San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-08-06
The San Marcos River and Springs.

ders, the pride OF our peautiiuu htt'
city, we are not sure but the follow
ing, the latest in the field, is rather ii
the lead. 1t was written by Mrs
Mary G. Billings, who with her hus
band, Rev. James @. Billings, spent
several days last spring in our town
Postmaster Heaton has handed us Q
copy of the Christian Leader, Of
Boston, containing a lengthy lette,
from Mrs. Billings, from which we
make the following extracts.-Ep
FREE Press.
San Marcos is charming town, OF
rather village near background OF
hills, the latter dotted here and there
with pretty cottages and moro ambi-
tious structures, which we at the
North would call VILLAS"
This is county seat and can boast
of fine courthouse built of stone,
symmetrical in proportion and crown
ed with handsome dome. 1t is sur
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,
CHE SAN MARCOS RIVER
is one of the grand and wonderful
attractions of the place. If it were
advertised and we'll known abroad il
would attract hundreds of people to
make nearer acquaintance with its
beauties. And first it is utilized to
supply the town, being brought from
reservoir and distributed in pipes
through the main streets. Purer,
sweeter water was never drank.
We took holiday; the faithful
evangelist and his Yankee partner.
Starting for a long walk Of more
than mile, up to the head Of the
river, which broadening out into n
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
ing different blossom, those of the
southern species being of two colors.
And such lovely wild flowers peeping
out at us all along the way, from the
golden lantana Cultivated as house
and summer garden plant with us at
the North) to the wee blue forget-me-
nots, We see great lunches of
prickly-pear cactus; one or two Span
ish daggers-we mean nothing more
dangerous than q plant by that name
called by us the "yucca," often grow
ing in Texas to gigantic size. In
Gonzales we noticed two Of them
growing like tropical trees with scaly
boles, bare, excepting at the top,
where they were each crowned with
a great cluster of sword-bladed leaves,
piercing straight upward
Onward we saunter, with that
happy feeling Of abandon that makes
a holiday trip SO enjoyable. Now we
descend to the rivers brink; we hear
what seems to be the loud pipe of
birds note. We listen, and walk
softly, watching with interest the
rocky pool, where the flags and lily
pads make good hiding places for
aquatic birds; when lol we hear a
stir, a plunge and then a chuck, and
Mr.. Frog-an immense fellows out
of sight! Everything is on n large
scale in Texas, even To these green
coated gentry Of the marshy pools.
We toss a bit Of grapevine into the
crystal expanse, watching the CLASSY
ripples circle out and out. moralizing
in thought for an instant on the anal
ogy it bears to the effect Of influence
in the world Of mind, when we dis
cover a fish darting up to inspect the
strange object Lake a fash another
and another swim swiftly and grace
fully along, until we count five. We
hold our breath lest we frigbten
them away, but in another moment
they disappear No farther coaxing
can induce them 10 show themselves
again.
Nov we cone 70 The mountain
springs that bubble out from beiOg
the rocks clear and Sparkling. while
the riTer expands into axe. smooth
and CLASSY, with its Islands Of water
crosses snd Ely-Pais- one lund Of the
latter beng Of ohionE stape, cut