The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-02-10

yond ones depth. The Beach hotel, a
mammoth building with four wide veran-
das, one above another, on all sides, Is
then packed from top to bottom. Here
there is always a fresh, cool breeze, and
not even a mosquito is present to mar the
pleasure of the evening.
Galveston has many millionares, and in
consequence some very pretty residences,
one of which, designed from castle on
the Rhine, was especially beautiful. The
most lovely flower gardens and yards can
be seen here on every hand, The ther-
mometer rarely gets to the freezing point
In winter and not above 90 to % degrees
in the summer. II is a city of about
10000 and its bank clearances show 1t to
be doing business equal to northern
cities of a much larger population.
The government has entered into con-
tract to build two jetties here out into the
gulf, each to be about six miles long and
to cost about $6,OOOOOO. One of these is
now out about five miles. 1t is made by
building a trestle out into the gull and
then taking out carload after carload of
granite weighing 140 lbs. to the cubic foot
and in blocks of ten tons each and rolling
them off into the water, thus letting them
form wall about sixty feet wide at the
base. The center is filled up with small
sand stone and the sand washes in and
forms q solid wall narrowing down to
about fifteen feet on top. These jetties
are designed TO confne the currents and
thus wash of the sands from the bar to
a depth Of thirty feet, thereby letting into
Galveston harbor the largest vessels of the
world. The bay has an acreage now of
400 IN 700 acres Of water from 20 to 30
feet deep. The jetty has already deepen.
ed the channel over the bar from 10 feet
to 10 feet, and as it nears completion this
will steadily increase.
Immense grain elevators are now being
built here and 100000 being put into in.
creased wharfage facilities. Last year
and In fact the first time In the city's his
tory seventeen ships we're loaded
here with grain from near Kansas
for foreign ports. This certainly will be
a great shipping center for grain and pro-
duce from the trans. Mississippi country,
as the distance to the sea board is many
hundred miles shorter than to New York
or Baltimore. The city is very healthy.
There has been no cases of yellow fever
for over twenty-five years, and it was then
brought there in ship. Every vessel is
now quarrantined here, as at northern
ports. We found many peculiar customs,
Every .southernor says "howdy" on meet.
ing and are great on handshaking and |
kissing. Afternoon is always evening |
with them. No pennies are taken any |
where except at the postofflce. The price
Of everything is two bits or four bits or
more-onSbit representing one shilling.
If any purchase comes to 22c. you are
charged but 9Oc,; If 23c. you are charged
Poe. or two bits
On the mainland across the bay from
Galveston we found the richest black,
loamy, sandy soil we ever saw. This is
being cultivated and it will pro-
luce two crops year. In time this will
be the greatest garden and fruit protuc-
ing land IN be found. Pears grow here
10 enormous size, crop is sure every
year and they mature earlier than Califor.
MIA fruits. Many pear, plum and Japan.
ese orange groves are being set out.
Strawberries do well here and are ready
for market about February 1. Rice plan.
tations are being talked Of, Celery, on
ons and every kind of vegetable does
inoly; also, the earliest watermelons are
-aised here. Many settlers are beginning
% come in and 1t seems as though the
next fiye or ten years would witness the
most radical changes in this rich prairie
and. Galveston certainly impressed us
Is a most beautiful city, very healthy,
'ery busy, and city that has great pros
)ects before II. E. L, BENEDICT.