St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1883-02-10
LETTER FROM TEXAS.
HousToN, Feb. 3, 1883.
Epzros ST. TAMMASy FARMER:

communication lake the CITY OF
Houston, for instance. It is moth
ing more than o country town
stuck down here in the mud OF the
open prairie. yet all is hustle, so~
tivity and money-changing. About
a week ago one party here handled
cotton to the amount OF $3.50, 600
Notwithstanding ali this, the town.
consisting of $4,000 inhabitants,
has debt of over 100000. as
a consequence, the town is utterly
without light at night, and worse
off than Covington as TO sidewalks.
This state of affairs, SO the people
say, was brought upon them by
Radical administration, which
squandered the public funds in
building a market house and street
sewers. The market house could
have been duplicated for $4,000.
In fact, after it was burned, the in
surance companies rebuilt it for
less than that amount. The sewers
are totally unfit for use. Some two
years ago the city was SO sadly in
arrears for gas that the company
refuses to supply them without
prepayment.
Houston is located on Buffalo
Bayou, at the head Of tidewater.
The Bayou, although narrow and
very crooked, is navigable out to
Galveston Bay, via Clinton, Lynch
burg and Galveston. for vessels
drawing not more than eight feet.
There have been five cotton COM
presses in full blast here during the
past season, without doing all the
business required of them, and ano-
ther compress is to be built in time
for next seasons work.
Houston is indeed a great rail.
way center, there being ten differ :
ent lines passing through. This,
with the addition of the Bayou
navigation, insures her full and adj
vantageous communication with the
outside world at all times.
They have built here an immense
tower or brick tank, taller than the
highest buildings, into which water
is forced from the Bayou and dis
tributed throughout the city. They
have no fire engines, only hose car
riages. with large quantities of rub
Der hose. In the event of a fire,
they attach the hose to a street
plug, and the water forces itself to
a height of 200 feet. During my
stay there have been more con-
iagrations here than in any city I
was ever in, one fire alone resulting
IN the loss Of over q million dollars.
The curse of Texas is poor water.
cisterns are used al
most exclusively here. Owing to
allure in promptly paying their
policemen, there is no police force
lere, hence it is positively unsafe
% walk the streets after sunset: If
'ou did not walk into some fathom-
ess ditch OF mud hole, you stand
good chance of being sand-bagged
nd robbed. The hotels and board
ne houses do "land office BUSH
less" With all their facilities. the
of life are. extravaganza
dear; their expensive market
ouse does not lessen the price of
that the poor man eats.
Houston sadly needs good drain
sc; she needs policemen; Union
epot; and above all. she needs &,
ave her streets lighted at night;
he should have fewer there's and
amps; she has a pleud.1l supply Of
ayous and bitches, and too many
silroads. Out of fifteen gentle-
.an stopping at the same hotel
18th NE, moi oAa cares TO leave the
ouse after dark. This in a city of
5000 inhabitants.
There is considerable interest
anitested in reference to dreda-
g the bayou, to make q channel
eep enough to enable ships OF
rye draught to come up to the
harf at Houston.
Immigrants are flooding the
untry from foreign lands and
om the older States of the Union.
cavity loaded trains pass through
lilY for points in the interior.
ainly to the German settlements
wish We could turn some of this
le into old st. Tammany.
Yours, ETC., JOHN BROWN.