Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-02-23

old States. How long have you been in
the State How long will you remain
SC. And it is said they used to ask what
crime you committed before you left and
if you had not shown youi valor by some
. horrible deed, you were not admitted as a
citizen of the "House of Refuge" But this
classof people is becoming sparce in the
State now, the most of them having remoy-
ed to California and other parts. The state
of society is now tolerably good, and i'm
proving very fast. The spirit of imitation
is becoming somewhat developed here,
As the new settles come in and open out
their large farms of cotton and corn, and
set an example of industry aM enterprise,
that ndolent spirit and great lack OF ener-
gy which is so common among The first in
habitants, vanish; and those who can imi-
tate the good farmer, will do so, and those
who are inclined to herd their cattle and
live recluse life, will move westward,
rather mortified that their plain and rude
manner of living ir incidence and ease,
must give place to civilization and refne-
ment.
Raw.hide is the great staple here, and al
most all machinery is propelled by it. 1t
has been said that Texas would have been
broke had it not been made of raw-hide.-
Wages in every branch Of business are high.
A negro man will hire fol from $200 to
S24O year. The people are now very
much alive to internal Improvements sew
eral railways are in contemplation, and will
perbaps be completed within the next year.
II is the best country for railroads ever
saw. The water power is very limited;
there is no stream which could be nav,ga-
ted successfully. Austin is beautifully sit
uated and bids fair to become an important
CITY. The State.hcpse is now going up; the
building material is white rock, the finest
I ever saw. It can be sawed or hewn into
any shape you wish it, and when exposed
to the air and sun becomes perfectly hard.
The cost is estimated at about one hundred
thousand dollars.
The country about Austin, and above it,
is beautiful rolling prairie, rich. and said TO
produce good wheat. ] visited merchant
mill near Georgetown, 25 miles above Aus:
tin. The wheat was not of a very good
quality, though it is worth from two to three
dollars per bushe. The water is clear and
beautiful and there is every appearance OF
health, though there is some sickness here.
Many Of the people are quite indoient & pay
butlittle attention to improvenents-settlers
being chiefly Southern men, who are noto-
rious for their love Of ease, leisure and COM
fort. They live in open houses, and WIN.
dows are wholly unnecessary, as the Hood
of light which pours in through the cracks
would completely extingulsh the window
and render It as useless as the moon at noon
day. Large herds of cattle are owned by
some men, from one hundred to five thou
sand head. Beef is worth from two TO
three cents per pound pork from FIVE to
eight -four from nine TO eleven dollars per
barrel.
The grand objections 10 this country are,
the scarcity of timber and water, and the
sudden changes in the weather. Some
days it Is so warm as to be uncomfortable,
and in ten minutes il will be very colo, the
most penetrating cold ever felt. Land is
advancing very fast. On the rivers it is
worth from five to ten dollars, unimproved;
and improved land as worth from Ten TO fit
ty dollars per acre, according TO quality,
however it is as low as fifty cents per acre.
Lands on the Colorado will produce one
hundred bushels corn per acre. A man
on the Colorado told me he would make 80
bales cotton TO each hand this year. Build
ing material is scarce. and consequently
improving farm is very expensive. Emil
grant. labor under many inconveniencies
when they first come here. There is now,
and has been, very heavy emigration to
this State, perhaps more than to any other
State in the Union, and the country is fill
ing up very fast. By the Texas rangers
and American regulars the Indians are kept
hack in the North-west-I believe living in
great want and privation, exciting the SYM
1athy of the humane, and source of pleas:
IRE TO the hiood-thisty. | have understood
that the chief of the Camanche tribe has
EXPRESSED wish te become friendly. and
desires the Government to send an agent
to instruct them in the arts of farming. &c.
Yours, &c. ORIENT.