Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-12-29
LETTER FROM TEXAs.
Good Description OF Houston's Fruit
Flower and Vegetable Show.
Correspondence to the Herald and Tribune.

CYCLONE RANCH, Dec. IL, '97.-On the sth
visited the +. +. V. Fruit, Flower and yege
table, exhibition in Houston. II is n fair OK
hibiting the products Of Texas, and more es
pecially the southern portion of the coas
country. first went to the Market Hall il
the second story OF tho Market house, anC
saw there representation OF many of tn,
manufacturing establishments of Houston
nice assortment, of the articles manulac
tureL. The large hall was nicely decorated
with flowers and everything to make it beau
tiful and attractive. After looking at this t.
my hearts content, l walked seven blocks tC
the Auditorium, where there were On exhibi
tion some of the many products of Texas
corn, oats, hay, beardless barley Irish pota
toes, sweet potatoes, Il saw one that weighed
fourteen and one half pounds, turnips on,
measuring ten inches across, watermelons
figs, pears, Il saw about one dozen said t,
be the third crop this year from the sam,
tree; they were about the size of hen eggs,
strawberries, nice and ripe, on plate anC
some on plants green and some in bloom al
sizes; almostall garden vegetables that coulC
be mentioned was there on exhibition frest
from the garden. Tobacco, said to be euua
to the famous Cuban, for which the exhibi
tor received forty cents per pound for his
crop from eighteen acres. Japanese persim
mons, oranges, apples. sugar cane, wrapping
paper. manufactured by the Sugarland paper
fabric mill from the bogasse or refuse Of the
sugar cane, the statue Of man made Of
pure cotton just from the ball.
The embroidery department was full and
complete; the handwork OF the ladies' oI
Houston and the coast country; the ladies
from this country are from every State in the
union and every foreign nation, and with
nimble fingers they have made many beauti.
full fabrics and placed on exhibition. The
drawing and portrait painting we're very fine
and that department was we'll filled with
beautiful work.
Aprivate collection by H. L. Rodgers Of
coins Of different nations, was very fine, com.
posed of coins from Spain, Germany, Great
Britain, the Provinces, Washington, Gaute-
malta, ancient Roman coins, Mexican, Turk
ish, African two cent piece of Liberia, Italian
Chinese, Indian coins from six to 800 years
old. Neopolitan, U. S. coins, ten, twenty five
and fifty cent paper currency rough opals
Hot Springs diamonds, crystals from the
Crystal Cave Of Colorado and other diamonds
and coins that l can't remember; also the
pictures OF Sam Houston and Ran-in-the-
face, the noted Indian Chief who killed Gus,
ter and ate his heart; a piece of wood from
the tree under which Sam Houston was rest.
ing when Santa Anna was brought to him a
captive; this collection was very nice and in
terestlng.
In the center Of the Auditorium was n
fountain ten feet high, with water flowing
from the top and dripping down over beauti
Iul Terms, and at the bottom were .heantifnl
hsh, swimming in the pure, clear water; the
large room was beautifully decorated with
flowers Of all colors that grew in this coast
next visited q collection of wild animals
of'Texas, with which few animals of other
countries were mingled; they had the Wild
cat, catamount, which grows to weigh fifty
pounds, the martin, somewhat resembling
the weasel, the marmot, an animal that sleeps
nine months in the year, the magpie bird,
the Texas eagle, seven feet from tip TO tip, a
cage of skunks, the prairie dog, the anteater,
opossum, the fisher, three and one half feet
from nose to end of tail, the indian devil or
wolverine, small animal weighing only fifty
pounds, but will kill IA horse, OK or man. and
which the indians dread and fear, the noun
tain lion, which plays havoc with herds in
mountains or timberlands in the West They
also had two Esquemaux dogs, the same
that are used to draw sledges over the snow
and ice in Northern climates. The Mexican
dog, with not single hair on his body, the
oava and ringtail monkey, the emu, large
bird like the ostrich, white, green and red,
parrots.
After leaving here visited the poultry ex-
hibition by the Southwest Poultry Associa-
ton; they had on exhibition over 500 fowls
of differents breeds and kinds. They had
thirty six cages of pigeons ofdifrerent kinds,
twenty nine coops of bantam chickens, the
names OF some of them were the Golden Sea-
bright, white booted, silver duckwing, red
pyle, golden duckwing, .blacktail Japanese,
birchen game. and buff pekin; the lightest
one weighed eleven and one half ounces. OF
the larger fowls they had the white; buff and
partridge cochen, white crested black polish.
black minorcas, silver spangled Hamburg,
Indian game, black Spanish, white and brown
barred plymouth rock, light brah-
ma and the old style black bunty; the heav-
lest one, a light brahma, weighed thirteen
and one half pounds; they had few coops
Of turkeys, the heaviest weighed fifty pounds /;
Toulouse geese, also a coop of three wild
geese and few coops Of fine Pekin and
Rouen ducks, one coop OF white guinea fowls,
two Belgian hares, a Madagascar rabbit, an
English mastiff, the largest, heaviest dog
ever saw, one cage Of white rabbits, one coop
of English pheasants. 1t was byfar the best
poultry exhibit l ever saw. One feature Of
The exhibit was particularly stuck with, it
was eight O'Clock at. night and the rooms
we're lighted with electric lights and the
chickens seemed to be enjoying themselves
rs well as II they were in the barnyard In
he open daylight, the cocks were growing
md they were eating drinking and going
through all the barnyard courtesies and
seemed perfectly at home. The large breeds
we're the hnest fowls ever saw, and was
we'll worth the twenty five oents admission
to any one interested in poultry. One of the
srandest parades ever saw fhe grand "march
Of plenty" 1t was led by corps of mounted
poliremen who eacted as advance guards and
cleared the way Of passing vehicles and the
mighty throngs of anxious spectators who
'entured too far into the street. They were
followed by musicians who played in good
I'll.