The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-03-05

The Condition Of Middle Texas.
A neighbor who left us q few weeks
ago, for tramp in Texas, writes us the
following lugubrious account Of the con-
dition Of the country between the rivers
Colorado and Neueces. The writer made
his journey. from the Gulf to San Anto-
MO, pedestrian excursion, and had full
opportunity to witness the prevailing
distress. The letter is dated San Anto-
MO, February 18th:
Mr.. CAMILLE: For the benefit Of those
who may be indulging any desires to visit
this land Of supposed abundance, will give
you q short sketch Of what saw in travel |
ing from Indianolo, on Matagorda Bay, to
this city. There has been scarcely any rain
in this region Of country for three years; and
during the last season there was no rain at
all, so that not bushel of corn was raised
from Victoria to the mountains. The drouth
was SO severe as to kill the roots Of the grass
over large regions Of the prairies, and where
there was little fertility left, along the
course of the streams and IN the low val
legs, the grasshoppers came in clouds and
consumed it. One farmer on the road told
me that he had nursed with great care, by
irrigation, about one bundled and twenty
head Of fine cabbage, the only green thing he
had upon his place. He left them one night,
leek and thrifty, and in tho morning only
their fbrous stumps lied the grass
hoppers had taken the last leaf. His patch
of turnips disappeared in the same way.
met several families on the road, who were
going back to the old States, driven away by
the prevailing famine. In conversation with
many farmers, as I came along, they told me,
If the next season proved as dry as the three
last, this region of Texas would be deserted.
They. however, hope for better things. The
recent heavy rains have almost inundated the
lower country, and pretty well soaked the
soil up here. Towards the coast the country
is nearly impossible from the depth of the
mud, and as all provisions have to be hauled
from Matogorda Bay, for the supply of the
inhabitants of the up country, there is an
absolute famine from the impossibility of
getting transportation. They have scarcely
anything to eat but beef. It's beef for break
fast-beef for dinner-and beef for supper
in three-fourths Of the families, without q
vegetable or piece of bread with it. 1t has
been so for many weeks, and am surprised
that it does not produce an epidemic disease.
Some corn is brought in here on pack mules
from Mexico, and sold for two dollars bushel
Flour has been from fourteen to eighteen dol
lars barrel; potatoes three dollars bushel
coffee and sugar sell from twenty tn twenty
five cents per pound. These prices place
them beyond tho reach of the farmers who
have had no crops to sell the last three years.
Some Of the most respectable planters told
me they had lived for weeks without vege-
table or morsel Of bread, Beef and mutton
are to be had for about four cents per pound
which is twice the usual price. Some of the
settlers told me they had written to the papers
in ths older States, warning people not tc
come to this region, to spare themselves the
Notifying necessity of refusing to give them
something to eat for themselves and horses
Large herds of horses and cattle have been
driven west to the Medina and Neueces, where
the grass is now knee high and rs green as
. wheatfeld. The severe drouth seems to
have been confined to the region between the
Brazos and Neueces.
On my way up, / passed two men with
two teams of ten yoke of oxen who had
been ssrsn weeks On q journey to Lavacet
and back, q distance which i walked in five
day. Thov baJ rooxn;,ol ,,,;,L tbxoa ,,o,,
yoke, and now had only five yoke left, having
lost seven on the way. The road was streweC
with the carcasses Of worn-down and ex
hausted animals that had been left to die.-
They lay sometimes two and three together
just as they had fallen in the team TIL
wolves and buzzards were making feast GU
Of the little flesh left on the bones of the poo
animals Among the hundreds of carcasses
saw only one mule, proving the superio
powers of endurance of this animal over tn
horse or OK.
San Antonio is located on the mos. beaut;
fnl stream ever saw, about four miles fror
where il bursts from the side of the NOM
tain-a river of full proportions at its sourc,
It's waters are tepid, and it winds throug
the town in o succession of acute bends. i
sway that gives every man supply of wat'
aud bathing house in his own yard. 1t
deep, and the current swift enough to turn
mill. Many of the inhabitants irrigate the
lands by wheels placed in the stream III
throw the water up to an elevation to spres
IL over the surface.
This city is said to contain about 100
inhabitants. About one-third Of the Pop'
lation IL American, the remainder are Mex
saps mixed with Indians, negroes, Frsps