Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-03-18
YOURS TRULY.
The Fort Proves to be an Eye Opener
TO a Recent Visitor.
Some OF His Observations while At
tending the Stockmen's Con.
vention

letter TO Galveston Ncwb.l
Ennis. Ellis county. Texas, March
10, 1888. --On Tuesday last yours truly
set out with his prov pointing toward
Fort, Worth, fatally bent upon attend
ing the great oonvocation Of the cow
men. Boarding Texas q Pacific
train mt Dallas, jolly, enthusiastic
crowd were found heading westward.
Their talk was great buzz OF cattle,
sheep, western lands and ranches.
The very spirit Of push, speculation
and enterprise, like 20 the pentacostal
visitation Of OH, seemed 10 pcryade
the host Of eager, energetic travellers.
The clang of the Texas IL Pacific car
bells appeared 10 be in unison with the
occasion, and the morning air was
resonant with tones, In keep
ing with indomltable enterprise and
colossal undertaking.
Reaching the Fort. one could not
help but contrast things rs they now
are with what they were two years
ago; and the effect was simply stun
ming. A sleepy town on the west fork
of the Trinity had been touched by
the wand of Mr.. Jay Gould, the great
railroad magician, aud 10! a city of ~,
200 souls had sprung up. Further in
vestigation showed thatthc same town
which had been dispoiled of its Yves
tern traffic by the extension Of the
Texas a. Pacific toward sunset, was
now IL commercial center. Engines
shouted aud screamed In n labyrinth of
switches Floats, drays, buses. wag-
ons and all kinds OF carrying vehicles
FOR III en- and merchandise ratified and
Numbered along the thoroughfares.
n. he . L., ~
hicles, horses and humanity push
was made for the courthouse. There
the cattle kings, princes, lords and
clansmeu wcrt-asscinbled. Appropri-
ate notices and decorations set forth
the goodwill and hospitality OF the ma
lives. Some eleven paintings OF pas
toral scenes also adorned the walls. A
grave, gray-haircd man occupied the
presidential chair, the seat usually oc-
cupied by his honor the district Judge.
In front of the stand was gorgeous
BULBS head, showing short horns, with
q touch of anguish In hia feature. 1t
may have been rcinOrse of conscience,
hut yours truly Is not ycrsed in bovine
physiogomy Fronting the door,
and in full view Of every
visitor hung another picture--a
Texas steer this time; gaunt, spare and
hardy, as If he had successfully braved
the pcrils of many famines And to
the lower edge of this same picture
was attached Il neat placard, address
sing the public in this wise: Sub
scribe for the Galveston NoWS, the
great daily of Texas, and the leading
journal Of the southwest etc. Good
order and cigar smoke abunded In
plenitudc. The faces and behavior of
the men in that convention were cal
culated TO impress the observer. Their
countenances were thoughtful and
attentive; business moved smoothly;
discussions were short and courteous.
Those men meant business and tram
sacted business, If that learned and
intellectual mob known as the Texas
lar association, which afflicted Gal
weston with ita wrnnglings last SUM
mer, could have been present and wit
nessed the deccncy and order of the
proceedings of these stoclSmen, it
would never. meet again ut least
until II had submitted itself to the re-
forming influence of a troup of mis-
sionnrica.
Out again into the streets a mixed,
damned throng hustled and turmoiled.
The denizens of the Fort, in preparing
for the convention, had hospitality in
one eye and business in the other.
There had been careful pipe-laying by
representatives of every interest, and
the streams Of dollars and cents took
direction accordingly. Money was
uush and expenditures lavish, Hotels
and saloons swnrmed. Billiards and
pool tables were kept hot; anxious
players despondingly awaited their
turns. Courtesans In carriages bran
dishcd their charms before the ewes OF
the molly multitude. Dingy canvas
on divers doors announced cock-iight-
ing. a timid entrance into one;
the front OF the building was devoted
10 the Joys of Bacchus, tobac-
90, etc. Pushing renrward a small
door was reached, and refund, ruhl-
ennd man gru,lly observed: DOLLAR
SIR Propitiated by contribution of
the ncedful he graclously handed the
slght-seeker u red ticket, reading .
Council room cock pit admit
one.' Inside was n oonvocatiou of ull
sorts-the street Arab OF the city, the
rurni deacon, and all the intermediate
GRADES, Lawyers, doctors, grangers,
hoodlms, gamblers, rogues and what
not. Restless, Growing ehantieleers
clamored for hearing In that meets
ing, and they had IL. Son,6 fine birds
were put In the ring, and they betool<
themselves TO tho gAdia,oral strife
With courage 20 he found IN no other
living things. Here let humanity
dfaw the curtain oyer the erueltics OF
heartIess sport and the street bo found
once more. Other things would here
I've told, but the daily reports from
Your representatives at this fopt INV,
rendered the notes taken useless.