Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-26

and the northers that were won't TO bear the
involuntary burdens Of fatherhood, to the
drawbacks Of Texas, can have respite.
The farmer who cursed to us "the idiot"
that introduced the pest, glowed in his con-
demnation. He discussed johnson grass
with the dignity which a statesman, over
his lager or champagne, would bestow upon
the heavy affairs of the Republic. He
made me quite believe that all trihes are
serious; the acquisition of such knowledge
is valuable, The pigs only could thrive on
johnson grass; he had endeavored. to de-
stroy the noxious growth in one of his fields
by turning in his entire drove of swine. In
the morning his porkefs had disappeared,
and he would have lost his herd save for the
Incidence or plethora of one razor back,
whose tail was discovered above ground
1t took him and his hands two days to pull
his pigs out of the earth and get them to
place of safety. This Texan swore it was
no lie, and it is not always safe to contra
dict a citizen of that State, even when he
fails to swear to his statements.
The lightning rod man has visited Texas.
The Deacon is in doubt of this being an in-
dication of an improved civilization, but on
house 12x16 feet 1 counted five of these
mythical protectors, resplendent in nickel
and gilt The owner of that domicile did not
lack company, and they thus manifested q
Texan characteristic in one direction:
Whatever they ''go for" they "make il,
dead sure" if within the limits of human
achievement. 1 am no lover of lightning
running around loose and, except that it is
claimed that fair Athena requires it as
renovator, / would rather dispense with it.
But in this environment was compelled to
an expression of sympathy for the erratic
element, 1t will be ashamed to visit the
vicinity.
BELLIES IN CALICO GOWNS.
Stopping at a water tank, with not a
house in sight save that of the humble en-
ploye OF the railroad company, the Deacon
directed my attention to two pretty girls.
Their cheeks were rosy, their eyes elo-
quently large and dark, their hair black, of
course, and still, of course, they were bellies
even in calico gowns. Seated in dilapi-
dated dog cart, with the dogs underneath,
holding the rope lines OF thin, rope-har-
messed pony, their beautiful eyes flashed
back and forth interestingly, along the train,
to them evidently a marvel yet Uncon-
scious as babes that they were the center Of
more than 100 pairs of admiring eyes, they
laughed and chatted. Plainly the passen-
gers had no interest for them, or they
would have halted. abashed in their enjoy
ment, at the encounter of any one pair OF
the male optics fastened upon them.
"See how their jaws wag-and how white
their teeth arer' murmured the Deacon in
my ear.
''Yes, they are chewing gum"
"Well, what of it? that's cleaner than the
dogwood stick and the snuffbox of their
grandmothers, retortel their apologist.
"But without either vice, Deacon, how
would they seem?"
"They make it a virtue, and gracefully !"
The Deacon is young. What will become
of him among the dazzling orbs of the
sensuous cline toward which we are speed
ing?
Further on 1 discover a shanty set in the
brown prairie, isolated but cheerful in the
color OF fresh pine. A sign painted on can
vas larger than the house proclaims a
"Real Estate Office" The boomer is here,
but the legend is superhuous; nothing is
apparent but real estate. With the plow a
few hundred acres have been lined off into
blocks, and lot stakes stick up like vast
colony of prairie dogs. When we return
few weeks hence, possibly the shanty will
have company, and the next largest sign
will bear the fiction: "Saloon." A few
years and there will be a stone court house
and county seat, while the real estate Office
will be preserved in photography and rev.
erenced as tne shadow of the pioneer palace.
A WORLD IN ITSELF.
"Did you ever attempt to realize the area
of Texas?" inquired the Deacon, "Nol
we'll just think OF it as covering quite 275,-
900 square miles, capable of affording to
each man, woman and child of our glorious
Republic a patch of three acres of ground.
Here is land in abundance. We are seeing
only strip of it by the roadside, covered
with grass and wild flowers and a grove of
timber here and there; think of the miles of
it stretching beyond our vision, beautiful
as the descendants of Adam could wish;
think that any man can homestead 160 acres
of it with the cost of only the surveyors
fees, and then tell Mr.. George: he and his
followers can all be supplied out of this
State alone and enough be left to furnish
those who are not paupers. But they'll
have to work, and that's what they don't
want. If Texas would only cultivate and
stock it for them and keep it under cultiva-
ton at the expense of the State, pay the
taxes and"
Deacon, you are growing heavy and
worse, cynical; drop it and look at that wild
rose bush banking the corner of the worm
fence with exquisite bloom. Therel you
have lost it; but here is another and num-
berless beauties in pink and purple and, as
sure as the sun is lighting our way, wild
marigolds and buttercups. See that hound
peering through the fence. his ears look as
if they were foot long; did you ever hear
the voice of one? No! we'll, when you do it
will make you forget for the time all the ills
Al, g - foll Al
sound over"
TIME TO STOP.
"You'd better drip that; there is no tell
ing where you will land following that
vein."
"True enough, Deacon, we may bring up
in a swamp"
Talking about dogs. that reminds me-"
This from neatly dressed, black-eyed
stranger with a neatly trimmed black beard
and dropping mustache. "I'll trouble you
for light" and he reached for my cigar
with the air of one assured of my willing
ness. offered HIM the box of matches fur
nished by the Pullman company, he took it
unhesitatingly, lit his cigar and began to
entertain us with coon hunt His cigar
would go out every five minutes, and he
would invariably reach for mine with the
same expression of certain accommodation
as at first. 1 presented the box of matches
each time and he received and used it with
the same satisfaction.
We were Joined by another Southern gen.
tleman and he went through precisely the
same form while ] enjoyed the Office of
match bearer in ordinary. I gave the sec
ond gentleman my cigar on one occasion,
curious to learn how be would use it. He
jammed it into the charred end of his own
,od ri nf
quences and returned it ragged and often
sive. His polite ''thank you," could in no
wise restore the fragrance of my property,
nor palliate a disagreeable custom. The
Deacon, quietly amused, charges me with
being fussy about trifes; but I have said