The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-11-01

San Antonio, Texas, Oct. S1.--(spe- cial )--There Is one little chapter m Texas history that Is read by few. all though 1t might have grown into large volume had conditions been slightly more favorable. Few. in- deed, are the people in this country who have even heard of the attempt made by some Germany nobles to es- tablish in Texas a German monarchy.
 The proof of this is on the map to- day and there are several towns in the Llano and Guadalupe hills to the north west of this city that are still wholly peopled by the descendants of those who dared in this instance.
 Of course. the promoters of the scheme had not fully gauged the re- publican spirit of the North American continent or else they would not have made the attempt Sometimes 1t Is also said that their ambitions were the es- tablishment of a German republic on this side of the ocean. Taking into account Teutonic level-headedness and the fact that those who followed Prince Solms and Baron von Mousse back were malcontents from the Fath- erland for the greater part. this. in- deed. looks more probable than the monarchy Idea. Be this as it may, there Is little known today that would pos- itively prove either.
 When the forerunners of the emi- grants landed at Port Indianola shortly after the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto, which led to Texas independ- ence, they made their way towards this territory and found 1t all they de- sired. Soon afterwards shipload upon shipload of German men and women landed on Texas soil and many cara van braved the dangers of the chapar- tn NaW Garmanv the Free State of Comal.' as the country Is often called today.
 The first town founded was Neu Braunfels. New Braunfels today. The little town took It's name after the cas- tie of the Prince von Solms and was laid out very much along the lines of Braunfels. Other settlements followed in a very short time. The emigrants were used to living in villages and for this reason one of them sprang up wherever conditions advised this
 For this there was, however. anoth- CT reason. The Indian was then still master of the greater part of Texas, and to protect themselves aggregation became necessary. Solms, Schumans- vile. wiederwald. Uhland. Anhalt, Lange. New Berlin. Aue, are some of the names that were then placed on the map by the newcomers. Not few U tonic and today many of It's best citi- zens look proudly upon these as their fathers. There were many who had been traders in the old country or who had professions and to them an estab- lished city looked better than a howl ing wilderness.
 For many years little attention was paid to the newcomers by the defacto Rovernment of the territory they were developing. Institutions, typically German in character. developed undis- turbed in the region between the Gau- dalupe and Llano rivers. The raids of the Indians necessitated the existence of a large fighting force and this Ba- ron won Meusebach organized in typi- cal German fashion.
 German was the only language spoken and the customs of the father land was observed and perpetuated with zeaIous care. The farms and ranches of the immigrants were soon the most productive in Texas. and all indeed, looked well. But the new colony was not without It's troubles. The depre- da tions of the Indians to the west did not cease and support which had here- ally withdrawn.
 To overcome the first handicap was comparatively easy. On May 8. 1S46. Baron vOn Meusebach founded Freder- icksburg, now in Gillespie County, which as its name implies, was a fort, that being the English definition of the German word burg" Up to this time new citizens for the colony were still being sent by the promoters of the undertaking. There was still hope that q German state might be carved out