New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-11
THE LONE STAR STATE.
MAN pr,sr AND SOIL IL TEXAS.

CIETI IN SAN ANTONIO.
(yKoM A SPECIAL COREISPONIENl OF I'VE I'i'' Nil
San ANTONIO t.. Match 9.--Wc i,hve New
Orleans at noon. If we are going to Texas by 'h'
90 Sunset Route" and if are going dfectlN
tbroncl we ride steadily westward all the remain
der of the day and the whole Of the following mgh'
TO reach Houston at or O'Clock oi me next morn
ing There. if are going on al once We i''N'
close connections. and again push on. al day long
and reach San Antonio al night. tLd not conn
through thus directly, but ! mention tie ail"ne'
,nent of trains and the time required IN "ru'r "
give the readers Of TIE TElBUNr some impression
of distances in this part oil the country hut
think one can have adequate idea "i inc N's' 'N
tent of this State except 10y actual tr''l over It,
From New Orleans to Houston most OF the co'ui-
fry il Low and fat The water Is nearly everywhere
bracksb from the ncarncSS of the coast oi the ""''
and in every dooIyarl you see 4 huge ciNtrTh' :"
wooden vat OF tank. above ground to hoid 'h'
rainwater from the roof of III" house Tor d""'S,''
use Very often the ciStcrm - nearly as fSc iS the
house The cabins of the negroes IN W eNt' I'll LOUIS
Jana are roomy and comfortable: They are mostly.
indeed small framed houses, all of them having
ontsiie chimncvs built of sticks and clay. These
orc .beap md when well con~t rurtcd very durable
md safe was interested IN comparing these chlih-
pcvs with those Of the oc-caljnS oi ibe early SCI
tiers i'm the forcSt-TcgionS of Indiana with when
was familiar in my boyhood, ami many OF Whi'h
helped to build observe some differences III con
struction here the plan requiring less timber 'h'h
we used there and a greater proportion of cay rs
the cheaper material. Much of the land Ill the
region near the coast is very fertile, anu when ulN
enough for tillage, produces excellent crops of
sugar-canc and cotton. But 4 great proportion oil II
is too low and wet for drainage 10y ind>
One receives the impression here. in other parts
of the South of almost intcrnlnabe cypress
swamps the gigantic trees loaded and swathcd
with great festoOns of the long moss tlllahdSia
usneodesl. This is not moss. hut an ar-plant ana
epiphyte merely growing upon the frccS' lhu' not
penetrating their juices or deriving any nonrlNh-
rnent from them Northern ladies travelling III the
South are always assuring you that The moss Kills
the trees surprising il to lie parasite. like the ms
fletoe which is also abundant in the Southern
States; but the has no effect upon the Iie oil
the tree II has, however. great effect upon
Southern landscape and wherever II grows II has
murL TO do with the impressions produced 10y forest
seuery The plant itself is handsome and graceful,
az are the separate fcst0Ons which II forms. when
regarded near at hand. Bat the appearance or effect
of large tree covered with il Is ugly and disagree
able rs if il were being shroudcd and snothercl IN
enormous oobwebs. The lve-oak is Il very hand
some tree usually growing with low, spreading
top, and looking much like a greatly inagIhhed
apple tree This resemblance half domcNticateS the
Houston is a not very lively, rather old-looklng
country town. with much more business than one
would expect To find in il If he Judged 10y It's appear
an,e But the opening of new lines of translorta-
lion has taken away some of the former advantages
Of the place.
ROOM FOR TEMPERANCE REFORM.
There is a great deal Of drinking here, and many
Of the nciehborng planters spend more time i'll the
,aloons than can be pruhtahly employed there hut
there is Just now much agitation aud discussion at
the subject of temperance in many places in this
State and much activity on the part OF the adv"-
Gates of prohibitOry legislation Judging from what
[ see everywhere, | should think it would bc diff
cult to enforce law prohibiting the sale of ini"Xi-
eating liquors. hut it is not likely that such law
will soop be enacted here. There Is far too much
drinking throughout the South. and any consider
,be reform in this matter would Ice an important
rain to the country receive the impression that
there is more drinking lay the better lass al people
than in the North. but cannot say positively that
This is true SOuthcrners are however more social.
,ubhc and ELUSIVE with their drinking than
Northern men are | am constantly asked Ia drink
,n the railroads the streets and AT the hotels.
Riding in the smoking the other night az |
,ften do because see there much more of the
life Of the common people than IN the hr-tciaNs
.arsl Texan who sat opposite just across the aisle,
frank from q large bottle more than half dozen
times during the night. and each time when he took
out he first held it across toward me, and politely
invited me to drink. His courtesy was un"caned,
though | always declined with thanks. Almost
everybody in the car drank-uen women and child
.n-an6 though nobody was drunk, we had an cx-
.re,ncly social and hilarious night. OF courN" as
8 always the case in the smoking a consider
able number of the passengers were negroes. They
were generally the most quiet portion OF the com
H.. .ttl te
drowned the conversation and the noisy laughter.
The negroes commonly make themselves very much
1t home in the smoking car and it often seems a. If
The whites rather than they. were there 10y suffer
ance The drinking habit seems to bring the two
races nearer together socially and in good feeling
Of course white men do not often ask negroes Ia
drink with them 40 they ask each other but II II a
svery common thing to see a group oil white men
rink together and then, If there Is a single negro
aear them the man with the bottle holds it ont to-
ward the sable brother. and says heartily: Have
tomeY' The invitation is always accepted Ana II
Awhile mas. happens to be dry, something tha' APP
gears to not mfrcqnently. he does not dsdaln
An invitation to drink because it Is proficrcd by
acgro The discussion between the two white gen
tlencn and a negro in Alabama. described III
former letter, closed with hearty drink all around
and in this case il the negro no provided the
beverage In this case. too. though had been Tor
The most part only listener. was invited by all
three to participate. | have never observed that
CIV refusal to drink produced any unpleasant feel
ing, except, perhaps, once. Just as Was entering
theatre in New Orleans To attend ball. gentle
manly looking man. somewhat Intoxicated. asked me
10 drink with him. When declined rs politely rs
possible, he appeared displeased and invited me
aside saying that he wished to me- but asked
him to excuse me- and passed on, the tieket-scller
mt the same time warning by look %