Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1917-12-27
HON. ]. E. BONWELL
LIKES TEXAS

Writes Interesting Letter Concerning
Texas, The Climate and Pros
perity Of Country
Brownsville. Texas, Dec. IS, 1917
Mr.. Hoogenakker,
My Dear Sir:-I do not know
whether l have spelled your name
correct or incorrect, however it
sounds like it. We started on our
trip from Council Bluffs Monday ev-
ening, December a; reached St. Louis
" vt morning at 7:15. We remained
in VI Louis all day and rode over
the city pretty thoroughly. There
are many pretty streets and imposing
buildings and great amount of traf-
fic. Tuesday night we left by the H.
linois Central for New Orleans. At
daylight we were at Jackson, Miss.
From there to New Orleans is a poor
looking country along the railway;
very thinly settled. Arrived in New
Orleans at 7:15 a. m. We spent two
days in this city. 1t is a beautiful
city with wide. magnificent streets.
Canal street is very wide, with four
lines of street cars on it, two run
ming each way, with crowd of peo-
Pile, street cars and automobiles such
as / never saw in any other city l
visited. A gigantic statue of General
Lee surmounts a tall column few
blocks from the depot. The river
traffic is immense. The Mississippi
is a wide. majestic stream. one and
one eighth mile wide. flowing very
leisurely to the sea. Negroes are
plentiful and some to spare. They
were on the streets by the thousands.
/ asked we'll dressed man, who ap-
peared to be quite prominent, how
many political parties there were in
Louisiana. He replied, "Only one
the white mans party" The negroes
are not allowed to vote.
Friday morning we left New Or
leans for Brownsville, Texas, over the
Southern Pacific. Our train was
taken across the river on ferry
boat. After crossing the river we
entered the sugar cane district of
Louisiana. About all that Is raised
in this section is cane. Huge mills
for the disposal of the crop are seen
every few miles, with a vast array
of rural houses for the laborers,
They appear to live in villages two
and three miles apart. At one place
where we stopped thirty minutes fol
dinner, close to a very deep inlet
from the Gulf, a number of very
large wooden sea-going vessels were
being built for the merchant traders
At Safaetti, La, the cane district
disappeared, and we entered the rice
district The ground is now being
prepared for next years crop. Tht
water is furnished by irrigation
bitches. was told that the las
crop was very heavy. About darl
we reached Beaumont, Texas, where
the great Spindle Top oil wells arr
situated. However darkness pre-
vented me from seeing anything par
ticularly striking. About 10 p. m
we reached Houston, Texas, wher,
we stayed all night. Did not see |
great deal of the city but went owe
a part of it next morning. Decembe
49, There was q little ice on SOM
of the puddles of water in the street,
but others did not have ice. Abou
i 9 a. m. we left on the Gulf Roat
for Brownsville. a distance of 81.
miles. We made most of the way il
daylight. Some pats of the countr,
looked fine and we'll cultivated, will
elegant farm homes and artesial
wells. Other vast stretches appeare,
desolate, with very short grass AM
few stubby bushes. Occasionally
we would see large herds of cattle
but they looked very thin-did no
seem to have much fat on them. Gu
train got behind time and was la'
up in several places. We arrived a
Brownsville three hours late, or
a. m. Sunday morning, the 9th. w
! remained at the Travellers Hotel
where we rented two nicely furnishe
: rooms with a kitchen. We are NIGEL
, situated three blocks from the blu,
, mess part Of town and half bloc
| from Fort Brown. the Army Pos
DR.. Jewell and wife of Coon Rapid
are with us and are very muc
pleased with the climate. There ha
yet been no frost and today, the IL
the thermometer stands at IS. Neal
ly all tropical fruits grow here, in
} Guiding bananas. l have seen SCI
eral groves of them. However the
/, are not a commercial success her
as they are one hundred miles to tn
, south. The soil in this valley is yer
, rich, in fact the garden spot of tn
U. s., but is worthless without irr
CATION. The country is covered wit
brush where it has not been cleared
|. mesquite and ebony, some of 1t l
!. to 20 feet high, and costs from 81
to $40 per acre to clear it. Land
, selling here, where there are irrig;
ton canals, at two and three hui
. dred dollars per acre, in small trac
: with the brush on it. In large trac
:, II can be bought very much cheape
was offered one four-thousand acl
: tract at $500 per acre. with no
!. rigation plant. but plenty of wat'
along the land. This place here
: said to be as far south as the Eve
glades of Florida, where no one live
When we came here there were
great number of soldiers at the cam
d all regulars. In the last few da,
v most of them have gone east. Othe
I are now coming in. Fort Brown
/ a well euipped camp for both infant
d and cavalry. have not seen al
s artillery This is pretty town
l. Is, 900 people. with street car line
d fine hotels. public market and maj
S stores, with superb climate. "
d can live here as cheap as you can
!. Audubon; many things here are so
e for less than in Iowa.
e. Probably l have now written mo
I. than you care to read. Give my We
ir kindest regards to the people OF A
N dubon and Audubon county. Plea
"A send the Republican to me at IA