The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-12-13
THE OLD DUNCAN RANCH.
4 Relic of Ante Bcllum Days in
Mataaorda County.
IT WAS A GARDEN SPOT THEN
Aud Had bright Prospects for the
Futurc--At Is ~ waste, Now,
Lonely and Forsnkcn.

BRENNAN Press.
What is now the wllds OF Ma,agorda
county along the banks OF old Cancy.
which ia almost unquostionably dead
tributary of the Colorado. WAS once u
prosperous farming section rivnline In pro
duction. II not exceling the valley of the
Nile.
The somi-tropioai climate and the rich
deposits OF soil left by oycrtows made a
soil that you could not get through and
TO tell of the crops that were raised there
even In this day of extensive farming with
all the modern advantages OF cultivation,
IT would sound like iairy tale TO those
who have not seen growing crops on Cauoy
bottom.
or the time we write there was one ad-
vantage not now possessed. Labor could
he controlled. for only slave labor WAS util-
i1,d on the vast cotton and sugar cane
farms along the valley OF this stream.
Captain Duncan. 10 whose old ranch we
paid 4 visit not long since. was thou a
prominent figure Ia South Texas and oyc
of the aristocrats whose foudal castle, be-
side the Cancy, II not IN the same grand
eur OF the titled nobleman Of the old
country was surrounded with more lux
urles. dispensed unstinteA hospitality with
| a more lavish hand aud to the plcbeiHn and
| slave It Was just us much castle und he
! king among his BubiectD without the bur
| den OF nation to bear.
| with more than half hundred faithful
slaves, some OF whom were brought direct
! from Africa. large section Of this fertile
valley was cleared of lta timber ard cane
| brakes aud yielded rich harvests OF cotton
| sugar and corn that gnon made q fortune
| for its owner. over sixty years ago Cap
| tain Duncan with the ACCOMMODATIONS Of hls
| vast crops prepared to surround himself
| ana family with some of the modern com
| forts al that time under the difficulty of
| slow wagon transportation and the incon-
yeniencc Of getting things does credit tt
/ his taste his energy and perseverance, for
| even in the last stages Of neglect and deca,
this old mansion IL VI no mean protcnsiou
compared TO the modern residence In oui
cities today.
True, II had no electric lights, bu, It Ia,
! Its swinging chandeliers and It's golden cen
die stocks. No modern water works. bu
splendid cstorns aud good pumps in oserl
story, and in place Of steam heaters. wide
old time FIRE places. in which glowcd tn,
mellow Hight from liycolk logs that crack.
led merrily as they were stirred by faithful
servants 10 warm and cheer the throns Of
young folks that gathered In front Of then
on long winter evenings, for the variet
pleasures of those days In homo that wa,
tho resort OF love, OF Joy, OF peace unt
plenty.
We viii not dwell upon the sdd muta
lions OF the late civil strife IN the UnIor
| that oblilerated from the South the wealti
1 that maintained thcRo old castles freein,
the slave labor. but suffice to say that
but few. Il any. OF them. were aftorwardl
maintained on tho same scale OF grandeur
as before. when polished tables shone witt
bright goblets rich with generous wluei
that flowed through the chill oi ceremon!
| and thawed every heart into glow.
But the mad rimc tho world no loves :,
play came and the union proved TO us IT.
doctrine orthodox by apostolic blows anc
| knocks"
II ended. and with I, ended the regime o
/ stately Southern mansions. whose wealth.
Owners dispensed such lavish bounty as 4
now referred 10 as "old time Southern
HOSPITALITY MaDv Of the members Of thes
lordly castles failed 10 answer roll cal
when all was over. for they were aa brav
as they we're generous and chivalrouH. an
went to the front gaily capnrisoned TO seel
Immortal fame at the lannon's mouth. bu
met death IN the finding
The change OF the slave labor for III,
free and the inexporicDce OF management
The losses sustained during the strife #
most instances broke up these grand oil
families and scattered them TO the fou
winds. The rich farms grew up In tlnbe
and cane, often the mansion was dcscrio
and left unrepaircd until soon decay
cnacing fingers left but memory OF II
former glory Like the heartstrings OF III
owners. mos, OF them are gone. and al
things about them arc decaying.
II was q lovely afternoon In Novembc