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About Western news-Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1898-1900 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 1899)
YELLOWST DNE FALLS , cases a beautiful pink , in others blue , brown , and so forth. Leaving these paint pots and mud geysers , we reach the mouth of the Grand Canyon. This is said to be the most wonderful can yon in the world , in the coloring and formation of the rocks , which form the great walls. They are something Indescribable , and contain all the col ors in the rainbow , but the predomi nating color seems to be gold , or yel low , from which the park derives its name. Driving along the edge of this canyon to the point of prominence which extends from the road out into the canyon you look down many thou sands of feet into the Yellowstone river , which rum at the bottom of the canyon , and , although a body of water some thirty rods wide and quite deep , it seems like a mere blue thread windIng - Ing its way along the bottom of the jjreat cliffs. Nearly half a day was dnsumed in winding pur way down the steep cliffs and narrow paths to the bottom of the canyon , which af fords one a most excellent view of the colorings looking up on both sides. "Reaching the bottom of the Great Falls , which are higher than Niagara , It almost takes one's breath to watch the seething torrent of water coming from such a magnificent height. As it falls into the canyon the roar is deaf ening and the mist and spray are thrown up in a vast white cloud for some hundreds of feet. These falls , while grand , do not compare in beauty with the upper falls , which , though not BO high , is much wider and falls over terraces of rocks , which makes it more artistic. While in the Grand Canyon I had rather an exciting experience. As we started to make the ascent , my self and a lady friend took a little dif ferent road from the rest of the party. As we were following a narrow path along the side of the very steep ascent we suddenly became aware that we were traveling over what is called the Sliding Rocks , which are very small stones lying very evenly on the ground , which have the appearance of being solid until you step on them , and had it not been for timely assist ance we would have certainly gone down the precipice and thus have probably cut short our park experi ence. "Dr. Seymour is looking remarkably well , and expresses himself as having been delighted with his western trip , which has extended over three months and included all the principal cities in the north and west. " ONE OF OUR SOUTHERN SEA PORTS. ( From the Omaha World-Herald. ) Dr. W. I. Seymour of this city , who is known to many of our readers and who is spending the winter in Texas , writes an interesting letter from there regarding the great Texas seaport and other cities in the Lone Star State. "Of course , I ain following the opti cal business , as usual , and have been trying to interest the people down here in my method of straightening cross- eyes and have succeeded in making quite a stir among the cross-eyed in the community. "I have promised a number of my friends letters about the State of Texas and , perhaps , you will be interested in knowing something about the great Texas seaport , Galveston , and my im pressions in regard to Houston , in which city I am spending the winter. This city is decidedly on the improve , being the largest commercial city in the state , and the prospects for a ship canal from the Gulf of Mexico to this point seem to be very bright , in fact , an appropriation has already been se cured for this purpose and the work of widening and deepening Buffalo river on which Houston is situated will soon commence. "This is a great cotton market. In fact , cotton is the back bone of this country , as corn is of Nebraska and the low price means hard times in pro portion. Money seems to be very close here , or rather the money in the state seems to be in the hands of less people proportionately , than , is the case in Nebraska. The middle class does not predominate here as in the northern states. "I have visited all the principal cit ies in the state and find many features of interest in each one. Dallas and Ft. Worth , in the northern part of the state , are lively , busy towns , after the northern style , and in the southern part of the state San Antonio , Houston and Galvestion represent the older and more conservative cities , and are very unlike any them town , in both architecture and business customs. Business is conducted on a smaller margin and closer lines the floating population being much smaller than it is in Nebraska cities. "Houston is fifty miles inland , and there are four competing roads , which give desirable rates to Galveston , the great seaport town of Texas. I spent several days down there wandering YELLOWST ONE LAKE. _ \ ibout and taking in the sights , so nov el to a 'land-lubber. ' . i , ; "In traveling over southern Texas , one would gain 'the impression that a large portion of it is swamp , { particu larly at this time of the year , as water stands everywhere. Upon approaching Galveston , we passed through swampy land for many miles , then deliberately struck out over Galveston bay , over a bridge made of driven piles and reach ed the city , after a mile of travel over a portion of the great Gulf of Mexico. This quaint , old city is built on a long , narrow island , the water being very shallow except on the south side , which is deep enough for the largest ships to land at the wharves. Galves ton is frequently called the 'Oleander City' because of the great number of oleander trees to be found there. Some streets and avenues are completely lined with these low bush-like trees , which , when covered with their exquisite pink wax-like flowers , look like huge bouquets and lend a charming touch f color to the scene. Very few trees beside the oleander will grow in Galveston , as the soil is very poor and sandy and the high winds that prevail there at times , seem to stunt and dwarf the few cedar trees that do scramble up along the beach. Speaking of Galveston beach , I must grow enthusiastic , as it is one of the finest I have ever seen. It extends the whole length of the island some thing over thirty miles and is so hard - and smooth that it is a delight to dri e or wheel over it. In fact , it is even more comfortable to ride over than an asphalt road , and its popularity as a drive may be evidenced by the long line of carriages , buggies and convey ances of all descriptions that pass up and down its smooth surface every pleasant evening. "Galveston is said to be the home of the pirate , Lafite , who was supposed to have buried all his wealth in a certain grove of trees where he had his home. The grove still stands , and , in fact , was bought by some credulous mortal , who thought he would find the hidden treasure , and so had all the land about TINTED SPRINGS , YELLOWSTONE PARK. the premises ploughed up again and again , but-all to no purpose. The pi rate , perhaps , was not so rich as he was reported to be , or perhaps his con science hurt him before he died , and he may have given it all to have mass said for the repose of his soul. At any rate , it was never found , and the search has long been abandoned. "The city of Galveston is very nicely laid out and has a good many public buildings which are quite a credit to the place. The Ball high school is a beautiful piece of architecture , but one would never take it for a school. It has more the appearance of a public museum or library. The Galveston system of schools is very fine , I am told , and a great deal of money has been bequeathed by private individuals for educational purposes. "We wandered down to the piers and inspected the great English and Ger man freighting vessels which were ly ing at the wharves , being loaded with cotton , which goes directly to the old countries to be manufactured. "Galveston is not as popular from a passenger point of view as New Or leans ; in fact , passenger boats do not run in here in large numbers , but as a cotton market I think it is equal to any other seaport in the south. We were permitted to go upon the boats and inspected them from top to bottom tom , becoming familiar with the way in which the seamen live. There are also many schooners and ships that come in here which carry cargoes to the New England states. One ship will be Idading with cotton-seed oil in barrels , another will be taking on lum ber as this part of Texas is the great yellow pine region and still another will be loading up with cattle. "Oysters are very plentiful in Gal- veston , and the small boy who hat nothing better to do will be seen sort ing over small oysters which have been discarded by the dealers , cracking them open with his knife and eating them with great enjoyment. Others will be hanging over the edge of boats dragging the oysters loose from their moorings on the piling , while the tide is out. "After wandering about the ship yards for a time we took a car across the city and came to the resort side which is called 'The Beach. ' We spent Sunday , the 19th of this month , down there , and found it very comfortable , dressed as we were in our summer clothes , sitting in the shade. "The habits and customs of people in this section of the country are-so utterly different from those at home that there is always something new and interesting to be seen. "Railroad trains provide separate coaches for the negroes and , in fact , the colored population are a race by themselves , practically speaking , as the white people intermingle with them very little , except to employ them as servants. The negroes have their own schools and churches , but the vast majority of them are exceedingly thriftless and lazy. They seem to get along very well , however , except when a 'norther' strikes the country , which entails a great deal of suffering in this country , although the thermometer lacks a great deal of ever reaching the Nebraska mark. The houses down here are not built to keep out the cold , and when the mercury gets anywhere near zero , which has occurred but once while I have been here , it means in tense suffering among the poor whites and negroes. "The colored man I brought with me from the north has requested me to ex press his opinion about as follows : That he never has been this far south before , as he was born in Arkansas , and he has no use for southern negroes , and , in fact , is counting the days until he can get out of a country where they seem to have no respect for the darky. "I expected to take a trip to Cuba when I left home , and possibly will dose so yet , as it is not far from here , al though the novelty will not be as great now that I have met a number of people ple from there who have told us much about the country and customs of the people. "Speaking of Houston , I believe this will be the most important city in this state , as the building of the ship canal will undoubtedly cause a great boom here. I had nearly forgotten to men tion the fact that there has been con siderable Omaha capital invested in this city. In fact , quite a large addi tion was built , called 'Houston Heights. ' The prime mover in this un dertaking was a Mr. Carter from Omaha , who is known to many people there , I think , and who succeeded in having a good many fine factories built and , in fact , laid out the prettiest part of this city , but for some reason hard times , I presume it seems to have fallen through , and they are now wait ing for a second wave of prosperity to bring back all they have lost. "Speaking of the people here , I have had occasion to learn their peculiari ties in many respects. One of the principal features , I think , being their readiness to make all kinds of prom ises with no intention in the world to keep them , purely as a social matter , I suppose , but very annoying in a busi ness way. Another thing I notice , and which demonstrates the fact that they are behind the times , is the lack of fine public buildings , such as they have being very poor. There is one very handsome church here , which is said to have cost $100,000 , and is a very c handsome piece of architecture , but the theater and hotels are not at all up to the standard and are not what one would expect to find in a city of 70,000 population. ELECTRIC PEAK , YELLOWSTONE PARK. People Believe They Have Them When Such Is Not the Case , DISEASE IS NOT SO COMMON , A Few Remarks About Pteryjjlum and Tholr Cure , Gathered in an later- view wltli Dr. Seymour. An eye specialist , who meets all classes of people , has many amusing incidents in his life , some of which can be attributed to the ignorance of the general puolic regarding their own anatomy. It is an every-day occur rence in stating their trouble to the doctor for people to say that they have a cataract or that they have been told they have one by some celebrated physician , whose renown must have been confined to a very small circle and whose greatest hob"by seems to have been telling people they were go ing blind , whenever he found his skill unequal to the emergency. As a matter of fact , cataracts are not nearly so common as they are reported to be. Frequently a slight growth on the outside of the eye is supposed to be a cataract , but in reality a cataract only comes back of the iris and the condition is a cloudy or opaque ap pearance of the crystalline lens , which acts as a curtain drawn -before a win dow , as a full-fledged cataract com pletely darkens the sight. j A peculiar defect of the eye called pterygium is frequently mistaken for a cataract , when in reality it has nothing to do with the actual sight ; however , if allowed to grow they will sometimes pass over the cornea and cover a portion tion of it. This particular trouble is one that is quite common and the cause of much annoyance , as these growths are continually becoming irritated and red , giving the eye a blood-shot and bad appearance. In following up this trouble , it was learned that people who are exposed to dust and outdoor work are apt to be affected in this manner and especially is it common among seafaring men , though of course , it is not confined to any particular class of people , and any one is liable to have this defect. This abnormal growth , which gives the eye such a disagreeable expression and which is a continual source of any- noyance , can be perfectly cured by properly fitted glasses , which are the only satisfactory method of getting rid of them and at the same time it does away with the necessity of an opera tion , Which for so long has been con sidered the only way to remove them. In cutting them off , there is usually a rough place left , and the disease is liable to manifest itself again. By means of scientifically prepared glasses the cause of the defect is directly treat ed and the eye is not only protected.but the strain is removed , which keeps the pterygium growing. Even cataracts are not as serious as many other eye troubles , as it is pos sible , by a very delicate operation , to open the eyeball and remove the lens intact and the sight may then be re stored by an artificial lens , made in spectacle form. People should not become discour aged because they have been told that they have a cataract , as a skilled spe cialist can often counteract , to a great degree , the effect of a slight cataract , if genuine , by treating the eyes prop- Brly with glasses which will aid and strengthen the vision until such time is an operation may become necessary. These few statements should be par ticularly interesting to people who are iffected with these growths on the eye , is they were gathered in an interview ivith Dr. W. I. Seymour , now so widely snown throughout the state , and who lees not make assertions without being ible to prove their truth beyond a i loubt in the minds of the skeptical , md this , without charge , to those who iccept the Invitation in the same broad ight in which it is offered. fl IFPt OR AN FYF H Liu Ui\ fill LlL , A Subject Discussed by Educators in an English School , DECIDED IN FAVOR OF AN EYE Most People Would It.ither Lose a Thau Be Deprived of tuo Use of an Eye. A very interesting debate formed the feature of commencement exercises re cently in an English school. The ques tion was : "Resolved , That a man could suffer the loss of a leg easier than the loss of an eye. " It is needless to say that the affirmative side won , as the eye is considered the most valuable of all the faculties. If your eyes are per fect you are indeed fortunate. If they are impaired you are equally unfortu nate , for while doctors are numerous for every other organ of the human body and by mechanical devices the loss of a limb can be partially atoned for by skilled mechanics , the loss of an eye is irretrievable and the cause of continued anxiety on the part of the unfortunate individual for fear of los ing the other one. The loss of a limb does not materialljr hinder a man from following certain pursuits of life , but there is nothing in the way of em ployment which does not necessitate to a certain degree the possession of good sight. Have you , reader , ever brought this matter home to yourself ? Have you ever tried covering each eye in turn and trying your eyes for read ing and looking at distant objects and learning for yourself if you possess two perfect eyes ? Specialists are numerous in every line , but by the careful observer , or by one wlio has ever had any trouble with their eyes , it is admitted that skillful opticians are rare. There are very many reasons for this , chief among them being the fact that until recent years there were no regular graduates in this line , that branch of science be ing entrusted to the family physician or the jeweler , but the advent of the professional optician , who makes glass es his specialty , has changed all this. To-day intelligent persons who realize that they must seek assist ance in regard to their eyes , make this matter a careful study and ascer tain from their friends , and by the exercise of their own good judgment , learn who is to be trusted to fit them with their first pair of glasses , and here it might be well to add that the fitting of the first pair of glasses is of the utmost importance. The founda tion is then laid for the careful build ing up and improvement of the sight , or the first step is taken towards a gradual breaking down of this most precious organ , and peculiar to say , it is often the lens which seems to be the- most comfortable that is apt to do the- most damage. This is particularly true with regard to children , as a child will invariably select a lens which is too- strong , if its judgment is relied upon at all in the fitting of glasses. In many of the Eastern states , wher © , this subject has been thoroughly agi tated , legislation has been passed to- prohibit the selling of glasses by people ple who are unfamiliar with their na ture. It is difficult for one who knows- inything about the injury that Is wrought by cheap glasses to under stand why these things are not regu lated in this section of the country , as. rigidly as the selling of drugs , which. ire only allowed to be distributed by ? rofessional pharmacists , and then , ' \ mly to people who understand how to- % ise them. _ * Of course these regulations will all : ome in time , but it is to be hoped that he better enlightened who have the ipportunity to secure the best advice > n this subject will take advantage or t There is no genius in life like the.- ; enius of energy and activity. D. G _
