Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-03-17
COMMUNICATED.
Uncle Billy Wilson, Of Fort Grim,
Texas, at the Southern Exposition,
Louisville, Kentucky,

u1..oh eAposition, TO begin nj
New orleans next December. IL noa,
attracting The attention OF the world
While it is true that our state hos
maue great strides both in wealth and
population, and we have every assnr.
ance OF grand future, still our peonie
Gnh 90 much TO hasten the day when
IeXas VIII be all we wish TO see her
l MINK you VIII agree with me when /
say that the New Orleans exposition
VIII AFFORD a splendid opportunity To-
snow TO the world the resources of onr
state and TO awaken intert SC in her
natural advantages; | am therefore
certain that you will gladly give pub.
iicity TO anything calculated to aronsn
our people to the great Importance of
having a grand exhibit at the coming
exposition. i attended both the Al,
ianta, Ga, and the Louisville, XIV.
expositions, and in my humble way
especially at the latter place, talked
Iexas. | was surprised at the eager
ness OF the people. found them not
only ready to listen but anxious to
hear, can tell you, sir, 1t caused me
much pain to see other states splendid.
~ represented, while Texas, as a state.
made no effort whatever. 1t is the de-
sire. to do my humble part towards
having different state of affairs mt
New Orleans that prompts me TO pen
these lines. Twenty thousand dollars
has been appropriated by our legisla-
ture for an exhibit, nevertheless much
can be accomplished by individual eff
fort. Now, sir, there are great many
persons who do not appreciate the I'M
portance of this matter, and in order
TO impress them, ] ask you to pardon
me for giving u condensed account of
my experience, impressions, etc, while
at Louisville. feel that can state
few things that will at least cause ONE
to think more seriously about
this affair. During the month of
March, 1883, received letter
from Mai. j. NJ. Wright, general maui
ager of the Louisville exposition, in
which he informed me that in consid-
Grafton of the fact that my Texas dis.
play had attracted so much attention
at Atlanta, Ga, he would be pleased
to have me as an exhibitor at Louis
vile. i determined to attend the eX-
position. Having coll ected number
of animals, Indian curiosities, buffalo
robes, heads, horns and number of
minerals, etc, started overland for
Kentucky By request, / exhibited at
Dallas during the s;engerfest, and then
resumed my journey. AT Greenville,
Hunt county, | met cyclone, or ut
least it met me; n general roundup
took place, in consequence Of which !
was compelled TO take the back track,
as my animals were killed and my
other effects either badly damaged or
entirely destroyed. | simply relate
these incidents in order to state that /
should have been forced TO abandon
my trip altogether, had not that gen
erous and good man, Gov. j. w.
Throckmorton, at this stage interested
himself in my behalf. Mr.. II. NJ,
Roxie of the Texas & Pacific railroad
furnished q pass for myself and wife,
and Mr.. II. G. Townsend of the same
road instructed Mr.. Drake, passenger
agent, to cooperate with me and fur
nish papers, maps, etc, for distribu-
ton ut the exposition.
On my arrival ut Louisville found
verybody very busy, but my letters
gained for me an immediate audience,
and when | entered the crowded office
in order 10 secure space for an exhibit
IA Texas exhibit was accorded
hearty welcome. secured space and
Immediately set about fixing up. Hav-
ing cOnstruc ted large star for a cell
ter-piece, with buffalo head horns,
robes, Indian curiosities, specimens of
etc, succeeded in making
quite creditable display, which at
tracted attention, and very soon ] was
overrun with inquirers about Texas.
In fact, during the days when there
was n large attendance the crowd at
the Texas exhibit was so great that
on several occasions the police were
to move them. AT the
exhibits of other states, several men
were stationed for the purpose Of Civ
ing information etc. Being without
any assistant | can tell you | was kept |
busy. have often heard Of the hon-
ors Of being talked to death, but for
exquisite agony am confident being |
questioned to death beats all other |
kinds. / cannot too forcibly impress |
the fact of the eagerness OF all classes !
10 learn the truth about Texas. One |
would ask, 'How is the water? what |
grows best Thereof Another would say, |
II couldn't take my family To Texas;
you have no society there Still an
1ther, "Is it true that the cowboys do
ust as they please in Texas? Anoth-
err would say, "Why, have read that
men, women and children, even in
your larger towns, are in constant fear
Of being murdered" Another, "If
you would hang q few of your cow
BOYS you would do good" Now mind
you, these were for the most part intel
igent people. | did my best TO set
matters right, especially as regards
hat much Inisrepresented class of our
people, the cowboy. The fact that |
lad once been cowboy myself,
made come of the remarks j heard
them especially distaste-
ul to me and / came as near being elo-
,uent in his defense as il il possible
or me to get. ] also showed them
,opy Of the Stock Journal,
Almost an exhibition Itself
md / informed them that
Is editor had been cowboy. also
ct them know that if they would jail
N hang more of their rufilans and
prevent their coming to Texas, COM
hitting crimes and claiming TO be
simon pure cowboys, thus casting dis
.redit on as noble q set Of men as ever
ived. all concerned would be the bet
er for it. / pictured the cowboy as j
he dashing fellow that he is, and if
nv of the girls j often had for audi
nee now think him n gallant, and ]
line for IA sight Of him, am content.
1t last | found II impossible TO answer \
he questions of so many eager ques-
toner's and / was reduced to the
of having number }
t bills printed. With their assistance
managed to get along somewhat bet
ar Vha aneciuells of ore that i had 4