The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-04-20

That think the best place IN Texas for manu-
featuring have seen, rs lumber of all kinds Is
plenty and cheap, and shipping facilities first
rate Here thought should make the needed
arrangements to stop and did all / could, so far
AS talking was concerned, and got II promise
from party there to write me to Worth, which
he did, but he was disappointed and that dis.
appointed me. Still he has hopes that he can
do something yet, but have weakened.
Here parted with Capt Marshall and Gun
bingham and have seen neither since | stad
here several days and had the fortune to stop
at house where there were men from down
the INTERNATIONAL and in fact different points Of
the State that were attending murder trial Of
husband for poisoning his third wife who
had died in the same manner as the other two
From what | could learn | conclude that be
low this line, in the timber portion of Texas
the country was usually sickly, except on
the high lands, and that was very poor soil
After doing all ! could there, | started west
again. Stopped at Terrill, which is in the first
prairie county, and IS avery thriving town, next
to Dallas, which is the nearest to a northern
city have seen in Texas, and surrounded by
a splendid farming country, and property IS
high, and should say to go there now would
be too late to grow up with the country. Here
| would state that the negro nearly peters out
He seems to thrive best in the timber portion
of the State. From there the next place of
importance is Fort Worth, which is thcnearcst
imitation of Bcdlam have been in since left
the mining cities Of Montana. All is hustle and
confusion, and the ms should judge were
making money, but the outs outnumbcr them
by a large majority. Here | found Levitt keep
ing hotel-Leyit's Homeland at his house
| found our old townsman NJ. III. Prescott, as
lively rs usual, and says he intends to settle
and locaty some land as soon rs he is Oid enough
TO hold Il claim Here | also found A. X. Nc
Cain and Ida; he had come for material for
house and Ida for pleasure. She says it is per
fectly splendid to sleep in wagon and cook
iby camp fires for ten days in February Here
| expected to receive mail from home and from
parties | had been working with along the
route. So ! joined in the line that was formed,
the same as we do sometimes in Ottawa at
election to take our turn, and after half an hour
was crowded up to the delivery Of the post Of
flee, but got no mail Mccain urged me quite
hard to go home with him, but declined and
staId and took good look at Fort Worth, and
found that the goods proposed to manufacture
would be in good demand here and could be
sold in large qantties, and if | could get To-
i in I 4,
day spent and no mail While at the auction
market ! met man from Breckenridge and
made arrangements with him to 90 back with
him, which consisted in providing pair of
blankets, piece of bacon, sc. fou nj had
struck in Mr.. Browdcr II true Texan and an
other gentleman. lie was loaded with mer-
chandisc and | found, after reaching lIrcCk-
cnridgc, that lc was the head of the leading
house there, and after reaching his store, which
is a twostOry stone building, he took me to
his room and told me to make ifmy stopping
j place while | remained in Breckenridge.
mention this circumstance TO show the true
character of the native Texan. Mr.. Browder
told me he was born in Texas, and was never
further north than St Louis.
f. will now 80 back to Fort Worth, and travel
the road over in my mind. The first place
g. you reach Is Weaherlord Oh miles, which is
a thriving town and county seat Of Parker
/, county, and is looking in two directions for
railroads, which will make it an important
r place. The country around it is very rough
and the roads sandy. From there TO Polo
Pinto, the county seat of Polo Pinto county, is
| the toughest country ever travelled and it
? continues 50 until you reach Stevens county
a Still there are some small tracts Of nice land
/ Polo Pinto is a small place in n small valley,
1 but its inhabitants are expecting great things
when the railroad reaches them. We pass
through the Brazos river and Eagle creek be
| tween Weathcriord and Breckenridge, and at
!, Breckenridge we cross the gorge and pass
! some springs, but there is great lack Of good
Z, water. The country is very hilly and in some
places so rocky that you are almost on, of
| sight of land. This may be a hint for some
!, parties not to buy Texas land without seeing It,
The country is mostly covered with scrubby
i post oak, and juniper ccdcr ccyy scyUjbg
II SlCNcllS county, NHul hdNC aCCiI, - hiulO ~"
b viting; il is both timber and prairie, but the
| prarics all have more or less timber scattered
over them There is hardly an acre that has no
| timber. There is the live oak with bodies
4, from five 10 seven feet in length with large
+, tops covered with perpetual green. NcNtcomcs
r the post oak, about the same shape and stature
p as the live oak, but shedding its leaves: then
= there is the ever present mosquit ii is almost
y everywhere on the prairIes, and resembles Il
lilac bush that has been suffered To grow and
: sprout until il reaches the size of from one and
one half to two inches and in some of the val.
e cys it grows 10 the size Of apple trees and re-
scmbles an old orchard very much. Its leaf