would make answer
"Ellen's well, but between the cook
ing and the music she has little time
left to frOllc with you young peO-
pie nowadays"
Its her own fault said someone
at one of the stations. for all she has
got to do Is to choose which farm she
prefers. that Of squire Hawkins or
Jim valleys Hollyhurst" At this
there was a burst Of merriment from
the young people in the wagons.
Don't be putting such notions in my
Ellen's head just now" he would
Tough back. Ellen and Bud have their
old father and mother to look after for
q while yet to say nothing Of the