The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-03-31

Uou> ToN, TRxA-, March Goth, lS.;.
Mzs.Rs EpiroR,: Austin, the capital Of the
state i, "a city on hill"-several Of them, in
act,-delightfuly located, and surrounded with
some Of the richest farming lands in the state,
with beautiful and romantic scenery all around.
The Colorado river runs along the base OF the
! hills or between some OF them, and beautiful
creek starts from solid rocks mile away, and
! forms q stream with power enough to drive a
dozen mills The population OF Austin in 1870
was about 400 II is now estimated at from
l., 0OO to l7,OOO-thc smaller agurcs being proba.
bly, about right. The city is generally wei.
built. The business houses, some ci which arc
very fine, are mostly built OF white brick, or OF
stone, OF which there is an abundance, OF fine
quality, in the immediate vicinity Of Tie city
There are large number Of fine dwellings
and neat and tasteful cottages, and these, with
the business portion Of the city, convey to the
stranger The idea Of wealth, activity and pros.
pcrity But, strange enough, there are no side
walks, Except in portions OF the business part,)
the streets are not graded and apparently not
worked to any extent, forcing one to remember
the old story Of "a patch on both knees and
gloves on"
Some Cd the pubic buildings are very fine
models Of beauty, 5olidity and convenience. The
State House looks old, dilapidatcd, small and
shabby; but small appropriation of two million
acres @ Of land has been made towards the con.
struction of a new and magnificent building,
which it is thought will be commenced before
very long, aad when done will DC a credit TO The
state.
called on his Exccllcncy Gov. Hubbard who
received me very courtcously, as did other state
officials, and showed me around, where saw old
treaties Of France, Great Britain and other coun-
tries with the Republic ot TeYas-said docu.
ments bearing the signatures OF Mr.. Louis Phi.
lippe, Marshal Soult, MIS-. Victoria H., &c. Had
no idea that letters from these parties were such
wcighty affairs; but I must not stop to describe
them. Saw also old coats of mail, shields, Jour,
nal of the House Of Commons (Eug) running
back to lJ1 House OF Lords TO 1909, and
"heap' Of other things curious and interesting.
Then went to the river and saw them making
ice by machinery, at the rate Of 1000 pounds per
day. Man said he could make 5000 pounds per
day when the weather was warm and he got his
coat Off and hand in. The other manufactures
are scarcely worth mentioning, being foundrcs
,, Touring mills ,, planning mills ., &C., &c.
Austin has seventeen churches, assorted; one
public school with rooms-not a tremendous
success; Texas Military Insti.utc-goOd thing:
female seminary, and other private schools.
The people here, as elsewhere in Texas, are
bound 10 have good schools, and the rising gen
Grafton, including the darkies, will have all ne
cessary facilities for acquiring good education.
The official statistics show that last year there
la5, colored -, Mezicans 10; 12l males, Sc fe-
males; in January - deaths, February IL March
Is, April -, May %, jane %, July 80 August IS,
September H. October 1G, November -, Dceem-
Der lG. Among the diseases giving largest fig
ures) were pneumonia and cholera infantum l6
each, consumption Al, dysca:ery H. congestion
OF the brain 10, &c. Diseases Of the lungs pre-
vailed mostly in December and January, OF the
bowels from May to October
The health physician stated tha. nearly every
case of consumption was imported parties COM
health, but only to die.
Neither the city or county has any Indebted
ness, but has surplus funds on hand,
Mr.. d. W. C. Baker, who has been signal off,
Ger, and who has had charge OF the weather
states that the average annual rain fall for 10
years was II G4.i00 inches, average ANIMAL rain
fall for the last years IL 3i00 inches, average
annual temperature 81 2-i00o, maximum Their
mometer July 1900 log : minimum thermomc-
ter January 1863 &C..
Building lots in tie city are very high-Chlca-
20 high pressure style. Ditto as to lands inme-
diately joining the city, but farther out in this
Travis county good unimproved lands can lie
had at from 81 80 $40 per acre. Cotton tsay
- 900 bales per year. is the staple. Corn, oats,
wheat barley, &C., are also raised in this county
Fruits arc generally neglected, hut peaches, figs,
apricOts, pears, &c, are raised to
some extcnt-not hundrcdth part as mach as
they will be when some of our Illinois farmers
get anon. them and show them our widc.awakc
style Of doing il.
There are two railroads running 10 Austin,
viz: The Texas Central and the International.
Three or four others are projected, and it is
thought will be built soon. In fact, the people
all through the state so far as I have seen. are
sort Of Oliver Twist-y on railroads-crying for
more, and bound to have them, 81 reckon
This letter is long enough, presume. If you
think dlffcrcDtly, can, from facts in ms posses
SION, write letters from Texas al! summer after
I get home. II.