Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-02-23


Many people are not aware of the magni-
tude OF the territory embraced within tie
limits Of the boundaries OF Texas. France
does not contain so many square miles by
forty thousand, in round numbers, and
were every man, woman and child in the
United States to emigrate 10 Texas she
would not be populated so thickly TO the
square mile as Massachusetts. France is
reckoned as one Of the five great powers OF
Europe, and, in the time Of the great Ma
poleon, carried on wars the magnitude OF
which astounded the world. Yet Texas far
excels France in area, fertility OF soil, sa-
lubrity of climate, and in the variety OF
products. The day is not far distant when
Texas will be formidable power within
herself, and able to cope, single-hsnded,
with any one OF the boosted five powers OF
Europe.
That part OF Texas lying east of the Trim
iiy river is thckly wooded, and accounted
the most insalubrious in climate. Cross
ing the Trinity you come 10 the prairie
portion of the state. From the Trinity TO
the Brszos you pass though the heart Of the
settled and wealthy part of the state.
Splendid farms, fine residences, beautiful
cities and towns enchant and delight the
travellers eye. 1t is even so until you APP
proach the Colorado river, the very from
tier of civilized Texas. Beautiful little cit
les are springing up like magic, almost
within hearing distance Of the war-whoop
of The Comanche.
Brownwood, beautiful little city, is the
county seat of Brown county, and has even
astonished herself in the rapid strides she
has made in the way of progress and re-
finement. it has splendid residences, fine
stores, of brick and stone, good schools,
Sunday schools and churches. 1t is the
great point for the stoppings of the cara
vans of emigrants that are coming TO this
part of Transforming literally by the
thousands from almost every state in The
Union. Even Canada is represented. Any
day, this time of the year, the streets of the
town are jammed with wagons, horses, cat
tie and people. The merchants are reap
ing rich harvest, for there is no other
town west, and emigrants stop here to
maze their purchases. Brown county is
considered the gem OF the frontier counties,
DSAhS oS "Ni OShAoA uutN
having, perhaps, better soil than the sister
counties. Pecan river runs all the length
OF the county, and the amount of pecans
growing on the trees that line its banks is
almost incredible. The crop gathered this
year is estimated at $4,000 in value, at a
dollar and half per bushel. Beside what
were sold, the amount consumed, wasted
and HnafrnuaA lie hnynp1 ranlrnp;vy he
valley of the Pecan is beautiful to behold,
and so rich in soil that it would drive an
inhabitant Of the poor knobs of Kentucky
to distraction. Leaving the Pecan valley
you ascend what are called the mountains,
and you reach the table Lands, unduating
with elevations and valleys, carpeted ev-
erywhere with grass, and set off by beau
tiiul groves Of live oak.
Standing on an emiuence and looking for
miles over mezquit valleys and over The
opposite eminences, the sight is beautiful
TO behold. The live oaks glossy dark
green Qt is an evergreen) is in strong con-
trast with the flaming scarlet of the Span
ish oak and dirty yellow of the post oak,
and the whole seems as If touched with the
painters brush. Now you see as if row
of green, scarlet and yellow; back of it you
see the silvery white-topped grass which
you almost imagine to be a silvery lake
glimmering in the sunshine; then another
row of colors; then grass, and so on, until
the view is lost by the back of the opposite
ridge. The whole seems the work of man
10 please the eye. In no other land have /
ever seen Nature display her works in this
line in the way she does here, and il is
sometimes hard TO dispel the illusion that
the whole is the highly ornamented estate
of some gentleman farmer.
There you see herd of a thousand cat
tie. Across the valley goes herd ola doz-
en- deer. Across the high and naked prai-
RE go skimming fifty beautiful antelopes,
their white sides cleaning in the sunshine.
Overhead whirr half a hundred prairie
chickens. Turkeys, geese and ducks start
up from every brake and lakelet. Mule
cared rabbits start out from every thicket
and go scudding away like the wind and
thousands of prairie dogs bark in rapid
squeaks like the Christmas toys Of our
childhood, and then their little tails twin
kle like fash as they dive into their holes
at your approach.
And all this is a country that has no
bounds, as it we're; where you are free TO
roam, and roam at will for days with your
gun, and are not obliged to fire toward
heaven or down into we'll when you 20
bunting, as you have to do where it is
densely popuated.-C Correspondence of the
Louisville Courier Journal