The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-08-08

hdi iu'v vi 'Ss IL YET. especially IN the
northwest. You see Texas never lad
any United States government land at
all beclns. when Congress was fight
ing to Ar'r Texas out of the Union
becau'r Texas was very much in debt
at that time having been Carrying "a
the war with Mexico and tryinr TO
carry on their own government us
the Texas Republic. That is wnv
they were admitted as State with
the proviso that Texas should paw all
her own debts and own all the public
land within her borders.
Well, there was another verv
strange sight which met my gaze
when | first landed at the capitol of
Texas. 1t seemed to me to be the
greatest place on earth for people
to tell the truth. these truths seemed
to be painted on the signs over some
OF the doors and | was at great loss
to know why the people were so truth
ful at Austin, as had been across
the State once before and never
learned that the people of Texas or
of any city of Texas were any more
truthful than my old friends and
relatives of South Carolina, but this
question kept me guessing for several
hours but didn't say anything to any
one about my curiosity till my brother
came for me and We were going out
of town. q should say city as some
one in Texas might hear what / am
saying.) Well as we were going out
of the city | observed more of these
signs on various houses so that made
my curiosity more intense. Finally
[ told my brother that | had seen
the most truthful and appropriate
sign over saloon in the citv of
Austin that | had ever seen any
where, but had also seen the same
kind of a sign over a livery stable
and restaurant. lie asked what it
was. | told him | saw the sign over
a saloon as Dam Saloon but when
saw the Dam Stable and the Dam
Restaurant it was two much for me
to swallow at once. Later on
learn ed that there was a Dam Hotel.
Dam Bakery, Dam Shop, Dam Park,
Dam Dance Hall, Dam Wagon Yard,
Dam Ball Ground, Dam Race
Track, Dam Street and Dam Street
Cars. There had been great many
others of like notarity but none of
them are as popular as they were a
few years ago. | don't know whether
there was dam Church" or not,
but there certainly would have been
ere this if the craze had kept up until
now. The cause for all these dam
signs was very large and costly
dam built about five miles above
the city which supplied the city with
water and electric lights. The dam
was across the Colorado river, about
four hundred yards long, was built
from solid bluff of rock on the south
side of the river and the earth was
dug away on the north side for nearly
one hundred yards until they reached
a solid bed Of rock to join the dam to.
1t had just been built when my
brother went out there ten years ago
and it lasted for about seven years.
There was beautiful building about
five stories high south Of the dam on
the side nearest the water which was
used for the officers, etc. There was
another joining it used for the engine,
dynamos and pumps. The dam was
by far the largest and most expensive
l had ever seen. 1t was seventy
feet high but was not very wide at
the bottom, probably sixty feet and
the upper side was perpendicular and
the lower side was gradually curved
until it made nearly a half circle
The outside Of all the dam was ot
fine cut stone and cement but the
inner material was of all shapes aud
sizes and not we'll cemented They
claim the water was backed up the
river for fifty miles though it seems
incredible to me. They called it the
great Niagara of Austin, Texas
They have some advertising litera.
ture at Austin yet but they neve,
boast of it any more. 1t cost over {
million dollars and has put the city