Wichita eagle., 1889-01-30
Daily eagle
ERATH'S BRIDE.
Experience Of an Austrian Noble
man on the Texas Frontier.
His Career in the Lone Star State-The
Struggles of a Pioneer Colony and the
Part He Took in It's Preservation
A True Nobleman.

BILE and transformations old gentleman, who
on sunny days may be seen cautiously
picking his way along the streets seeking
for the sunshine which assists his PROCESS,
for he is nearly blind. Away back there in
'S2 tall, stately young German named
Erath made his appearance in Houston,
and asked what the chances Of employment
were for a civil engineer in the then out
lying province of Mexico. There was
something in the air and manner OF the
forlorn-looking stranger which won for
him the respectful attention OF the hardy
but intelligent men who had then only ef-
fected a precarious foothold IN the wilder
ness of Texas.
After some delays and vicissitudes of
various kinds Erath found employment as
a surveyor, and was sent with small party
TO the very heart of the then unknown
wilderness about where Cameron County
was since located. A large tract of land
had been purchased by the projectors of
German colony, and it was his business to
survey and plat it previous to its distribu-
ton among the several members of the
colony. Leaving Houston the brave young
Austrian and his Insignificant party were
soon on the gound-in the very midst OF
the Comanches, Poncas and Wacoes, which
tribes roamed at will over the beautiful
praires of this romantic region.
After two years of arduous work in the
wilds of Central Texas, and after complet-
ing his task to the satisfaction of his en-
ployers, Erath made his way back to Hous-
ton and received nearly ten thousand dol
lars in gold for the service rendered.
Not long after stately ship from Nice
arrived off the bar at Galveston, bearing
on board the colony for which the survey
had been made. These people were prin-
cipally Germans, the greater number being
Austrians. Young Erath piloted them to
Cameron, and to his experience, gained by
his two years of toll, the new corners were
indebted for much Of tae success afterward
achieved.
Belonging to one Of the families of the
colony was fair-haired, blue-eyed girl
from romantic dell nestled cozily at the
foot of the Tyrolean Alps. Our young sur
veyor was captured very promptly and
effectually, and now the silken chains
which then SO securely bound him are
gradually slipping gracefully from his
once strong heart, and the fair Austrienne
has been for several years quietly sleeping
in a beautiful spot on the banks of the
Bosque, six miles west from Waco.
The colony was securely planted, and,
after months basking in the sunlit smiles
of the blue-eyed stranger Erath was sent
to a distant part of the province, still in his
character of surveyor He had been away
some months when word was brought to
his camp to the effect that the Austrian
colonists were sadly beleaguered by the In
dams and had been fighting daily for over
a month to defend their own lives and
those of the helpless ones committed to
their care. In an hour after the dreadful
news had reached him Erath and his entire
party were mounted and in hot march to
relieve the distressed colony. In good time
they arrived in the vicinity of the settle
ment, and upon every hand were to be seen
the evidences of the presence of a large
number of Indians
After looking well to their arms and hav-
ing rested and refreshed their horses, the
little party of sixteen men cautiously APP
preached in the rear of the beleaguered
savages. The bright sunlight of a fair April
morning gilded the flowers glittering on
every hand. The southern song birds were
noisily chanting their gayest peans to the
god Of day. The scene suggested nothing
of the deadly work which was to occur.
Cautiously was the approach made, and,
after deploying from a thicket of elms
which had concealed their approach,
Eraths party discovered what appeared to
be an immense host of naked, screeching
devils determinedly attacking the feeble
barricades of the settlements. Al long in
tervals in the line of defense could be seen
a single rifleman slowly dischargipg his
piece, but at every crack of the gun one of
the red devils bit the dust.
A single glance was all that was neces-
sary to determine the brave Erath to rescue
his friends, but more especially to save the
fair blue-eyed stranger girl from a fate
worse than death.
''Vorwartsl'' yelled the leader, and every
horse of the sixteen and his brave rider
was amid the foes. 1t was sharp work. At
close range the arrows and the lance did
fearful execution. But the bold rangers
went On. Every now and then one of the
small number would drop from his horse
and be scalped before the half-uttered
prayer was breathed. Ersth was soon COW
cred with blood from a dozen spear head
and arrow wounds.
After repeated charge s and repulses, and
after three hours of such fighting as one
only sees on the frontier, the little party OF
rescuers, now reduced to six, made their
way into the barricade 80 witness a sight
of awful and solemn significance. OF the
sixty men he had left there a few months
before, but eleven remained The remain
der had been killed in this most heroic de-
Tense, one which had only had its counter
part at Thermopyle, and which was e fit
ting precursor of that wonderful struggle
which years after occurred at Alamo.
This determined rescue had broken the
spirit of the Indians and, with wells Of
rage and disappointment, they slowly left
the place TO its heroic defenders Erath
was helped from his horse fainting and al
most unconscious. But he was received into
the arms of the fair young Austrienne, and
IL was not long until he was able to tell his
burden of love and receive the sweetest
confession which ever fell from mortal lips.
The colony held its ground, and many Of
the descendants of the defenders still live in
the neighborLood, and they are reckoned
as among the best men and pUrest women
of Texas to-day.
In short time Erath was married, and
upon the completion of the ceremony il
was discovered that our now venerable and
aged friend was a scion of a noble Austrian
family, one very near in blood 10 the
throne. His father was the Oldest son of
the Archduke Charles, the knightliest gen
tleman and the bravess soldier Austria
ever produced.
He has never left Texas. His name is
known and revered from one end of the