Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-15
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
TEXAS.
Galveston, Austin and Sam Antonio
The GlOrtes of the State and its Fu-

Galveston, Austin and Sam Antonio
The GIOrtes of the State and its Fu-
ture.
Correspondence of the Union and American.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas, April s, 1871
reached Galveston on very hot day, and
the next morning l woke up in an atmos-
phere like that of Iceland. A regular north
er was blowing, and it was difficult to real
ize the situation: flowers blooming on ev-
cry side, trees in full leaf, orange blossoms
greeting the eye and breathing tropical fra
GRANGE, and yet the weather cold enough
for Nova Zembls. But such is Texas-a
land of paradoxes-in fact, paradoxes ex-
haust themselves in this goodly laud. It is
the hottest and coolest; the wettest and dry
est muddiest and busiest; more cows and
less milk than any country on the face Of
the earth. Oh, that some Yankee would
invent method of milking cows on horse
back; then would this land flow with milk,
if not with honey. Galveston is a real live
city of %, 900 people, with the sharpest set
of business men l ever met. II man
wants to pay for bis education, let him
come to Galveston by all means, and
bring the ready cash, he will get it beyond
doubt. If young man wants TO 90 well
there, let him come without scrip or money,
then he will have an even chance, and get
his necessary schooling at reasonable rates.
1t is a money making place. There are too
jobbing houses there, each Of which sells
over s., 100000. | was assured of this by
reliable men. The Willis Bros, and Blum
Bros, are the merchant princes of the Gulf
City. | met our old Nashville friend, Rev.
DIR. Bunting and his family. He is univer
sally beloved there, and Is doing noble
work. His present church building being
insufficient for the wants of his congrega-
ton, he is now building splendid church
more in keeping with the requirements of
the situation.
At Austin tarried week and found the
Legislature in session; fine looking body,
barring a few negroes, one Of whom, Ruby,
the Senator from Galveston, is very bright
mulatto, and very sensible man and fine
speaker. Some of the others look like
''bulls in china shop" black, blue black,
with regular cornield look and style.
Austin is a beautiful place, of about
10000 inhabitants and is evidently growing
Then | took stage for this place, one Of
the most unique and remarkable places in
America, City of 5000 inhabitants in a
desert. Like Damascus, "the eye of the
East" it is beautifully situated ON river,
which runs through it, its banks lined with
trees and water lilies. The houses are
generally one story, built of white limestone
and surrounded with green trees and shrub
berry, while the air is laden with the per-
fume of flowers, which grow here in great
perfection. This is indeed lovely place.
The populstiOn consists of Mexicans, Ger.
mans and Americans in about equal num-
hers. Some of the churches are very hand
some. The cathedral is grand looking
edifce, built over the old one, which re
mains intact within the new. But cannot
begin to tell 1.-THE of the interesting things
that greet the eye on every hand here.
The climate is delightful, at least everybody
says so, though l have felt summer and
winter both in the space of two hours; still
it is healthy, very healthy. The old Mexi-
cans here, it is said, dry up and blow away;
they are here to day, and gone tomorrow,
but they don't die; oh NJ, they just get tired
of living so long, and SO, puff of wind
| comes along, and 10, they are Off. don't
vouch for this; tell it as it is told me. This
! is great, grand, glorious country. 1t only
needs people, and they are coming. Such
vast prsiries, fertile, beautiful; such fine
! timber, not so abundant; such air, bracing
to-day, sweating tomorrow, and yet charm
| ing you in spite of its erratic courses; all,
everything conspire to make this the future
garden spot of America. Notwithstanding
all which,give me dear old Nashville, dusty,
hot, dirty, dry, muddy, dear old Nashville.
| But If any man wants to leave, let him
come to Texas. II be is diigent, he will
prosper. fETER SPohUM'