Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-11-18
CORRESPONDENCE.


THE COTTON CRoP-A TEXAS CIrY-A RAILROAD
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES KILLED.
SAN ANTONIO, TExAs. Oct. 80. 1869.
MKssRs. EDITORS :-Once more your Texas
correspondent comelh up to the " scratch" with
his veteran pen-I soy veteran pen, not veteran
correspondent-and endeavors to give your read
ers inkling of affairs in the Lone Steer State.
Since my last, have, by much eating and large
drinking, managed to live, and that is saying
great deal, II not more. sleep with pair of
"Colt's" every night, and have bottle, pair
of boots, ditto saddle pockets, and night mares,
lying around loose. suppose the night mares
are around looking after my Colts" but as
they are Hgrovn, / wish they would keep away.
Perhaps lighter suppers and less beef would
starve them of, and intend to try 1t some day
or night, just as on experiment.
/ left Austin on the 9th, and rode here, some
eighty miles. on horseback. The weather has
been delightful for several days-soft, balmy and
full of sunshine. Since my last, have been ON
| long trip out on the Brazos. l saw cotton
| there OF the most gigantic description, ranging
| from six to ten feet In hight, and snowy with
opened bolls. Much cotton will be lost on tue
| Brazos frem want OF hands to pick it out. Take
the whole State, however, there will be not much
in excess OF half q crop of cotton, but, owing to
| the immense area planted, moro bales will prota'
bly, be exported than In any year since the war
Corn Is very plentiful, and will average about Al
| cents throughout the State.
| l also visited Calvert, at the terminus OF the
| Texas Central Railroad. Here found city Of
1000 inhabitants with stumps still in The streets
and the shade Of the original forests falling upon
hali-finishcd buildings. One hundred and nifty
stores do rushing business, and improvement
on every hand is the order of the day. The oil
echoed with confused diu, through which ont
might distinguish the shrek Of the locomotve't
whistle-the pistollike reports OF innumeraolt
long-lashcd whips, welded by stawart teamsteri
the sharp cry of news boys-the ringing o.
hundreds of hammers-the biting Of saws-tht
rattle Of every variety of wheeled vehicles ant
the going, going gone, OF industrious auctisn
GERS. Over all rose q thick heavy cloud OF dus
that rendered objects indistinct and caused ONE
to long for shade and ice-water. Stores rent at I
fabulous price-two huHdred dollars 10 gold be
ing tho usual monthly rent for 20 X sOone stor,
shanly. One house sold 1000 worth OF good
in September-specie prices.
The Central road is designed to meet the Kan
sas Railroad. at some point on Red river, AM
sanguine stockholders say the two roads will NEE
in 1871. There will then be an unbroken lin
! from Galveston, ria Kansas city, to all point
, North. Notwithstanding the fact that the Cen
tral road has been paying large dividends for lou
years past, but sixty miles have been CONSTRUCTED
since the war. What is needed In Texas to dc
velop her great resources, is capital and energy
particularly energy.
While In New Braunfels, yesterday,I examine
, the track of the great tornado which passe
through the town recently. The devastation wa
; immense-more than fifty houses were utterl
demolished, and several lives lost. Even massiv
: stone buildings were tern apart us though by til
hand of giart. And speaking OF storms remind
!, me that we had slight sp,inkiing of hail (as q
old gentleman remarked the next day. at Austir
!, on the evening of the 22nd. 1t came on about
Z o'clock, p. NJ, and lasted ten or fifteen minutes
! breaking glass and doing damage in Austin
. the amount of perhaps $25,0OO picked u
: several hail stones as large as tea-cups
Y have just learned that two of my old con
mand, Captain Wood and Julius Faust, VIII
aided Helm and myself on our crusade again
desperadoes,ln July and August, have been klle'
Il some seventy miles Southeast OF here, aud
!. must close to hear the particulars. l will wri
y again as soon l get of my scout, for l mu
to horse at once. Yours,
II KALEIDOSCOPE,