Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-08-14
Tyler, Texns.


be some among the many read
ers Of the OBSERVER who have an
interest in the"Lone Star State, II |
thought ! would give you a brief. |
description of this place. TylerE
Is the county scat Of Smith coun-t
ty. 1t is a thriving little city of
about four thousand Inhabitants,
and it is growing rapidly. Al
most all the produce Of the coun-
ty is shipped from here; the prill-
cipal article cultivated is cotton,
although corn and other articles
of produce are raised in abun-
dance, as the soil is very fertile.
1t is very light and inclined to be
sandy, aIdis said by the farmers
to be No. ] land" There is a
great deal of iron ore in the
county, some containing so per
cent. Of iron.
Tyler is the terminus of the
Texas and st. Louis Il. r., and |
although the road is not finished,
daily trains are run from this
place to Ferguson where they
connect with the Texas 81 Paci-
fic. They are at work on the
road now and are rapidly carry
ing it through from Ferguson to
Texarkana, Ark, where they
will meet the St. Louis end Of |
the road which is already com
pleted; they expect to have the
whole line completed by Octo-
Der. We will then have a direct
line from this place to st. Louis |
which Will improve Tyler very
much. There is also a branch
of the International and Great
Northern r. r. passing through
this place, and they are going to-
begin work soon on a road from
here to Waco. When this road
is finished Tyler will be the city
of eastern Texas; it will be a
railroad center and being sur
rounded by a fertile country and
blest with two good schools, male
and female, and being remarka-
bly, healthy, it is at no very dis
tant time to be a large and i'm
portant city.
The two schools mentioned are
the Charnwood Female Institute
and the East Texas University.
The Charnwood Institute is in
splendid hands and in a flourish
ing condition; last session, which
was the first, d numbered about
100 pupils. The East Texas u
University is under the supervi-.
sion of Capt. Thos. L. Norwood,
it is also in a fiourishing condi-
ton; at the close Of its first ses-
sion 80 students were enrolled,
and though it was its first ses-
sion it claimed students from
several other states, viz; Ala
bama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Ar
kansas and Louisiana. 1t is
thought that next session the
University will number 200.
Last fall Tyler lost five bust
ness houses by fire, and last
spring there was a whole block
burned numbering about fifteen
buildings. For a while the place
looked quite destitute, but the
enterprising citizens were not in
the least discouraged by their
misfortune, and in a few weeks
the ring Of the trowel and the
cry of the mason were to be
heard, and now there arc seven
teen fine brick buildings being
erected, five of which are almost
finished and in use now. Con-
tracts have been made for the
erection of several other stores
and a market house. The work
on them will begin in a short
time.
Tyler has the name of begin
one Of the most intellectual pla-
ces in Texas. She has furnished
one Congressman and the pres
lent Governor, Roberts, also the
Hast, Hubbard. There are several
courts held here, the Appellate
and Federal courts, besides the
district courts. There is a great
Ideal of fruit raised in and around
he place; we have peaches from
fthe 10th of May till late in No
vember. We have spendid free
stone water. As l said before
the place is noted for its health
mess, has never been visited by
cholera, diphtheria or yellow fe-
yer. i have heard several old
Texans say that taking all in all
Smith county is about as good a
place to live as there is in Texas;
and if there are any of the read
ers Of the OBSERVER who antici-
pate coming westward | would
advise them to strike for this
place. Very truly yours, etc.,
MEMO.
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