The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-10-24

from 1t Ia superb Tho name means 'thc
place OF water and Is pronounced ms IL 1t
were spelled an-a-whock, the name by
which the valley Of Mexico was called
when the Astecs ruled that country.
During the towns palmicst days Governor
Lubbock operated there large packery.
He and his associates killed many thousand
beeves merely for the hides and ,allow
that could be gotten from them. The beef
was OF no value, In us much as there was
no convenient market.
Recently | visited the place. Where the
garrison had been were only few brick
bats; where the packery had stood, mod
ern saw mill is being operated, and tho
quaint old house In which EmpNsario
Chambers, for whom the county was
named lived and where he died by the
hand OF an assassin, Is being used for a
boarding house. New houses are being
erected and the old ones are falling.
General Houston sought a retreat In
Texas after resigning the position OF gov
ernor of Tennessee. He stopped at San
Augustine, remained some time the guest
OF Tennessee friends.
San Augustine subsequently became the
entrepot, the Athens. the fastest and most
furious town in Texas. There were many
things which caused the place 10 be fast
and furious" the principal one being It's
situation. Every one coming to Texas
overland at tho time when the town was
| at it's zenith, had to come via the kings
| Highway" an historic road from NatcDi'
| tochcs La to the City OF Mexico. running
| diagonally through Texas and by San Au'
gustine. This road, in short, was the APP
| plan way to Texas, and over IL came all oil
| a s,,.s., Al ttar ma A-
came great. Tho professional men natural
| ly sought the place A bright young edit
| or from the States" established u paper
| here and il soon became the most lntluen-
| tial PAPER In the Republic. During the
revolutionary period San Augustine was
TO the State as virginia was 10 the original
| SJates-her lawyers were the most bril-
liant, and her other public men controlled
the politics OF the country, several Of them
filling the most responsible positions. Sew
| eral years after the Republic was made
| n State, the place bcgen to decline, owing
| 10 the town becoming isolated, tho popula-
| ton having taken another course moving
westward. Today the town Is Tar from
the madding crowd. the people there rur-
suing the even tenor OF their way. travelling
by stage and living as they did long be-
fore the war.
During it's palmy days the place wa'
the pride Of General Houston. who LIVED
there then.
Five or six years ago. II will be remem.
bered by many. a number OF Eastern capt
talis;s doomed nearly score OF Southern
towns. They struck Texas. doomed DEM
son, the Gate city" and drlfted from
there to the Texas coast and there foundet
several towns which suited their purpose.
Finally they decided to build out right
Texas town that would forever stand Al
a monument TO their enterprise. Thel
agents visited the heinatlve ore nelds .
Eastern Texas and then informed their EN-
ployers that there we're millions In tn
manufacturing OF iron There was on
thing that they were certain about-th
supply OF the ore was ilitmitablc and tn
quality was superior. AS result OF incl
investigation, the ore beds In Chsroksc an
the counties contiguous were bonSD
nm. The company selected for their tow
size a point little more than mile iron
the historic old town OF Krsk. II hap
nened that an old and decrepd ccgr
owned the property. which was group
rough ragged. but picturesque Nils IN
old fellow demanded fabulous price 70
the land and succeeded In getting II.
The plated ground was chirstened Me-
that its builders would attempt to hcnf
the original Birmingham by being as gres
or greater. Within a fortnight the hill
which were in their way, were razed. NJ
smother month had passed, bride patti
II had become streets, and bywaEs. ayenuel
AS II by magic. mammoth furnaces. hant
some residences and brick blocks WEI
erected Az a fitting fraie 10 the mr.
|. sixty days work. 100000 hotel wa
, opened. and the little narrow snage engr
OF the road running from Tyler 20 Lufki
a ros.i of many idinsyncre,ies. stopped |
the unique bur modern. depot erected I
, the improvement company for The use
! themselves and friends.
, Everything became lively and excittni
! Guests were entertained royalty. Capita
lists from the East were given compl
mentsry excursions on vestibuied train
! which were run as the company directe
i from Bos.on to New Birmingham. tho III
, FAINT wonder" On arrival here they WEI
! wined and dined, driven over the city b.
/ hind thoroughbreds which were manage
d by iiyeried drivers. attended one
the banquets--uot as q capitalist. but a.
Q Especial correspondent.
h At the feast were many notable ma
= IGovsrnor Hogg was master a osremosts'