Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-10-17
GALVESTON THEN AND NOW.

About hundred years ago there
came to Charleston, s. c., French.
man named Jean Lafitte. He had in
him the hardy daring and intrepid
love of exploration and adventure that
charalo. erized the French of his day.
Historians differ ais ito his motives, but
whatever of lawlessness andunbridled
lascibiElty may be held against him,
true it us that his Was a ''head that
lacked a crown" for the power of
leadership was born in him, and many
OF his actions attest nature of gener-
osity and lofty honor.
Such natures often rise toeminemce3
of grandeur in great national crises.
spent; and environments have much
TO do with the way dn which 1T ais
sertS itself.
of fine and courtly bearing and att
tractive in manner. While in Charles
ton he field in love with a beautiful
woman. A rival crossed his path.
Lafi5te challenged him. and, after kill
ing him in combat, was forced to fly
for his life. He FASTENED to New Or
leans, where, engaging in the trade
of a blacksmith, he soon gathered
mean Ms and influence sufficient to equip
for sea-faring. This was the begin
ming of a bucaneering life, carried
on in the Gulf OF Mexico for several
years, during which time Lafitte had
headquarters on the Island of Grand
TerIe, about sixty miles from the delta
of the Mississippi. Here he made
fortune by smuggling goods into
Louisiana, whose Governor, being I'M
able to separate him from his follow
ers, Offered prize for his head.
About this time the British, then
engaged in war with THE United States,
sought Lafiaie, hoping TO make of him
an ally. He was offered the post of
captain and command of "a brigade,
but be it spoken TO his honor, refused
to engage. against the Government to
which he had sworn allegiance. His
crimes were many, but to them was
not added that OF treachery to the
country of his adoption. He at once
sent the proposal to the British, to-
gether with a patriotic letter. to a
Louisiana officer. His offer to help
the UNITED States was accepted. and
he fought with such bravery at New
Orleans that full pardon was granted
for all his past offenses. He now made
Galveston Island his headqua rters,
and from the date of his settlement
there in 1914, may be traced the life
and growth OF the Texas metropolis,
Lafitte had ambitions and dreams.
With shrewd and unerring foresight
he beheld the great entry port of to-
day. He knew destiny had marked
the island as the site Of a magnificent
and prosperous city-the gateway
through which must pour the rich
and diversified products of an immense
domain to the North and West; and
had his labors been prompted by pa
triOtiSm and devotion to the needs
Of the coming American, instead of
his own personal aggrandizment, his
name today, in place of being men
toned as that of pirate and adven-
turer, might be honored as are those
Of Sam Houston, Stephen Austin, and
others whose deeds add luSter to the
pages of history.
ing Galveston, usually hears the story
of Leffthe. 1t is said that he buried
immense Il ensures in the island.
found them. To look for a buried
treasure in one hundred square miles
of land (for thi lis the area of the is
land) is not an inviting task, and is
becoming less frequent as time goes
on. Galveston is located upon the ex-
treme eastern end of the Island of Gal
weston, and is the only place of any
consequence thereon. A few scattered
hamlets or fisherman's quarters exist
ON the sand that stretches away to
the southwest, but there is nothing to
ATTRACT settlement outside of the city
proper, which stands at the entrance
OF Trinity Bay. This bay cuts into
the bow coast of Texas and receives
the Trinaty River-the principle one
of the eastern part of the state. 1t
forms an excellent harbor, and it is
to this that Galveston owes Its exist
ance. The city is spreading rapidly
even now reaching as far as the gull
beach, where splendid residences have
been built, and a fine drive made Of
shells. This drive is called the''sheE
| road," and is resorted to for all kinds
| of pleasure riding and driving. 1t is
about ten miles long and is made Of
| crushed oytser shells and forming as
| hard and smooth a surface as an as
| phaltum pavement.
| Oysters abound in the bay, and arr
| quite an Important industry upon thu
isla nd, as is also fishing. The surface
of the land is level. The streets, wild,
| and fine, cross one another at RICH
angles, and several magnificent parks
brighten the beauty of the "Oleandel
City," for so it has come to be called
owing to the vegetation which flour
fishes there.
One of the most attractive features
IL the beauty of the residence portion
4 Here lovely homes abound, surrounds
each by a green lawn and buried il
roses and other tropical plants, Will
the stately live oak, the fig, orang
and ether indigenous trees give shad
and GOODNESS to the city.
Glimpsess CIR the sea, no matter il
what dirtction one may look. deiligh
the eye and charm the esthetic sens
of mature NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. blue fron
heavens that smile, now gray and som
bre, breaking In endless momotony On
its storm=swept beach, singing will
weird melody, telling of the lnfinit
to minds that music and wonder a
e., awful presence. To all these ply
steal beautaes add the delight OF a
even temperature, rarely reaching 10
degrees in midsummer and ne<ar fal
ing to thefrost mark-where bati.in
Is delightful all the year round.-an