Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1870-01-22
lnIins.


lffm ihe fslfsiiat Adfaffh
MfssRs fnfross rsrmlt me.
through ihe t0'nmhs ~ yUuf valn
alir IaPsr a. give yUur readers a
iassins sketch ~ The hoafkhiRg
,nnns rity ~ NoriheFR TcSas and
the upIer Trinity, The name ~
uhirh heads lhi, article. Duubtless
the rsa Ter 0f Sarirhesof Travel,
which apIeard Ia yonr paper for
tie past few weeks Thought u a
great oversight IN tho writer that
nothing was said ~ lhis interesting
county seni aud the many beautiful
villages .of the rich and popnlous
county of Dallas; but this was re,
served for separate anl special
article.
frs, became familiar with the
spit of ground on which this truly
emlerprising aud beautiful city Is
located about eighteen years ago,
and at that time il was looked upon
by me NJ an unhealthy, nnlnviting
and unsighily sand bed, beset with
hog wallow slush ponds, for II was
full ~ standing aud stagnant pools
of water, iii only for the habltallons
OF wiggle,alls. bullfrogs and moccn,
s'n snakes, il being very small
town, containing, perhaps, one hun
drcd and my souls, and built Of
rough, uncoulh logs, boards and
lumber got out OF the river swamp
Gr surrounding post oak groves,
with only here and there n tolera'
bio comfortable or commendable
family residence or business house.
AT that time It's streets were few
aud irrcgular-no schools OF any
rcspectabiliiy ar permanency-no
UNCONVENTIONAL houses of worship
no cour,honsc-no village, town
orcity misunderstanding, gam
bling, horsc-racing and rowdyism
prevailed TO an alarming extent
The only place ocrcligious worship
or for the education and moral
training of the young being the
basement story OF the hall of that
nob!c, timo.honored and indelatig-
able order called Masons. But how
differently docs ii now appcarl In
stead OF the rough, uncoulh country
village OF 1852, / found il on this
visit u beautiful, entcrprising and
rapidly growing interior city. IT
is situated on the northeast bank of
the Trinity river, just below the
junction Of what are known us the
West aud middle or Elm Forks of
that river, and may be considered
ut the head ofsteamboat navigation,
oven in high water. The sand bed
of former days is still there, but
the hog wullows, the slush ponds,
and bullfrog habitations of those
days have been leyclod up, and
bcautificd with tidy cottage homes,
superb mansions for family residen-
ccs and business houses of tho first
order, Of excellent and substantial
frame, brick or concrete Workman
ship, with beautiful and numerous
streets intersecting and bisecting
each other.
The inhabitants of Dallas will
now probably number from two to
three thousand souls, representing
as entcrprising. intelligent, indus
trious and go-ahcad class of people,
i have no doubt, as can be found in
any city or town in the limits Of
our soea-to be Empire State. The
uninviting and unhealthy appear
snces of the place have disappeared,
and the "desolato places have been
made glad and to blossom as the
rose" Several schools of u high
order arc in successful operation
here, under the management ofable
and competent teachers, both male
and female. In the centre of the
Public Square stands n large brick
courthouse, neatly and substantially
fenced in, and the courtyard adorn-
ed with six rows of beautiful shade
trees on every side. Two spacious
hotels for the accommodation of the
travelling public are standing in
close proximity to tho square,
around which are to be found nu-
mcrous business houses of every
Grade of business, from the extern
fensivc wholesale and retail estab-
lishmcnts with their well stocked
warehouses down to the baker shop
and beer saloon.
The houses Of public worship
that arc now to be found in Dallas
are large, roomy and commodious,
one or two of them being commend
able ornaments to any Of our towns
or cities, with their domes and stee-
ples towering high in the air toward
heaven, where meet together, at
short intervals, those who love to
sing praises to our God.
Beside the prosperous city of Dali
las, there are in the county several
thriving villages, in which educa-
ton is receiving considerable atten-
ton, and giving moral tone, that
IS enviablc in its character, to the
rising generation,
AS has been before said, il is in
the city of Dallas where is publish
ed that worthy, staunch and able
paper. the "DALLAs HERALD" by |
Swindells & Hutchen, both men of
talent and ability. Long may they
live to deal out to their numerous
readers from week to week the do
ings Of the outside world.
Respectfully, NJ.