San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-11-08

cities IL is difficult TO secure compe-
tent teachers
Leaving Austin at 0 O'Clock Tues.
day evening, reached San Marcos,
thirty miles further south. Next
morning I started out alone in search
OF
THE WONDERFUL SPRINGS,
having been told by parties in Austin
that to leave Southern Texas without
going TO San Marcos and lbs springs,
was like visiting Italy without going
TO Rome. Going northeast about a
mile i came 10 the San Marcos river,
and following it up q little ways soon
reached the dam below the spring.
II being early yet there was only one
man TO DO seen-Judge Cooper, of
Blanco county, and upon inquiry !
found that no was on tho same mis-
sion as myself. He had only one
hour to spare, and after waiting q
short time for some one in authority
to appear, and no ono coming, we
loosenod o boat and pulled out in
search Of the fountain head. We
soon found it, the water bubbling mp
from thirty feet below 30 strong as to
push the boat from over it. It is not
a single spring, for We could see nu-
merous sandy spots on the bottom
that indicated q group Of springs
Tho water here is thirty feet deep,
but 80 clear and transparent that the
smallest pebbles on the bottom are
plainly seen. But the beauty Of it
il
THE FLORAL DISPLAY IN THE WATER.
A moderate command Of language
and a five cent pencil won't suffice to
describe tit can't be done. There
are displays Of foliage plants in that
clear water so far superior to the f.
nest trees of foliage in the conserva-
tories Of the rich or the hot houses
OF the florists Of Des MONIES that no
comparison can be made. Every hue
of the rainbow and every shade of
color in the vegetable or floral world
are here shown intensified a thousand
times; the green being greener and
brighter than any one can imagine;
the gold brighter than gold; the blue
30 blue that nothing in heavens blue
canopy can approach it; and no color
that the most vivid imagination can
conjure up but may be here seen in
it's most intensified form, the whole
forming submarine panorama that
once seen will never fade from men,
DRY. Qf this description seems a
little too fowery, it can be attributed
to the fact that I have just INDUCED
in the first square, clean meal / have
eaten in Texas.) Suppose that Coon
river should be cut in two at the wa
ter works, and all above it obliterated,
while from that point the same vol
ume of water would flow on down,
forming river almost large enough
to float o steamboat, and you have q
parallel of this wonderful spring.
The dam below the spring is about
forty feet long, and the water that
flows over it is twelve inches deep
I measured it with my cane. During
the hottest and dryest season the
volume of water does not decrease,
but rather increases, owing probably
to the melting of snow and ice at it's
distant subterranean source.
PERSONAL.
While sitting in the shade after |
Inner, Guido Garth, late OF Des
Moines came along and grasped me
BY the hand. He says he likes the
country very well. He is now pack |
ng his goods preparatory to moving |
10 San Antonio where there is much |
more doing in his line than here. II
,alled at the Office Of the FREE PRESS,
md found in the editor Isaac H. |
Julian, a brother of Geo. w. Julian,
# Indiana, who is very social gen.
leman, and urged me to make myself
It home with him while in the city. |
The weather is hot here yet, about
he same as it was in Iowa in July
md August. People are still wear
ng their summer clothing and
nd the Mexican and darkey child
EN- go barefooted. Early vegetables
rom the fall gardens are on the mar
,et, such as radishes, onions, beans,
ettuce, tomatoes, etc. Everything
n the provision line is higher here
han Iowa, as almost everything is
hipped here from the North. Wages
re also higher, which nearly equali-.
es the thing.
Before closing this letter I wish to
cknowledge my indebtedness to Mr..
Philips, the social, clever gentleman
Tho fills MIR Hoxie's place during the
alters absence from headquarters in
It. Louis; to Col. Saylor, Mayor of
Justin, and to Col. L. e. Edwards,
T the same city, from whom ! bear
9tters of introduction to the mayors
Gon Antonio onI TaraIo