Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-05-02


and small place, but improving very fast The
stores are large and full; several stages meet here
and the travel is considerable. Next day passed
over prairie bottom post oak, and sandy lands re-
spectively; remained for the night at Sumpter, the
capitol of Trinity county. Next day the sandy ana
post oak lands prevailed; but as approached Liv-
ingston, there were some prairies passed through
Livingston, the capitol of Polk county, which,
though small is improving fast and took up for the
night with my friend the Rev. Reuben H. Brown
by whom | had been previously invited. lie mas
quite beautiful place within three miles OF the WI
lage 1t was here first saw the Umbrella Emma
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 a
character and reputation, wherever he is known,
equal to the hest. 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, heretofore, diversi
fled 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 prairie, and covers about two acres Of
ground. About two feet Of prairie soil overlies a
white substance deeply impregnated with lime and
sulphur. At this time the lake was dry but there
were several wells from three to four feet deep and
all of these had water. | drank from several, and
the water very sour. In one the water was
very clear, pure and beautiful, and had very pccr-
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 emanating from the
soil, which finds its way INTO many OF these wells.
1t has the appearance and conSlStence OF tar, but
differing in the smell. noticed one or two places
in the soil where this substance was quite abundant.
The lake when covered with water, which is the
case generally, is said 10 he apparently in boiling
condition over all its surface. This is believed to
he 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 curioSties 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,
| could mention several springs l have heard Of in
different counties but most of them receive but little
patronage. The LampaSaS spring, situated in Lam
paSaS county, IS more numerOuSly attended than the
rest. Sulphur is said to be the predominatng in
gredent IN ALL The geological survey Of the State
has developed the existence of iron ore coal Ignite.
copper, lead, gypsum, limestone, marbles, pOtterS,
p and fire clays. The coal formation in the re-
.Ion of Fort Bclknap is most extensive and best
could but observe on my way TO the lake, as
heretofore in the prairies the elevations Of soil which
thrown up by the antS-Some of them from 10
to 30 feet in diameter and from to / feet high.
Upon leaving there passed through Hardin county,
over some broken swamp landS-alSo sandy
lands covered with long leaf pine and here found
these mounds or elevations more numerouS-most
of them were from % to 10 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 was at loss to account
for their formation. Not ant was to he seen, and
the growth of the forest from its size presented the
same age; bat little reflection gave me to under
stand they were all made by the same small labor
ers-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 a 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 more 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. He 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-
Sented could not have been more than seven years
old at that time. In September, 1888, known as
the September Storm this tree was blown up and
washed away by the overflow of the San Jacinto
river. He stated what had heard before) that no
been the only tree of its kind in Texas. In fact it
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 north
or South. This tree is beautiful, and would be adj
mred by all. 1t differs materially from the COM
mon China in the multitude and arrangement Of its
branches together with the density of its foliage.
Otherwise, they would be alike. 1t is regarded by
all who have Seen it as ono Of the curOSeS of the
State. | reached Moscow, little village in Polk
county on the night of the LIST December, at which
time there came up norther and snow storm. ]
was delayed thereby several days on the read, and
when | reached Crockett | learned that the Their
mometer was down to degrees on the 9th of De-
cember. Nearly all the persons heard speak upon
the subject admitted this to have been the coolest
| weather ever known in Texas.
| reached the place of my departure the Sth
| December. The game in this country NAV be con-
sidered plenty. Wild turkeys abundant, and
there is quite sufficient number of Deer although
| the number existing heretofore has been greatly
diminished by the black tongue disease, which pre-
vailed here well our own State some year or
so ago. Ducks, Brant and Geese are said to be
numerous in the fall and winter of the first have
| seen but very few; of the second none but of the
| last | can say they very abundant. During the
months of October and November they were passing
! here nearly every day their way still further
south. Smaller birds, such to he found in
any OF the southwestern States also to be found
| here.
! Upon my return DIR. Smith informed me that
whilst in Crockett, gentleman arrived having two
Leopard SKINS one full grown, the other less than
half that size. The animals from which these skins
were taken, he said he had killed in the west per-
haps last fall between the Rio Frio and the Neuces
river. This statement appeared to be at variance
with the natural history of the country. At all
events, had never heard before of the existence of
liz ST,,fl ho1
seen the Leopard in the MenagerieS, and there
fore fully competent to distinguish the existing diff
ference between that and the Caamount or spotted
cat as it is sometimes called. Nor would have
ventured to call your attention to tn, subject were
it not for the fact that few days ago wa favored