The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-01-24
LETTER FROM AUSTIN, TEXAS.
RAYMOND HOUSE, AUSTIN, TEXAS
January 9, 1877.

RAYMOND HOUSE, AUSTIN, lE6As,t
January 9, 1877.
DEAR DEMocRAT-
AS Texas is now occupying con-
siderable part Of the attention of the
people of the South, ] have thought
that it may be interesting to your
many readers to know what Lou
isianian is seeing and has seen in the
Lone Star State. A trip of a few
hours by railroad from New Orleans
to Morgan City, as they now call
Brashear, and from thence by steam
err down Atchafalaya Bay and across
the Gulf brought me to Galveston,
when I first saw Texas soil. The
transition from the low water OF the
Red and Mississippi rivers to the
broad expanse of the Gulf was cal
culated to magnify the breadth and
depth Of the latter, and confess that
when I found myself surrounded by
water, water, water, and nothing else
but water on every side, my nerves
we're disturbed to some extent. The
smoothness Of the Gulf prevented
my suffering from the other qualms
that sometimes accompany the pas
sage, You see the sun set and rise
on the water and then you get into
GALVESTON
to breakfast. Everybody knows that
Galveston is situated on an Island,
but everybody don't know how at
tractive an Island City it is in all
that goes to make up the handsome
city. They claim about 10000 in
habitants, have many fine buildings,
some large stores, street railroads,
beach from which the sea view is
lovely, an incomplete hotel which is
to rival the Palmer House, in Chica
90, an Opera House, two railroad
bridges two miles long, and other at
fractions and enterprises too numer-
Gus for detail here. With its many
advantages it has the drawback of a
bar which prevents laden vessels
from coming to the wharf, and you
see them all anchored out. at sea like
so many sentinels guarding the APP
proaches to the city. Their loads
have to be brought from and taken to
them in lighter crafts. Galveston
sets herself up as proud rival of
our Queen City, New Orleans, but
she will have to get up soon many a
morning before she can lay any just
claim to that distinction. At pres
? ent she is what the miniature is to
the finished portrait. Three hours
run by rail brought me to
HOUSTON,
Just above navigation on bayou, up
which Morgan's steamers come to
bring and carry freight. I saw at
, least one thousand bales of cotton on
the bank of the bayou awaiting ship
ment. Houston is a railroad centre,
and when they finish the road from
, Orange to New Orleans, Galveston
may look to her laurels. The road is
now running from Houston to Orange
on the Louisiana line and cannot do
the business offered. The compile
tion of the road to New Orleans
2 would add largely to the commerce OF
both Houston and New Orleans, and
would tap the trade now flowing into
I Galveston. In my opinion it would
! have helped New Orleans more to
build that road than the one they are
: now working on, and l think they
made mistake in not directing their
+ attention to this line instead of the
North Louisiana line. With the gaps
from Orange to New Orleans anc
D from Shreveport to Monroe built up
: New Orleans would get large trade
q that now goes to St. Louis and Gal
> weston, and as the Texas trade natu
o rally belongs to New Orleans, I hop'
that when the political complication
are settled the attention Of capital
!. lists will be directed to these gaps il
!. the railroad communication of Lou
9 isiana. Leaving Houston at $50 P
q NJ. you take the Houston and Texa
Central Road to Hampstead, wher
you connect with the railroad t.
AUSTIN
. and reach this place to breakfast th
- next morning. You may imagin
~ my pleasant surprise to find Majo
' Wheadon, formerly of Rapides, i
charge of the finest and best Hote
here-the Raymond House-and
!, his kindness and courtesy I owe m
- first pleasant impressions and subst
~. quent enjoyment of my stay in Aus
~ tin. If any of your readers shout
A4: H. .