The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1876-04-20
Correspondence of the News.
letter from Texas.
HORSEBACK FROM SAN ANTONIO I
ATroTTN

letter from Texas.
HORSEBACK FROM SAN ANTONIO 9o
AUSTIN.
''SAN ANTONIO, March 25, 1876.
"S20. SO, Specie.
| Reed OF E. W. Backus, twenty
dollars and fifty cents, specie, in full
payment for a dim, gotch-eared
pony, branded ] NJ on left shoulder,
with Spanish brands on both hips,
which I have sold and delivered to
the said Baekus. VIM McALPINE.
Transferred to n T. Ayres.
s.E. W. BAcKUs."
This bill of sale cost us eleven
dollars, with saddle, bride, two
nearly new double blankets, and
stake rope thrown in forgood count
Mark Twain did not get near as
good bargain when he bought the
Mexican Plug" which ''bucked" so
badly and came, so near using him
up; for particulars see Roughing 1t.
Ponies are pretty cheap in this
country, but not always very hand
some. Many men wishing to, see
the country, will buy a pony, ride
him for a while, and when ready to
leave the country they sell out cheap
Stage fare is high, about fourteen
cents per mile, and livery bills as
high or higher. .
On the morning Of March 31st, hays
ing invested one dollar in shoes for
Gotch's hind feet, two dollars and a
half for an umbrella to keep off the
sun, we started for Austin, distance
IS miles. After getting out of San
Antonio the road passed for twenty
miles through an open country, prai-
RE and chapparal, or mesquit, alter
mating Not house to be seen for
miles, and very few anywhere on the
road. a, q, q
We (there were three of us by
noon in the parity passed drove Of
one thousand cattle on the way to
Kansas, and good many small lots
of cattle and horses, and one or two
focks of sheep and goats, grazing
upon the prairies,. In the after
noon passed through the town Of
New Braunfels, the German town of
which we spoke in former letter.
The corn looked well, at least as
well as it could look so soon after
being bitten down by the frost,
as it was a few days ago. Wheat
and rye looks very well, the rye
heading out in places. "A 4
At 9o'eloek we went into camp42
miles'from San Antonio, near the half
way stage stand. As it was a beau
tiful might've concluded to sleep out
doors, and accordingly fed our po-
MES, and spread our blankets under
some mesquite bushes, and after
supper, soldier fashion, we went to
sleep.
About midnight violent thunder
storm came up, with gentle (?) Texas
wind, and we left camp for more
pleasant quarters at the stage stand
When we returned at daylight for
our ponies they were gone. For sew
eral hours we hunted them, over the
prairies, through the mesquite,
the herds of horses, and all about.
We hunted until we had nearly Civ
en- them up. One of the party fl
nally struck the trail of three horses,
which he was satisfied were ours, so
he came back to camp and at a house
near by hired a horse and went in
pursuit. He was lucky enough to
find all three of them, seven miles
from camp.
At noon, having taken a square
meal at the stage stand, we started
once more for our destination. Took
O short rest on the banks of the
beautiful little San Marcus river, fed
and grazed our ponies, and rode un-
til after 8 o'clock, bnt were compel
ed to put into camp again without
completing our journey, owing to
the time lost hunting our ponies.
Slept all night under a large live
oak tree, about as large as good
old apple tree, and never awoke be-
fore daylight.
The fact is we did not sleep quite
all night, as it got very cold before
morning and we had to build a fire.
Fire wood was scarce, so we gather
ed a few limbs and brush and
started fire and with light gath
cred dry cows dung, or chip, with
which we kept a frst-rate fire until