San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1880-07-10
Nip d Pargassry sprI.gs, 20

The occasion was . celebration Of III
4th. We had been favorably impress
cd with the place. because there hav
been repeated celebrations there Of GU
national anniversary. while it has beef
ignored in nearly al other parts Of III,
county. We therefore expected to Go,
. good patriotic community At Pursa
tory SPRING.; andW were not disap
pointed.
Its twelve miles distant from Sar
Marcos, through the mountains" but
wo we're agresably disappointed In no,
finding the road 90 fearfully bad % W
had heard it represented. Il il in
places. bad enough, tits true, but quite
susceptible Of the proposed improve.
ments. There are no large or stser
hills, or any insuperable obstacles Ia
making itan excellent road.
At last We reached the Springs. and
after the long rough ride, without the
eight Of human habitation, the fertile
valley, with its rank corn and cotton
fields, gardens, and oo4sy cottages,
seemed like an oasis in the desert.
The celebration was held at the
school house grounds. in . beautiful
grove. San Marcos We believe con.
tributsd about one. half the crowd.
Among our delegation was the Brass
Band. which attracted . good deal Of
attention.
Our friend Squire Stephenson had
been selected 40 master Of ceremonies,
but was almost disabled BY a hurt re-
ceived in one Of his limbs. so that his
duties mainly devolved on Judge Bur.
Lesson, who ably discharged the same.
The Declaration Of Independence was
read by Judge Hopkins. and he was
followed by Thos. H. Franklin. ESQ.,,
in an appropriate grafton.
Pending preparations for dinner, Mr..
Spradling, q young gentleman from
York's Creek, volunteered to take US
to and upon the Devils Backbone"
some two miles farther up the road to
Blanco City. an offer which We were
glad to accept. Our friend j. H. Horn
the outfit, in the shape Of .
buggy and mule. and we were soon
making Roadway toward the hills.
The sights we saw were of themselves
we'll worth q ride from San Marcos
This series of hills is unique and i'm.
posing to a very remarkable degree,
and would form q study of great in
terest to q geologist. Most of them
are in a continuous chain, but now and
then one appears isolated and in the
form of q sugar loaf. The highest
part of the chain we should say is not
less than five hundred or six hundred
feet above the level of San Marcos.
These hills of themselves are at least
.wice as high as the highest around
our town. The road follows the top of
the backbone" and in places up
proaches percipitous descents SO close.
" as to suggest ideas not the most
pleasant. Its sides are nearly bare
Of vegetation. and there are clear in
1ications of water having stood at
different heights, showing the same
level on the sides of the various eleva.
tons. These hills constitute the actu.
al gateway of our Purgstory.
Descending again to the valley, we
could better understand where its fer.
tility comes from. 1t is some three
miles in length and would average
about half mile in breadth, besides
some irregular extensions. 1t is near
" all fine tillable land. and watered by
ueyerfailing springs. There are about
twenty families residing In the valley,
and they have church and school priv
leges. The community is sufficient to
mercantile house or so, aud
ought by all means to have post Of.
Zee. The valley was first settled in
1852. Mr.. Williamson. from Missouri
father of "our John"-bought most
Of it, aud his descendants are still nu.
nervous there. 1t is an admirable 10.
cation for men wishing to settle their
families pleasantly while engaging 10
the stock business, which is invited by
a boundless range, free as air. This
valley, as also others which we sight.
ed from the top Of the Backbone"
recalled recollectious of our early
reading of the Happy Valley" Of
Rasselas and the scenery of "the sweet
isle of India's main" immortalized in
Paul and Virginia. And we could not
but think that to one weary Of the
strife and turmoil Of the unsympa.
thetic crowd. . retreat like this-"the
world forgetting, BY the world forgot"