Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-07-31
AUSTIN, TEXAS,
The Capital of the Lone star state, as
IL Appears to an Appeal Correspond
ent-A Strikingly Beautiful
situation and
A Handsomely Little City-The
Public Buiidings-Trade-M
BOnnelI and the View Up
the COlOradO-A
ssPIug."

From an Occasional Correspondent of the Appeal
AUSTIN, TEXAS, July 27.-Austin lies on
the east side of the Colorado river, two hum
bred miles &pOm its entrance into MataGorda
bay, and asst is built on hills the situation is
strikingly beautiful. In fact, one IS impressed
with the idea that nature expressly designed
this as the spot where should rest, IN all her
glory, the capital city of the Lone Star State
The place has a population of about sixteen
thousand, has gas-works, water-works and
one street-railway. The houses are built
mostly of kind of limestone, which Is very
soft and easy to cut. So much whlteness has
the effect of making the place very neat and
clean in appearance, but Is very trying to the
ewes, hence the fences around the yards and
the corniceS, portlcos, etc., OF the houses are
generally painted dark in order to form an
agreeable contrast. The two principal busl-
ness streets are Congress avenue and Pecan,
the former running north and south, the lat
ter east and west. Congress avenue Is yell
graded and decidedly the prettiest street IN
the city. There are several hne business
houses on pecan street and the avenue. AS
the foundation of Austin Is OF rock 1t would
require a great deal of labor and expense TO
grade the residence streets, therefore up to
this time little has been done in this direction.
Nature has done her part so well In provld-
ing the streets with gravel that they never
get very muddy; in fact, the drainage Is nat
uraliy so perfect that every rain leaves the
streets perfectly clean, and taking into con-
sideration the altitude of the city it cannot
be otherwise than healthy. The capitol is
three-story building, of soft limestone
which shows very plainly the effects of age.
1t is surmounted with cupola IN the center,
and has a portico In front, the top OF which
is supported by four columns. The steps run
from the ground up to the floor of the portl-
CO, making the entrance In front into the
second story of the building. The entrances
Al -. IL 70 kna Hrof 81 nQ ciff
alton is beautiful, being on hill In the CEN
ter of an Enclosure OF fourteen acres. Con-
gress avenue runs down directly in front of
the capitol, so that by sitting on the steps ct
the building you can see down It's entire
length, and have good view OF the country
across the river With some work the grounds
around the capitol could be made very at
tractive, but very little attention has thus
far been paid to this important matter. They
are probably waiting until the new capitol ID
built for learn that three million acres OF
land have been appropriated Tor this purpose.
| 1t is therefore probable that at no distant day
Texas will have q capitol building worthy OF
the State and second to none In the Union.
| The courthouse, on the right side OF Congress
| avenue, near the capitol, is decidedly the
| finest and most attractive of any of the public
| buildings 1t is built of white stone and has
| towers en- three of its corners. The one on
| the northwest corner being the highest affords
| a fine view of the city. This building cost
| one hundred thousand dollars. Workmen
are now engaged on the foundation OF the
| United States court and postotice building.
| for which an appropriation OF one hundred
| and forty thousand dollars has already been
made, and it is thought that sixty thousand
more will be appropriated, thus making the
cost of the building when completed two
hundred thousand dollars. have not space
| to mention all the public buildings, but will
mention few of the Improvements now IN
progress. The First Presbyterlans and the
| Catholics are both erecting fine new churches
| to take the places of the old ones. The new
operahouse viii be completed by the TWEEN
| tieth of October next, and will be capable OF
! seating fifteen hundred persons. The Odd
| Fellows temple, to cost one hundred tnou-
| sand dollars, will be commenced IN Septem-
Der next, when the Grand Lodge of the world
| convenes here. This building will be forty
| six by one hundred and sixty land four stories
| high. There is a good retail trade here, and
| it must be paying one, too, to ENABLE the
| merchants to pay the enormous rents charged
| There are also several wholesale houses which
appear to do a good business. The goods
| are sold to merchants In the interior counties
and sent there by enormous wagons called
| "ships of the desert" Cotton shipments last
season amounted to about twenty thousand
| bales There are also considerable shipments
of wool, hides, etc. A pleasant drive OF foul
miles west from the city, a la6onous struggle
up a rugged side and you find yourself on the
top of Mount Bonnell. One is well repaid
for hisltrouble, for in front, with church spires
pointing heavenward and the whiteness o
its buildings forming an agreeable contrast t.
the dark foliage of the trees surrounding 1t
nestles the city of Austin, while to the let
lie, as far as the eye can reach, the highl.
cultivated fields of corn and cotton, having
an appearance in the distance as if they wer'
covered with beautiful pale green carpet
Turning to the right you have view equal.
as fine of the hills and valleys lying beyon'
the Colorado. The western side Of the noun
tain is almost perpendicular, and the base OF
this side is washed by the waters of the Colo
RADIO river, which with the wheat fields OF
] either AIDE presents q sight that for beauty !