San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-11-12

D was located on arailroadi in which the
Smiths were interested. Judge Wood
came to Texas in 1850, and as the
result of judicious investments in
lands, now ranks among the wealthy
men of the state, and is known as o
: worthy, public.spirited citizen. He
speaks of returning to Richmond on
u visit, having never been there since
he left.
I have met here frequently with
DR.. Samuel T. Crews, of Fayette
: Howard county, Missouri. He is be-
tween eighty and ninety years Of age,
quite wealthy, and having children
and property here, has spent several
winters in this county. Both physi-
cally and mentally he is quite active for
one of his years. He informed me
that he went from his native state,
Kentucky, when quite young, to
Wayne county to begin the practice
Of his profession, and knew there
personally Doctors Warner and
Pugh, Lot Bloomfield, James Rariden,
the Judges Test, father and son, and
many other pioneer settlers known to
me personally or by reputation in my
boyhood. He retains quite vivid
recollection of those early times,
and especially Of the kindness Of the
good Quaker families whom he visited
as a physician. His sojourn in the
county was not very long.
Only during the past summer ! met
with f. B. Bailey, a Photographic ar
tist, now of Palestine, this State, who
informed me he "held forth in your
city about 1855, and afterwards at
Indianapolis. He claims to have been
the first man to take photographs in
Indiana. Doubtless some of your
citizens will recollect him.
will now give Richmond remin-
iscence of a different character. l
some time since met with a book en-
titled 'FTwenty-fve Years in the
West" by Rev. Erasmus Manford, a
well known travelling minister of the
Universalist denomination. BY the
way, the book gives an interesting &C
count of trip the author made to
Texas during the war of her revolu-
ton. I give the following rather i'm
pressive story from it, the scene of
which is laid in your city, which
he visited in 184O have an i'm
impression of having heard it before,
with suggestion as to who at least
one Of the parties was. but l leave
others to trace the origin OF the story
"A gentleman here related singu-
lar story. A physician and lawyer
lived in Richmond-they were init
mate friends and spent much time to-
gether. Both were infdels, and
promised each other that the one dy-
ing first, if he found he still lived,
should return, If possible, to his friend
on earth. The physician died, but
the survivor thought not OF the prom
ise, for he was sure death had ami
hilated his friend. Several months
after, the lawyer was astonished to
see his departed friend enter his
office. He slowly approached the
couch on which he was lying, for it
was night, the full moon shining
in the room, and reminding
him of their mutual promise, said
that he had made several efforts be-
lore to visit him, but failed, adding
that both Of them were mistaken
about death; that the man did not
lie, he only put off the body and en-
5ered on higher sphere of existence, /,
md that most of mankind were in er- :
.or concerning the second stage OF /,
ife, that being much more like life in
his world than they imagined. AT 6
;er an affectionate adieu, he disap- :
,eared, promising to return, if posi-
Die, but he saw him no more. The \
gentleman related the circumstance
% friends, who, Of course, laughed r
md said he was crazy or asleep, where .
lpon he went before amagistrate and !
estified under oath, that what he re- =
ated was strictly correct. He was
,ver after believer in Immortality,
md said he knew there was future @
ife, for he had seen one from the u
and beyond the vale s.
Allow me, in conclusion, to add q +
,rief reference TO the wonderful pro- o.
'ress of this great Empire State OF Il
he Southwest I came here twelve Il
ears ago last June. When l first IN
'egan looking in this direction for a h
respective home, 1 was surprised to e.
nd how much Of terra incogRItd Al
'as Texas at the North. In the m
raphic lines Of Burns: CT
"Sbe lay like some unkenned-of Isle Il
Beside New Holland. I'M
Or where wild-meeting oceans boil
Be-south Magellan"
In sooth, this was then primitive h,
sgion. / found everything some ~
,rty years behind Ohio and Indiana "a
at now you would be surprised to n,
nd how nearly Texas has canght up "A
ith the best OF her sisters Vast re- n,
ions, which were q Wild waste when tb
came to the State, have since been
tiled up, with fourishIng, populous
ties as their centres Of business q,
Her advAncement in other direc- an
ons has been not less wonderful and tic
In educationAl progress su
ie Is fast catching up With her older Al
sters, While the Temperance and de
her similar moralreforms are taking be
rong hold Of The popular mind and an
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