Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-08-23
TEXAS LETTER.
Raior Murphy AND Party SIN Well
aud Going West.


Ny last communication was iron
Fort Worth, which place we left OIL
the morning Of the 10th instant
proposing to go through Weather
ford-having hired a team and driver
and laying in ten days rations-buI
we were induced by our driver and
guide, when some fifteen or twenty miles
out, to change eur course SO that we
might see a bstter section Of country. We
diyerged to the south aud entered Hood
county, which we surveyed until we ar.
rived at "Thorp's" Sulphur Springs,
where we concluded to rest over Sunday
and Indulge in the luxury of sulphur
water.
We found an excellent hotel, kept 81
Captain Milliken, who in former years
commanded several steamboats, between
Nashville and New Orleans. He was
absent at his cattle rancho in Rumellas
county, where be herds eight hundred
head of cattle, but Mrs. Millikeu is a
host within herself, and knows how t o
keep q hotel in A No. l style.
We there met M Jas. Matthews, who
lately kept the wharlooat at Friar's Point,
Mississippi, who is engaged in freighting
between Fort Worth and Fort Concha, a
distance Of two hundred and forty miles
vest Of Fort Worth. he told US when
be arrived at Thorp's Springs be had
just fifteen cents, aud now has a train
Of Eve wagons, all paid for and doing
we'll. He is the son Of ex.Goyernor Jo
Matthews, of Mississippi. He was pleas
ed to see US because we were from Mem.
phis and could tell him OF his friends and
former neighbors.
After resting over Sunday we resumed
our journey. After looking through
Hood county we turned over to johnson
county and camped neal the town OF
Cleyburn, about the center of the county
and county seat, quite a business place
Of about 1000 inhabitants. Johnson is
regarded as one OF the richest aud best
counties in the State, and in our opinion
FULLY comes up to its reputation. The
land is slightly rolling prairie, and
known here as black or hog-wallow
lands The soil is from five to ten feet
thick, aud as black as coal, which ia good
Tor corn or cotton and all the cereals,
az II stands the drOuth better than the
timbered lands and after the first year is
easily cultivated. Still we found some
Who preferred the timbered land although
Of thinner soil, and who argued they
could raise AS good crops as those on
the black prairie lands. We ioand the
g%rasshopper had been here as we'll as the
other places we passed through, and
nearly all had to plant lori and cotton
the second, and some even the third time
Still they say they will raise from twenty
10 twenty-five bushels of corn and from
one-half to three-quarters of a bale OF
cotton to the acre.
The night we camped in CIey burn we
bivouacked near a large tent that was
owned by a missionary called the Seven
Day Adventist. We did not hear him
expound his doctrine, but the writer
made his acquaintance and learned from
him that Friday was their Sabbath, and
that the world was drawing to a close.
etc. AS it threatened rain that night,
We asked and obtained permission to
spread our blanket as near as
we could under the drippings OF
his gospel, notwithstanding we left
unconverted, and | suppose be would
say unregenerated sinners. The follow.
ing morning we resumed our journey
through johnson county, the land i'm.
proving in quality, until we arrived at
Alyerado, a town Of some FIVE hundred
inhabitants, where we rested for about
an hour; thence through one of the finest
bodies OF land we had ever G ia Texas
We passed through a farm belonging TO
. Mr. Bradlowe, twelve hundred acres
and all under cultivation in cotton and
corn, the wheat and oats having been
harvested, and all worked by thirty
hands. 1t is q beauty Of a farm; every
thing clean and in order and his crops
immense.
The great drawback we have observed
10 this county is scarcity Of water for
Doth nan and beast, but the inhabitants
say that as the country settles this will
BE- obvlated The weather has been as
i've as we could desire. The party con.
5inue we'll. Walt says if he continues to
iatten he is fearful he will be as large as
Moody King or Captain Jim Lee; aud
Beasley is r%avenous, and a hotel suffers
when he sits down to table. Yours,
!. AZ