The Portland daily press., 1899-07-14
frarn, I.ettar n Sew York Sam.

< (Texas Letter In New York Sun.)
The most treacherous streams IN the
United states are those Of Western Texas
For the mcst part of the year, and occa-
81 nally for q period extending over sev-
eral years, these rivers and creeks are
merely Dir, beds. The older Inhabitants.
who have Iroftcd by past experiences,
are acquainted With the character Of the
streams and know that at any moment
torrent of water may rash down the
dry bed and overflow Its banks, sweeping
to destruction everything before it. 1t
is for this reason that one never sees
"cow" and hunting camps located near
tho creeks and rivers of the section se-
ferred to. 1t Is not only wise policy TO
pit,h camp on high ground, but 1t has
also been proved that cattle and sheep
should be kept cut of the low country
when on the trail. Instances are known
when herds Of thousands OF head OF cattle
have been swept away by a sudden iiood.
The recent high waters in the Nueoes
and Hondo rivers and Los Moros crock
washed away many thousands OF catsie,
horses and sheep. Los Moros creek Is ord
tnarily dry stream. For several years
no water whatever has flowed in its bed
on its upper course. The new settlers of
that locality looked upon 1t as dry ar
roya. What was the surprise of these un-
knowing ones afew mornings ago when
they awoke to find 10 placs OF the dry
bed of the Insignificant creek q raging
river five to seven miles Wide, its width
varying according to the character Of
country through which the stream
passed. The terrible flood came down
upon the unsusrecting peorle without
warning.
There arc many dry beds welt CT hers
which mark the oour of former large
streams 1t is related by old Inhabitants
thai during the period Of about 20 years,
from 1898 In 1913, there were frequent
and terrific rains In western Texas and
that many of the little watercourses that
are now forgotten were large Tigers then
an 1855 there arrived in San Antoniu
from Germany young man named y.
II. Qleuther. Eo was d miller by trade.
and econ after reaching this state tegan
TO lCok about him for suitable plsoo
to establish a grst mill. He went 10
what Is now Gillespie county, west of
here, where large colony OF Germans
had located but few years bsfore. On
his way to that colony he came upon a
strsam Ct large Volume, and he picked
out mill site on its bank and proceeded
to erect grist mill. He ran the mill for
three years, when the waters of the
stream began to recede so rapidly that tht
mill had TO pe closed down, and finally
abandoned. The ruins,ef that mill stand
today. and there are absolutely no indi-
cations that there was ever nny water
flowing in the bed of that dry arroya
IL hos heen dry for mere than 81 years.
Many lives have been lost along the
course Of the Nueces ard Hondo rivers In
sudden floods. even within the past II
years, About nine years ngo party Of
Louisiana sportsmen came to caster n
Texas with q camping outfit. They 10.
Gated their camp on tie Nueces, not far
from the town of Uvalie. There wers six
men in the parry, among them being
L. H.. Resleur, a wealthy sugar planter.
The tIs5 night they were in camp q
mountain of wsber Tollel down the
Nueses valley from ths hills above and
swept verything before 1t. All the mem
eers OF the hunting party were drowned,
the Southern Pacitio railroad bridge was
washed out, and thousands OF Il ollars
damaee was done to farm and ranch
DTOnertY