The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1859-04-13
LETTER FROM TEXAS.

A McGregor friend favors us with letter
from a brother now engaged in exploring
the Texan country. As many hereabouts
are looking in that direction for homes, the
letter will be read with interest:
SAN ANTONIO, BExAR CO., TEXAS
Sunday, March 18th, 1859.
DEAR George when and where from
my last was dated. this deponent remembers
not, and having no notes, will give you my
Texan observations us they occur to me-
Landed at Galveston Z A. NJ, Jan'y. 3lst
only one decent hotel there, Usland City
House, of which | learned too late, to avail
myselt-and here let me say that Wis
CoUNTRY-tayprns, offer much BETTER accom-
modations than 50 a day houses in Texas,
(the Island City, Galveston,) and (Merger.
Hotel, San Antonio being the ONLY excep-
tions I've met with OF heard of. Galveston
evlnces more thrift than any other Texan
town I've seen, and you hardly need to be
told that its leading citizens and merchants
are from the North, they've left their mark
Enthusiastically about them. l noticed 2
lron-tront stores, many of stone and brick :;
the residences are mostly of wood, and sur
rounded by tasteful gardens of flowers and
shrubbery. All through the South consid-
cradle attention is paid to horticulture-fine
gardens are more often met with than at the
North. Oranges and Bananas We're on the
trees; roses and other flowers in bloom
Music is not neglected there, and was
tempted to loiter several times in front of
houses from which issued familiar tunes on
the piano; (the only music-store in Texas
is at Galveston.) Business did not seem
very brisk, but l was informed that they did
a large and steady trade with the interior
There are several Badgers living in Calves
ton, Capt. Hawley, dredge builder, is one)
but didn't know of them, while there, or
| should have looked 'em up. p. M. of
same day, took the steamboat, up Buffalo
Bayou, for Houston, IS miles for $500, had
tip top supper with all the variety, fuss,
formality of lst class Hotel dinner. At
ter supper, while looking at game of
Vingt ct un (2l, D. A. Gillies (of Mil Daily
Am'a) came on board, also another Badger
Ga stranger to me) whose name forget. l
was glad to meet any one I'd seen before,
and Dave seemed to reciprocate the senti-
ment; he told me of several Badgers who
were at Houston, for which place he was
bound. Gambling seems to be the only
amusement thought of on southern steam
boats; draw-poker, yingt ct un and eucher,
We're in full blast when l turned in that
night. When | awoke we were at the land
ing at Houston; was soon domesticated in
the Merchant Hotel-best in the place, 50 a
day, but hard fare, everything sloyenly, the
least possible amount of cheapest kind of
furniture, in a room with no carpet, to 5
in room. This house is kept by Jas. Rouse
formerly Badger, has kept tavern in st.
Paul. Saw S. Cummings formerly insur-
ance agent at Mil.,) he is teaching singing
school at Houston, where they have several
churches, but nary choir; also saw Barton,
Bragdon and Southworth, X. X. men from
Wis, Steve Chase, (Supt. of Texas Centl.
II. r., Jim Whitney and another from Mil.
& Hor. II. r., and Chubbuck, Civil Enyi-
neer on Buffalo Bayou, Brazos g. Colorado
r. X.
Houston looks like an old place that had
seen its best days, has but FEW good build
ings and NO fine ones, mostly and story
wooden buildings; the people 'blow" pretty
strong about the business and prosperity Of
the place. but everything was dull when /
was there, and felt inclined to receive their
otdeSiuChtS CuIu SI1Ilo Sails. SdW u man
there with beard 4 times as long as mine,
(needless) who learned is a brother of the
notorious Monroe Edwards, the forger.-
Left on the Texas Central r. r., 4th Feb'y. :;
dined at Hampstead, place of 800 or ! 900
inhabitants, grown up at the present ter
minus Of the r. r., where the Stage Agent
very literally consented to carry my extra
baggage (all over 80 lbs. gross) for 10 l-2
cts. per 10. to Austin, 1872 miles; $3.50
passage, $3.50 baggage, $26,6O for live
freight and trunks weighing total 29O lbs.
| tried to have him weigh me out at the
same rate as baggage and waive the so lbs.
allowed, but he declined, when explained
that as baggage did not get out and walk !
should claim the same privilege at that price
We started of at good rate with 6 horses,
but had hardly begun to scrape acquain-
tance when we struck the Brazos Bottoms
and received peremptory invite from Jehu
to pedestrianize; walked but short dis
tance before We had to go back and help our
coachee out of the mud; he had'n gone 80
feet from where We got out, when horses
begged down, 2 laid over and would'n mt try
to get up; liberal use Of whip and muscle
set the mud wagon rolling again in about
20 or 80 minutes. Having got over the
worst part Of the bottoms, we insisted on
tho loI;ac r;A;p.. (to. Jah,, hal III L. L..