The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-08-05

can be maintained thereafter with much facility
certainty done the plains Of Rus
land the Inundated lands OF the Mississippi the unnhab
tied forests Of America or the Alpine ranges Of Europe
- ---
II Our Brownsville CorrsspSnAsmses
BRowSsvllix, Texas, July 4, 1890.
Key wea oad rs Use-FdsA<r Alamd-Dcseriptsom asd
Adapsabnsy Of TIE 0uD Coast r S~ve Trade Psrposes-
Hoo the Ttad~s Namage-kr JohS v. Snga-Hs Lvs
ON Father Eand-SuccAs Under Ditfcanies-FtrsiIy Of
the Lswd- Resoswce Of WsalA, Salt, &c.-Canol Car
tiers, &C., dc. .uI
As the island Of Key West attracting considerable NJ
tenton this time account Of the presence there Of
large number Of Africans whom the philanthropic Uncle
Sam feeding, clothing and taking care Of in preference
TO his lawful nephews and neces 1t may not be amiss to
your seation 10 another island on the American
coast half well KNOWN yet which quite ~ deserv-
ing Of public consideration the reef Off
the coast of Florida. Key West Is the seat> acommu
nifty who live by the misfortunes Of otlers, who
earn what others ose who consequently flourish but
when their neighbors suffer most. II fttin that
such place should be selected the spot on which
TO congregate hundreds of niggers who have bsen
unfortunately wrecked in their prospect Of obtaining good
homes aud kind masters and who are now doomed 10 be
sent back the barbarsm slavery and superstition Of
the from which they had but recently been
cged. oil.
Padre sIand rather Father Island, called SO from
being the largest Of number Of similar islands along the
gulf coast Of Texas and is about hundred and twenty
five miles long by from ONT TO two miles In width II Is
island because between and the main shore Of Texas
there regular belt estuary Of the sea- extending
from the harbor Of Brazos Santiago to Corpus Christi
1t not, generally supposed, barren sea front Of
sand but rather rich fermentation Of puyerized shell
and decayed vegetation Muscle shoals form in rppcs OF
fresh water here and there along this cot which, being
swept by the ebb tide, powdered up into
the smallest PARTICLES These particles, mixing with drift
wood and decayed sea weed are again thrown upon the
shore Of the island aud here form soil entirely free
from grndstone sand and peculiarly adapted TO certain
But the peculiarly TO which desire to a,trac. the
Southern attention is the adaptsbty which has made
Padre Island resort for the initiation Of those
of vital Importance to SOUTH have boldly vensued
into New Orleans with negroes freshly imported from
OF the mpoe no the ~ the very
Uncle Sam, but also the anatnemas OF the whole
sect Of phianthrops,s and negrophisv 10
import them for years, however, into quiet places, eva
ding with punty the penalty Of the law, and the rant
ing Of the thinsnned sympathzers with Africa, was
gradually popularile the traffic BY creating demand
Tor aborers and thus to pave the way for the gradual
yval of the slave trade
To this end few men, bold and energetic, determined
twelve years ago 70 commence the business OF i'm
porting niggers slowly at rst but surely and for this
uurpose they select few secluded pacca ba the
Florida Georgia aud Texas for the purpose OF conceal
ing their stock until could be sold OUT Without sPeci-
flying other places, let me draw your attention TO
OF Texas, about thirty miles from Braxos Santiago.
Into this pocket q SLAYER could run at any hour
entrance and here she could discharge her cargo Of
moveables upon the projecting oiu and again proceed
could be marched short distance across the main island
porous soil refuses 70 retain the recent foot
prints until they were again placed IN eoam ana were
which thcken on the waters OF the Luna In the rear
These islands, being covered with thick growth Of
brushes and grass oer an inscrutabe hiding place Tor
the "bla;k diamonds."
The plan sometimes is, when IL Ii supposed 10 be
hazardous TO upon the shore 10 dsembark the mig
gers upon the of Cuba aud then detan them until
suitable opportunity offers for importing them into Texas
A gentleman told me that once, while engaged in in
yesgatng the business OF parties who had pur-
chased stores Of him. Padre Island be came across an
unclaimed African wild prairie hog After conside
that the camp was short distance above iere he was
and thai seventy i've of hs Sort had just been landed
| from Bayou Honda, In Cuba. Searchag further, my
friend informed that he found the camp and delivered
up the niger 70 his master and was rewarded with many
thar ks.
In pursuance Of the above line Of policy Il is my plea
sure you thai quite recently cargo OF nggers
imported into Padre sand and that, before this
Southwestern Texas 1t is said that this importation
was made by a man named Forrest, and as happer
| TO know that such Individual Is engaged in tho
trade and that now Is about OF his regular
turn 10 these shores, II rs more than probable that my
acquaintance aud the recent importer and the
same man Il Is further said that he burned bis vessel
sea- and that the light Of the oondagraton Was seen a
! Brazos landing.
1 ~
John Singer John v Singer sixty years old, small
In STATURE bony and muscular, with q strongly marked
counenance lie II said 10 possess the viii OF mule ant
the energy Of beaver. In 1872 In attempting TO reach
California with the rest Of the adventurers, he cos
upoa Padre Island with wife and two children, wheel
barrow and spade, aud ninety ''smooth dollars" lie wa
fixture Instantly, because he could not get away viii
sailors talents he fctef, and IN the first year earnee
his living by making shingles from cypress logs throwr
upon the beach by the Gulf stream, which constantly
| breaks upon the Island
Mr. Singer has since bought large Mexican grant which
covers almost the entire island he has also bought VI
island scrip issued by the Texas government, and located
that upon portion OF BRACES Island ibis gives him al
the entire command Of the hsrbor Of Bazos sant
ago, only port bay 30 Tam
pico distance Of I've hundred miles, into which vessels
drawing eight and nne feet water enter Through
this port consequently, all the impor'atons OF toe RIO
that in tp years this trade viii exceed 500 900
me peculiar formation Of the island renders 4
I most desirable Tor farming purposes and fOr
l stock grazing. II never requires rain, The wa
| ter being bot two feet below the sur
ace, 10 rrigate the roots, While the constant dev'
refresh the growth above ground Mr.. Singer has been
successful 10 raising Brazilian cotton for four years from
the stalks and the product he sold Ia Galveston Al
Is cents per pound lie has also Sea Island cotton
very successfully the product Of which he sold At Calves
ton at 90 cents pound sugar cane has matared thur
IS six Joints length twenty nine feet high, a1d twc
inches Ia thickness Corn, sweet Potatoes and onloni
grow In the wliest abundancc.
Another source OF wealth " be found the STAND
The salt deposits az the termination OF Iaguna Reach
where coral reef ntcrcepts the In breaking over
The beach Al this point, In high wind, the breakers
roll the coral beds and spread over wide extent Of
cede large quantities OF this saline food continue the
ov lands and being evaporated Afterwards By the sun
there remains deposit Of pure and crystal salt extending
for miles and miles over The country A. depth Of from
a. l.. NAy1,