San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-09-14
"Reminiscences of the Republic OF
Texas.
IPor the Free Press

lPor the Free Press
came to Bastrop in January, 1910, In
the town there were two steam saw mills
which also had small corn mills attached to
them. In tho country all corn had to he
ground on hand mills, called Armstrong
mills. When the new corn was not too hard,
then il was grated, and it made into delight
full pancakes. About 1912, there being no
money nor no trade, the two steam saw mis-
ceased operations and sold out. believe
Col. :. C. Higgins bought one of them, and
put it up on Copperas creek, about three
miles from Bastrop Well, MIR. Higgins had
hard time of it; he had to be engineer
and fireman himself rs there was no sale
for corn meal, he ground that for accommo-
dation, and there was little demand for pine
lumber. do not believe there was any cot
ton raised in Bnstrop county in lS4l. New
corners consumed all the corn and pork that
be could raised by the few settlers. In 1872
no emignnts came to Texas, for Texas had
no money and and no credit abroad.
do not believe there was cotton gin in
Bastrop county before the fall 1912, and then
probably not more than three in oil Bastrop
county / remember that in 1o4l, when
the Santa Fe expedition started, never saw
a cotton plant in West Texas. In 1913,
when returned to Texas again, the cotton
planters sent their largest share of cotton ON
pine log RATS down on the Colorado river to
Matagorda, where the RATS were sold for
house building (there being no pine in the
lower country and the cotton sold-for
cash ? No, but exchanged for goods and
sugar, the latter raised on the cany lands
But little cotton was then sent by OK teams
to Houston. In summer 1913, was also
employed in one of these raft cotton expor-
tation enterprises, that is I drove the horses
belonging to the men managing the raft, so
that they could return after arriving at sea-
port, ca Matagorda. My wages I was to
receive in sugar. Invent certain distances,
as far as the manager thought the raft could
reach by river; there had to camp, cook
my supplies, and feed-that is to stake out
the mems horses on grass over night. Next
morning started on again. After 1 got 20
miles below La Grange the manager over
hauled me, said that the raft stalled ground
ed below the rapids of La Grange) and that
all hands had to return to Bastrop till the
river took another rise. I then hired to
pull fodder, got sick, and could no further
wait to accompany our craft. or wait for
q rise of Colorado. Cotton then was
only worth 6 cents a pound, for we had
to pay export duty to the United States,
and had no commerce with Europe, neither
did we get coin for our cotton. A COW and
calf was only worth five dollars that is NOM
inally; we had only Texas currency, worth
also 80 cents on dollar. Strange as this
may all appear to the present population,
they will laugh when state that on Christ
mas day of 1913, Mr.. Jas. Nicholson gave
Christmas ball, the entrance was O COW and
calf, and people came to it from Austin and
La Grange, all on horseback; buggies Or
coaches, we had none then. Well Mr..
Nicholson managed to get coffee from
La Grange, sugar from Matagorda, pork,
mutton and beef, eggs and butter we had
plenty anyhow, and the wheat being ground
on ordinary corn mills was sifted through
cast off muslin dresses, Qadies think of iD
stretched over hoop.
But the reader cannot imagine how we en-
joyed that party, (for they were few and
far between them.) had not even COW
and calf to contribute, but Mr.. Nicholson
being my former guardian, being left an
orphan in Bastrop, he invited me to it.
That Christmas day began bright and
pleasant, but by midnight one of these cold
blasting northers sprang up; there was no
hotel or boarding house to put up at, there
fore we had to sit up all night by good fires,
having to pass time by singing songs and
telling yarns. Next morning our host pro-
vided us with a bountiful breakfast, ana it
being clear cold day, oil parties left for
their respective homes. Such was Texas on
Christmas 1913. G. ERHARD.