The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-05-07


grand old forest trees and romantic
ranches that dotted the country here
and therel On my route to Houston
from Morgan City had only been able
to admire pr;iries, with the flowing
herd winding slowly Ger the way" and
frisky little mustangs sporting thereon
features which strongly suggested all
that l had hitherto heard OF conceived
Of Texas. But the country around San
Antonio seemed like IL different world,
and was enchanted with all that be-
held. The most striking feature of the
town is the antique Mexican aspect per-
vading it. An arch;eologist would be
furnished with material enough there to
feed his enjoyment and satisfy desire
for information and research through
many long day. There are the most
curious specimens and relics of ancient
Mexican sovereignty, ruins of Aztec
buildings, and most delightful atmos-
pllere of antiquity, especially grateful, f,
after a sojourn in towns of mushroom
! growth. After sufficiently exploring and
examining the manifold beauties and
curosities Of that rolnanticaly pictur-
esque little city, we set our faces home
ward, reluctantly leaving the Mecca of
Texas.
l;k%1n
amongst the members of our party when
the cars ran slightly off the track; but
it was amusing to watch the stolid i'll
difference of the other passengers, who
were accustomed to similar mishaps III
Texas! II was a subject of rejoicing
with us that we were not travelling just
then OH the Texas Central K. r., for the
adventure might have proved - too seri-
olls one. The accidents on that road are
SO numerous and frequent that it is {.
difficult matter to produce any agitation
on account Of them, unless there are
lives actually lost, and even that calam-
ity is regarded as in the ordinary course
of events. This stoical acceptance of
the inevitable reminded me Of similar
behavior of the Japanese, who become
SO Injured to their own dangers. A young
missionary graphically depicted to me
his terror at being awakened the first
night of his arrival i'll that country, by I.
| rnmbling sound like thunder, and feeling
the earth reeling and shaking beneath
him. In the coolest and calmest manner
some of the natives approached him,
assuring him that there was no cause for
aIalm-it was only an earthquake! Tn
fortunately for them, the newest inhab-
itants of Japan can not regard danger
so lightly, and thus it was, too, III Texas
when some prominent gentlemen of New
Orleans came to Houston with the view
Of making Il trip to Austin. When they
became acquainted with the unsafe con
,lton of the Texas Central they turned
towards, to the infinite amusement ol
the old residents of the town-and went
to San Antonio, instead! The wonder
ful adjnstability of our natures opens q
field of interesting speculation and III
quiry, and furnishes an ineNllanstibls
theme to the moralist. When we lool
about us and perceive the adverse cir
cumstances which encompass most lives
and the eqnanimity and selt-centrtt
poisc of those lives, it ccasrs to be sub
iect of wontermcnt how Robinson Cruso
could have been SO contcnted and happ,
in his solitary retreat. At least, he WI,
separated from much that jars painful.
upon sensitive natures, and if he had IL
congellial companion, the necessity o
living with nncongcnial and nnsympa
tlctic associates was not forced upo
him.
l believe mentioned the fact of til
recent construction Of Il fine I.yceu1
Hall in Houston. but | omitted to tel
you that the market constitutes the frs
. story | was much struck with the III
congruity of this arrangement, and rea
lied more potently than ever, that til
manners and customs of Houston al
unique and novel, and quite ditfcrel
from those of our Crescent City Al
other popularity of that town, is the eS
cessive prejudice existing among eve
, the most wealthy and ultra fashionable
against Reception days." which Il,
such Il universal convenience here. FL
Housto,,ians are SO exceedingly hosp
table and sociable, that they must kce
open house to their friends constantl
instead of one day in seven. A famil
who moved there from here had the t.
mcrity to announce that they would d
vote particular day to the reception
friends, but this opposition to usage W;
so severely frowned upon, that they we
forced to succumb to the prevaiIil
3 prejudice.
My trip to this city was almost entir
), ly without incident. l was quite alo,
:, this time, and on that account sentl
:, man sitting opposite-very smiling Il,
bland-un,lertook the difficult task
amusing me. Ii / an an American,
can not endorse the free and easy way
shall fellow well met,' aud it is vc
: repellant to me to be aco>ted by tot
;. strangers, without the magical words
introduction. SO when this particul
- stranger, apparently with kindest Ill
tives, smiled upon me and tried to
sociable, lie found me utterly nnrespo
s1vc. and too much absorbed in Biacki