The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-05-05

LuituO or III lasO, on inc INIO pIHhNc
luH may ride in one day from olurous
moss grown forests, where everything ~ vi
tropic lullIesS, from fertile plans which
give to man and beast abundaEt living,
iuto q section where The mosquito rnd
chapagral dot the great prairics; or from
the SEA loving people OF Galveston, with
their thirty miles Of sandy beach, mo
beauty of which is not surpassed any-
where else en- earth, to a people who have
never seen mast or wave, and whose
man idea of water is that II is melh!ng
difficult to find, and only used for washing
babies, aad agreeable to taste when one Is
very thirsty,
OF all great sights that the God of Ma
ture opens TO the eye Of man, Texas
prairie is the grauiest, especially at tins
season Of tnc year Of them William Cul
len Bryant sand
They are the garden Of the desert, the
unsbOu fields, boundlcs5 and beautiful for
winch Ia. speech Of England has noname.
| IiIa tiiIicuH, yet beautiful 70 understand
the cuercling vaslncss wacn one first Uc-
holds them. They stretch away m amy
undullti1ns, Il If the ocean IN lts greatest
Is#c.. stood Sill ljh all It's rounded Bill
low fixed and mouonl4ss forever Clouds
10 majestic grandeur uow and thcu sweep
over them like iiec'ing shadows, and 10
the eye, the swelling sGrace 81 this bound.
lees cSpausc ilucty os ANA glides along rs
though il chased Ia gnuy ridges BaImy
Ulcyzes from the south that to}ed among
tie palm trees Of Mexico, and those which
kissed the limped brooks of the Pacific
coast, as well as the delicious winds THAI
toss the name-hkc flowers on the praIrles,
never famed in all their waywald wander.
ings, Il scene more fascinating and Lcauti-
full, Man hath no power IN ali this glori-
Gus work The hand that butt the tlrma-
mcnl hath hcavcd and smoOlhed thCr yer
daut swclIS, and planted them with island
groveS-a fitting floor for this temple OF
Tie sky--a nearer vault and OF a tendCrer
blue, than that which bend above our east
crn NILS"
Nothing can be more changefully
lovely and the whole is II vast panorams
of grandeur. Olhcr states may have more
lofty mountains towering heavenwards,
more wild aud majestic streams rushing
on to the ocean, more dusky forests ana
deeper valleys, but for all that, give me the
glory OF Texas prairie unduc q vertical
sun, 50 grand in distance, and which seems
like a vast solitude Of everlasting rest
It's not my intention TO deal with dry
statistics, or to give q detailed account of
business and products rs they appear up
on the surface leave such tor those IN
lcrested, while | skip lightly from one
place to another and draw a picture While
on The wing But eau not close this
sketch without brief mention OF OAserva-
tons a. 10 the increase and grnu''
~. ~ LOST vIeit 10 the state.
There Is 10 section Of the American CONT
nenl that has improved and populated
within the past few years like Texas
Four years ago made quite an extended
tour through the state, and places that
were then mere towns and hamlets, are to.
day tlourishipg cities and thriving vii
lagos. Regions that were nothing but ap.
parautly boundless pralrles, with no sign |
of life or civilization, save mighty herds
Of cattle, are today cultivated farms, dot
ted with pleasant homes and numerous
The eastern portion has IN
creased more in proportion, while the west
AZ far "a the stdksd plans from the Indian
territory almost to the RIO Grande, has a
numerous population, chiefly composed OF
eastern people. Austin, Galveston, Ious |
ton, aud San Antonio, with q few other IN
terror towns, seem 10 have been partcu.
larry active and alive TO the advantageous
locations with which they are blest.
The approach to
GALVESTON
by land or sea, Is one OF the most charming
sights the southern country affords. BY
sea 1t is exceeding 80, After being rocked
in the cradle of the deep" for twenty four
hours or more, and experiencing lillle
Of
"a life on the ocean wave,
A home on the rolling deep"
with all the business of Pinafore, Billy
Taylor and The Pirates mingling IN your
dreams, to awake next morning and look.
ing out upon the deep, there to behold a
speck in the distance like a mirage or
u queen upon her throne of waters
such Is Galveston, the island town, the
gem of the gulf from the sea.
The approach by land Is equally rs
grand and unique. From Austin TO with.
in few miles of the city, tho country is
as flat us u pancake, and lis occan.lko sur,
face dotted with thousands of cattle. Then
we cross the "long bridge, which spans
the upper end Of the bay--and from this
we see the "island city rising above the
blue water Of the guilt. The shipping in
the harbor, the towering maSts, spars and
smoke stacks, omen the scene on the left /;