Waterbury Democrat., 1903-01-02
THE HOT SEASON IN TEXAS.
Comparatively Comfortable in East and
 Central Texas.

Comparatively Comfortable in East and
 Central Texas.
 No one realizes the vastness of Texas untH it has been crossed several times. In almost every direction it is over l. 900 miles in extent and requires two days at almost full speed of the trains to cross it from border to border. One may know Texas from New Mexico by the sudden acquisition to the landscape of trees-mesquite, interminable, GOV ering the face of the country from the western border apparently to the sea. It can also be recognized by the pc cul1ar quality of the heat, more an moving than that of Arizona and New Mexico, more difficult to escape from, as 1t Is often present at night. Texas Is peculiarly situated. It's nearest really cool resort is the Pacific slope, and many Texans find their way dur Ing the long summer to the western seaboard. The difference between the heat of California and Texas is appar- ent. That of the former has the re- markable quality of not following one into the shade: in a word. the air itself does not become heated. and a Cali fornia house. which has been closed when the temperature was 100 degrees outside. will show a difference of 20 degrees and feel like vault upon en- terlng 1t. In Texas the air is heated, and apparently remains so day and night, dropping toward midnight to delightful temperature. There is all over the east and central Texas a gulf breeze. which blows day and night, and when exposed to this in midsum-
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 So vast is Texas. so interminable the distances. that, the problem of the peo- pie getting to the seashore is an inn portant one. and comparatively few go, considering the size of the state The resorts of southeast Texas may be considered Corpus Christi and Rock port. The former is an attractive town, while the latter is that enigma, a boom town in its decadence. At one time it was believed that there was to De large citythere, and many fine houses were built: but hope fled, some thing gave out, aud the houses, some unpainted and in bad repair, tell the story of misplaced confidence. The climate in summer here is of the damp variety, yet a. vigorous wind blows through the coITidors of houses and hotels, and in 1t one sis comfortable. To the unprejudice observer there is a possibility of building up a summer city along shore here that would be delightful resort and attract the atten- tton of the entire country. ef
 When you reach the shore in Texas your are still seven, eight orssten miles from the gulf; in a word the entire coast has an outer sand reef, or series Of islands just at or above the level of the sea, which form an Inland bay seven miles wide at Rockport, afford ing fine sailing in water twelve or if teen feet deep. At this off-shore island cool breeze blows constantly There are no mosquitoes, no phantoms of ma- laria, and the finest fishing for tarpon in the world, yet at but one locality Is there semblance of a town-this is at I Tarpon, so named from the countless numbers of these fishes which are caught at the very doors of the inhab- itants, who are boatmen, pilots, life savers and a few others. A single l hotel, the famous Tarpon Inn, enter tains all Texas and the sportsmen of the world. in the heart of the finest summer tarpon fishing and the finest winter duck shooting to be found any, where. Yet the writer could not learn that anyone had built a cottage here m which to spend the summer, after the fashion of the east or west.
 Some day some enterprising indi- vfdual will discover this region in a 1 commercial sense. He will start an American Venice here by driving piles in the sand on the waters edge and on them, 20 feet above, he will build cheap, but artistic cottages, stores, boat houses landings, etc, and one of 1 the most unique of places wsl1 take form and substance. The idea is not l original with the writer The Tarpon club at Sport, on Mustang island, is typical of the possibility, a 3O-odd thousand dollar club house or hotel on l piles, a nucleus of a town, which could 1 be built elsewhere. giving the Texan 1 of the interior a delightful resort in the heart of a cool. broad Mexican gulf.-New York Post sEi.