Left Texarkana 1.35 (12.35 Central) P. M. on the Texas and Pacific Road, with T. & P. engine No. 126, Engineer William Gunn, Conductor Joseph Scully, Brakeman J. C. Smith, who will run us to Longview Junction, 97 miles. E. W. Campbell, trainmaster on the Eastern Division of the Texas and Pacific, will go with us to Fort Worth, the terminus of his division, 253 miles. Trainmaster Campbell is a member of Alamo Division No. 59, of Texarkana. Brother Sloane went to a barber shop in Texarkana and got left. Trainmaster Campbell left instructions for the conductor of the following train to carry him to Longview Junction, where he will overtake us. No “weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth” in this case, for we are assured of the safety of our brother.
We arrived at Longview Junction on time, 5.22 (4.22 Central) P. M., and five minutes later the following train, No. 55, arrived and with it came Brother Sloane, who was given quite a reception, the ladies presenting him with bouquets of natural grasses and flowers and the “boys” tying a cord to him and leading him into the train. He has promised not to do it again.
Our train was attached to No. 55, which is called the “Cannon Ball” Express, and at 5.35 (4.35 Central) P. M. we left Longview Junction with a train of nine cars, drawn by T. & P. engine No. 229, in charge of Engineer E. Smith, fired by S. Jones; Conductor E. R. Woodward, Porter and Brakeman Bristoe Young, who ran us to Fort Worth, a distance of 156 miles, where we arrive 11.20 (10.20 Central) P. M. Just before reaching the city we cross the Trinity River.
When we arrive at Fort Worth we learn that there is trouble ahead of us somewhere, caused by high water, which has a discouraging effect. We will lay over at this point to-night, with the expectation of learning more in the morning. There is a heavy thunder storm and it is raining hard as we turn in at 11.30 (10.30 Central) P. M.
TUESDAY, MAY 11th.
Got up at 6.30 (5.30 Central), and found it raining hard. It cleared up about eight o’clock and the party started out to see the town, it having been announced that our train would leave at 12.15 (11.15 A M. Central) P. M., nothing definite having been learned as to the trouble ahead. Our party received the best of treatment from the good people of the town, and many places of interest were visited. Officer H. C. Town, of the city police, loaded sixteen of the party in a patrol wagon and drove through the city to the City Hall, where they were kindly received and shown over the building, from there to the water works, and through the park to a point where a trolley line took them to the station. It was a very enjoyable trip. Others of our party visited other places of interest and had equally as good a time. A
