Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-10-25
o5 LaM FOR the SPECTATOR
Letter from Texas.
aA1Nnsv1nlssV Cooke CO., TEXAS, ]

GA1NESV1l<AE2'C OOkE Oos, A6AAosAt
llsed 9ysd October 10th, 1881. ~
3 Editor Of Spectator ss-Inv my last j
to gfveyours readsEE descr1p-
lion of this portion OF Texas, but - my
descriptive p0wers7are somewhat limit.
ed, I fear. before Ilget through, Will
aud that L have 4bit5 OF more than 4
can chaw. T. will, however, do the
best can In the way Of sredeoming my
promise. Cooke county 1(asi many 81
your readers are doubtless ALVAREZ ~ ~
the prairie region OF Texas, a section.
noted for the fertility Of tte soil and the
saaubfity of it, climate The country
around Gainesville, within radius 81
five or six miles, IL quite thickly set
tied. 1.-The farms are fenced exclusive!y
with barbed wire, ~ are also thDus4nds
of acres Of pasture land.o The dWeltng
houses Of theifafmers are with soercely
an exception3 Of the most ordinary &c
scription, most Of them being small,
one. story Lighthouses, constructed Will a.
out the slightest regard to archisectufG
adornment, g or the rules OF toinery. !
however, that as the resources
of the country; become more fully De.
sveloped and the Inhabitants grow iiGhS
err the present ffail, 5unoouth structures
will he replaced by bmore substantial
and stylish edihces. 10 Nearly every
farmer has in bis yard cellar, which
is nothing more than q square hole dug
in the ground, and varying In dimen
sions according toIthe size of the family
It is designed ttoD accommodates. The
subterranean vault is rooted over with
heavy timbers, covered with earth. after
the fashion of the vegetable houses IN
our country. On the approach OF 2
storm, which in this country is the AZ
most invariable precursor OF D tsCy-
Clone" each familysrepairs to it, cellar
with all possible dispatch, and renlatnl
there until the storm abates, ana all
IdangeY from the tornado has passed.
Speaking Of tefnadoes reminds ne OF :
remarkable gotnpidenee. which hap
pened in an adjoining county. n
April, 1850, "a terfiae cyclone almost
entirely destroyed The town Of Savoy
| in Fannin county, ca1sihg the death ol
about one hundred persons; and on the
same day In April Of this year another
visited the same town. destroying
number Of honses and killing 4seyerA
persons. These cyclones are . terrible
scourge, and one who has mover baeI
an eyewitness to their fury 0riseen thu
utter desolation left in their track car
form but faint conception Of their de
structive power They sweep over tn
country like some fell monster, destroy
ing as they 70 evefy yestige of animate
and inanimate creatipn5 leaving Ia thei
desolate pathway inaught but deatA na 90
ruin. $50 - -
The principal crpp raised here u cot
ton. which With IN fr3inAt5Iy goo.
season pays well. This Ii said to he
good corn country, and oats grow luxu
riantly, from ffty to seventy five bush
els per acre being no Uncommon yield
Wheat is raised to q limited extent, bn
} the yield is only tolerable, and -the quail
ity of the grain Indifferent. The char
aoter of the soil n Whist IL known
:ibiack Raxy,n IN appfopfiate name b.
the way, for after q: rain It adheres Z
, ones boots with d pertinaeity which ]
anything but agreeable. The planter
tell me that this soil is better adapted T
} farming purposes than that which ha
IAN sdmixtHre Of sand, as it is equal.
as fertile. and stands drought bette
than the sandy land. Il.
A few miles east OF here are tn
I"Cross Timbers," belt OF timber vary
J ing in width from Ave to fifteen mile
and running from enortheast to south
west through the entire State. Th
timber Ia principally "post. oak" andi
low scrnbby' growth, unfit for almoe
any purpose except firewood, for vhicl
: it is largely employed. The timbe
trade in Gainesville is good one
Thousands of feet of pine and othe
lumber are sold here every week .dol
which q handsome profit Ia realized. ssf
4 Barnum's show is advertised to oex
hibit here next Monday, on which ooc
casion ! presume the sovereigns vii
turn out en- naGsse, this being the frs
time in the history of Gainesville tina
circus of any magnitude has made 1t
, appearance in the town. Il
The Conservative Democratic part.
of old Augusta certainly evinced dis
eliminating judgment In selecting Q
candidates for the Legislature two sucl
able end tried men as Major Hange
and Colonel Skinner, and I hearth.
ljoin with you in excIaiming, "Hnrral
for Daniel, Koiner, Hanger, and Skin
ner." GUILLAUMTE.
ST am Readjuster,n is the films,