Name/Title
AU Harris, Joseph Hastings - XXXX-XX-XX letter to FamilyEntry/Object ID
1990.1.210Context
Thursday P.M.
Left St. L. 2:15. Good train. Cross Mo Riv. and follow Miss N. to Hannibal. Day coach with reclining chairs, windows open, hot and plenty of dirt. Not many passengers, one boy about 4 to 5 yrs. keeps two women busy looking after him. Can see bluffs on E side of river. Beautiful country, good corn, golden rod, orchards, tractors plowing. At edge of Miss River now. An island in the river but cannot guess dimensions of it. At Clarksville, leave river. Considerable waste land. Come to the river again, only few feet away, looks quite clear here. Considerable hills on left. R.R. bridge over Miss. Steamboat passing through drawbridge, another bridge just ahead. Now at Louisiana - Steamboat paddling along. Another considerable island covered with corn, heavy wooded bluffs at left. Sand bar in river appears to extend almost across the river. Now can see up the river for miles. Not more than 25 ft. to edge of water. Man in skiff fishing. Now coming into Hannibal, Mo. 120 miles from St. L. A fine side wheel steamboat is lying at wharf. The sandwich man comes along but I feel like I want a real dinner this time. Now at Hannibal - 23000. Leave river and start west to St Jos. Mo. Fall for ice cream cone 10c/. Not certain where I leave this line. Land is more broken than I anticipated. Concrete pikes, now a stretch of wood, now at Palmyra 2000. Farms become better. Conductor tells me I can get off at Red Cloud, Neb. about 5:00 (C.T.) I go to dining room. Take vegetable dinner 75c/, toast with poached egg, corn, green beans, spinach, mashed potatoes & butter. I ordered some weak tea 25c/. Some profit. At 8 (E.T.) it is beginning to get dark. Some difference in time. It is now dark and I must confine myself to the passengers. A good old grandpa complains of the heat. He has been riding since 3 this morning. A fat old lady is stretched out on a reclining chair and the jolting of the train certainly has a thrilling effect upon her stomach. Jack, the little boy, has gone to sleep. He and mother are going to Denver. We stop at Brookfield 8:12 to 8:22 at Chillicothe 9:00 o'clock I go to my berth. Would stay in chair but I have three addresses tomorrow and must be ready for them.
Nellie asked me to stop with them as I return but I must get home for opening and then I am out two wks next time. Could stop at Brookfield if time would permit. People getting sleepy so I will say "so long until tomorrow." Hope to mail this at St. Joe or I may beat it home.
Love to all,
Dad
