Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1899-07-09
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
Navigation of the BrazOs as Agi-
tated-An Interesting
Subject.

hetAfuiuf th5 bfAkoa fifef nafiga-
ton. Hon. Guy NJ. Bryan, in a recent
interview, has the following 10 say:
About fifty years ago I was a delegate
from Brazoria county to a convention
that met in the town Of Washington on
the Brazos river. Tae. object Of said
convention was to take the preliminary
steps for the improvement OF the Brazos
river and placing steamboats, thereon
for the removal Of crops. Two Of the
active members Of that convention / I
recollect to have been DR.. ]. b. Miller /
Of Fort Bend county, and DR.. X. r. Pee
blea OF Austin county. The latter had
relatives in Portsmouth, Ohio, who had |
steamboat interests on that river.
Through DR.. Peebl9s mainly. arrange
ments were made to place two boats
upon the Brazos river; the boats we're
called the Washington and the Brazos.
aud for several years they navigaied
tina, river parts Of the year, taking of
the crops. They sometimes went a.
high as Switzerland Bluffs and brought
the cotton down TO the mouth Of the
Brazos, and from there II was taken by
boats 10 Galveston.
Again. when Texas sold her New
! Mexican territory 10 the United States,
portion Of the money was appropriate
ed by the legislature TO the improve.
menis Of the river, a small portion Of IL.
| was then in the legislature from Bra.
zoria and Fort Bend counties, represent.
ing BraEoria and Fort Bend counties.
Judge Gustayus Cook was at that time
county judge Of Fort Bend county; he
and / secured a skih nc Richmond and
hired two men 70 row the boat, and he
and sounded the river from Richmond
! TO tide water; We found a number Of
+ sand and mud bars with deep pools Of
OF water above them, and in every in.
stance We found that these bars seem.
ed to ha formed by snags or salt weeds
. being fastened in the bottom Of the
river, around which the debris is held
) by water connected be and kept no
ice Of the water, one writing down and
the other sounding.
"ln 1874 business called me to Li,tl,
Rock, Ark. there met two intelligent
gentlemen from Virginia, who had pur
chased land on Red river with view {,
bringing their negroes from Virginia 4
put them upon seid plantations. The!
u we're returning by water up the Missis
.ippi and Ohio rivers to Virginia, an,
as was going TO the same place, VI
became very well acquainted on a.,
y boat. when We reached Cincinnati
they bought two horses and carrie,
them along with them on the steamboat
7 When we reached Guyandot', on th
: Ohio, we there landed; they had rod
% across the mountains from stanton
s Va, 20 that point on horseback, an
D., sent their horses % farm near Guyau
doit, and there took the steamboat o
" their way TO Arkansas. A. we bad be
n come we'll acquainted, and liking eac
n others society, they prevailed upon M
a to send my trunk by stage to the Whit
4. Sulphur Spring, where was going, I
ride one Of their horses in compan
with them. which | did. We went u
y the Kanawha valley. When we reach
g ed Charleston saw there a large nu,a
AZ Der Of iiatboats. inquired why th
,l were 80 many fatboats. was "
they were their only mode OF grau'
p" their salt down the river, Of whic con
made great quantities, as the n bow
es points was very low on account On Il
he Now the steamboats, that nayige ,
4 Ohio ascend tha, liver and take
., salt and the coal aud products tue u
i" country without difficulty the bi
nc quenee Of the dams and 10 back wi
or have been constructed Sripa il 10 1
f, About three years. a., ....,.a ,
Il. OF the summer vita : ~
!. on the Ohio riverfe went o"'A
about twenty milele bite OF the II
!" While there saw ect on him whit
Sc for the improvement
n' ~ '''e on'u '''e' even that n g
which consisted any gold in the e'
'e " the river ur, would induce the
% Was loci disclose the secret OF
~ passed iotc, which, be said, had be
VI 9ided down in his family
'u n'senerationS The snake was
very long one, and so old that
u had n name. It is q well kno'
IL fact that certain Of the ZuI
~ have autidotcs for the more de
tho ~ snake poison, which they r
.loa serve as a secret within their o
~, fumiles.
lie s