The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1876-08-23
TEXAS LETTER.
ousrr-sTocx-aAIsrso. &c, &c
GArEsv1LLE, Aug. 18th, 1870

GATEsvILLE, Aug. 18th, 1876.
Over lowlands and highlands, and through
black jack Tickets, filed with traces of the
rebel "bush-whacker' or Indian through
beautiful valleys, decorated by nature with
wild flowers, and harboring within their fra
grant bosom running rivulets, which, with a
gurgling sound and crystal light flow SEEM
ingly on to some deep abyss--one beholds a
scene 9'grand, lovely and peculiar Such is
faint description of portion of the scenery
between Waco and Gainesville.
Gainesville has recently become quite from
tier town-containing church, school-house
and court house-and can boast of about eight
hundred inhabitants. 1t is situated thirty
miles northwest of Waco on the Leon
Railroad to Mexico, prove.a successful enter
prise it will be almost upon q direct line.
The most of the citizens have real frontier
style about them, and almost every individual
sports six-shooter and an "Arkansaw
Tooth-pick' of Bowie's, make, though they
do not use them now quito so frequently as in
1858 and 1859. They are always ON the alert
when danger is at hand-and even at the
hour of midnight, when the Commanche yell
has been heard in the distance--tbey have
driven off and fought to the bitter end saw
ages who steal and massacre everything within
reach. 1t is seldom they venture this far
down now, as their attention is being drawn
towards tho head waters of the Brazos, at
which point the Commanches are said to be
assembling in large forces and will doubtless
join the Sioux. In this connection / would
say that if our army officers, however gallant
and brave they may be, would drop little of
their West Point pride and admit the worth
and skill of frontiersnlen, and earnestly urge
upon Congress the necessity of volunteers,
there would soon be an end to the sIndian
War;. These men know the nature of En- In
dau, the geography the country, and, last
but not least, know how to fight them.
coRYELL COUNTY.
This county is not considered very desira-
BILE for farming, owing to the mountainous
region, but, nevertheless, has afforded some
pretty fair crops Of corn and wheat. 1t is
one of the best watered sections in the State.
1t has an abundance of mousquito- grass and
the range being generally good during the
whole year, renders it decidedly stock
region. From two to three hundred head of
horses may be seen grazing upon the rich
grass in Coryell Valley almost at any time.
The valley is one Of the most beautiful to be
seen nywhere-especially when one views it
from the mountain top. There are four diff
ercnt species of horses in Texas--the Ameri-
can, Half-beed, Mustang and Spanish. The
Spanish pony and Half-breed ale most COM
monty used for hunting stock. The Mustang
will average at least fourteen hands high, and
is considered by any one who is familiar with
the race to be very fine and fast, while the
Spanish pony Through ignorance called mus
tang) is very small. Owing to the feetness
Of the thorough mustang, it is often necessary
TO shoot them Tor crease them) in the should
or blade in order TO trope" them The half
breed rs bred Of American and Spanish, and
is considered the hardest stock in the United
States, and can be purchased for about fifty
dollars per head, while Spanish ponies would
bring about thirty dollars. Very few thor
ough mustangs are to be seen now this side of
the Rio Grande, unless it is high up on the
Gaudiloupe River
In the spring Of the year, when the grass is
green and the birds begin to sing, the stock
raiser begins gathering stock, and in bands of
fifteen or twenty EARNED to the teeth" they
scour the country for miles around. Every
individual possessing record Of one hundred
L., e 49, l.. l.. =
brand" and when they thus enter Wpon
'hunt," separating in bands Of four or five
in different directions, it is understood that
each one shall look after the others interest
and RUG into certain rendezvous all stock of
specified 'mark and brand" On reaching
the rendezvous, which is generally some pleas
ant spot with plenty of shade and water and
a ten raid beef pen close OF hand, they cut out
Of the herd all the beeves from four-yea
old up and pen them. After this they s'mark
and brand the calves and turn them out
again upon the prairies to be seen no more,
cred a sufficient number of beeves-say for
instance four or five hundred head-they are
ready for market, and drive either across the
plains to California and Kansas, or ship to-
New Orleans. Beef cattle can be purchased
for twelve dollars per head, and cows and
calves as low even as eight dollars per head.
So by these figures you may readily perceive
the great profit derived when the market
ranges from seventy-fve to one hundred dol
lars per head at st. Louis or New Orleans.
Immense fortunes have been accumulated in
the stock business here, ana we know of no
surer method for poor man to obtain for
tune than to come to Fexas and invest his
"little mite in stock. y ROVER
cB- The Butterfly new brand, the
best cigar for cents to be found in this city,
equal to more than one-half the cigars for