The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-09-01
tAe HER Al DSEpTEMBER 1Sr EDrT1ON-QuADaUpLE SHEET.

furnish the evidence necessary. for oonylc.
ton under the proposed nmendmcnt 70
law would, In my. judgment, present gIhye
eompanles am not quite clear that such
n proyision might not be considered as
trenrhing on one OF the reserved rights o.
Tho citizen: but, however, that may De, 1
resnectfully ask that the attention OF the
Legislature be directed by you, at thepropcr
time, TO this subject.
STATISTICS. q,
The appropriation Tor the statisiica 1
follows. 'iFor the dissemination OF statis-
teal information in regard to the climate,
soil and resources of Texas, in other states
and In foreign countries"
No provision was made for the collection
of the statistical information which was re
ouired by law to be disseminated. a Dll,
prepared by me, providing for the CORRECTION
of Statistics by the method approYeu anu
now employed by those states which have
accomplished most in this line OF economic
progress, namely, by county tax assessors,
proper compensation being allowed Tor the
service, and an adequate penalty, imposed
for its non-performalce, and their returns
to be approved by the county courts OF
their respective counties, was passed DyIhe
senate; but, owing to the pressure OF pusl.
neSS OIL more luIucuiAto
close of the session, n to want OF tlmel
this bill was not reached on the calendar by
the house Of representatives, ana alo
become q law. ,
So too in the matter ofthe compilation and
the preparation of statistical data for pup
lication, an appropriation for two CLERKS 70
aid me in the performance, OF that duty
which was recommended py your eA we:
lency, and was passed by the senate, was
stricken out of the general appropriation
bill by the house of representatives, ana
thus failed by disagreement OF the twG
bodies. Thus left to my unalded indl.vluual
| efforts, l began the work OF collecting, al
best / could, the multifarious STATISTICS o.
a domain broader and more dlverslfied III
climate, soil and productions man vi, II,
largest empire in Europe, except Russla, OF
than the two largest states OF this Union.
To this end, as soon as practicable after the
close of the session of the legislature, DlanK
forms were carefully prepared to elicit IN
formation in regard to all matters OF inter;
est and value touching the resources ana
Typographical features of the state. 90,
Tn to the date of this report pretty fall
| statistical returns have been received from
l47 of the 1877 organized counties, and from
| six of the u~norganized counties OF the state
I have also received, with the answers to
the blank forms issued, graphic descrip'
tions of fifty of the above counties, setting
forth their salient Typographical chaIactei'
istics. Among the twenty organized coun-
ties from which no information Whatever
has been received may be found a numbe
of the older, more populous and wealthy
counties of the state.
history.
1 am not able to report any very import
| ant additions to the early history OF the
state during the year. Two very interest
ing historical papers, describing note
worthy incidents connected with the storpi'
ing of the Alamo in 1886, prepared py Mr.
W. P. Zuber. of Grimes county, <
have, however. been received and MED III
the archives of this department. These
two papers, entitled 1.-THE Funeral IN the
| Alamo" and 1.-THE Victims OF santa An
ua's Cruelty" recount scenes OF thrilling
interest, not heretofore noticed by histo,
| rians of that tragic event, the details OF
which are stated by the author to have
been obtained from an eyewitness, Tor
whose truthful character he vouches IN
.trong terms. l have thought proper to
eiye these papers to the press for puollca-
on. with the view of attracting pubic at
ention to the general subject. and OF thus
stimulating further contribution to our
early annals by the few survivors now lett
O us of the heroic band who laid the foun-
| datiops of a republic in a wilderness In
habited by savage beasts and scarcely less
savage men.
I have the honor to be,
Very respectfully,
A. w. SPAiGHT,
Commissioner.