San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-08-13
THE SAN MARCOS RIVER SPRINGS.
A Splendid New Description.

we have seen Of these natural won
ders, the pride OF our beautiful littl'
city, we are not sure but the follow
ing, the latest in the field, is rather il
the lead. It was written by Mrs
Mary @. Billings, who with her hus
band, Rev. James O. Billings, spen
several days last spring in our town
Postmaster Heaton has handed us
copy of the Christian Leader, o
Boston, containing lengthy lettel
from Mrs. Billings, from which w
make the following extracts.
P. S. We republish the article
from our last, because We failed Il
print sufficient number Of copies to
supply the demand, which We hope
now 10 be able to do Ed. FREI
PREssl.
San Marcos is a charming town, ol
rather village near a background OF
hills, the latter dotted here and there
with pretty cottages and more ambi-
tious structures, which we at the
North would call VILLAS"
This is a county seat and can boast
of fine courthouse built of stone
symmetrical in proportion and crown
ed with handsome dome. 1t issur
rounded by plaza, or square, around
which the business of the place cen
tres. This is principally with the
ranchmen and farmers, who come in
here for their supplies, and to ship
their corn and cotton on the Interna-
tional road, which passes through
here north and south.
There are two banks, several mills,
an ice factory which supplies the
town with this luxury, and one OF the
finest natural water privileges to be
found in the country. All that is
needed is capital and energy to de-
velop this delightfully."- situated town
of San Marcos into thriving and
wealthy city,
THE SAN MARCOS RIVER
is one of the grand and wonderful
attractions of the place. If it were
and we'll known abroad it
would attract hundreds of people to
make nearer acquaintance with its
beauties. And first it is utilized to
supply the town, being brought from
a reservoir and distributed in pipes
through the main streets. Purer,
sweeter water was never drank.
We took a holiday the faithful
evangelist and his Yankee partner.
Starting for q long walk of more
than mile, up to the head of the
river, which broadening out into a
miniature lake flows from springs,
issuing beneath the hills. Onward
we rambled over the embowered foot
path at the base of the hills. Some
times down on the brink Of the river,
and then followinga track over some
rocky steep, from which, peeping
through the tangle of vines and
shrubbery, we caught glimpses of the
low ely clear water below. We clam
Der down the rocks, and gather long
tresses of Spanish moss dropping in
profusion from the overhanging trees
we find lovely scarlet and yellow beans
strewn on the ground, which prove to
be seeds of the southern laurel a
shrub similar to one OF the same name
growing in New England, but bear
ng different blossom, those of the
southern species being of two eolors.
And such lovely wild flowers peeping
,ut at us all along the way, from the
golden lantana Cultivated as q house
md summer garden plant with us at
,he North to the wee blue forget-me-
lots, We see great punches of
,rickly-pear cactus; one or two Span
sh daggers-we mean nothing more
than plant by that name
,alled by us the Hyucca," often grow
ng in Texas to gigantic size. In
Gonzales we noticed two Of them
growing like tropical treos with scaly
,oles, bare, excepting at the top,
where they were each crowned with
great cluster of sword-bladed leaves,
,iercing straight upward.
Onward we saunter, with that
lappy feeling Of abandon that makes
holiday trip so enjoyable. Now we |
Iescend to the rivers brink; we hear
ghat seems to be the loud pipe of n
,ird's note. We listen, and walk
oftly. watching with interest the 1
ocky pool, where the flags and lily /
ads make good hiding places for
quatic birds; when lol we hear
tir, a plunge and then a chuck, and
Ir. Frog-an immense fellows out
( sighti Everything is on a large
Gale in Texas, even 10 these green
Dated gentry Of the marshy pools.
We toss a bit Of grapevine into the
rystAl eHpanse, watching the CLASSY
ipplss circle out and out. moralinng
D thought for an instant on the anal
gy it bears 10 the effect Of influence
} the world Of mind, when We dis
over a fish dariing mp 10 inspect the
TRANCE object Lake = fash another
nd another swim swiftly and grace
nlly along. until We count I've. We
old Our breath lest We fighieh
BEN away. bat in another moment
bsy disappear No farther coAOing
IN induce tbea 10 sbou Themselves
gAin-