Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1906-03-08
Letter From the Mac Allisters
at Corpus Christi, Texas.

at Corpus Christi, Texas.
Dear Presbyterians and other
Friends: While waiting the
call to dinner at Margaret'S
home thought | would write
to you. We found the Tabors
ali we'll and very comfortably
settled here. Mr.. Tabor (my
daughters husband) has bought
into an old established lumber
firm and they are doing a fine
business.
Corpus Christi is evidently
prospecting. | should say there
must be as many as fifty new
houses and stores going up.
The population is about 1000 |
am told. Perhaps 1000 of
these are white people, 1000
MeXicans and 1000 colored.
Each of the races have their
own section of the city in which
they live. They have also their
own schools and churches.
The city | am told dates back
for about rs years. Many of
the houses are small, especially
the older ones, but there are
now a large number of very ex-
pensive homes owned by the
wealthy ranchers and merch-
ants.
There is a bluff portion of
the city where the homes are
beautiful. A little later the
yards will be luxuriant with
flowers. Already the hedges
are budding out fine.
The Presbyterians have a
very nice brick church, not as
large as our Mo. Valley church
but very pretty. A wealthy
member of the church offered,
if the people would premit her
to pay for the erection of the
church as a memorial to her de-
ceased husband. The members
were to furnish the lot and fur
nish the church suitably. This
they were very glad to do
Their part amounted to per-
haps $4,000 and the building
cost about $4,000 or over, they
were never informed what it
did cost. There are two or
three other quite nice churches
in town but there is room and
work for them all. There are
eleven saloons.
The bay is beautiful and the
ozone in the air is stimulating.
There are some little steamers
and many sailing vessels, such
as sloops and schooners. Row
boats are not much in evidence
as the water is too rough gener-
ally for pleasure rowing espec-
tally in summer, the winds are
high. The water is not deep
enough for ships of heavy build
to come to Corpus. There is a
sand bank barrier almost 20
miles out that binders such
traffic. There is "talk" about
cutting through that bank but
talk won't do it. 1t would take
lots of money. Some day it is
likely to be done and then there
will be coast trade for this little
city.
But they are certainly busy
now. ! was in an implement
store this a. m. and besides the
three girls were at
work in the office and | saw
four men in the store all active
ly engaged.
Near Mrs. Tabor's home there
is an artesian we'll sunk in a
little park. The water proved
to be salt-sulpher. The taste
is not bad but the smell is
odious. There are people
about it all dav filling jars and
bottles or drinking it. 1t must
interfere with the drug store
business asst is free.
| met two gentlemen and
their wives from Fremont,
Neb., yesterday. There are
many strangers here, most from
other parts of Texas, but some
from Kansas, Iowa, and many
other states. Property is high
and there seems as little dispo-
sition to sell out as in any town
that | have been in. People
seem in love with Corpus
Christi.
The climate here is no doubt
very different from what it is
in the states. On Sat
urday morning there was a
heavy fog from the bay. The
porch was quite wet, indeed
things are rather damp every
morning. SATURDAY. was as