Martha E. Jones Love
(Mrs. John E. Love)
FROM FLORIDA
PENSACOLA, Florida, Jan. 18, '05Mr. Ragon: As you asked me to write you a letter about our trip I will now try and do so.
Leaving home last Thursday at 10 o'clock a.m. we found ourselves in Louisville about 7:25 p.m. Did not see the beautiful Ohio River as it was dark before we arrived there. We soon found the Hotel Victoria and at 8 o'clock the next morning we left Louisville and traveled through Kentucky and saw some very queer sights. Negro shacks, that in size were so small they had to build the chimney on the outside. The worst trumble-down affairs I ever saw, with not a fruit tree, chicken, pig or anything to be seen, only pickaninnies. I asked the Conductor what they lived on, and he said he guessed, "Air, as it was very wholesome and pure."
At a station called Munfordville we saw a typical scene. Coming up the road, of which the soil was as red as brick dust, was a four ox team and black driver with a load of wood. Everyone ran to the door to see them, ourselves included. At Bowling Green we struck a snow storm and it snowed all the way to Nashville, where we again stopped for the night at the Hotel Tulane. We was to leave at 8:40, but the train was three hours late, consequently we did not arrive at Montgomery until 10 o'clock. This was our last night out. We stopped at the Windsor Hotel; it was quite cold, but no more snow. The next morning we took a walk up to the State House, which is the same old building in which the Confederate Congress met and Jefferson Davis was inaugurated President of the Confederacy about forty-four years ago. Your humble servant stood on a bright star, which marks the identical spot where Mr. Davis stood when he delivered his inaugural address.
We left Montgomery at 11:30 Sunday and arrived at Pensacola at 4:30. After getting a room and supper we started out and found the Crown Point people - the Manahan's, Wheeler's, and Scheddell's, and having concluded to rent a room and keep house we succeeded in getting one just across the street from them. We get good Jersey milk all we want, right in the house and enjoy housekeeping on a small scale, which seems more like play.
Today we all went sailing on the Bay, across to the Gulf; ate our dinner out of doors and picked up shells on the beach. The weather is getting fine now, although it was a little cold when we first came, but roses are in bloom in the yards and orange trees have both green and ripe fruit on them.
Well I will finish my letter this morning. We had a rain during the night and I am sitting with the door and window open and scarcely any fire and am wondering what the weather is at home. We get fine fish, red snapper, and oysters that are simply delicious. John is feeling splendid.
Well if I do not close you will surely never want me to write again so will say good-bye for this time.
Mrs. J.E. Love,
Corner of Alcanize and Zarragossa Sts.
Go to Martha E. Jones Love, "Pioneer History Index," for further information.
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