The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-05-01
TEXAS.
Sketch of Towns and Country,
from Galveston to Sherman, Etc.


SHERMAN, Tex, April 16, 1878.
| To the Editor of the AIorristown Gazette
| Your most welcome letter just re-
eeived, and appreciating the kindly
remembrance that prompted it, /
hasten to tender the proper acknowl-
edgment, promising that | have not
been oblivious of my kind friends in
Merristewn, but have been Postpon-
ing writing them from this point un-
til better acquaintance with the
country would enable me to write
more reliably about it. On my ar
rival here the universal mud was so
appalling. and locometion . az pied. "
or even in any vehicle, SO embargoed
by it, that I was forced to keep with
in my" Castle Gates until the vii
lainous stuff hardened sufficiently to
support my very light avoirdupois-
| reached Galveston liz beautifully
clear and balmy weather, having
| crossed the unruffled Gulf of Mexico
ia a magnificent steamer, whose
| steadiness of movement left the pas
senger unconscious of any vibration
even of her powerful engines. Ar
rivIng there at 10 o'clock a. m, we
halted until half past 2 p. m, when
we resumed eur journey to Houston,
(by some inexplicable waywardness
Of orthoepie distortion, pronounced
by its deuizens as if spelled Heus
ton,) which we reached. after an anti
progressive schedule of running rate,
about 3 O'Clock, p. M, the weather
still bright and beautiful. We So
journed a day aud a half in " the
Bayou City"-reconnOitered all It's
highways and by-ways. under the
skilfuI piletage of an old resident,
Zone of my sons); " saw up the
whole town learned all about its
capabilities and probable future "a
the rival in commerce of its marine
neighbor, s'the Island City and as
the greatly damaged competitor of
the recently established entrepot,
Clinton, where the width and depth
of water are sufficient for large and
heavily laden ships and steamers.
This was the point on which Hous-
ton should have been founded, and
which the enterprising sagacity of
"Commodore Morgan" as they call
him. at once selected as the best fit
ted by nature for commercial mart.
But whether or not it will be able to
eontravene the powerful influence OF
artificial highways, terminating and
intersecting at the head of the Ba-
you, remains to be seen. That it
will damage Houston to a certain
extent, there seems to be but little
doubt on the minds of those best in
formed upon the subject. But, to
startle you as [ was myself by actual
observation startled, let me tell you
in all truthfulness, physically and
philosophically, that the so-called
Bayou, up at Houston, is a lazy lit
tie stream, apparently not more than
thirty feet wide, walled in between
high banks on either side, and total
ly innocent of any craft or sail
in fact. better suited, though indif-
ferently even for that, for sewerage
than for Shipping; yet they tell me
good sized steamers come up there
at high water! If my own son.
sober-sided, truthful fellow, had not
told me so, / would not-indeed
could not have believed it possible
unless npon the crest of some terrific
tidal wave sweeping far up into the
hitherto unyisited highlands. The
town itself, as a centre of trade. pre-
sents busy appearance. 1t is we'll
laid off with very broad, rectangular
streets, on which handsome aud i'm
posing brick buildings for business
purposes have been tastefully erect
ed, while in the resident portion of T
the town some fine residences. chief
ly wooden, may be seen, the prevail
ing class being somewhat after the |
one-storied little dOmieils of Morris
town and the Southern cities gener
ally. The market-house, however,
is the chief building of the place,
the Episcopal Church next, and then
the banks and hotels, The Episeo-
pal Church Of Houston Is pastored |
ny our old Pastor in Selma. MIR.
Clemens. an EngIishman. a wee-bit
of man in body, but quite 6 a pump.
kim as q preacher. He has added
largely 10 both the church and its
ediiee since his pastorship at Hous-
ton, and is not nndeservedly popu-
lar there, as he was at Selma.
Leaving Houston at half past 2
in the evening. we had fine oppor-
tanity of seeing the country over
which we passed, and / sorutinized
it. "you bet" with my closest OBJ
servation. But then, after all, but
for the heundless expanse of tree
less prarie-fire. it was one-herse''il
field for observation. varied by no
settlements in sight. except those at