Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-05-02

day, 21st November We remained at Crockett for
the night This is the capitol of Houston county,
and small place, but improving very fast The
stores are large and full several stages meet mere
and the travel is considerable. Next lay passed
over prairie, bottom, post oak, and sandy lands re-
spectively; remained for the night Mt Sumpter the
capitol of Trinity count, Naxf dav the sandy and
post oak lands pre- ssI but ta as Ia approached Liv
- ,'''" .s,.an, the capitol of Polk county, which,
,ush small is improving fast and took up for the
night With my friend the Rev. Reuben H. Brown
by whom | had tsen previously invited He has
Quite beautiful place within three miles of the vii
iage. It was here first saw the Umbrella China
Of which shall say more hereafter. remained
with him for two days and enjoyed the pleasant and
welcome Inequalities of his house. He is preach
or of the Baptist denomination, and maintains
character and reputation, wherever he is known,
equal to the best. Here | was introduced to his
son, John Brown, who is lawyer, and settled in
Livingston. He is young man of good talents, and
think of much promise in his profession. After
leaving here found the land as heretofore, diversi
fed in its character. passed through portion of
Liberty county, and reached Sour Lake, in Hardin
county, the 9th November which is situated in the
midst of a prairie, and covers about two acres OF
ground. About two feet of prairie soil ovcrlies
white substance deeply impregnated with lime and
sulphur. AL luis tile lake was uTy uut lueiC
were several wells from three to four feet Deep and
all of these mad water. drank from several, and
the water was very sour. In one the water was
very clear pure and beautiful and had very pecl-
liar grass growing in it. None of the other wells
had any grass at ALL either in the water or upon the
side of the banks There was also observable, in
places bituminous substance emanatng from the
SOIL which finds its way into many of these wells.
1t has the appearance and consistence OF tar, but
al I ,o&,o fuO nj acpc
in the soil where this substance was quite abundant.
The lake when covered with water which is the
generally, is said to be apparently in boiling
condition over all its surface. This is believed to
be the effect of gas. The water is said by some to
be curative in all cases except consumption, and the
place is regarded as one of the curiosities of the
State. 1t is owned and kept by Col. Lacy. very
intelligent gentleman. This State is not deficient in
mineral waters. Beside those have already named.
l could mention several springs have heard of in
different counties but most Of them receive but little
patronage The Lampasas spring, situated in Lam
pasas county, more nunerously attended than the
rest. Sulphur is said to be the predomnating in
gredicnt IN all The geological survey of the State
has developed the existence of iron ore, COAL Ignite.
"copper" lead gypsum, limestone, marbles, potters,
PIP, and fire clays The coal formation in the re-
glon of Fort Belknap is most extensive and hest
| could but observe on my way to the lake, as
heretofore in the praires the elevations of soil which
are thrown up by the ants-some of them from Is
to 20 feet in diameter and from to feet high
Upon leaving there passed through Hardin county,
over some broken swamp lands-aso some sandy
lands covered with long Leaf pine; and here found
these mounds Or elevations more numerous-most
of them were from % to 40 feet in diameter from
two to three feet high, and covered with large
growth of pine. This presented quite new and
curious feature. At first at loss to account
for their formation. Not ant was to he seen, and
the growth of the forest from its sZe presented the
same age; but little reflection gave me to under
stand they were all made by the same small labor
crs-years, and perhaps centuries gone by-and
when their work was completed their residence was
changed In passing over these sandy lands, the
traveller may often form proper estimate of their
value for production, by means of the small hills
which are thrown up by the "Salamander" from
the soil below. entered the county of Tyler where
the land was rolling, and took up for the night
at Mr. Arrants, and here again saw several trees
of the Umbrella China. From him obtained its
history. lie said the original tree stood at Lynch.
burg which is at the junction of San Jacinto river
and Buffalo Bayou, and on the South side of the
former. Two of his neighbors went there to work,
and he had one or more slaves at work at the same
place. If mistake not he said that Col. Washing
ton owned the place at the time. These neighbors
brought back with them some of the berries of this
tree and gave some to him, which he planted in the
fall Of 1851. This tree, from its size, they repre-
scented, could not have been more than seven years
old at that time In September, 1853 known as
the September storm, this tree was blown up and
washed away by the overflow of the San JacintC
river. He stated what had heard before, that nc
one knew how it came there 1t is said to have
been the only tree of its kind in Texas. In fact il
is said and believed that there is of its species
within the limits of the Union, except those trees
now growing in Texas However this may be,
will say have nothing of the kind either nortt
CT South. This tree is beautiful, and would be ad
mired by all. 1t differs materially from the com
mon China in the multitude and arrangement of it
branches together with the density of its foliage
Otherwise, they would be alike. 1t is regarded b,
all who have seen it one of the curiostes of tn
State. | reached Moscow, little village in Poll
county. on the night of the LIST December at whic!
time there came UP norther and snow storm.
was delayed thereby several days on the road ant
when | reached Crockett learned that the ther
mometer was down to 6 degrees on the 9th of De
cember. Nearly all the persons heard speak upol
the subject admitted this to have been the codes
weather ever known in Texas.
reached the place of my departure on the ST.
December. The game in this country may be con
sidered plenty. Wild turkeys are abundant an
there is quite sufficient number of Deer, althoug
the number existing heretofore has been great
diminished by the black tongue disease, which pre-
vailed here as well in our own State some year Q
so ago. Ducks, Erant and Geese arc said to b
numerous in the fall and winter Of the first hav
seen but very few; of the second none, but of tn
last | can say they are very abundant During tn
months of October and November they were passin
here nearly every day on their way still furthe
south. Smaller birds, such as are to be found
any of the southwestern States, also to be foun
here.
Upon my return, DR.. Smith informed me tn;
whilst in Crockett, gentleman arrived having tw
Leopard skins, one full grown, the other less tina
half that size. The animals from which these skin
were taken, he said he had killed in the west pc
haps last fall between the Rio Frio and the Neuc
river. This statement appeared to be at varian'
with the natural history of the country. At q
events, had never heard before Of the existence
that animal upon our continent Dr. Smith h:
seen the Leopard in the Menageries, and was Their
fore fully competent to distinguish the existing
ference between that and the Catamount or spottt
cat as it is sometimes called. Nor would ha
ventured to call your attention to tn. subject we
it not for the fact that few days ago wa, favor