Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-05-10

to the eyes of strangers.
At Atoka, 81 miles north of Denison
the train was boarded by a committee
headed by the Mayor of Denison. SEN
out to extend a cordial greeting ant
welcome to the editorial excursionists
Soon the ensanguined food of Red Riv
er was passed, and We were in the Lon,
Star State. Six miles further brought
us to Denison, the vigorous young cit,
OF Northern Texas, alike remarkable fol
its marvellous development, its present
prosperity, and the generous, open.
handed hospitality of it's community
The hour of our arrival was $50 P. NJ.
Thursday, and we found carriages wait.
ing at the depot to convey the excur
%sionists about the city. The ride was
most agreeable for the opportunity af.
forded to view the beautiful surround.
ings OF Denison.as well as the evidences
of her enterprise and growth, a great
portion of which is due to the healthy
admixture of Northern energy and bust
ness talent in her population. We no.
ted with admiration the noble park OF
ten or twelve acres, within the corporate
neatly enclosed with a fence, and
thickly studded with magnificent native
trees. New towns so invariably neglect
to provide for public pleasure grounds.
that the public spirit and taste of the
people of Denison is worthy of especial
notice. Other things are not wanting
to show the stuff Of which the people of
this Aourishing city are made. The
crowds that throng her business
and houses, her fine school
building, just completed at a cost of
$4,000, her six churches, her substan-
tial brick depot, her steam saw and
grist mills, her gas works, her great cot
ton compress, and her able and energet-
ic daily newspapers, the News and Her.
aid, and all this, in less than five years,
indicate the extent of her resources, and
the skill and energy that have developed
them. The excursion party tarried at
Denison until the next day, taking quar-
ters at the Atlantic Hotel, where a
dance was %improvised for their pleasure
in the evening. The Denisonians show
ed to excellent advantage as hosts, and
the visitors were at once surprised and
delighted. W. had the pleasure of
meeting Mr.. u. p. Stoneman, formerly
OF Quasqueton, at Denison. He has
purchased II acres of land near the city,
which he has cleared up. and made a
good beginning toward fruit raising.
He informed us that Mr.. G.. B. Rogers,
formerly of independence, is engaged in
a few miles from Denison, and
is contented and prospering,
The morning following it's arrival, the
party left Denison for the South. Pre-
vious to this, however, it accepted an
invitation to visit the North Texas Com
press Company's establishment. Here
Northern visitors witnessed the, to
them, novel operation of COMPRISING
bales of cotton, such as come from the
country gin and press, by the aid of
powerful machinery, and a thousand
tons pressure, into bales of less than
one-third their origional compass. The
establishment cost $60,0 and is esti-
mated to get a squeeze on $4,000 bales
per annum. This section of Texas is
very productive, and the best wheat
producing region in the State, and large
are told Of the yield and quality.
Corn is a moderate crop, as elsewhere,
Texas. Fruits and vegetables do
we'll, and cotton is a staple product.
The excursionists left Denison at
$50, Friday morning, taking the Deni-
son and South Eastern r. r., IL miles
% Bellplain, and thence directly east,
via the Trans-Continental, a branch of
he Texas Pacific Railway, to Tex
.rcana, which is situated directly on the
inc between Texas and Arkansas. half
n each state. Here is the junction Of
he Texas Pacific, or Tom SCOTS road,
Is it is called and the Iron Mountain
quite for Hot Springs and St, Louis.
The route from Denison to Texarcana
through a timber country almost
he entire distance, and presents
10 features of interest or beauty.
The timber is mostly oak, ash, elm, pc
,an and blackberry. Toward the eastern
part of the State, numerous pine forests
appear, and at almost every station on
The road one or more large saw mills
are seen converting it into timber. Be-
tween Texarkana and Houston, on the
inc Of the International & Great North
ern r. r., upwards of 100 saw mills are
situated. Lumber sells from 50 to $50
per thousand, but is not of the best va
riety of pine. We made a stay of two
Dr. three hours at Texarkana, which is
quite a busy town. We interviewed the
Postmaster, who is a Republican, orig
ina'!y from Pennsylvania, and he was
about the only man we met in Texas
who vas inclined to talk politics. He
was not much inclined to accept the
new Southern policy, though he hoped
for good to result from it. He COM
that the colored Republicans
we're inundated through their pockets,
he said nothing about personal
violence. He boosted that he enjoyed
freedom of political speech and
and explained this by stating
hat he had a good many friends among
the Democrats. There was no element
IF bitterness in his talk, and he seemed
o be on very good terms with himself
md all his neighbors. At this place we
we're shown a gallows, whercon, one
week later. a black man was to be hung,
'or the murder of his wife. There is
considerable Northern emigration to
his section of the State, and lands are
extremely low.