Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-07-30

their region the latter the grain fruits and veg
etable products of their cooler one. In my next
[ will speak of the water power of this locality,
and of it's facilities for manufacturing flour.
1. N. YOUNG.
For the Spectator
VICTORIA, TEXAS, I
July Z, 1867. J
| Mr.. EDITOR. AFTER leaving Austin, we
crossed the Colorado and travelled due South
over high rolling prairie, interspersed with oc-
resembling old apple orchards. Occasionally
we could see farm, but most of this land is
only fit for grazing, and cattle are numerous.
| There was nothing of interest to be seen in
this country for distance of thirty-fve miles
| till we reached Lockhart the county site OF
Caldwell county, which is pleasant little town,
situated in grove of mosquito trees, and has
good school, two churches and a court house.
| After leaving this, we passed through high
| sandy post oak country till we reached Comedies
county when we again struck the mosquito
| bushes. The town of Comedies is situated on
| the east bank of the Guadalupe River, and is
| town of about 900 inhabitants, a large part of
whom are Germans. This is on the main stage
| road from Houston, via Allegton to San Anto-
| Mo but they do most of their trading with the
coast towns of Layaca and Indianola From
this point we passed down the Guadalupe, our
| road lying sometimes through rich black loan
near the river, then over wide rolling prairie,
and in all cases vast herds of cattle and horses
were constantly in sight. and many Of the cattle
were quite fat.
After leaving Clinton, the county site of De-
| Witt county, the country becomes more level as
we approach the coast and for twenty miles
above this city it is almost entirely level, and
the cattle grow more numerous as we near the
coast, and here we are literally in the great
grazing region Of Texas, the whole face OF the
country for miles around being covered with
herds Cattle weighing from 1900 to 1900 Tbs.
are sold in the market here at from ST to So in
| specie.
It is estimated that Texas now has 5000, 900
| of. cattle, and as most of the Western States
have passed laws prohibiting Texas cattle from
| being driven into their borders, there is no
market left for them but New Orleans, or Cali
| fornia or some of the new territories, and the
latter two are very unsafe owing to the great
Gently stampeded drove of beeves going to the
| U. S. troops in New Mexico, killed one of the
herdsmen, cut off his head and skinned his body
down to the waist and left it. The skinning
was supposed to have been done before they
killed him. If the ruling military despots
would give a little more attention to the Indians
and little less to negro suffrage, it would be
| better Tor all parties concerned.
Horses are numerous and cheap in this sec
ton. Mustangs can be bought at from SIS to
$40 per head, while mixed breeds and pure
| American horses bring from $50 to $3.50 per
head. Mules about the same. Sheep, hogs
and goats, all flourish we'll here. They all live
| without feeding or sailing, so the only cost is
| herding and branding.
Farming is carried on in good style by the
! Germans, of whom there are great many in
/ Western Texas. The Germans are a gregarious
i people. They live in herds. Many of the
tarmers>live in towns
1 There are several colonies in the San Marcus
river also, on the San Antonio and the Quad
\ alupe New Braunfelo, on the San Marcus,
has 1900 to 1000 inhabitants, a large part Of
whom cannot speak English. The only reply
one gets frequently on asking one Of them a
question is, nix furstay, me no spraken In
Gees They have two large factories at New
Braunfelo for cotton and woollen goods, besides
large number of workshops, and their farms
are the neatest in the country.
Many of the women work in the fields. We
have seen a fair German lass in the field using
the hoe or axe with as much skill and force as
any of the rougher sex. The Germans don't
have that tender affection and respect for their
women that we do, and usually make marriage
matter of business rather than of love and at
lection. This of course, don't apply to the
higher classes but very few of them ever get
to this country.
1915, and has near 5000 inhabitants. but most
of the Mexicans have moved away. 1t stands
on the east bank of the Guadalupe River, in a
perfectly fat country, forty miles from the gulf,
and is a pleasant, healthy place, and has con-
siderable trade. It is connected with Matagor-
da Bay by rail, a distance of thirty miles,
Most of the business is done by the Germans.
The public grounds are well laid out, and con-
sist of Court Square, Plaza and ecclesiastical
: Square.
The town was attacked by about 1900 Indians
in 1910, who killed several of the citizens and
carried off large number of horses; but failed
to get possession of the town.
The weather here is very hot. from 6 to 9 A.
NJ, at which time the gulf breeze springs up
and makes it quite pleasant There has been
an unusually large quantity of rain during the
last two weeks, and it is still raining. A wet
season here is usually followed by a large amount
of intermittent and bilious fevers, and that ter
rible soourge, the yellow fever, is now at India
nola, forty miles below here, in its worst form,
and it is much feared that it will reach this
town.
The cotton crop is being injured by the worm
in this section but still the yield will be as large
as can be saved with the present system of la
bour The corn crop is unusually fine, and it
is now quite hard in some fields.
Watermelons are very abundant, and the
finest we ever saw, but owing to the health OF
the country, that is, the prospect Of yellow fe-
yer and cholera, but few persons indulge in
them.
The fourth passed off quietly, celebrated by
radical Dutch shooting match, and horse
race among the colored persuasion, but white
folks took no account of it whatever
The boards of registration are rejecting all
that they can, even to clerks of elections, and
in some instances, when they cannot find any
pretext for rejection they just refuse to register
the applicant without giving him any reason
whatever still all are registering who can
Many persons speak Of leaving the country !;
this is wrong, for that is just what the radicals
want, so that they can have everything their
own way.
We will leave for the interior again in few
days, as we don't care to form the acquaintance
of Yellow Jack. MAGNOLIA.
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