|
We left Ansonia a little shy on
time but nevertheless we finally started and passed Meeker's Crossing
without a struggle, and came upon a little hamlet located between Fort
Jefferson and Meeker's (it is not on the map yet). It is called
Greenville. There right in the woods, after a long search, we found our
sleeper with the aid of a policeman, and in we went pell mell and got
located just as they whistled for St. Louis, finally Wils Hopkins, one
of the most congenial gentlemen got a closed section and invited Taylor
Dorman and your humble servant to share his hospitality which you may
guess we did. Jim Wilcox of Palestine, was also invited and gladly
accepted our friendships.
The crops through Indiana were
fairly good but they have planted it seems a peculiar kind of corn in
some localities, they call it Tucket corn, but when you strike Ill.,
there is the real stuff. I never saw finer corn nor a finer country,
they don't appear to have planted any of the Tucket corn, but once in a
while you see some broom corn. You don't see the fine barns in Ill.,
that you see in Ohio, but in its place you see hay stacked promiscously
all over the state of Ill., if the part we run through was any criterion
to be governed by.
Well here we are in St. Louis,
and nobody hurt and all able for supper. Taylor Dorman wanted to eat two
suppers, he thinks because he traveled twice as fast as he ever did
before, naturally thought he should eat twice as much as he did
previously. Bill Ross and wife were struck by the same limb but nobody
was damaged and after the dust cleared away we all settled down for the
night. Geo. Jordan, our porter is certainly all O.K. and ready to
satisfy all our wants.
Now the run from St. Louis to
Kansas City was made at night and nothing of very much interest was
taken in anything only trying to stay in your bunk. Well morning came by
and by and we pulled into Kansas City, thirty minutes late, our first
visit was to a breakfast table and after such a shaking up we were
fitted to do justice to the meal. We saw the affect of their flood which
was quite disastrous, the water being seven feet deep in the street in
and about the depot and principal business rooms. We rode over the
principal part of this rich city and were well pleased with our visit,
one we will long remember. Starting again west at 10:40 a.m. we rode and
rode before we came to the grazing portion of Kansas; their corn is poor
this year, that is generally speaking on account of too much rain in
localities. Kansas can be passed up with this crowd. Some hogs are
raised and lots of cattle and broncho ponies galore, we finally passed
through this state and struck Colorado about 9:30 on the morning of the
13th, then talk about your plains and prairie dogs, cattle and ponies
until you strike the foot hills near Pueblo, then and there everything
ceases to live but foot hills as barren as a stone but before we came to
the foot hills the conductor informed us we were about to pass through
Sugar City, we were anxious to see a city and craned our necks so as to
gain as much sight as our tickets called for, there we saw one of the
largest sugar factories of the west and surrounding country is where
acres and acres of beets are raised only by irrigating. In this same
district the Alfalfa clover is grown, acres of it and it is beautiful
while in bloom.
I was surprised about this juncture when we were
absorbed in the beauties.. (end of letter is missing _ Dale
Motschman)
|