The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1876-03-16
Correspondence of the New.
Letter from Texas.
GALVESTON, Texas, Feb. IA, 1876.

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GALVESTON, Texas, Feb. IA, 1876.
What do you think of peaches up
on the tree in the middle of Febru
ary?
Upon tree in the yard of our
next neighbor, we have just seen a
few nearly full-grown peaches, SO
nearly full grown that with a week
or two more of warm weather they
will ripen. This, however, is rare
thing, even for this climate. The
winter has been here, as with you,
very mild.
We yesterday saw in the same
yard, and almost upon the same
tree, orange blossoms, an the or
anges half grown and also ripe.
Peas are in market, and new po-
tatoes may be found, outside Of hot
houses too. The thermometer has
been ranging between 60 and 70 for
week. but this morning we have a
light 'Norther," which puts it down
perhaps to 45.
Every few days, in this southern
country, the winds shift to the
north or north west, and it becomes
quite cold, that is, compared to the
bright warm days which usually pre-
cede a 'Norther," and people go
about with overcoats and heavy
clothing on, growing at the "horrid
weather. which in Ohio you would
call mild. Yet it cannot be denied
that the people here feel the change
as severely as you DO with the ther-
mometer down to 10 above zero. In
the north and north west part of the
State, we are told that, in some in
stances, cattle upon the prairies have
been killed by these cold winds.
Galveston Island is situated south
east of the mainland of the State of
Texas, and separated from it by Gal
weston Bay. Its southeast shore is
washed by the Gulf of Mexico.
The Island is about thirty miles
long, by one or one and half wide.
It's name is from a Spaniarl of
the eighteenth century, Don Jose
Gllv"z, the sans nane now being
given to the city and county, Of
which the Island forms a part.
The prinrip,l AMI almost only o5-
lection we find to the Islam /, is its
lowness and great danger OF over
fl ~ in time of storms. The aver
age height above high water mark
is nbont fur feet. During the
storm, or as it IS familiarly called
hera, the ''blow,' of last September.
the waters from the Gulf were driven
at the rate of four miles an hour, and
to the depth of two or three feet,
through. the very center OF the city
The present population of Calves
ton is about $4,000 Its business is
good, both inland AMI upon the Gulf,
and with foreign lands. It is the
outlet for large cotton and cattle
country, es well port of entry for
foreign goods, and its wharves are
lined with schooners and steamers
from abroad.
The cotton which comes from the !
interior is re-pressed, or as it is
'alled, compressed, for shipment
By this plan bale of cotton is re
luced to about one third it's former
size, and is shipped with much less
,rouble and expense, the bulk of
'reight, and not its weight, determin-
ng its cost.
The low price Of cotton this season
las is effect upon trade, the price
1t this time being several cents low
II than in previous years.
Much of the labor connected with
cotton, that is, in its compressing
md shipment, is done by white men,
more than in it's culture, which is
mainly by negroes. Wages are one
md half to two dollars per day for
hands. Clerks, "bosses,"
&c. get from $50 to $1OO per month.
Boarding at regular boarding houses
s from Sc to so per week. Girls
get here about $3.50 per week, but
oycr the Gulf, at Corpus Christi,
hey get from 81 to Sc per week.
per dozen, one dollar and
| half, and the same price is paid for
by the day.
We hal our washing done By Mr..
Sian Sing, who belongs to the race
If whom Bret Hart writes in his
Heather Chinee.' No fault can be
jound with the finish they give to
inen. Some half a dozen of these
'Celestials" are here in the laundry
md tea business. Most of them still
wear the pig-tail and other Chinese
styles, but we notice one or two
lressed in the American fashion, and
With their hair trimmsl | moderately
short.
Great preparations are being made
or Mardi Gras, which occurs on the
10Th. When we have seen it will re
port. N. L. A1RES.
San ANTONIO, Texas,
March 4, 1876.