The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1886-08-21
A VIEW OF TEXAS.

thought 9 little'account Of a
trip through Texas might contain
some dots of interest to your
readers.
took diagonal cut, entering
at the northeast corner and going
to the southwest corner. The
first place attracting attention as
you enter is the thrifty young city
of Texarkana, built in the woods.
the pine woods, yet wearing all
the airs of a city. Four railroads
centre there and others projected.
These give vim to the arm of pro-
gress and all is push and hustle and
business. The chiefinterest is the
lumber interest In the midst of
almost lnexhaustable material. AS
passed on the narrow guage rail.
road to the southwest (Which by
the by. will shortly be a broad
guage, the iron aud ties all to hand
for a changel noticed the coun.
try very similar to our Mississippi
pine woods though shade more
broken, with this difference also
that the soil is better and there is
abundance of rock. The crops
of corn and cotton in this section
and indeed all the way to the Sa.
bine are fine. So is all eastern and
northeastern Texas. From the
Sabine to the Trinity, a still rolling
country, tue crops are average.
From the Trinity to the Brazos
the lay of the land is lees broken.
The growth of the timber less
bol ssvs'sdins Town TO the post
oak . sorubby tfaa-sad to the
.-...~-r~sSUuSh about the sine otis
peach tree.
Now we enter the Brazos bot.
toms, a fertile and famous stretch
OF land but this season suffering
some from protracted drought.
There you see the cotton spread
like emerald and flecked with
gold, along side you see the luxu
RANT full.eared corn and under the
same fence, the thresher, turning
out the golden grain of wheat, the
moving machine clipping the
prairie and the hay press compac,'
ing the rich sweet scented grass
aud hard by, too, the fat lazy herd
of cattle wade through the mead
ows. There is a charm more than
of profit in this diversity. 1t ID
enlivening, inspiring. Here every
man works and seems to revel In
il. Idlers are not in fashion and
will not be fed. On the west bank
Of the Brazos, is the beautiful
little city Of Waco, full Of life and
business, q railroad centre. Its
stone buildings of massive size,
it's tall graceful spires, its elegant
residences, its fine stores, its cost
ly and well appointed school build
ings, admonish the traveller that
1t is a wide awake, progressive
town. Around it, lands that sold
twenty years ago for 81 so an acre
are now worth $4,000.
Now you plunge into the rolling
prairies. AS far and further thar
the eye can stretch they roll away
Picture after picture of rural beau
ty rises to the sight and the mir
age that promises a grove here and
a lake there where there are ncne
supplies that passion in man 70,
the marvellous aud satisfies his
disposition for romance. 1t is ex
ageraton in nature, If there car
be.
A hundred miles to the southwest
we came to the Rio Colorado
fenced In by mountain chain tc
the southwest. On the north bank
overlooking the river, spanned by
beautiful iron bridges, sits Austin
queen Of Texas. Built of white
rock, native too, Texas capita
glistens in the sunlight. She lifti
high her head as If overlooking
her vast domain. The State house
is fast being built, to be the fines
in the land. The DriskilI House
magnificent hotel costing ovel
81, ,000,000.00 will give hospitabls
and AMPLE cheer to all her guests
The railroads center likewise al
Austin. We pass OIL TO the south
west over the Missouri Pacific
through broad ranches and splen
/ did farms and thrifty towns to
wards San Antonio for more than
100 miles. On the way the charm
ing valley Of San Marcos greeti
the eye. Its clear bold river
bursting right out of the mountain
into the lap of a village of SAINT
name furnishes freshness and yer
dure to the whole valley. The
corn and cotton here seemed Il
be as vigorous and well grown al
we'll as that in the Yazoo Delta
i Beyond and half way to San An
tonia we cross the Gandaloupe1
4