Fort Worth, Texas, Sept. 2-

Dear Star: Excited much after the fashion of the small boy who expects to take his first hunt, a party of Mangumite's left the hub of Greer County, and incidentally the world this morning to take a cruise south on the tail end of the iron horse, bound for Mexico. The party consisted of Geo. E. Blalock, captain; W.T. Dodson, 1st lieut: Rob't Derr, commissary, sergeant; Will Cleary, chief forager; G. B. Townsend, chaplain; and J.T. Young, sole private.

The purpose of the invasion, as you well know, is to catch fish, kill snakes, fight mesquitoes (sic.) and raise Cain.

We left Mangum in great glee with 15 cents in each pocket and 1000 mile trip ahead of us. We thought we were entitled to reduced rates - seeing that we were rendering grand old Greer such a favor in leaving, but Agent Harrington couldn't see it that way, unless we would go labeled in the sanctimonious garb of a missionary society or plumed in the bright colors of a base ball team.

We took a vote upon which role we should assume and as the vote resulted in a tie we determined to proceed as plain ordinary American citizens, pay first-class fare and ride the blind baggage if necessary.

The conductor yelled "all aboard" at 8:30 and we climbed in a coach bound for Granite. Now, lest you many forget where Granite is, I will say that it is the first station on the great Rock Island, as you go from Mangum to Lone Wolf; it owns the only oil well in Oklahoma; the finest beds of red granite in the world, and a white sulphur spring that lays in the shade anything of the kind on earth.

Passing up Lone Wolf we came to Hobart and there we took aboard our old friend and once fellow townsman "Stive" of Stevenson & Browne Lumber Co. There too we took aboard E.C. Moore, Jno. Trippet and Frank Miller. Frank and Steve left us at Mt. View.

At Ft. Cobb we met the genial, wholesouled and only "Parson" Tabor, who showed us his home and explained the beauties of frontier life. He went with us to Chickasha on his way to begin a meeting soon.

Just out of Ft. Cobb on the south bank of the Washita, we saw the oldest house in Oklahoma. It is a common ordinary looking log hut which has nothing in its appearance to suggest this distinction. It was built by the first company of Uncle Sam's Blue coats that ever camped upon the Kiowa domain, and is near the site of the fort, which was soon afterward built of adobe and called Fort Cobb. This crude monument of man's architectural ability has withstood the storms of almost 50 years and is yet to be seen meekly keeping sentinel over the civilization of which it was destined to mark the beginning. All Oklahoma should be informed of this "foundation stone" upon which, so soon, such a magnificent structure has been built, so that if possible they could visit and worship at its shrine and thus commemorate the heroic work of its founders.

Next we came to Anadarko and from the view one gets of it from the train one would imagine that he had entered it from the back door and that it consists entirely of back alleys. Anadarko may be a good town, but if it is it has a very poor way of showing it to the passerby.

After leaving Anardarko we came to another historic place near the railroad in the residence of ___ Martinez, a mexican of pure descent, who was captured by the Kiowa's during one of their marauding trips, when he was only seven years of age. When the soldiers located at Fort Cobb they noticed his peculiarity to the Indians and investigation revealed the facts as above, briefly stated; they returned him to his people, but he had learned to the Kiowa's and their wild life and did not take kindly to civilization. Like Cynthia Ann Parker he longed for his old haunts and old associates, and at the first opportunity returned to them. Martinez today resides in a handsome home surrounded by his vast fields, having yielded later to the power of civilization.

"Chickasha" was yelled in fog horn tones and we alighted to change cars and get dinner. Here our organization was first brought into play. Capt. Blalock ordered his company to the corner restaurant where Forager Cleare ordered a "straight up" dinner for twelve with six to it, with water and tooth picks on the side. The chaplain offered "thanks" and all the officers feel into line just in time to prevent the lone private from taking the whole brunt of battle on his own stomach.

Lieut. Dodson got his drinks mixed and on returning to the depot, being tired from over exertion - at the table - leaned against, what he took to be a post, but which turned out to be an angular African of the negro gender.

South of Chickasha the saddest evidence of damage from drouth became apparent. Cotton, small and opening rapidly, corn burnt up and none of the thriving conditions apparent that so abundantly exist in grand old Greer. Black jacks and sand stone; inseperable (sic) companions of nature became more and more evident as we proceeded, and latter day prosperity seemed to vanish. The dry weather continued until we reached Ringgold, Texas, where a heavy rain had fallen early in the day. It was sorely needed, for it doesn't seem possible that cattle can exist on the short burnt grass of the prairie stretching away on either side of us. Bowie, the "chicken and bread" town, marks the dividing line between prairie and timber, but both seems to have suffered alike from drouth. Some of the poorest cotton seen at all on the route was noted in this district, in some fields the stalks would not average more than 12 inches in height.

We reached Ft. Worth at 7 p.m. and were surprised to find it to be a larger town than Mangum, but were delighted that it was not half so good.

We have not yet decided which route we will take for the gate city to Mexico, Laredo, but expect to give the honor of our patronage to the road that will bid highest for the distinction.

Success to the STAR.

G.B. Townsend