Typed as spelled and written
Lena Stone Criswell

THE MARLIN DEMOCRAT
Eighteenth Year - Number 28
Marlin, Texas, Wednesday, August 28, 1907
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Some Changes in Twenty Years.
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       Knickerbocker, Texas, Aug. 21.
To the Democrat:
           Will you allow a western boy space in your valuable paper to tell of a visit after an absence of twenty years?  How strange it is to the human mind that such changes can be made, and yet how true.
              My parents came from Georgia to Falls county in the early '70's; lived in that county for thirteen years.
              My father lived in different parts of the county, most of the time on Blue Ridge.  There I obtained what little education I have; there is where I learned to love my county and associates.  After father's stay of thirteen years he decided to leave that county.  On the 14th day of Oct. 1887 we bade adieu to my childhood stamping ground, landed in Tom Green county on Nov. 15, 1887.
       On Aug. 1, I decided that I would go back to the land of my youthful dreams.  I landed in Marlin next day and the first one I met was Prof. Dunkum, one of my old school teachers.  He looked to me the same good man that helped me in hard studies years ago.  The next one I met was Dave McKinney, one of my school and class mates, who is in the grocery business in Marlin.  Then here are the Eddins boys; Abner holding the office of county superintendent and the other boys in good business.
       I was taken next to the hospitable of Thomas Reed, president of the Marlin National Bank. Found him doing thriving business of which his western friends feel proud.
       From Mr. Reed's I visited the Gamesons at McClanahan.  Had a nice time.  Then to Odds.  There I met my uncle, J. N. Adams.  Found him doing good business.  The next to meet was my good friend, Tom Garrett.  He has a lovely and owns thousands of acres of the best black land in Falls county.  We traveled from there down to the old Captain Blalock home.   We passed Jim Garrett's Mrs Williams' Joe Robert's old Father Kay's place and on up to Stranger.
       I found Messrs Fostr, McKinney and brothers doing a large mercantile business.  From there I was escorted to the beautiful of the McKinneys.  That afternoon we had a drive over the Ridge; found many changes.
       On Aug. 10 we turned ourselves homeward, bidding farewell to all, hoping to return again in 20 years.
                                                                           Jno. J. Arthur

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printing by The Democrat, Marlin, Falls Co., Texas