Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-12-30
GALVESTON GLEANINGs.
The Island City During the Holidays
Loss Of Interior Trade Thirty
Years Ago.

special Correspondence of the Gazette.
Galveston, December ~. Galveston
merchants seem to be cogniyant of Tn,
fact that they have formidable conn
petitor In Fort Worth, aud arr In q
fair way to have successful rival
Nv Judgment IN based on the fact that
they show no inclination To court com.
mercial relations with the merchants
OF Fort Worth, The time was, with
Ia the recollection of your Galveston
correspondent, when the Galveston
merchants both sought and cultivated
the frontier trade, as II was then
called, hut now they complain that
those infant cities which they used Il
foster have grown to bo giants In tn,
land and are now her competitors In
the great marts OF trade.
one of the leading grocery merchants
on the strand admltted 60 me to-day
that If he had oheyed the dictates OF
his better Judgment ten years ago and
settled I'm Fort Worth instead OF Gal.
weston, he might to-day have been a
rich man.
My landlord, who II the proprietor
of one OF the leading hotels of the city,
admits rearly the same thing. This
Is quite point for business men OF the
metropolis of the state 10 concodc I'm.
solicited.
But Texas IL n large state, and II
would be folly for Galveston, or any
other one city, 10 think Of controlling
her entire trade. Gould Galveston
have remained the gate city, II would
doubtless have been far better for her,
but railroads have opened
other avenues ia commerce
and founded too many other
gate cities for Galveston To even think
of monopoliling the commercial Inter
ests OF the state. But she IL u thriving
city none the less, aud deserves n
great credit for thecntcrprisc and pub
lie spirit of the citizens.
Your correspondent wna a oitIseas "t
Galveston during the years 1858 4 o,
and thought nj that time he knew ev-
cry man ON the Island, but now he
meets with more familiar names In the
cemetery by far, than he does ON the
streets; and buildings that were then
considered very nice, now look terri
bly, ordinary beside the stately cdiiices
that ovcrshaduw them. Who will
dare say we do not live In II progress.
I've ngcr Then there was not mile of
railroad In the state, and to-day there
II II perfect network oi railroads spread
ont over the entire state, vast ms she l.
Ia extent.
Your correspondentjnotes these linz
provements In his adopted state with
pride and pleasure, and tries 10 feel
truly thankful that lac has been per
mittod 10 live Ia chronicle them.
Christmas day passed oil very quiet
~ and pleasantly In the Island CITY.
The weather was pleasant, and II
seemed 10 have "A corresponding effect
upon the people, so far as my obsnrva-
ton extended. All of the principal
business houses were closed the entire
day. The saloons were kept open of
course, but ! saw no drunkenness, and
heard no disturbances caused thereby.
In theevening fell In with II crowd
aud went out Ia the beach 10 attend
the races, AN account of which APP
peared In the News this morning,
The Bench hotel h the largest and
grandest thing of lis kind your cor
respondent hns ever seen. IL ~ alto
gelher TOO extensive aud loo grand for
HIM 10 think Of graphing with on the
present occasion. n frontr IA the gulf
In order t0 catch the sea breezcs, as
well M full view Of the snowy bill
lows rs they roll toward the shore. Al
low me to suggest that II percbnnce
any Of the readers Of hisarticle should
have more money next summer than
they know what To do with, IN my
opinion they cannot spend II
10 better advantage than by spending
, few days or weeks At the Beach H0-
lei on Galveston Island.