The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-16
LETTER FROM TEXAS.
y.teres sting Incidents Of Travel-Reception Of
Hon. Jefferson Davis ut HoustOn-His
speech-Opening Ceremonies Of the State
Fair-Appearance ef Houston A. Peniten-
tiary Notes.

Fair-Appearance ef Houston A. Peniten-
tiary Notes.
HOUSTON, Texas, May II, 1875.
On the morning of the 9th ult. / stepped
on board the Gretna Ferry and was padded
across the Father of Waters in search of
transportation to Brashear. With the assist |
ance Of young Ssnegambian, who. for q
modest recompense, contracted to carry my
valise and pilot me to the station, succeeded
finally in reaching the said station, and
found, as usual, that my promptness had
overstepped itself and left me adrift in for
eign country about an hour and q half ahead
of train time. I had, fortunately, expended
q nickel in the purchase of BULLETIN, and
for some time the Schiller disaster and minor
items engaged my attention. aud by the time
interest Jagged, there collected around 9
motley crowd of our colored brothers. and
their conversation turning on religious mat
ters. I was considerably edited by their views
of q better world, and the course we should
pursue in this life for the purpose of being
eternally blest.
The difference between niggers preaching
and practice has been remarked before, and l
abstain from comment. The untamed
African in his native wild is seen to perfection
in Gretna, and with the station and railroad
track removed from view, I could easily
have imagined myself the immortal Stanley
engaged in q stern CHI ase after the unfindable
Livingstone, the struggling goats on the way
side fitting in to the lions part to charm
Nv dreams were, however, rudey dispelled
by the shrek of the coming locomotive, and
hastily snatching my valise rolled aboard
and off we went for Brashear Through
market gardens containing every known
J vegetable, through patches of corn and sugar
cane, through fields of young rice we sped,
checking up occasionally at stopping places,
whistling past shanties where the most AFFECT
povertv stared the ''iron horse in the face
without winkiug, whirling through cane
brake and swamp,
Where the playful alligator and discordant
Disport them selves in safety in the mazes OF
the bog,
Tearing over waste lands, gliding over tres
Ties and bridges, until at last Brashesr was
reached in safety all hands feeling perfectly
fresh. Mr. Morgan and his agents, Messrs
Chas. A. Whitney Il Co., deserve great credit
for their untiring Efforts and generous expen-
diture in making this first class read. Last
wear the overflow took them partially by sur
, prise. They went to work, however when
| the premonitory symptoms hrst occurred,
! and BY great efforts succeeded IN stalking ana
! ve;ohtinp the track 80 that their trains ran as
nsual. although, as the polite conductor in
] formed me. very often the steam chest OF the
\locomotive would be almost completely sub
9reroed. the water in some places being fully
fcur and a half feet above the top OF the rails.
The road now is above the reach OF an over
fow having been raised in oil the low places
from five to seven feet. hundreds OF extra
hands being employed and thousands OF tons
of sand placed on the road-bed. Near, IN
fact Immediately at Bayou BHuf, there is
.ia mill pOn6 formed the
place where the sand was taken from.
Having reached Brashear, went on board
the Clinton and found among the passengers
Col Alexander Campbell, who was on his
vay to Houston with hundred OF the hnes!
Spanish Merino sheep l suppose that Texas
has vet seen. About half hour after gong
on board the lines were cast Oh ana the good
old ship steamed gailantly down the Atcbafa-
lava into Berwicks Bay, then past lines
of n;,ino and stakes that seemed interminable
then past q house set upon posts, which look
ed to be quite q ticklish and lonely residence
for even a person Of retiring disposition, and
then the old Clinton began to behave IN
very indecorous manner, now heaVlng over
to this side, no. surging to that, now kicking
M before and then rearing up behind, ano
then doing all four things In one nme ano
two motions until several lady ana gehusIa !.
Messengers remembered that they mad iei'
immediae attention and were seen no more
lam proud to say that your representative
being gifted with remarkably strong IN
festival organization, supennduceo oy taA.ne
renorts or Republican conventions, ETC.
remained gallantly at his post, and when
sunper was announced bore down on II IL
6rst.class order. He did request the waiter II
an undertone to ask the Captain 10 neao Us
lust little more to the south 'ard' 20 mak'
l,.%< hat m
accom- mediation Of the few remaining passen
GERS. Strange to say, either the waiter or IN
Sjaptaia overlooked the request, and nav
serious thoughts of reporting his conduct !. .
the agents aud have him instantly discharged
Next morning at about 10 o'clock Galveston
was reached, and went up town on voyag
of discovery; found it to be quite village
interspersed with seas of sand. called IN
see Mr. Jenkins, of the Neaos, and founa niu
the same genial gentleman as ever Tue
strnck ont with the directory for my guide II
search of friend who lived up or down low. |.
IT didn't stay in Galveston long enough I
tell mn from DOWN. Iexplored the whole u
or down part of the town; waded thro vas
exnanses Of shifting sand; blest the dlrecte
~ man as I wiped the perspiratlon from %
noble brow and enticed the slllclous partl
cles from nv smarting orbs; asked ever
BODY met If they could tell me where NJ
So-and-so's house was, and the dense lgnol
ance pervadipg that community with regsr
to said So.and-so, was certainly remarKae!e
and just as I had given up the searca m "a;
gust, 10! BY chance s.um of and d. was propo
tionately happy. 40.
was rinse they made q habit OF playing
strangers to make them believe the Town Wa
settling up so fast that even the sewing socn
ties couldn't keep the run OF the name az
family antecedenls of the new corners. : G G
confident from the way in which por'ly =
gentleman looked at me, that, from my NOV