Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1921-02-10
"reminiscences.
Personal Rseo|leetlsns Of a Trip to Texas
In Pioneer Days, and Some Incl
dents In Cow Boy Life In
the West.
(By L. N. Perkins.

About the time thought I had
my arrangements perfected to
start toMissouri my plans were
rudely shattered by a severe espell
of sickness which the doctors
pronounced spotted fever or con-
gestion of the brain, a disease
prevailing to some extent in that
low, hot climate, and consi dered
very dangerous and often times
fatal. The mistake I made was
going from the mountainous re.
gions Of Virginia, where I was
raised, and stopping through dog
days in that country of malaria
and fever. I was fortunate in
having the services of two emf
nent physicians who lived in a
nearby town who succeeded in
breaking the fever in three days
time, but the fever left me very
weak and it was a month or more
before / was able to do much,
which was hard on me as I was
deepening on my labor for money
to travel on. But in a short time I
was able to work. I helped Mr..
Redford, who was closing out
some business matters and need
ed help in making out accounts,
collecting, etc. But as soon as l
was able to work on the farm l
went back to Mr.. Hatchers, in
fact, made his house my home
all the while. Soon after this time
Mr.. Hatcher informed me that
he had decided to make a trip
with his family to Texas. His
wife had two brothe rs living not
very far..from Dallas whohad been
urging him to come to Texas and
make some investments, if he
did not wish to locate perma.
nently in the country. Mr.. Hat.
cher was worth about $4,000,
which, in those days, was con,
sidered some MONEY, and his
family consisted of wife and four
I; children, ranging in age from
two to twelve years. So they pro-
posed to me if I would stay on
with him, help him what could
and help his wife take care of the
trip (he being a cripple), that he
would pay my expenses and we
would 60 together. 1t was then
in the early fall, and as soon as
| he could wind mp his business
and market his tobacco we would
make the start and try and get
there before Christmas. He did
not propose to sell his farm or
much of his stock, but 60 on a
pleasure trip and probably make
business of it also. This was
good news for me and l readily
] consented, and we went earnest
ly tn work to accomplish the un.
dertaking.
1t was some time in Novem Der
before we got ready to start, and
the route selected was by rail tc
Memphis, Tenn. thence by steam
boat to Shreveport. La, where
we could again 60 by rail short
} distance. At that tine there was
no railroad near North. west Tex
as, and most Of the travel from
east of the Mississippi river was
by wagon or stage. We took the
train at Clarkesville, Tenn, a sta
ton on the road from Bowling
Green, KY, to Memphis. 1t wa.
about sundown when we reach
! ed Memphis and we did not have
any time that evening to look a
round for steam boat passage, 81
we went to a S4.00 per day hote
and spent the night.
\ The next morning we went t.
boat landing to make enquiry a
bout passage to Shreveport, ant
found there was no boat line eli
: ther to Shreveport or mouth o
mouth of Red river. At the latte
: place there was-no boat landin,
or anything else, except the wa