Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1837-1839, 1838-11-24
NlScELL n { US.
From the HesPerian.
NOTES ON TEXAS.
CHAPTER Nv.

II
u J Has,son-Bayou adjacent Country
Lots-Emigrotion- Impropements-
Acknowledgement
/ The danger Of Eleration--P risoners-
rsEy--Baaks.
s.eoo. more properly called the city Of Hous-
"a IA Mace ola less denominaiio1 exists in
80. i situated upon the south side Of Buf
R.,oa. al least sixty feet above the water,
Y.s.., one hundred miles from the COAST
A.. stands upon the edge OF "a prairy,w which
"a, oul in southerly direction to the tim
IL. fB,sssos, and on the east and west, after
- clear of the pines which flank the city
Isiiape ofa crescent, to great extent. The
IL Immediately below the iowa, assumes the
4 pwcI appearance. 1t does not exceed 80
~ width, but is very deep, with high steep
4. covered with heavy dense timber, whose
- jperlock from the opposite sides, excluding
VA from its dark waters. 1t seems 10 wind
I'M under the earth until encounteringa high
Afnmediately below the city, 1t divides off in
u % brarches, fixing at the point of separation
II md Of all navigation. One cannot enter
|. ,hades without being reminded of his I'M
"A with such feelings rs Virgil would wish
sssders 10 imagine possessed the bosom of his
u then he descended into the shades Of Aver
~ Bth branches continue to diminish IN wa
I'D timber, until, twenty five miles above, all
l,an the prairy-
NJ si.uaiion of Houston, from April to tho las I
3fOnher, when the whole country IS dry and
,ahat i as beautiful as the mind can imagine.
Il L.
rssdHriD, i. is quite muddy during the wet
4 ssx men it is as dsagreeabIe as it is at 9TH
4 rAu delightful.
Shras the place is supposed to be depend
nkits prosperity upon the country on the
BID, after you cross the bayou, is prairy, of Il
nihin soil intcrspersed with pine groves that
pa the south is also prairy, generally too wet
poor for cultivation, sometimes called craw-
land; and the soil up aud down the streams,
frh is covered with timber, is also 100 poor to
kswer any Of the substantial purposes of the far
Er
However mach it NAV dptract from the pros
BIS Of the place, about which there is a great
Hretv Of opinion, the fact is Notwithstanding
|yarent, that tho citizens Of Houston must Ieiv
pm The Brassns farmer rs the chief dependence
|hrnish their tables with every thing that Is no,
night from the United States. So far as timber
~sio come there can be no reason to complain.
saPecialy, grows quite p'cntifuliy along the
/ tAirom The depth of half Il mile to two miles
each side. The place was laid of during the
inter and spring Of 1857, the future sea,
pvernmen, for u. least four wears to come
sdEhen arrived, IN the latter part OF March
Improvements consisted OF Il one story frame
y hundred feet more in length, which hat
1t been raised, intended nv the entcrprls,n.
sapiietors for stores and public Offices; severa
Ugh log cabins. two of which were occupied n
Rerns; few linen tents which were used TO
rsries; together with three or four shantie
Eie OF poles set IN tho ground, and covered an
xlherboaried with rough split shingles. All
sever, was hustle and animation. Hammer
ssaazes were sounding in all directions; and
fah the trees "A filling around, and saw som
snengaged LAYING the foundations of houses, c
raising. and number husi.y at work mark
lsea. the ground, and preparing timber for
ssemment house. might say that here wa
Fcentrated all the energy and enterprise c
fsas; Tor there were bat few lmprovem
|aAing IN any other portion Of the republic
-s were selling at enormous prices; III som
Sances as high Is four and five thousand dollar
plece The spirit of speculation was afloa'
'diea, as false medium, distorted and displace,
sery thing.
There is fitness, if | may be allowed the ex
ps'slon, an agreement Of any given place or un
e,f,ak'ns, with a hundred other consideration
'''h winch 1t is Connected a;.d involved. that i
: necessary ioits useful issue. as Il perfect cor,
lnohs many instruments is to connect harmony
! Is q mark of wisdom which in such cases j
,0'hias more than common sense, to fo.esee al
aese dependencies and act accordingly How
: .he p,oprietors, in fixiag sucl. high prices up
] e'si. ia'S, consulted the resources OF the coun
= aha the immediate business prospects of III
.sse' IN which they had ut least an ultima,
1sfest, as most of the purchasers had no mean
pay other than the proceeds and profits of tn
s''sity itself, is question which could no, b
..sseFed without some reflection. perhaps, upo
"a sisdom and foresight. Precisely such cor
senees followed as might have been expec,e,
snls'ortunc was.so far as the propretors wcr
S'neh, that the first purchase were made b
ssenerally speaking, of no capital, with
= 10 sell 10 others of actual wealth at spec
sna But men ofthis description took an er
y different view of the value of property, an
g unwilling to purchase a, any thing like th
snai Price. The first purchasers row foun
Pssible to comply with the conditions
saad having nothing before them but Il pros
hopeless bankruptcy, MADE themselve
under a determination to make no effort I
.sA'aeir contracts
me mean time, owing to this awkward 81
II Is ne property in many instances RENAME
proved. The course Of the Proprietors
sf point OF view was highly impoltic. Nhe
aemoers OF Congress saw the immense TO
h. zach were likely to be realised ont of III
o's, they agitated the removal of the sea
ge'nment TO some other part of the republic
Sueurred IN The proprictv of change, BIT
:. 'g.eed from conflicting interests as to tn
t. should Houston continue for any lengt
"a e 10 be the seat of government, it will b
D $ much TO the fact that all the members {