The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-08-28

New BRAUSFELs, August 10, 1873.
The ride froTa SeouiY, to NTev BraunfeIs.

New BRAUNFELs, August 10, 1873.
The ride from Seguin to New Braunfels, a
distance Of fifteen miles, in pleasant weather,
Is perfectly delightful. The road is nearly
level and smooth, running up the valley. of
Me Guadalupe, and with good horse, IN a
dFy time, IS often gone over easily in an
haur and 4 half. It passes through beauti-
fulprairie, some distance from the winding
riyer, and the soil is dark and as rich as the
great Lord of all the earth could make it.
Strange &c. say, for half the distance, except
on the immediate banks of the usually
chtystal stream, this productive prairie is
uHcultivated and uninhabited. Large num-
bers Of horses and cattle Craze on its nutri-
tious grasses, and, as we passed along in the
early morning, It was curious to see them
vending their way to several openings to the
river for their daily supply of water. The
reason why this rich tract has not been set
tied is this; 1t comprises an eleven league
grant, which has been in litigation for the
last twelve or fifteen years, and, with the
exception of certain compromises, is still
undetermined in the Supreme Court. The
whole valley of the Guadalupe could be
easily irrigated, insuring heavy crops of all
sorts every year.. but with rare exceptions
they can be made without it and with more
certainty than in most parts of the United
States Within seven miles of New Braun
fels,a the country is thicxly settled with
Germans and well cultivated; the crops
looking remarkably fine:
Reaching this point long before the mid
die of the day, Istopped at the well known
Guadalupe Hotel, kept by that honest,
worthy German, Jacob Sehimt, one of the
original colonists who came over with
Prince Carl, of Solms-Braunfels, of which,
am told, scarcely dozen remain, and
find myself in most comfortable quarters.
As many of the, readers of the STATESMAN
are doubtless ignorant, as 1 was, of the
early history and settlement of this almost
exclusively German town and county, have
thought proper to present them with the
following interesting sketch, kindly fur
nished me by Professor Hermann Seele, the
accomplished principal of the German Free
School, another of the few survivors of the
first immigration, and the one who opened
the first school under the grove of elms:
SIN 1912, a company was formed in Ger
many, for the protectionof emigrants, by the
Duke of Nassau and other princes and gen
tlemen They formed a stock company for
that purpose, and sent Count Joseph of
Boos Waldeck and Count Victor of Leinin-
gen to Texas for inspection of the country.
BoOs opened the farm Nassau, on Jack
creek, and Leiningen. reported favorahly
about Texas, in person, after his return in
iS43. Then the company adopted the name,
g Company for the Protection of German
Emigrants in Texas, Z" and appointed (1S44)
! Carl, Prince of Solms-Braunfels, commits
sioner general, and sent him to Texas. He
sailed from liverpool in May, 1914, and
| landed at Galveston in July. He travelled
| through the country and after the first
three vessels chartered by the company had
arrived with emigrants (November and De
cember, 1914, J, he had the emigrants ship
| ped to bayaea and Indian Point, and located
| at Carlshafen (new Indianola). On March 18,
| the prince, with a few companions, arrived
at the place where now the city of New
/ Braunfels is, and ON the twenty-f first the
| first wagons with emigrants passed the
! Guadalupe river. A camp was formed on
| the bluff of Comal creek, near the present
| Catholic Church, and fortified, and the town
| laid out and called New Braunfels. One
hundred and fifty heads of families and
/ young men began to build houses and fences
! for a permanent settlement on the tract,
| which had been purchased from the heirs Of
| Juan Veramendi by John Rahm for the
| Prince The company had then bought
] the grant made by Sam Houston to Henry
| F. Fisher and Burkhead Miller, and the
second party of emigrants arrived in 1916.
! These received each, like the original set
| tiers, town lot and ten acres, from the
| company, and. were provided with provis-
| ions and tools, wagons and oxen. The
prince had left May 15 and John O. Meuse-
| bach, his successor arrived. Divine service
was held every Sunday by L. C.. Ervend-
| berg, Protestant minister of the gospel,
engaged by the company, and on the
eleventh of August, 1S45, the first German
school opened under a grove of elms below
the hill. The first organization of Protest
ant congregation took place October IS,
| lS45, who built, with the company's assist
/
AS a part of Bexar county, justice and
county commissioner were elected, and rep
resentatives to the Congress of the Republic
in the same year, and delegates to the Con
vention; and in 1916 the city was incorpo-
rated. In the fall of 1S45 and the spring OF
| 1876, thousands of emigrants arrived sick
and died in great numbers in their camps
and the hospital in the city; but the settle
ments increased and improved around and
1 in town continually. Bishop Dupuis estab-
lished the first Catholic congregation in
/ 1S49. and built the church in 1850. Acad-
emy Incorporated in 1858, the first free
school then in Texas.
The fiourishing city of New Braunfel:
now contains within its incorporated limits
about four thousand inhabitants, nearly all
Germans, and comprising as much industry
and thrift as can be found, perhaps, in any
/ part of the world in proportion to theil
numbers and advantages. Many kinds oi
man7factures are carried on here, and there
are no idle people or loafers around tho
streets and corners. There are four,or five
tanneries and divers manufactures Of shoes,
saddles, wagons and furniture; for your real
German never sends his money abroad fol
things which can be made at home The
number OF stores or shops for the sale Of
dry goods and groceries, understand, i;
about forty. There are three organized and
permanent churches-the Lutheran, tho
Catholic and the Methodist. The Episco.
palians, few in numbers, had settled pas
tor last year, but I am told he has lately
removed, and the little flock is without ,
shepherd. The Catholics, always great on
churches, are building, around their old
frame tenement, a splendid new stone
structure, which, when completed, viii be
an ornament and honor to the thriving city.
I have not room in this letter to describe
the famous comal springs and the une