The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-01-25
Enjoying Their Texas Visit.
Houston, Texas, Jan. 16, 1912

Houston, Texas, Jan. 10, lSlI.
Editor Reporter:-We just receiv-
ed the Reporter today; saw you had
been having a very cold time up
there. l thought it might be of in
terest to some to hear from this
part of Texas. We left Leon Decem-
Der 23rd. There was snow on the
ground all the way down to Guthrie,
Oklahoma. We had breakfast there,
then came sailing on south over a
level country thinly settled and al
most nothing raised but cotton. A
farmer told me they were paying 81
per bushel for corn to feed their cat
tle We had to stop two hours at
Temple and change cars and as day.
light came upon us we saw there had
been a big rain which continued all
day. We arrived here at 8 o'clock
Christmas day. Fred met us and we
went direct to our rooms. We spent
the rest of the. week sightseeing
over the city of 5000 people. Sun
day Fred would have us to go and
see the U. S. battleships, Utah and
Florida, anchored at Galveston.
Thousands went to see them. We
took passage on the Pilot Bay, the
largest one that was running out to
whore they were anchored, two or
three miles. We went on board and
must say it was a great sight. Looked
in one of those 13 inch guns. They
said it would shoot Is miles. As We
came back we went to see the great
sea wall four or five miles long and
8 or 10 feet above sea level The
wall is IA feet wide and cement on
top. Nothing is allowed on this wall
but foot men. Just inside is beau
tiful boulevard paved with brick,
very wide and three or four miles
long. I went right over this wall
and down to the water, but a large
wave came up and I had to run. We
returned to Houston at 10 o'clock p.
m. have talked to several about
land and farming here and they say
you can't raise anything unless you
put on manure enough to make it
good as it will not produce anything.
They only raise a crop once in ten
years. There is no garden stun
raised here, yet they tell me they
are shipping cabbage and lettuce
from Brownsville, about 400 miles
southwest of here and the fruit
comes from California. I have been
told they can raise the price on land
better than anything else. They say
they ere selling to northern suckers
land they are). The climate has
been fine here so far. The coldest
was Is above zero one day. The
population is badly mixed. So many
Negroes, Dagoes and Mexicans. - We.
can buy bananas at 5 cents per dog
en- on the streets but We are not eat
-, 0r Hch
i, have some scales started on my
back already. Most all provisions,
are about the same as there. House
rent is high, also wood. ! paid /
cent stick for stove wood. w. Our
heating stove looks like a cigar box
with legs but is all we have needed
yet. AS to schools here, there are
IL white, 10. colored and 20 private.
The churches are, 13 Presbyterian,
Is Methodist and 10 Baptist and
other churches. The high building is
16 stories. We went to the top and
looked four miles each way over the
city. Our doors are open today and
flies and mosquitoes are buzzing
around. All the palms and banana
trees have been frozen and some cut
down.
/ We expect to move to Galveston in
two weeks and see how we like that
little salty island There are no
trees there and no fresh water The
water is brought six miles in pipes.
The Getties, east of the island, is a
sight I was told Uncle Sam paid a
man who had granite mine 81 a
car load for it and he quarried it and
the man is now millionaire. The
Texas land exposition is now on and
will continue until the 2Sth.
l don't think of anything more of
interest this time so will stop here
and may bother you again. Regards
to all. w. H. Howard,
1413 Milan street.