Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-07-26
Edith Parkinson Writes
From Houston, Texas.

LOlLn PARKINSON Virtues
From Houston, Texas.
Dear Editor: I thought would write
and tell you about my trip to Texas
last fall. intended writing sooner
but have quite forgotten 1t.
We left Ottumwa on September 8,
at 10 o'clock on Tuesday morning.
We travelled all that day and got IN
Kansas City at 8 p. m. We went over
to restaurant and got our supper.
After supper we got on q street car
and rode on the elevated railway
Then we went through big long tun-
mel. We then took walk down town.
We saw some very high buildings.
They looked to be fifteen or eighteen
stories high. We left there about
midnight. When we got on the train,
all the people were in their births
and peeping through their curtains to
see who we were. We got our births
located and l and my cousin had the
upper birth. 1t was very hot up there.
We did not have a wondow. You
could not stand up to dress; you had to
sit down. The porter came to make
up the beds about a. m. We had
breakfast about $3.50.
We saw some very large hills. They
looked nearly as large as mountains.
We saw hundreds and hundreds of
oil wells. We saw some Indian wig
vans. They had victor victrola In
the train and we went one afternoon
on the back end Of the train and
listened to II. While we were listen
ing to 1t. we crossed the Red river. 1t
was very wide.
Tuesday morning we arrived at
Houston at $3.50. We got of the train
and walked around the depot a little
while and then went back to the
train. We started about o'clock for
Galveston to spend the day. We ar
rived about II a. m. We went to the
docks and had our pictures taken.
The picture was about yard long.
ALI OF the passengers on the train
were in II. We then took a boat ride
in the "Sunflower." It was very nice.
We saw all Of the big steamers loaded
with cotton ready to take to England
and other places. We saw a light
house, and every once In q while We
could see some fish. We saw some
Jelly Fish" After a while they
landed us and we had dinner. ! did
not want very much dinner because
was thinking about the swim we were
going to have. After dinner we went
down to the beach and got bathing
suits. We put them on and went down
to the beach and when We got in, the
water was warm. We went to the end
Of the ropes but 1t was too deep. It
went over our heads and l got, my
mouth full OF salt water. After that
we went farther back. One of the
men showed me how to float. would
lie on my back and they would put
their hands under my back and let me
float on the top of the waves. We
stayed there about four hours. Then
we went on the train and started for
Mission, Texas.
We rode all that night and arrived
in Mission about 8 q. m. The grown
folks took an auto ride but we went
out to some peoples house. learned
to talk Mexican and we watched them
cook their meals. They would she'll
the corn of the cob, and put 1t on
slab and roll it until it was all
up. They would roll 1t long
time and then roll 1t out like pancakes
and put on a piece OF tin over the
open fire. That was tbout all they
would have with the exception Of black
coffee. They would have those for
every meal. I went out In the fields
and picked cotton. Six OF us kids got
an old dress and put it on, and took
swim in the irrigation bitches. MY
dress was torn and got my back all
sunburnt. 1t was blistered for week.
Pretty soon 1t peeled of. I could not
bear any one to touch 1t. 1t was
awful hot there. Sometimes 1t was
ITO degrees. But 1t seemed as soon
as the sun was down it got cool. We
kids would get out in the road and
have races after supper.
Most of the land was timber There
were lots of cactus in the fields. We
stayed there about two and one-half
weeks and then came to Houston. We
got in Houston about seven o'clock IN
the morning. We children sat in the
depot while my aunt went out to look
for q room. They found one near the
depot. We brought out furniture down
WIFI us 30 LILY uuSAc A0u W >SAAAS "Ae--
the car from Mission to Houston. 1t
took him four or five days to get here.
We roomed there about three or four
weeks and then we got five room
house. House rent is awful high here.
We had to pay $21 for that five room
house.
went to my Sunday school picnic.
We went to the beach. It was too
chilly to go in bathing, SO we just had
to look on and watch the other men
and women battle. will close now.
Hoping to see my letter in print l
am your friend.
Edith Parkinson,
sol San Jacinto ST., Houston, Texas.
P. S.-My sister wrote two years
ago about our trip to England.
Eugene Writes of Several
CAPITALS. (