The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-06-03
TEXAS.

FROM FORT WORTH TO Ell PASO-WHAT A
RICHMOND BOY SAW On HIS JOURNEY 10
MEXICO-sTYLE OF ARCHITECTURE-BULL-
PENS, ETC, IN Ell PASO, ETC., ETC.
correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch.l
SANTA FR, y. NJ, May %. 1888.
Why can't we enthuse Old Virginia with
some of this western spirit and enterprisey
Fort Worth. Texas. town scarcely ten
years old. has a population of about four
teen thousand and is still rapidly growing.
IL has an opera-house, gas and wafer
works, and two lines OF street ears, the
owners Of which, having learned in few
weeks what some people take years 10 find
out. e., that cheap fares make travel
make them succeed so well that the enor-
nous dividend OF 1870 per cert. per annum
is declared on the capital stock. The mayor
OF the town is authority for this statement
Leaving Fort Worth at 10 p. NJ, we
sIept soundly i'm Pullman while gliding
smoothly over the prairies. At O'Clock
i'm the morning we awake 10 find the train
stoned in boundless prairie with no hui
man ha5itation in sight. Here we are de-
Ioyed until nearly 10. lille some workmen
throw freight-car. which has broken n
truck. off the track. When the eating
house is reached we are wellnigb fam
ished.
The personnel OF our travelling com
panions may be OF interest. Three from
Richmond, together with French gentle
man travelling West TO hunt buffalo. bear,
&C.; missionary on her way to China
United States senator, with his wife and
son; Galveston pastor, bank president,
a drummer. and a mining engineer. com
posed the party. They were all socially
inclined, and got quite well acquainted by
the time we reached FL Paso. The prairie
scenery is varied by fertility and baroness
and fiat and rolling country. At times we
Jaw huge droyes Of cattle, generally poor (;
one large drove Of horses, much poorer; ;
Thousands upon thousands OF prairie-dogs,
with now and then an owl perched upon
their mounds, and who generally gained
our goodwill by the s0ciable though rather
uneraceiul way in winch he nodded at
the passing train. There is story
that the prairie-dog, owl, and rattlesnake
live peaceably together in the same hole 4;
but this is denied by people OF intelli-
oence living in Texas. The dogs are said,
when taken young, TO be easily tanned and
10 make very nice pets. They will stay in
the house and follow you around during
the day, but at night Will go into hole
which they burrow in the ground. Find
inc a piece OF rag, they will Use IL as bed,
bringing il ouieyery day to air. Numbers
of iack-eared rabbits start up and run with
great swiftness along the prairies rs the
frain darts by. As we near FL Paso the
country gets more and more barren and
sandy. and begins TO roll considerably
Houses are seldom seen, water never. The
trains have a water-car. with tank re-
sembling boiler, which they pull after
the tender. This portion OF the trip l.
tiresome and monotoEous, aud you ar,
glad to find relief In sleep.
Waking next morning you find yeursel
| IN III Paso. Here You first see the adobe
(caIled by the natives dolby y houses
They are low, dingy-looking buildings
yeriiable pud-huts--tbough SAID to be yerl
cool In summer and warmin winter. Th'