The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-10-28
Special Correspondence from Eastern
Texas.
LONGvIEw, GREGG Co., TEXAS, }
% 1000

ohEG1 w., EAh5g
October 20. 1880.
Editor Stateman
Ihave been in several counties oi
Eastern Texas, and find crops and
health generally good-some sick.
ness of the bilious and malarial
character, but few deaths. The cot
ton crop will average half bale to
the acre; in places more. The corn
crop is excellent. The country is
improving rapidly. One county
(Shelby) which, in 1870. had less
than 5000 in population, now has
nearly l0,0O0-nn increase in the last
decade of over fifty per cent. Pal
estinc, Henderson in Rusk county
this place, Tyler. Marshall and JEFF:
ferson are the leading trading points
in the east. and are all doing large
business. Within the last two wears
| have not witnessed so great an i'm
provement as | find in East Texas,
in both town and country.
In politics, this country is largely
Democratic. The Republicans have
lost ground and are badly democrat
lied. The Greenbackers are too in
significant in numbers to be consid-
cred a political factor in the contest
here.
In some localities l find the indie
pendent movement pretty strong
but not generally so. Where it pre-
walls it has absorbed both the Re-
publicans and Grcenbackers, and all
claim to be good simon-pure Demo
crafc Thar nrraofact and hottaci af
forts seem to be to capture the judi
ciary, and in one or two districts
they will come very near doing it.
Our defeat in Indiana has had rather
II dispiriting effect on many of our
party. but nearly all believe Gen.
Hancock will be elected. If he be
defeated no one can foretell the end.
This section is solid for the o. A.
and our state and national tickets.
The majority of the Independents
say they will support both, the con-
test being mainly over the local
Offices. In Harrison county, leading
men at Marshall and Hallville told
me they would carry the county. 1t
has generally gone Republican here
tofore. and by large majorities.
Many OF the negroes will vote with
us now. and some Democratic ne
gro speakers are canvassing the
county. Politics is hot and boiling
over in all this section of the state
If every section of the state will
prove as true to our party as East
Texas, our success will never be en-.
dangered.
II - h. knaIeA F,.t n
this county / will state that while in
Shelby | visited the death bed of an
old lady in her ninety-fourih year
(Mrs. Hairgrovel. An old friend
(Mr. Bupey) died just before ar
rived in the county, in his eighty
ninth year. | passed a graveyard in
which a tombstone showed that the
party reposing beneath was eighty
four years old (Neal Smith). / saw
many octogenarians aud others who
had passed their three score and ten.
One of the best evidences OF the
prosperity OF g country is the sue
cess of its newspapers. The Hen
derson papers, the Times and Be1-
con, the Hdtehmdn, the NacoQdo-
ches Nesrs, the Champion OF Center,
the San Augustine .SdJOn, etc, arc
all doing well. One Of these has
circulation Of fifteen hundred sub
scribers, which is a good showing
for a country weekly. The Interna-
tional Railroad Company has bought
out the Henderson and Oyerton
branch railroad, and il is believed
they will continue said road TO the
passing through Shelby
county. II is also thought that Bre-
mond's Marrow Gauge road will
reach Nacogdoches before q great
while, so all this country is stimu-
lated with the prospect OF railroad
with the outside world.
This portion Of the state has been
hid, as it were, from the public |
view. II is, however, one Of the
best portions of the state, and only
needs good roads to make il popu- |
ous and prosperous
DEMOCRAT.