New-York tribune., 1879-05-24
TEXAS AS IT Is.
THE CAPITAL CITY.

WITH EX-GOVERNOR DAVIS
IFRoM 4 SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT oP THE rRIBuNEI
AUSTIN, Texas.-When first seen from the sum-
NIT of the hill south of the Colorado the capital Of
Texas makes bright and impressive appearance,
with its mass of cream-coored buildings standing
ont in high relief against tho green background OF
woods and fields, its broad Congress avenue, lined
with tall business blocks, sweeping up from the
river and its group OF public edlfccs crowninR
knoll In the centre distance of the picture Nor IS
the place altogether disappointing on nearer ac-
uuantanoe for it is unusually clean for Southern
town. and contains many handsome private houses,
aud the general use of limestone for building pur-
poses produces very pleasing effect One ~ little
astonished, 1t is true, TO find that Austin IS
after all only big village, scarcely aggregatng
10 1000 Inhabitants, and TO that although 1t has
forty years age and is surrounded by hne coun'
try, with no competing town within hundred
miles it has little business save retail trade ana
cotton buying and boarding the members OF the
legislature more serious disappointment for
Travellers tho unwelcome discovery, soon made
from annoying experience. that the town has no
hotel which could even be called secOnd-cass with
a proper regard for truth. Still, after roughing 1t
on the frontier one does not feel like complaining,
for here are at least sidewalks and gas lamps and
the New-York papers. Besides. the Legislature is
an unfailing source of entertainments. 1t meets
every day except sunday. and sits at all hours.
wrangling over the problem Of how to the State
Government without taxing the peope-a problem
which is worrying the craftsmanship of most
Southern Legislatures just at present. The South
ern landholder objects to paying more than nominal
taxes, and as the new order of things makes char
table nstl ution. penitentares and some pretence
of public schools necessary, more money is required
than the old methods OF taxation produce.
VISIT TO rHE STATE HOUSE.
The Capitol of Texas s an excessively ugly stone
building of the drygOods-bOx style OF architecture.
but its commanding SITUATION makes IT respectable
az a distance. On nearer view 1t looks shabby
and undignlied and its old-fashioned ugness is in
creased by contrast with the spicl-and-span ele-
gance of a now court house just at hand, which
nauns in all the fnery of carved stone and mansard
roofs. You go mp 10 tho Capitol from the head of
Congress-st, over a wooden stle and three broad
terraces. Two Parrott guns stand on the middle
terrace, pointing toward the building as if with in-
tent to disparse the ignorant, plcayme Bourbon
Legislature. Under the portico stands mean little
monument commemoratng unwOrtbiy one of the
most heroic deeds history recoTds-the defence of
the Alamo. The monument, made of stone cut from
the Alamo Church in San Antonio. is scarce twelve
feet high, and is painted green TO keep 1t from
crumblng. Ii bears in large letters the names of
Travis Bonham Crockett and Bowie, and In smaller
letters on the panels those of the whole command,
killed to the last man in defence of Texan liberty
The following inscriptions appear on the four sides
over the panels:
10 the God II the fearless and the free is dedicated
altar, made from the ruins OF the Alamo Maich D.
Biooo Of heroes hath stained me. Let the of
the Alamo speak, that heir imm5aton be MOTTO gOt!g
l-lql lar $50
BE they enrolled with Ieondas in the host Of the
mighty dead.
now TIE LEGISLATURE LOOKS.
visited the Legis this morning, going first
TO the House. The hail is tOlerably well ADAPTED
for the purpose, but ia dirty and shabby. Part OF
the pastering has fallen OFF the ceiling, the walls
are dlScolored, the windows, never washed, are
hung with old green cambrc curtains, which to save
fixtures are tied in knots, the big frepaces have
no mantels and are only huge black holes in the
wall and the wood is piled on the floor, accumula-
tang heaps OF bark and dirt. An unused door lead
inc out to the porucO has lost its lock and is kept
closed by a bar made Of an old signboard bearing
the word Pianos" in large letters. 1t is a very
economical LEGISLATURE, and the member who
sbould propose an expenditure Offty cents for bolt
or of two dollars for wood-boxes would, no doubt.
be severely censured for extravaganza. When |
read bill and smoke a cigar at the time and
most of the members were smoking with their feet
on their desks. The Speaker had collapsed into his
bip chair and was quite invisible from the front
and the whole body had a wild. western free-and-
easv air lighted cigarette and found seat next
TO a venerable colOred memeGer, who had re-
moved one OF his boots to ease his bunions.
and had elevated the relieved foot TO n position
within two inches Of the right ear of the white
member Just IN front of him. The pictures on the
walls soon distracted attention from the law makers.
On one SIDE of the Speakers chair hangs hfe-sIze
pOrtrait of stephen Austin, the Connecticut Yam
kee. who was the first President of Iexas-a wiry.
,rtensc sharp-featured man, looking more like
LAWYER than frontier hero. In hls hands he holds
a scroll labelled Constitution de Ia Republica dc
Texas" Did the artist think the language OF
Mexico would be preserved after her government
had been rejectedf This picture is balanced on the
other side of the Speaker by fine full length pOr
trait OF Governor SAM Houston in the attitude and
with the accessories of Stuarts Washngton-a re-
narkable picture faithful to the smallest details of
the veins and fnger-nslls and the texture of the
carpet. The old Texan hero has a grand leonine
face and an imposing figure. The mighty Nmrod !
of early Texas history David Crockett is the third
in the trio OF founders of the State commemorated
m the walls of the Capitol He is in hunting cos
tume of deerskin shirt and leggngs with long
rifle in his hand and powder-horn sung at his
side The smooth face and long hair parted in the
middle give the cOuntenance rather a feminine
look. or would If il were not for the strong nose
and mouth and the stalwart form.
A dauby battle-pcce which the State is asked
70 buy for $4,000 attracts far more notice
from visitors than these noble portraits
of Texan heroes. 1t represents General Lee
at the battle of the Wilderness, riding along
the Confederate front, with group of generals
clatteringat his heels. The rebel batle-lag haunts
bravcly at the head of a line of sayage-ookiDg men
in gray, while in the far distance, dimly seen
throua n the smoke are the Stars and Stripes borne
hr a reIreating line of blue There Is nothing noble