The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-01-16
Germans and MOrmOns In Western
Texas.

A member of the Mexican Boundary Commission
writes TO the Providence Journal, from Fredericks
burg, on the very confines of civilization, the fol-
lowing account of the settlers they have met in
that region:
The road over which we have come is wretched
most of the way-rocky beyond descrpton-very
hilly, with some hills of considerable elevation.
On the banks OF the Guadalupe river, which ia
about eighty 10 one hundred feet wide, and which
we forded, we found three log houses, and not
having seen Il human habiaton or a living crea-
ture during the day, we very naturally rode up to
them. The buildings were rude any you ever
saw; in fact, more so F; You may, therefore, judge
of my surprise, on entering the first one, to see a
man about forty, with long beard, dressed in
pair Of coarse pantaloons and checked shirt,
opened at the breast, showing skin tanned by the
hot sun almost as dark that Of an Indian, and
sitting at rude table, engaged in reducing to pa
per some meteorological observations But my
surprise was increased on looking around the walls
of the hut, which were lined with books.
Professor Bar, the person alluded to, rose and
welcomed us in good English, when l informed
him who we were. Eie then told us that he and
the several gentlemen who had just entered belong
ed to a colony of Germans who had settled there
two years before; that they owned tract of land
a league square, and had several hundred acres
under cultivation. He had been Professor of Ma
turai History in Germany. His library embraced
Some two thousand volumes, all of The best class,
including natural history, chemistry, mjneraogy,
voyages and travels, history, etc. They were in
various languages, but chiefly in German | have
been in many libraries, but this presented the
strangest medley ever saw. The furniture OF
this primitive library consisted of broad table, a
few chairs covered with undressed skins, and IA
bedstead of the rudest kind, on which lay a bed
made of husks, but no clothes on it. Floor there
was none; the hard dry earth answered instead.
Windows there were but glass in them. Seve-
raj deer's anters were fastened 10 one side of the
room, on which were suspended several garments,
and the remaining space, not filed with books was
occupied with rifles and fowlng- pieces, of which
| counted ten.
The other gentlemen We saw seemed intelligent
md on higher order than we usually see al the
North among the German emigrants They seemed
very happy, had all they desired, and were perfect.
ly independent of the world. In an adjoining
house was quite family of women and children
belonging to the same company. In this were a
piano and some fine old oil paintings.
On the opposite side of the Guadalupe we came
10 cluster OF log houses, at which we stopped
These We're also occupied by Germans. The prin-
clpal gave me his card, which bore the nam. of
Dr. Ernst Kopp, Professor There were more com.
forts in this house than any had ever seen Tha
ladies' and children were neatly dressed and the
appearance of the whole establishment resembjsd
II country house in New England more, than in an
lid au country two thousand five hundred miles
off
After travelling on some five or six miles, we