Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1917-10-18
q mir 70 rkIIxAa.

returned laSJ week from week s
trip to the Rio Grande valley of
Texas, with the w. E. Stewart
Land Co. The trip is one which
everyone should take if the OPP
portunity presents itself, as it
gives a person an idea of the
country which cannot be gained
except by actually seeing it.
The party left Council Bluffs
Tuesday evening at 1880 over
the Burlington and arrived in
Kansas City the next morning
|just in time for breakfast. After
breakfast you are turned over to
your own resources as the south
bound train does not leave until
80. The excursion is per-
lsonally conducted one and the
entire train is made up of Pull
man sleepers and drawing rooms.
1t is special train all the way
from Kansas City to Texas and
back again so there are no stops
at small towns or uninteresting
points. Excursionists from all
over the northern country con-
grcgatc at Kansas City so that
when our train left there we had
"a special of eleven cars. AS soon
as the train is we'll under way
dinner is announced in your own
dining car and there you are as
signed TO a table where you will
eat during the entire trip.
Parsons, kas., was the first
stop in city of any Importance,
where a new train crew took
charge. About three quarters of
an hour was given the travellers
here and a short tour of the bust
ness section was made. II is a
very neat city and seemed full of
business and hustle. AT $3.50
MuskOgee, Okla, was reached,
HUT only short stop was made as
| il was Too dark to see the city and
q longer stop was promised on our
return trip.
Houston, Texas, was the next
city of Importance, which was
reached Thursday at 3:45. Hous-
ion is called The Chicago of the
south and it surely is hustling
hustling city OF several hundred
thousand On the way into the
c;ty the train passed directly by
Camp Sam Houston, where thou
sands OF the young men of the
south are being trained. 1t was
at this camp that the negro troops
went on rampage several
months ago, and killed several
people. A tour of the market
place is made. Ii surely is a sight
for northern people. The lower
floor of this large municipal
building is divided into small
booths which are rented by mer-
chants and everything in the eat
allie line can be purchased here
II is kept spotlessly clean and the
prices are very reasonable. After
the tour of the market the crowd
was taken to the Rice hotel, one
lief the finest hotels in the south
and visit paid TO the roof gar
den, which is on the eighteenth
| floor. A beautiful view of the
city can be obtained from here and
person can almost see the Cult
OF Mexico. Houston was left al
$50 on the final leg of the jour
ney to 1.-The promised land" Cot
ton fields, which are quite a sight
to the northerner, abound all the
way south from Muskogee, sc
that by the time Houston is reach
ed they have failed to be nov
city. Many oil wells are seen
many close to the railroad tracks
but the big Oil fields are further
to the east.
McAllen, Texas, was reached
about 9 a. m. Friday and here the
crowd was unloaded and put in
automobiles and two days of sight
seeing was enjoyed over the gar
den spot of the country. Fine
homes abound, set in the midst oil
beautiful palms, ferns and ban
ana plants, while the back yards
are filled with the most wonder
full variety of Towering plants
and rose bushes. Grape fruit
oranges and lemons are to be
found around all homes, while
many have their entire acreage
set to fruit. At this time of the
year the fruit is just beginning
to ripen and the trees are heavily
laden with the fruit. Grape fruit
will be on the market about the
first of November and will con-
tlnue until after Christmas
Proom corn is the most conspicu-
ous just at present on account OF
the abnormally high prices be-
ing paid. Corn, alfalfa, grass
beans, onions, lettuce, cabbage
etc, are also raised in abundance
all OF which can be seen growing
at all times of the year. The
trip these two days surely opens