Ocean to Ocean on Horseback: Being the Story of a Tour in the Saddle from the Atlantic to the Pacific; with Especial Reference to the Early History and Development of Cities and Towns Along the Route; and Regions Traversed Beyond the Mississippi; Together with Incidents, Anecdotes and Adventures of the JourneyGlazier, Willard W.
History
Ocean to Ocean on Horseback: Being the Story of a Tour in the Saddle from the Atlantic to the Pacific; with Especial Reference to the Early History and Development of Cities and Towns Along the Route; and Regions Traversed Beyond the Mississippi; Together with Incidents, Anecdotes and Adventures of the Journey
Glazier, Willard W.
United States -- Description and travel
As soon as _Paul_ was led out in front of the Witt House at Marshall, a
large crowd gathered about us; and when I had taken my seat in the
saddle, one of the number stepped forward in behalf of the townspeople
to invite me to return at a time which had previously been agreed upon
and lecture on the heroes of the Revolution. Giving them the best
promise I could, I hurried away as I had a good six hours' ride before
me.
Since the day before there had been a decided change in the weather. The
sun blazed down with almost tropical heat, drying up the roads and
making my way a veritable fiery furnace. I had a rare opportunity for
watching "Old Sol" on these solitary rides, as he appeared unfailingly
in the morning, swung through the heavens, and vanished in the west at
night. It was now harvest time, and since that early day in May on which
I started westward, I had kept my eye on him like a true worshipper,
half understanding the pagan with his devotion to Apollo, and half in
sympathy with the Indian who greets the Sun-god and weaves the splendid
symbol into pouch and canoe and mocassin. Between the hours of ten and
four particularly the heat was intense, but in other respects the day
was uneventful.
Ninety-fourth Day.
_Private House_,
BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN,
_August Thirteenth_.
On the preceding evening a full house greeted me at Stuart's Hall, where
I was introduced by a comrade of the G. A. R., Lieutenant Eugene T.
Freeman. After the lecture I met several of the leading men of the town
and later was invited to a private residence, where I was made at home
during the remainder of my stay. The Lieutenant called for me on Sunday
morning, and I accompanied him to church, meeting the pastor, Rev. L. D.
Palmer, who spoke with animation and warmth and made the service an
effective one. I enjoyed it all the more perhaps as I realized that
before many Sundays I would be on the Great Plains beyond the
Mississippi, where churches are known to be very rare. Continuing his
courtesies, my comrade friend drove me out to the favorite resort, Lake
Goguac, in the afternoon and there I had several fine views of the
surrounding country. This little incident suggests an interesting theory
concerning one of the pre-historic races who are supposed to have
occupied this section of the country. It seems that in the ancient
symbolic manuscripts of the Aztecs frequent mention is made of a land
which they called Aztelan, compounded of the symbols A. T. S. and
signifying "Lake Country," from which also their own name is derived,
making it to mean "the people of the lake country." They refer to their
former home as a country lying towards the north and giving further
details which might be descriptive of the Peninsular State--so the
theorist thinks. As a coincident, but advanced nevertheless as a strong
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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