Show america through a train window Fi radow the train clears its mechanical thront throat rolls out ol of the depot and I 1 the moving picture of passing scenery la is trained framed in pullman windows fragments of 0 smoke cruising over sprawling war plants that dot the outskirts of the city A peaceful industrial scene where weapons are born that wind up in the hell ol of war neat suburban homes on their best architectural behavior church steeples point ing at the sky like hands in prayer telephone poles whizzing by in indian file birds perched on their wires like notes on a musical scale i the countryside knee deep in I 1 spring pring A tapestry ol of greenery stretching toward the horizon long lines of trees planted with precision be jeweled with ripening fruits attractive lady train conductors weary travelers slumped in their seats marooned on an island of their thoughts tree lined small town streets each house ornamented with manicured hedges ribbons ol of roads wrapped around the landscape they used to be covered with traffic but now you can see miles ot of nude highways the eager anticipation in the orbs arbs of servicemen on their way home to enjoy a fur loaf the train gobbling up miles of at space as it roars through state lines no passports are needed to cross them one of the miracles too many americans take lor for granted the haze that floats over the grass at sunrise when nature Is still drowdy with morning old unpainted houses on the wrong side of at the tracks making their poverty public miles ol of undeveloped land blanketed with forests between big cities places where nature has room to stretch the train whizzing by small dusty stations surrounded by loneliness you go by so tast fast you cant even read the stations name cows grazing in chios pastures their tails continually swinging like a baton A feather of a breeze tickling a lake causing it to dimple with a million ripples piercing train whistles punctuating the night with exclamation points of sound cross country trucks moving across the roads with the slow dignity of glaciers the increased tempo of traffic that heralds the approach to a cit city A stretch of flat land broken by the wide open mouth of a valley the lights of a lonely farmhouse twinkling in the dark night the train pulling into a station with the dignity of a dowager entering a ten tea party the eternal peacefulness of forests filled with a million leaty leafy fingers reaching for the warmth of the sun fields ot of wild wildflowers flowers curtsying to the balmy winds large signs announcing that youre about to enter this or that town A sight as american as a home run tremendous ranches monopolizing giant slices shoes of territory some are almost as large as a small european nation skeletons of ghost towns slowly being turned into dust by wind and rain remnants of the wild west modern cowboys who now spend more time riding in station wagons than on bosses the brilliance of a western night a dark faced sky freckled with stars much poetry and many songs have been written in tribute to its overpowering beauty but nothing can match the firsthand first hand view of this shimmering phenomenon the many peaceful sights that make you think the war Is very far away but a plane drilling its way through the sky reminds you nothing Is beyond the wars reach peaceful indians now selling souvenirs at railroad stations cattle herds in the sunset bakli making a picture postcard to be filed in your memory desert deberg nights filled with romantic mysteries when you see the gigantic natural obstacles that still exist in the west you are filled with renewed respect and pride for the pioneers who built a civilization on the foundation of blood sweat and tears tiny villages with less population than in a big town apartment house headwaiter smiles of train porters i the delsel deisel engine entering a tunnel with a loud c cry ry dragging the serpent of cars behind it the sage brush country with an occasional motorist providing the only sign of life tired tourists chewing the fingernails of their patience eager to arrive at their destination hot dog stands planted in the middle of nowhere the billboard advising motorists this Is gods country dont drive like hell the chicago skyline resembling an unfinished jigsaw puzzle train sitters trying to whittle away time by playing cards gabbing reading or just staring at ft a pretty gal across the aisle the n mid bests gigantic fertile fields americas breadbasket A bonfire of sunlight slowly raisa raising its head over round shouldered hills traveling salesmen in club cars nibbling on bits of conversation about tiresome matters |