Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-01-13
A Letter from Texas Voice
from the South -Wost.
CHEROKEE CouSTY, TEXAS,

has been invisible in those "diggins" for tho
last thirty ycars, and above two thirds Of
Tor twenty-six years) of that timc, u citizen
Of the Lone Star State. Notwithstanding
upwards Of quarter of q century has passed
over my head and sprnklcd my locks with
gray, and disease has withcred and tho rude,
strong grasps of a(iioton have shattered
my frame, yet in retrospect find TINT hayo
lost nothing oftho many fond remombrancos Of
tho scenes of my boyhood and youth, and all
these tics, as dear to my heart now rs then,
which will over ondoar and link mo thcrc.
Thought l suppose that wcro now thoro
would feel like tho lono Indian--I would
not bo satisfied. Everything is changed.
Most of those familiar faces I was wont to
recognize IN yoro, rs friends and relatives,
hase passed away. could only hcavca deep
sigh, shed regrctful tear on the grave of
my sires, and--dcpart. Only ono Of my own
family namo yet remains, as lono tree of tho
kind, in tho forest Of lifc--"a column of his
own height" whose venerable looks hayo
bson chilled by many o wintry blast, and
whose clcoks (liko minc, though he, nv
senior by far,) are furrowcd deeply by fell
ahliction as well as by tho hand of time.
In my own native land would be,
lwoald visit that old homo Of yoro;
But kind Heaven, it fccms hath dccrccd,
Tis' laud l can visit no moro.
Poverty and bodily inllrmity forbils, not
that am an exile or u refugee from justice.
Although hnvo no desire to grow tho least
foreign in feeling towards tho land Of my
nativity, yet I deem it no moro than Justice
to speak somewhat in behalf of the State and
homo of my adoption. Let man be cit-
zon Of whatever State or county ho may, yet
il no bo truly patriotic, ho will at all timos
labor to screen his home from tho stigma of
Misrepresentation, Though Texas is great
country, geographically speaking ana uncx-
collcd in variety of soil, climate and produc,
ton. &c., yet Texas is Mother Paradise nor
Pandcmoninm. Many, on coming here, be,
cause thoy don't find tho country and every
thing as they in their imagination pictured,
they 60 back aud giro tho country II bad
namo. Now this is not fair. "Give the devil
his dues" All men should tell tho truth
and shane tho daddy of oil liars. Texas to
any man coming hore, is like the world is to
him whom he stays at homo, (not that he is cut
Of tho world when hcro,) i. Q. lust
what lo makes it. IF ho is selfish and ava
ricious and disposed to roylo and fret over
every calamity ard reverse of fortune, which
como to all some way or time tho world
trowns blcakly it soems, yea, locks hateful
indeed md in his eyes ho only, is set to do
right, and all other mems hands against him
to swndle and to cheat him. But when his
heart is right and he cGn keep conscience
void of offence towards God and his fellows,
then roughs glide smoothly. "Thc world it
runs we'll with him then" 1t is beautiful
and wonderfully agreeable. Lovely to DO
and to live in. So if on coming here, hav-
ing promised himself fortune ia few
years, in tho face Of all opposition, so ho
begins tho job to tho tuno of "Go it Alo,.
pretty soon his cltorts arc bafled, his hope is
withered, and thcn-Tcxas is the mcancst
country under tho sun, ond is full of the
mcanest people. Whereby, if he comos with
tho determination to taGo Texas as it is, and
mako 1t his home. pursuing an honorable
course, he will not fail by industry and Judi
cious management, to make an easy living
and to bo satisfied. From an expcricncc OF
twenty six years have never known a single
instance to the contrary. a man may live 10
certain locality hero many years and vet
nc is Ignorant Of places and things in other
portions, rs he is of tho nnexplored regions
OF Central Africa; yot somo now and then
como "Creen from tho Statcs," STAY few
weeks or months, SEQ cotton patch or two
&c, soon get homo sick, 60 back, curse Texas
from Rio Grando to Sabine River and from
tho Gulf to tho Indian Nation. Different
individuals comt through different motives.
Ono morcly to visit friends md rcturn;
another to look at tie country, and somo ono
thing and some another. Many years ago an
old gentleman Of. my acquaintance
in South Carolina@ gathered heart to
SEQ Texas. So he framed his will,
gave his son Peter horn book and Dick q
shilling to buy haltor. Bid his family
longer farewell than now ho might to 20 round
tho earth. Ho was going away down, down,
down yondcr in tho far South West. May
DO so far as the Gary field, whore Santa Anna
was caught and Sam Houston was wounded,
and II he ever got back he would hive somc-
thing to tell. barrel Of tcars, no doubt,
wcro comminglcd IIc set out by public
conveyance. In fow days no reached Old
Nachodoches in the night, on Unclo Sans
"coach and four." I don't know whether
no saw tho old sone house or not, though he
saw ten fat calves in ono Toxas cowpcn
Noxt morning ho turned for South Carolina,
and in o few days took all on surprise at
homo when another barrel full were poured