The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1876-06-01
Correspondence of the New
Letter from Texas.
Houston, Texas, May, 1876.

Inc Grangers, the "Bone and
Sinew" of the country, have a voice
in the councils, political and agricul-
tural, of the State. The Changers are
opposed to monopolies, and possibly
had the Fair held in the Spring, as
the Fall has always had more than
its share of such things. This is q
good idea, for the display of big
pumpkins, potatoes, corn, wheat, &c.
is not large, and the committees and
all their friends have plenty oi
time to see the races.
We have long since voted Fairs a
fraud, and we have seen no reasons
yet to change our minds.
The first day of the Fair was only
the first day, and you know nothing
is ever done the first day.
The second day was pretty much
the same.
The third day we had a military
review, in which some half dozen
companies from diferentparts of the
State took part. We noticed that
one company was preceded by q
negro band. No, we forget, this
was fire company that had the col
ored band, but it's all the same; it's
the principle we call attention to.
At night we had grand display,
a real Mardi- Gras performance, but
called 'King Comus." The display
was really fine. The wagons in the
procession were canopied, and many
of them finely decorated. Upon the
first wagon was a fine car, drawn by
papier mache horses. King Comus
occupied the car, dressed in his roy
al robes. Other wagon carried young
men masked, representing the vegat-
able kingdom, water melons, cucum-
bers, squashes, &c.
Then we had wagons covered
with newly cut oats, corn in tassel,
and other grain. Seen by the torch
light, surrounded by thousands OF
spectators, and the Illuminated build
ings, it was splendid. Long live King
Comusi
The principal features OF the Fair
were pigeon shooting for prizes, and
the horse and mule races. We heard
one party object toi the pigeon
shooting, upon the ground that the
.sshootists" rested their guns upon
the birds tails to shoot their heads
of.
Horses we're entered for the race
from as far off as Illinois. Very lit
tie stock was upon exhibition. An
ordinary County Fair in Ohio usu
ally has more cattle, sheep and hogs
than we saw.
Another great feature of the FAN
was "side-shows." Chin-music filled
the air, and was only exceeded BY
the buz of cotton gins in Power
Hall.
Texas is catching in just in North
ern machinery. Threshers, Mowers
Reapers and Plows, are passing into
the State by the carload.
May the rains soon come and give
bountiful crop, that they may al
be needed!
Most of the prizes awarded were
diplomas and ribbons; very little
cash was paid out.
Speaking of plows, reminds us Of
a new Texas plow we have just heard
of. No plow will scour in most o.
the land. A razor will soon clog NJ
if thrust into the ground. This
new plow has wooden mould board
and is padded with cotton saturated
with oil, which passing through th'
the porous wood keeps the face o
the mould board blight-so they say
The soil is generally of the black
waxy kind, and is very ugly to work
Crops look pretty well. Corn
about knee high. Oats harvest i
about beginning. Wheat is not sow
much this far South, but we hav
seen some pretty fair fields.
In the vegetable line we no'S ii
dulge in peas, new potatoes, &c, an
finish our dinners with black -berr
pies.
Houston is the oldest town of th
State. 1t is on an arm of the Gul
called Buffalo Bayou, (Bio) so mile
from Galveston, with which city it
connected by water and rail.
Mr.. Morgan is now deepnieng th
channel, so that the largest vessel
can pass Galveston and on up t
her rival city, Houston Morgan
a man after the style of Vanderbi
and Tom Scott. He means business
and does more of it with less nois
than any other man in this countr.
He runs two railroads and thre
steamboat lines, and is still spread
ing himself.
The election of United States Se1
ator in place of Mr.. Hamilton, ha
been the cause of no little excite
ment in the State. Gov. Coke wa
yesterday elected to the position
and will probably hold his office a
Governor, to which he has just bee
elected, until next March, when b
IL. .oI - Conoto~