The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-12-15
BACK FROM SOUTHLAND
LIKE MINNESOTA BEST

stopped at overlooked the bay alC
the sea breeZet; kept the temperature
very comfortable. Corpus is one oil
the prettiest towns in Texas, over
looking as it does Corpus Christi bay
Most OF the residents live on the
bluff which Is terraced and built NuI
with pretty concrete drive ways. The
oleanders and roses were in full
bloom when we were there and re-
minded one of a dream city. But
when norther hits you surely fee
1t on that coast. The salt air rusts
all exposed iron and the sea breezes
is very hard to get accustomed to.
ne negro mammas do the family
wash out in the back yard. The ne
groes speak of each other as colored
folks, but OF course they aren't col
ored they're just born that way The
white folks call them niggers. There
are separate WAITING rooms in the
abroad stations and separate com
partments on the trains. They call a
church church house. There are
towns in which no white man dares
to let the sun go down on his head
and in other towns no negro dares
to spend night. One niger said he
raised heap Of cotton, sold hear
and had right smart left.
After twelve at noon they address
you, good evening. When you drive
up for gas at station the attendant
greets you with what do you saw?'
whats the truth and fixing to
leave; that way, done gone, tot
ing gun" are all southern phrases
Among some of the things we
found at most every meal were hot
biscuits with ribbon cane or spotted
0ro % nd
often three times a day. Dumplings
navy and string beans, chilli, corn
bread, chicken, fried steak. Their
food was never seasoned to suit. The
drinking water was nearly always
warm and they used to hang it up in
tree in q bag to cool it Off They
drink soft rain water often. l longed
for a good cold drink of fresh Min
nesota water. Southerners cannot
make good coffee. They have poor
butter and they make their ice cream
out of condensed cream. We bought
ice cream in Oklahoma. We wouldn't
eat chicken in the south, not much
of luxury. They said they could tell
we were from the north or east by
the way we ordered meals at the
restaurant.
While at Tulsa. Okla. took in
Billy Sundays revival meetings. He
was presented with a $17,500 check
for his eight weeks service. Standing
room was at premium. The news
papers were filled with Billy Sunday
and he certainly had the town with
in his grip. At Bartlesville we at
tended spirtiualist meeting and
also visited services of the Holy
Rollers.
The Ku Klux Khan is powerfully
strong in Texas and in Dallas one
Saturday evening 1000 masked men
rode through the town. Nobody ad-
mits they belong and opinion is di-
vided regarding the merits OF the
organization.
There are no movies open on Sun
day In Texas, gambling is prohibited
and card playing is forbidden in ho-
tells and trains. Everybody plays that
niger game "4". They play 1t with
dominoes and say its played same as
500 with cards. They also play Afri-
can golf. Big boys and girls at school
are often found playing marbles.
while at one town, there was a
woman convicted of making moon
shine and as it was her second Of
tense she was given two years. They
call it corn whiskey there. This wo-
man was mother of a family be-
sides.
While at seguin the White sox
were there training, but didn't get
around to see them. The folks down
south are very inquisitiye. What's
your name, where are you from,
where are you going, what's your
business, how long you going to
stay, etc. At Goliad we were
taken for oil people. Didn't get to see
the great gushers at Mexia, Whlcn
have turned out so wonderfully.
The court house is always In the
center of the town and the streets
are built on all four sides. The stores
often have movable fronts and looks
like summer all winter long. They
have wonderful roads in Texas, but
in Oklahoma, and Missouri they
were very poors often rocky and billy
and sandy. .s
visited my sister Marietta Ewing
at Lamar, Okla. and spent a week
with her and family. While we were
gone we visited Mason City, Des
Moines, Iowa; Kansas City, Mo. st.
Joseph, Miami. Oklahoma, Bartles
Vile, Muskogee, McAllister, Tulsa
Denirison, Texas, Sherman, Fort
Worth, Dallas, Woco, Temple, Aus
tin, San Antonio, Victoria, Gohad
Beeville, Corpus Christi and Browns
vile. N. rs.
The trains burn oil instead of coal
and there are also a number OF cleo
trio interurban lines. On the whole
the trip was very interesting, but II
seemed good to get back to dear OLD
Minnesota-Mr. and Mrs. Jay II,
Sherk. ... ,...... g..