Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1872-08-03
WHOLE NUMB

mbnths Of time. 10, unlike Josse
ly b, is Radical, and is rs mucl
rcEpcctcd as if he belonged to tht
dominant party. Dallas votes | +,
24e whites to 42+ colored.
Colonel Scott made his arrange
mtnts with the people of Dallas
II Is proposition was accepted by
the authorities. 100000 was voted
to the iailroad, with land for the
depot, and right Of way through the
town; and their action has since
been ratified without n dissenting
voico by the people. Hero we met
Governor Throckmorton, and en-
ioyed his society as far as Fort
Wartt in a prairie ride ofindcscrib-
able interest.
But who can dv .tu=tina "a Fort
Worth, where the two branches,
the 'transcout!nental and the South
ern Pacific road, unite, and from
one line, tho Texas and Pacific,
stretching thence to El Paso, and
afterwards through the Territories
of New Mexico and Arizona, thence
to California and the harbor of San
Diego? | know of no panorama
equal to it. Fort Worth was origin
ally constructed by Major General
Worth, and was for u long time the
extreme frontier settlement in the
State of Texas. 1t was erected for
the purpose Of protecting the citi-
zens of that section from the depre-
dations Of the Indians. They have
not venturcd near the town for the
last ten or fifteen years. The Gov.
ernment forts and forces have been
removed to tho frontiers beyond.
while civilization holds the boun-
daries it has conquered. We met
many of the first settlers in this
splendid region, and could easily
imagin how the red men fought to
hold it against the whites.
The fort has been entirely dis
manted and converted into a com
Portable dwoling-hou The town
Of Fort Worth contains some twelve
or fifteen hundred inhabitants, sew
cral churches, good schools, and Il
large court house in tho centre of
the plaza, constructed Of yell)wish
limestone, resembling Joliet marble.
Ii remains IN an unfinished condi-
ton. Fort Worth is beautifully
situated on " broad plateau. I'M
mediatoly on its northern and west
crn borders arc the waters of the
Clear Fork and West Fork rivers,
which here unite and form the Trim
ity. The banks are steep and pre-
options, one hundred and ten feet
in height, covered with luxuriant
foliage.
Tic prospect from this plateau
is grand beyond description, dccid,
edTy the finest we enjoyed during
our vi it 10 NeXas-espccially in
the western direction and the course
pursued by tho Texas Pacific rail
road. For fifty miles away there
lay stretched before lis q succession
of cultivated lands, interspe"sed
with belts of timber, wido cxpanses
of prairie lands, with the natural
grass, and in the dim horizon, so
far off as scarcely to be distinguish
cd from the clouds themselves, q
succession of lofty mountains. The
hotel accommodations at Fl. Worth
need to be greatly enlarged, but
there are comfortable private dwell
lings, and the citizens are kind,
courteous, and hospitab!o. The
breczes at this elevation far sur
pass anything We experienced.
Fort Worth is n city set upon "a
hill, and as the point ofjunction be-
tween the two branches Of the Tex
as Pacific, is particularly cnviable,
inasmuch as from this locality the
Grand Trunk line to the Pacific
will be projected and pushed. Lands
in the vicinity of Fort Worth have
been selling at exceedingly low
prices, but they will be greatly en-
hanced on account Of its proposed
railroad taciIi les. During the last
year 100000 head of cattle were
driven through Fort Worth on their
way to Missouri and Kansas, and
as we left tho town we met single
drove containing 1880 head.
TEXAS TREES AND FLOWERS.
1t would require the pen Of an OK
perienced and practical botanist to
describe the numerous varieties OF
trees, plants, shrubbery, and flow
ers peculiar TO this section, and to
mark the different species as VIC
gradually approach the tropics. |
mentioned in ono of my former let.
tors that rs we entered New Orleans
we found the jcssaminc, tho oloan.
der, the palmcda, the sago palm,
the banana, the orange and lemon,
the fig, the pcmegranate, the wild
plum, and the plantain; the Grape
myrtle was Of frequent occurrence
wherever any attempt was made at
cultivation.
In tho swamps and morasses the
palms grew most luxuriantly, while
clusters OF waxen pond lilies floated
gracefully on the surface. The
trumpo, bower, or American creep
er, chung 10 hundreds of trees, and
the blossoms attained q far richer
depth of color than in our North
ern climate. Our ride on the Mis-.
sssippi afforded a magnificent sight.
We noticed hedges eight or ten
feet high, and of dense foliage, COM
posed entirely of what they call the
Cherokee rose-resembllng the
whito tea rosc-pericctly hardy,
and a perennial bloomer. The mag.
nolia grand;flora tree gross very
large, and as we passed along its
blossoms emitted a delicious per.
fume; and nobie lawns fronting the
levees, and connected with grand
old plantations, were adorned with
clusters of Grape myrtle, oieanders
magnoiias, and jcssaminc, and or
ange and fig trees in endless profu