The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1875-03-27
LETTER FROM TEXARKANA.
The Religious Editor Gives His Opin-
lon of Jefferson, Texarkana
and Arkansaw.
TExARKANA, March II, 1873.

/ DEAR llERALD-oiuce our iaSI from
! Marshall we took run over to Jelier-
son and this point Jefferson is situa-
| ted at the head of navigation on Cy-
press bayou, fifty miles above its june
ton with the Red river, aud may he
very properly called the Queen of Cy-
press bayou and the terror nf insu--
rance companies, from the number of
fires which has marked its history for
, the past few years. 1t is only sixteen
miles from Marshall ANA puts on me-
tropolitan frills when it speaks of its
little neighbor. Cypress bayou is
turbid, tortuous stream, and is spanned
by a bridge which does not reflect
much credit on its builders. Prior to
to the completion of the Texas and
Pacific, New Orleans almost monopo-
lizcd the trade of Jefferson, but st.
Louis now gets a large share, both via
Teyarkana aud the Red and Mississippi
rivers, lines of steamboats, plying direct
between the two points. Its churches
and court house are very handsome
buildings, aud two newspapers, the
Jimplecute and East Texas Leader,
are published daily. We regret to learn.
however, that the last named sheet
discontinues its daily issue OH the first
of April for want of patronage.
The current topic of discussion was
the doings of "Queen Mab's Merrie
Men" in April. We learn that two
hundred dollars has been subscribed to
purchase costumes in New Orleans,
and to make the affair success. JEFF
ferson is determined to show what it
can do, when it throws off the harness
of business toll, and dons the garb of
mirth and merriment. 1t ships forty
thousand bales of cotton annually, but
the extension of the Great Northern to
Tyler has deprived it of some trade
from that quarter. The business men
have set their hearts upon the compile
ton of the International from Long
view to jefferson, and Governor
C0kc's veto fairly put their teeth on
edge. After a short stay in the Queen
of Cypress (bayou), we left for Texar-
kama, and arrived here Thursday |
morning. AS its name (Tex-ark-ana) |
indicates, and as the head of our letter
shows, the town is located in two states.
1t is distant from Red river, about
twelve miles at the nearest point, and
is a receiving and forwarding point for
Boston in Bowie county, and Clarks-
vile in Red river county. 1t is EN-
phatically railway town. The Texas
and Pacific and Cairo and Fulton both |
have shops and depots here, and we
saw some three hundred cars standing |
on the different tracks. 1t fairly bris-
ties with hotels, the Marquant House, |
Cosmopolitan, Planters, etc., and has
the usual number of saloons to be |
found i'm new railway towns.
The water is freestone, and Broad
street, the principal thoroughfare, has
three public wells in the center. The |
town has been literally carved out of
the woods, and was brought into exist
ence by the town lot department of the
Texas and Pacific railway, which, un
der the management of q. F. Mayer,
general agent, can point with pride to
many other fourlshing towns 1t has
founded.
During the past year Texarkana has
shipped six thousand bales of cotton,
about equally divided between St |
Louis and Shreveport We went few
miles into Arkansas, just to see what
the country looked like. 1t is our can
did opinion that neither the Garden of
Eden, the vale ofCashmere, or Tempe,
nor the Happy Valley of Rasselas was
ever located along the line of the Cairo 1
and Fulton railway. A more desolate
looking, -begone country 1t was
never our lot to gaze upon. A dreary, |
interminable monotony Of swamp and
worthless timber, with here and there
glimpses Of open country, was all the
eye could see. Texarkana has two |
churches, Methodist and Catholic. The
last named is just completed, and is a
very neat building. Funds and lumber
have been subscribed for the erection
Of a Presbyterian church, and the
work on it will soon commence.
st. Patrick's day was observed in
the usual style by the Irish in Texar-
kama, and the sprig Of shamrock on
many hat and cap showed that the
"ould sod" was still remembered. |
There was fight and a knock down 1
or two, but barring these little pleas
antries everything passed of quietly. 4
We-return from Texarkana tonight, 1
and will take a trip eastward to the |
difIert Mt points on the Texas and Pa
eifie. Gov. ThrOckmorton and Thos- |
NJ. Miers, Of the firm Of Miers 4 Cald- I
well, are in Marshall at present, and
]. B. Scruggs, Of the firm Of ]. B.
Scnsggs a Co, fire insurance agents,
vas there last week, adjusting Losses
arising oct Of the late fires.
with re9nr6s % the Lamar Rifies. I
am your. on The wing.
IH6MFE@ I