Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1867-09-10
PenciIings Of a Journey into Texas.


Pencilings Of Journey into Texas
DALLAS, DALLAS Co., TEXAS, Aug. 23d, 1867.
Filter Gazette and Consst-With thi
; ends my pencilings from Texas for tn
present. I don't know If ell my commu
. nications, have reached you, as strict quar-
antine regulations have been in operation
for the last three weeks at Galveston, an,
the mail may have been detained.
When / was residing in your parish an,
elsewhere, had been talking to quite
number of people, relating to Texas, AM
some spoke highly Of it, aud others mis-
represented 1t, and in all had but an i'm
perfect idea Of it. Who has not heard O
Texasa And who is there who has no
said unto himself, when l have none,
enough, or when it is so can, will 90 t
Texas and see what it meanss l hav.
heard Of it's attractions and read of its ad
vantages beyond measure, and how, al
who went there soon got rich, &c. That
Hand in hand and heart to heart,
The craftsmen work their royal art;
WELDING tools Of various kinds,
| Shaping thoughts and moulding minds.
So l came with the intention of seeing
and satisfying myself, and have given a
brief but imperfect description az the re-
suit of my observations, SO far as l have
been through the State, for the informa-
ton Of those who are DESTROYS of coming
TO this country in quest of permanent
homes for themselves and their posterity.
Like all new countries, Texas has it's ad-
vantages and disadvantages, and in some
respects it comes up to my expectations,
and in others, from the Aattering accounts
| heard before coming here, am disap-
pointed.
entered the State at Galveston and
went slowly Northwards and stopped at
the most important points. went North
west to Austin, there took Northeasterly
course. Then Northward to this place,
stopping at many places by the way; I
have never seen country so extensive,
presenting more beautiful physical APP
pearance and better adapted for stock
raising and agricultural purposes, with q
soil unsurpassed; many places indeed gem
orally black wavy soil strongly impreg-
mated with lime, mostly rolling prairies
interspersed with beautiful belts of timber
consisting Of post oak, red oak, live oak,
mesquite, elm, blackberry, pecan and other
timber running in every direction, m ost
commonly along the bottoms of rivers and
streams. On the highlands generally,
where the timber grows, it is gravelly or
sandy soil; the timber is not so tall as it is
in Louisiana and has more scruggy ap-
pearance, but on the prairies and along
the river bottoms it is black wavy sol
aboundlng in fertility. The country is in
general we'll watered by rivers and small
streams running in almost every direction,
with clear water running along pebbled |
or rocky bed, and many places beautiful,
cool and refreshing springs gushing out Of
the sides Of the hills and rocks.
Under tho unsettled and unreliable state
Of political affairs, would not advise any
one to come here at present. l have
shown some of the inducements offered to /
the emigrant and the boundless resources
IF the country, and those DESTROYS Of COM
ng to this country can use their own
Judgment and please themselves, but I
would say that it is the most, desirable
country in the world for those who possess
mall means; there ia every facility to get
INTO agriculture or stock raising, and in q
'hort time may acquire wealth; but for the
professional man, since the war it is not 50
good, not over third rate. The whole
country appears to be over supplied with
doctors and lawyers, and from the unset
led state Of the country and Of political
fairs, business is rather dull, with no
'ery fattering prospects of being better for
ome time. For this cause good many
itizens are leaving the State and going to
Missouri and other Western States, where
hey expect to enjoy more liberties than
hey anticipated in this country. +
There is q Freedmen's Bureau estab-
lshed here and in all the principal towns
the State, and the Register Commits
ionefs are now at work. There is gem
raj dissatisfaction prevailing among the
5hites. Those who have control Of affairs
nd pretences to exclude white men from
clustering, while all the blacks are per-
lifted to register. There were registered
this place to Saturday last 1853 whites
nd 6S colored. There was man killed
ere last week by the soldiers. A man by
he name of Vivion had committed some
epredations and was pursued by the mill
Try authorities, was overtaken by some
oldiers at a farm house near here, and on
sfusing to surrender and deliver up his :.
* shooter, he was shot at by one of the =
oldiers and died in few minutes. There =.
'as another man not far from this place
hot by negro, although not fatally.
he negro stole the white mans horse and