Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-08-02
THROUGH TEXAS.
Hon. Will Cumback's Impression of the
Lone Star State.
What a Distinguished Northern Republican
Saw and Heard for HimseIf-"Ihe
Greatest State in the Union"
Indianapolis Journal.

Indianapolis Journal.
The Hon. Will Cumback has returne d
| from his first visit to Texas. He saw a
good deal of the state, having entered it
at Texarkana, in the northeast corner f,
| and going thence west to Sherman and
south to Georgetown, by the way of Fort
Worth. This trip covered distance of
800 miles. Georgetown, where the
Chautauqua assembly was held" he
said, "is about thirty miles north of
Austin, has about four thousand inhabit-
ants, and is beautifully located on the
east bank of the San Gabriel river. The
country through which l passed is the
finest have ever seen. 1t is all suscep-
tible of cultivation, no waste lands, and
is covered with growing cotton or
corn, or the richest pasture. When
properly developed, the productions $pf
Texas Will astonish the world. The thing
that surprised me most was the climate$
Il e&pected to be melted with the heat },
sgoipg so far South in July, not being acH
Cimated: but the truth is that 1 found
the climate delightful, and did not sui Yer
from the heat at any time while there.
The breeZes from the Gulf so modify the
heat that instead of being weakened
blythe hot weather, as we all are in In
gdfana, the Southern breezes strengthen
and eXhIlarate. The nights are delight
full. You need a blanket before morn-'
ing, and your sleep is restful and re-
freshing in the hot nights of July. The
fruit of Texas is abundant and of the
finest quality. The peaches are immense.
l saw them ten and twelve inches in cir
conference. They have grapes, figs,
and all the other fruits that we have in
Indiana. Their watermelons are the
best have ever seen. No person can
put any estimate on the possibility of
Texas.
Glow did the people treat you? You
are radical Republican, which must
have been known to them, - the reporter
asked.
Certainly, they knew that before
they invited me to come, and, as Arte-
mus Ward said when asked the same
question when he returned from Ken
lucky, they treated me well and often.
The truth is, l was never treated better
in all my life by any people. They are
kind and generous and very hosDitable,
and, in short, they are very clever, in
both the American and English definition
of the word. l did not have
chance to make the acquaintance
of anybody but the people of
Georgetown and those attending the
assembly where I lectured. They all
wanted to make my stay with them
pleasant, and they did it. AT George
town they have one of the best literary
institutions in the state, and the people
are q refined and cultivated people. The
audiences at the assembly were large and
nd
dressed audiences in nearly every state
in the Union, 1 have never found those
who listen more attent lively or whom it is
sE4STe pleasant to talk to than the peop4es
Fof Texas. Georgetown gave $40 ,00Gefo
help start the Chautauqua assembly, agld,
q lady of that place gave a large tract.of;
land on which to erect the buildings Bhe
assembly located there will in the 10
distant future rank among the best@5kf&
slhe country -
''How about poIitics?''
81 heard very little of politics. @The
people seem to care more about develop
ing the resources of the country. They
fully appreciate their great advantages,
and intend to make the most of them,
and they will give hearty welcome to
capital or labor to help them make Texas
what she is sure to be-the greatest states
in the Union. In talking freely with in
telligent Democrats I did not find that
they were agreed in support of the Mills
bill. I found some opposed very strongly
to the free trade tendencies OF the party.
The wool-growers and the rapidly in
creasing manufacturing interests of
Texas make it really tariff state, and
If the free-tTade wing of the party make
the platform and dictate the policy of the
Democracy it will not be long until they
will lose Texas.
''How about the old secession feel
ing?"
"The stars and stripes were floating
night and day over the auditorium of the
assembly. In one of the addresses of a
Southern man to a large audience, in
speaking of the attempt to establish a
Southern Confederacy, he said that he
was glad the petition tor divorce was not
granted, and the sentiment was cheered,
it seemed to me, by the whole audience,
and when I uttered like sentiments before
the sreat assembly it met with an equally
hearty response. They engaged me to
return next year to their assembly, and
I intend to do so. 1 am delighted with
Texas and her people.
els your lecture season over for this
year,"
!, 60 NOM go at once to assemblies at
ChautaRq1h, Silver Lake, Oakfeld and
.ClarenGpIEs in the state of New York,
and th6nse to Petoskey, Mich 81