The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-03-26
Corcspondencre Of tho Now York Sun,

Correspondence Of tho New York Sun.
UPPER RIO GRANpE, Feb. 9Th, 1851.
Interesting description qf Teras--Life,
and ogrfcutiure-P Productions If ihe soil,
9c-Ks coal and gold mines Icras
Society, dc. dc. sat ~,
This is letter of items--a miscellaneous
catalogue Of border doings and events--and
you must Gull from it whatever may be, il
such there ia. to your taste. ] believe YOU
and every body else knew before, that there
were coal beds Of fine quality on the Rio
Brayo, but have the pleasure of stating
that n bod of bituminous coal outc.ops on
Tho bank Of the river; about mile below
sIort Duncan, and that it burns, as have
tested, freely and well even in common
Fireplace. A steamboat plying UP and
down this river, as Harry Love proved by
practice. and Capt. Kngsbury by science,
is practicable--can be supplied with con-
venient and superior fuel very cheaply. So
much for the most necessary weapon for
regulating the Indians floating sentinel.
Gold and silver has been found by the
&gunsmiti, of Fort Duncan, some six or eight
miles from Eagle Pass; but the whole affair
is kept very quiet, for some reason or other
There are abundant proofs of the existence
of rich mines in northern and north western
Texas--bul hitherto the Indians have kept
off the whites, and the government was too
young and feeble to plant and defend settle
ments. Now, tho veil is about to he with.
drawn, and the world will be surprised to
find a nearer and more inviting gold region
than California-though it will not equal its
felder sister in prolific vns,ncss. Texas
and Now Mexico will give bread as well as
gold TO their miners, and offer them bcs dcs,
. beautiful and healthy Wales in which to plant
fair homesteads. But SO, too, will Califor-
mia, wheE we know her be,tcr.--Thcro
must be green ravines, and gushing springs,
IN the burrows Of those hard, rich misers,
the Gold Quartz Mountains.
This climate is truly delightful, i, is soft
and genial. yet AZ pure and free from
SssNIiasna az the hills Of the North. February
S$is the month for planting here. Turnips,
cabbage lettuce, and Irish potatoes, were
planted in January, by Baptis,c Duprc, who
has set about giving Eagle Pass regular
market garden, the first thing Of the kind on
the Rio Bravo, and everything bids fair to
them. Mr. Campbell, the senior proprietor
OF the pleasant valley tract, has planted
from one TO two hundred fruit trees, grape
vines and ornamental shrubs, brought from
the neighboring Mexican towns, and have
&.
We adopted the Mexican custom Of planting
on the festival Of The Cantlclara, the second
OF February, and the three days succeeding.
There is every promise OF success with our
trees, and SO rapid is growth here that We
may reasonably expect figs, peaches, plums,
Erapcst and pomegranitcs, together with
some fruits Unknown to the colder North
year from the coming summcr-from the
year old plants just put in the ground, The
apples will be year later.
should observe that the art Of grating
is not understood or practiscd among the
border Mcxicans, and their apples and pears
arcsgeneraily small inferior favored, like
the fruit from the natural stocks in other
places. Cherries, currants, and the rich
varieties OF the plum cultivated in the older
States, have not yet seen here, but shall
make an effort to introduce them next year.
AS it is, we have planted the first frui, trees
---as before we had built the first house in
this county (Kinncy) outside of Fort
Duncan. This was in the beginning of
1850. and then excepting at the site on
Which Fort Duncan was rising, there were
no American families within ii hundred
miles. Now there is good society, really
comfortable dwellings, half.a-lozon flour.
;sSlsitng stores, an extensive trade with tho
interior ofAlexico, and all the essential
iIxnries of life at command-except a mail
route. We have no vsgabonds and no civil
officers: neither have we doctor, a lawyer,
or divine in the settlement; yet soul, body,
and estates seem in heal,hful security. /
never saw more peaceful, welI-disposcd
community, and, except the practice Of
kidnapping Mexicans and selling thom back
to slavery, which seems to enjoy the favor
and countenance OF government, and there
lore 10 IN measure lcgalizcd, we hear Of
no violence or infractons Of the law.
What we do want s class of superior
nse their hands, and intelligent enough to
uso them with skill and effect, in the
erection Of dwellings, mills, and wells.
The last season a direct road was
surveyed by the citizens Of Corpus Christi
our nearest seaport, although La Vuca is
more known and used--and the distance by
an excellent route is not far from 5 miles,
The government will finally adopt this
route Tor transportation, and then it will not
have to depend on The Mcxicans for corn.
and pay them 8 80 4 bushcl for il, when
but for this dependence, they would be glad
to supply it at SO cents. The rich proprie-
tors. like our friend and ncighbor, Don
Felipe do la CARA, will have three or four
Thousand bushels in their granarics, vet
rofuse to sell any people at less than those
cxorbitant prices. EAGLE Pass.
~~~-o~-~>..
SINGULAR DELusIoN.-Not long time
since respectable elderly lady called at
the office of the Queens Ren,embranccr,
London, and curtseying very low, request
ed few minutes conversation with one
OF tho clerks: She stated she was most
anxious 10 know how cause stood, in
which she was most deeply interested; that
property 10 considerable amount had
been withheld from her family. The clerk,
azwho had been some years in the Office, and
ss'Who was noted for his urbaniiy and gentle.
manly bearing, POLITELY inquired The name
OF the cause. His surprise and as,onish
ment may be conceived, when the lady re-
piled: The Morning Star rs. The Old
Globe
The property in dispute was consider
able number of acres of land upon tho
plain Of Jordan, descended to her in riph,
line from Lot: that she had taken out a
subpnna against Adam, and that Melchiz,.