The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-08-21
INTERVENING LETTER PROM
TEXAS.
DR.. Cheaaham Writes EnseFtat0tDgiy
of Hiss travels in the Lone Star
State. and Tells Much Of What He
Sees and Hears.


state. and Tells Much Of What He
Sees and Hears.
DR.. Cheatham appears to be s'seeing
the sights and having good time
generally down in Texas. He is the
guest Of the Messrs. Rowland (Hender-
son boys of Tyler, and when last
heard from was just starting on trip
into Mexico. From private letter to
his son Dr. Arch Cheatham, we are
permitted to make the following ex-
tract which we are sure will be read
with interest:
PORTER HOUSE,
SAN ANToSIA, TEXAS, Aug. II, 1890.
DEAR ARcH:-In my last, if l remember
correctly, informed you that Horace,
Alex and myself would leave for this far
Southern city ON the 18th, but as the
great Democratic convention was to con-
vene here on the 18th, we thought it best
to anticipate a large crowd and leave
Tyler on the 9Th but To- and behold when
we boarded the train we found every seat
occupied. There were fourteen coaches, all
filled, even the standing capacity being
about exhausted. We concluded to go
Troup, about 20 miles, and return by
next train and postpone our trip until
the press was over, but as good luck
would have it, Col. Tom Bonner ian old
friend of Harace Rowland's) with whom
had enjoyed a short but pleasant ac-
quaintance while in Tyler, came to our
rescue by Offering us sleepers in his pri-.
vate car which we most chez. fully ac-:
cepted. 1t being about II, p. m, we res
tired for sleep. When morning came we
were on the prairies When one looks on
the vast expanse of prairie land for the
first time it begets feeling of awe and
admiration such as he experiences when
he views the ocean for the first time.
This immense train loaded with it's
human freight swept over the plains at
the rate of 40 miles an hour, soon to ar
rive at Austin, the capital city of this
great State. 1t being the hour for break
fast and no preparation having been
made for this vast crowd of beings who
had been without food or sleep for IS
hours, to meet with such reception, [
leave you to draw upon your imagination
to realize the disappointment and dis
gust of the mob who entered lunch rooms,
restaurants, saloons and every place
where food or drink could be obtained.
Things necessary for the inner man dis
| orderly to some extent; no fighting but
much swearing was INDUCED in. They
did not stand upon the order of things
! but appropriated articles of eat and drink
generally and then paid literally for what
| they had taken.
We concluded to stop over until the
next train; got our breakfast and went
out to see the city. There is not much OF
interest here, the capitol being the
chief interest to strangers. 1t is one of
the handsomest public buildings Oh the
! continent not even surpassed for beauty
| and magnificent proportions by the
National capitol at Washington. It is
the Mecca of the average Texan, not lit
orally but fguratively. At 6 pm, we
| boarded the train for San Marcus, an
hour and fifty minutes ride. There we
rested for the night. Sunrise found US
on the road for San Marcus Lake This
| lake is the source of San Marcus river, the
mighty stream bursting up from the bot
| tom OF the lake. 1t is indeed a matchless
lake, a matchless river, whose waters,
clear as light, flow the year round at a
mean temperature of IT degrees and rises
to fiood-tide at midsummer. 1t is the
most beautiful lake on the continent, if
| not on earth, whose banks and bottom
| nature has turned into q vast floral con-
servatory-an infinite variety of moses,
| flowers, ferns and rank grasses growing
| at depth of 20 to 20 feet below the sur
| face, and clearly visible through the crys-
tai waters, dazzling the eve and bewitch-
! ing and bewildering the senses and imagi-
| nation. No mind can imagine the beau
| ties that come in panoramic order at the
| bottom of this mighty river and beauti-
! full lake as you glide over it's crystal sur
| face. A pen as sweet as ever wrote the
silver chimes of earthly thought cannot
describe the beauties at the bottom of
| this lake.
There is much more that | could say of
| this place and it's beautiful surroundings
but my time is short and must hurry
| up as the crowd is coming in from the
| caucus. Remember am am now in San
Antonio and not San Marcus. | arrived
| here to-day at 11:3O a. M, after resting
| up and enjoying an excellent dinner
| went out for observations. The first
| place of interest I visited was the Gov
eminent barracks. Uncle Sam has been
| quite lavish with his means here; the bar
racks and grounds for the soldiers are far
more extensive than any place in the
States. The buildings for Offices are
numerous and costly.
From here we went to the celebrated
| and renowned San Pedro Springs.
shall not endeavOr to describe these
springs. There are seven OF them gush-
| ing up out of the ground within an area
of one hundred yards combining to form
a branch OF the San Antonio river. Each
spring will average in it's flow of water
| about equal to Sandy Creek below Fox S
mill.
Thenext place of interest and the most
memorable of all is the Alamo. The
Alamo as it stands to-day presents but a
| shadOwy outline of what it was. The
walls that once surrounded it are gone
and only the original walls of the mis-
| sion proper remain. We went through
| this memorable fortress with feelings of
| awe and admiration for the brave and
| heroic souls who fell in it's defense. Here
ITO brave and determined men com
manded by Travis held at bay 1000
| MeXicans under command of their most
skilled and renowned General for IL days.
Santa Anna displayed the red and then
the black flag and demanded an uncondi-
| tional surrender. The reply of Col. Travis
was "a cannon shot. Santa Anna mar
| shalled his forces for the final assault,
his band playing the 'hymn of the dead
| After most desperate and determined
resistance by the handful OF defenders
who were killed to man the Alamo fell.
| Sixteen hundred of the enemy had been
killed. The bodies Of the slain Texans
were piled together and burned by order
| of Santa Anna
| have not time to say more how.
| There is much of interest here that |
could mention but l must retire and be
ready for my trip tomorrow to Laredo
| and Monterey, Mexico. l wish l had the
time to speak of the inhabitants and
customs of this strange people, but l
| must conclude. ". T. c.
| An elegant line of new hats just in at S.
| & Z. Watkins. All the newest and mob
| best styles represented. Prices this season
are lower than ever, considering the style
and quality Of the goods. aug. II.
! Persons advanced in years feel younger
and SfranUar az we'll nc fraar from tho in.