Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1877-07-28
TEXAS AND ITS C4TTLE.
What the Commissioner Sent o." "y
Leading Scotch journal says -ioo"t
Them.


Them.
lam now in Texas, and must do JUS
ticeto it. Few people in Great Britain,
when they talk or read of Texas, have an
idea that they are talking and reading OF
a country about FIVE times the size OF
England, or of an area of over one hun
dred and seventy-ive millions OF acres
to be exact, us, 5S7 $40. This wonder
full country" forms the southwestern
point of the United States, lies between
twenty degrees and thirty.six degrees
northern latitude, and returns the roll OF
the genial gulf of Mexico for about 400
miles. From east to west it measures SUI
miles, from north to south 100. A
very large extent is Trolling" prairie
and woodland lying a: an elevation OF
under a thousand feet, but still there Is
an immense area of mountain ranges and
high rable.land varying from 2,OOO TO
s 600 feet above sea level, the highest
point being 1886 feet. Its climate has
been the subject of much diversity OF
statement. Some say they would not
change it for any other climate in the
world; others hold that it is unit tor
the habitation of white men. AS tar as
7 can learn, the "mean" of these two
extremes would come pretty near the
truth. In country lying between the
frozen and tropical regions it is certain
that the climate will be characterized
by rapid changes of heat and cold, and
probably these rapid changes are the
worst features of the climate of Texas, as
we'll as the northern states of the Union.
The middle states have more equability
Both in summer and winter it is warm
in Texas, except when "norther "
sweeps down upon it (the Texans have
, little love for anything hailing from the
north), and then the atmosphere is chilly
as long as the north wind lasts. Some
! times, in the space of five or six hours,
the thermometer will fall from SO or So
= when " norther" springs up suddenly.
In this beautiful little town OF about
thirty thousand inhabitants, and all
along the coast, the heat is tempered by
a constant breeze from the gulf, and the
thermometer seldom exceeds "a de-
grees in the shade; but in the In
terror the heat is often very intense
much too intense for white men to labOl
in the height of the day. Snow falls oc
&c casionally, but never lies more than I
- few hours, while winter often passes with
out the pools ever being coated will
&c ice. Vegetation begins very early, ant
% several varieties of fruit and other gar
" den produce have been in use for coupl
q of weeks. On the whole, it must be ad
n. mitted that the climate of Texas il
IN spring and summer is not conducive t
h health, as may be imagined from tn
a. fact, that with the view of checking tn
70 spread of fever and such contagious dis
~ eases, Texan cattle are prohibited fror
of crossing the Red river into the norther
r. states during these seasons.
ID The population of Texas in 1860 wa
of not much over 1000, in 1870 it was
n little under 100000 and since then tn
n. increase must have been very grea
ii. Long after several of the eastern state
e were settled by Europeans the vii
he ranges that now form Texas were th
8 Joint domain of numerous races of Ii
its dams, the wild horse, the buffalo and a
he kinds OF prairie game. A colony of Spa
oh iards planted in Mexico three and ha
er- centuries ago by Cortez gradual
as spread eastward, embracing Texas short
,er afterwards. The first European settl
e's ment, however, (by body of Englis
g. men, composed mostly of men who hs
'th been already located in the easter
,ad states for some years), dates back on
do, about one hundred and fifty years, Il
,ut chosen spot having been San Antoni
rial one of the richest parts of the stat
bl, Other white men gradually followe
in and soon wild wars arose with the Mel
ion cans for possession, which ended in 4
to state being wrested from the latter
1886, the fsrty-frst anniversary of t
low surrender o. the last Mexican lead
Law having been celebrated with great
ked ioicing in Houston the other wee
low Texas was annexed to the United Stat
ank in 1s45, and is by far the largest state
and the Union.
,ase Early in its existence Texas found 4
vas, merous writer's ready to bring its clai
tors prominently before the immigrant, al
was of course, most of these authors Qike