Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-09-03

county and n prosperous town, and !
the ia teditor of fat newspaper, the adj
venturer in Texas, and parish in
Louisiana bear his name. He hated
republics and republicanism and fled
from France to Mexico. When the
Emperor lturbide was over
thrown, Bastrop went tol
Louisiana, then province
of Spain. but Spain sold to Napoleon
and Baslrop sought refuge from re-
rublicanism in Texas, which hardly
recognized any governing power.
The old count and devout monarchist
encountered an adveuturer who had
escaped from mining city in north
ern Mexi o. This soldier of fortune
had lived ia the town, of which he
told, for many wears. Its people were
enormously rich in silver and gold,
but facilities for its expectation were
uost imperfect aud there it had accu-
INFLATED through q century. Savage
tribes of red men and more murderous
whites cognizant of the meal
culable riches of the place
the people into submission. At last
the mountain stream that supplied
the cisterns of the town in dry seasons
course and the people were dying of
famine when the slvages stoTmed and
took possession of the stronghold en-
vironed on every side by mountains.
Only two men escaped. One of these
gave to Bastrop rough map of the
district in which the mining town eX-
listed, together with a detailed de-
scription of The town itself and of
routes of access TO the place. Thither
was the old count going when age
and care and fever weighed
him down in the ancient city of Sal
tillo. He gave his confidence and his
papers to an aged priest, who was his
nurse and coniessor IN cTtrenais. The
priest concealed the papers, awaiting
an opportunity and service of an
armed force TO explore the district in
which the mining town was situated,
when. some years ago, the priest died
and the time-worn papers were exhib.
tied to me, when | was here in 1879,
by jolly padre with whom L drank
wine and aqua drdiente.
| These papers tell that the silver and
gold of the mining town, when the
people discovered that everything
would he lost, was carted to two
great cisterns, the exact locality
of each of which is described in the
drawings held by the padre of whom
7 was telling. The cisterns were filled
with priceless treasures and covered
over with earth.
You can imagine then why am in
Saltillo, and why l have no more
to say just now of my future purposes,
plans or movements. In truth
would not send this If the facts | have
here given were not already known tC
DIR. Carothers and General Bee, both
OF San Antonio. The former of these
once saw, / think, the papers now il
my possession, and both spent many
years i'm this old town and are tamilia
, with its history and traditions. Blu
of all this hereafter.
/ have searched i'm vain for Coun
de Bastrop's grave, and yet it was her
that he was buried. The story is toll,
me by my partner. the priest that
designated, that Bastrop's body wa
exhulned by thieving resurrectionist
who sought to appropriate magnifi
cent jewels adorning his fingers an,
body. 1t happened that the cord tina
fastened Bastrops hands together an,
to his body dropped oil when he wa
, lifted from the grave, and the hand
) struck out wildly--and so did tn
I thieves. A priest discovered the out
stretched corpse next morning, and t
prevent a recurrence 0f the outrage
l Bastrop's Jewels were appropriated b.
2 the church,, and ST i'll are to he see
in the sacristy OF the athedral here
But may worry you with recitals q
those curious niatteus @,ad therefore q
4 back 10 the practical world which yo
e inhabit.
= TIE IONA LlIsfGF.
The worst knaves and shreweles
Y scoundrels of the continetss are gat /
= cred here. Fugitives from iistice frol
: all lands are engaged mainly in cattl
thieving or in smuggling. The ia.
! Gals, most of them, grow rich mo:
!, rapidly and am tobithat many
g the aIistoeracy of the city and cout
try, wers; not long ago, fugitives froi
justice, grievously offended in tn
older states. But the yer
richest siches of these border towr
and costliness of private residence
all fresh and new and beautiful, be
p 1.-THE story smugglers' adventures an,
of the protitableness Of office holdin
along the border. The coma Hble
one hundred and Fifty miles wide an
m four hundred in length along ii
course ofthe Rio Gande. Goods nj
brought into this district free of dut
and only pay when crossing, eth,
into the United States, or into Me,
leo. In truth such goods do not pa
duty TO either government. 1t is onl
at the fees, the dOaceurs or brides th;
r. are paid to the custom house official
IN Those of the United State have I
h. better reputation than those Of MeXic
II and both speedily grow rich the Anne
m lean outstripping the Mexican, as te
M to one. Since 1861, when the coma H6
err law was enact, d by the Mexican co
Sc gress, villages have become town
- and towns cities. Attractions for smu
ID Cling We're Irresistible, and, populate
. on both sides Of the river has bee
re rapidly multiplied. German, Spa
no ish, French and English merchant
ay all are engaged directly or indirect
h. in the peculiar industry of the 20,
he tt5e Here, too, are branch
IL of New York houses, one
nv which is especially FAM
ed for its intimate relations with Il
he great Laredo-Brownsville- Matamorf
H. New YORK custom house ring. Fathe
| transmitted the business to sons, M
al the skill acquired is hereditary. Th'
M cooperate with friends and bran'
nv houses in New York and thus get |
"a hind the sly old dog invested wi