The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-04-15
TEXAS.
e., vo,,h and pilot Point.

DENTON, leXns, m"'o" ~ NJ
nrobable that any extended notice Oh roi'
Worth will interest your readers ana Will
therefore say briefly, that this city has grown
verv rapidly since my last visit here ~
claims a population Of eleven thousand when
presume is not far from the correct ngu'e'
has railroads radiating in almost every direc'
ton with more building, has fifty or sixty
.rtesian wells afiording an abundance OF good
vater. quite large number of manufactures
an efficient fire department, an energe''o'
thriving, pushing, aggressive set OF ouS'nes'
men who believe in Fort Worth, and are de-
,ermined that others shall also believe IN !"
and invest their money there. And they are
succeeding, too, not by sitting down IN ONCE
chairs and wishing for capital and men, no'
nv Boosting of their natural advantages nor
nv looking through large telescope 10 us
cover some northern or eastern capitalist ou'
BY active, intelligent work, by investing 'neir
own money SO far as they are able, by gather
mo and publishing facts and statistics bear
ing upon the point or points they wish 10
bring before business men abroad as wen as
home in word by advertising their city and
xeep,np it advertised precisely as our most
successtul merchants advertise their own bus
mess, The Democrat-Adodace, one OF the best
papers In Northern Texas, has the credit OF
dong yery much in this direction, and the
Epeninq Ne,os, very readable little sheet, al
WAYS takes hand In any thing relating to
prosperity of the city.
M.F. Leavett, formerly OF Ottawa, has no
superior at Fort Worth, IN the estimation OF
the people, as a contractor and builder some
of the finest brick blocks and tasteful residen-
ces there being his work, and he himself
owns and occupies neat we'll furnished COT
tage.
There are others Of our Ottawa anu county
people IN and about Fort Worth, but did
not happsn to meet them.
My cid friend, Capt j. Hays, the veteran
land surveyor, who is never 80 much at home
as when out with his surveying party, lone
hundred miles from anywhere" and who still
retains the respect OF all who know him for
his sterling integrity, as we'll as for his supe
rior ability as a surveyor and civil engineer, is
still at Fort Worth, but Is evidently longing
for the solitude of of the staked plains.
The meteorological statistics of Denton coun-
ty asked for, failing to arrive as anticipated,
went to Pilot Point, IS miles from Denton,
and for many years signal station for Den
ton county, to obtain them, but learned on my
arrival that the station had been discontinued
for several months Mr.. M. B. Franklin,
principal OF the Pilot Point seminary, has,
however continued the observations and has
promised me full abstract from his record
which, If received in time, will be sent with
this letter.
went to Pilot Point solely to obtain rec.
ord of the weather, believing that authentic
formation of this kind would be appreciated
by your readers, but on arriving there was
agreeably surprised to find beautiful hamlet
ut has neither village nor city organiza'
,ion) of about 1900 people, and under the
guidance of Mr.. Jones, Of the Post, who very
courteously showed me of every possible at.
tention, hastily took in" the points of interest.
The-well, let US say-town IS beautifully
situated upon high ground with sufficient in
clina,ion to afford perfect drainage with a fine
belt of timber on the west and a magnificent
fertile prairie stretching miles and miles away
to the east.
There are quite number of excellent busi-
ness houses all of which seem to have a good
trade for the season, any quantity of neat,
tasteful and attractive cottages and dwellings
and they were nearly all of this character
with flowers and ornamental plants and
shrubs identifying the whole, four churches,
two schools, while adjoining the town and as
far as could be seen in the distance were we'll
cultivated farms with comfortable farm houses
and numerous orchards, each just now glow.
ing with peach.blossoms In beautiful contrast
to the green, almost waving, fields of wheat.
The people, SO far as could observe them
on short visit, appeared to be decidedly in
telligent, moral and social character, with not
particle Of that roughness or boorishness
which have often seen in new or frontier
towns, in fact there was nothing whatever
suggestive of Texas village, as too many at
the north imagine one to be, except the ad
vanced vegetation and charming weather
Pilot Point has one decided attraction for
strangers In her two excellent schools the
Seminary, under charge of DIR. NJ. b. Franklin,
and the Brooks high school, under charge of
Prof s. l.. Straughan. Both, learn, rank
much above the average and are well support
ed, but did not have the, pleasure of visiting
the Brooks, and can say but little about it.
The Seminary is situated on handsome ele.
waited tract Of five acres on the eastern side of
the town, is a large and commodious building,
well finished with the usual paraphanala of
ha h,xhor clasa of eohoala oh ma N za