The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-07-11
Texas JOtiings.


In letter published in the National
Baptist, Of Philadelphia, by l.. G. Tay-
lor, u. d., who was one Of the recent
/ eXcursionists 10 Texas, We find the
following:
Texas Is the Illinois of the southwest.
! II Is not as yet determined which of its
sprightly towns shall he its Chicago,
among the many aspirants for that
honor, but probably Galveston, on the
gulf coast, the largest of lis cities, and
already claiming 5000 inhabitants,
will betke esuccessiulrival. While New
| Orleans, us advantageously located, is
on the constant and swift decline, Gal
weston is rising up MS II young giant,
with spirit and power that win the
confidence and praise of every visitor.
Like causes produce like effects, and
that resistless energy which has made
| the northwest so great, is in operation
here under superior circumstances,
with milder climate and greater
variety of crops-for Texas soil pro-
duces the great staples of both north
and south in great abundance. Cotton
and wheat grow in fields side by side,
and corn and sugar are produced in
near proximity, while fruits of all kind
grow large and luscious, and abound
everywhere. The unprecedented and
magnificent offer of the Texas railways
to take the southern Baptist convention
all over their lines of thirteen hundred
miles free, in order to show us the land,
is indicative of the spirit of wise enter
prise in their management. Each
delegate was furnished with free pass
by which he might ride whittier he
pleased in the state for two weeks. a
special train of six coaches left .jetler-
son on Tuesday morning after adjourn
ment of the convention, and took the
party by daylight to Dallas, the present
terminus of the Texas and Pacific road.
1t was charming ride, through
splendid country, on one of the smooth
est and straightest of roads. One little
town of thirty or forty houses, called
Mineoa, on the way, furnished din
ner without charge, ani gave us short
speech of welcome through one of her
citizens; besides, coming into Dallas
In the evening, we We're taken to the
opera house and welcomed to the city's
hospitalities, and the doors of its houses
thrown open free of expense to about
three hundved tired and hungry dele
gates. The large-heartedness of the
citizens extended even to the boot
blacks. called into requisition the
services of one of that fraternity, and
was about to pay for the "shine" when
he asked, care you one of the dele
gates? if so, | don't charge anything.'
The BARRIERS were moved to the same
spirit, and, indeed, it was impossible
to spend any money there, except that
| did cOntrive to put nickel into the
box of street car, for my fare, when
the driver was too much engaged to
see and forbid it. Charming place that
for the impecuniOus, but he must be
delegate of the southern Baptist con-
vention. 1t is not the habit of the
place, for money is exchanged with
marvellous rapidity in such new towns,
Dallas is one of the Texas mushrooms,
as to sudden growth, though there the
comparison ends, for it is to he, 80 the
mayor told us, the metropolis of Texas.
!, A growth of from twenty-five hundred
to fifteen thousand inhabitants in two
years is calculated to make q citizen
talk of hyperboles, especially if he be
one who has seen his real estate go up
six prices in as many months.
find that the BaptistS in Texas are
prescient people, and are building
meeting houses in the new towns, and
seizing upon their advantages. Dallas
has good house and good minister.
So has Sherman, further up on the
Texas Central, and near the Indian
territory; while in many of the older
towns the churches have Outgrown
their old houses, and are planning for
new ones. Such men as Howard, Zealy,
Link, Weaver, Dodge and others, seem
to be awake to the fact that great re-
sponsibilities are upon them in deter
mining the character of our progress
in the state, and the Baptists already
have strong hold upon the vast conf
monwealth.
Many of the excursionists visited
Waco, Austin and other prominent
points, and all are hearty in praise of
the liberal manner in which they were
received.
The action of the Texas railways is,
so far as we know, without n parallel,
but it is simply in consonance with a
largeness of view and heart which we
find throughoutthe whole domain. The
, future of Texas must be magnificent
one. 1t offers the grandest induce
ments to every one who wishes to till
the soil, in cheap, fertile lands, acces-
sible markets, and every promise OF
prosperity. OF course, sin goes in ad.
vance in all these new towns. The
gross vices crop out everywhere, but
the gospel is winning its way also, and
there is, with intensity in wickedness,
. also an intense and active type OF
piety.