t?«.' • . . *^ 
 
 391 
 Gl3 
 
jiMjaifi^-.. 
 
 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 
 
 Shelf .0:.].*? 
 
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
■ !■'.,. J-.. ...l^^j/'i 
 
 k /UU 
 
 
 
 y 
 
 y - 
 
 VIA TH e: 
 
 -K 
 
■^ \ 
 
 i ' /TA 
 
 HE 
 
 RUE ^OUTHERN ^AGIFIG. " 
 
 B -- 
 
 GENERAL OFFICES, HOUSTON, TEXAS. 
 

 Copyrighted, 1S82, 
 By T. W. PEIRCK, Jr. 
 
 ; /h^X^I' ' -''-Urt 
 
 AMERlf.AN BANK NOTE rOMPANY, NEW VORK, 
 
 ^\ 
 
 <^ 
 
PREFATORY. 
 
 "^X 7ITH the approach of cold weather, persons of deUcate health, invalids and con- 
 valescents, wish to escape the long and rigorous winters of elsewhere, and feel that 
 irresistible desire to go somewhere, which impels them to ask the all-important question : 
 "Where shall we go? " It is the object of this little work to answer that interrogatory, 
 and furnish the increasing number of tourists and seekers after health such information and 
 suggestions as will enable them to find the desired haven in the winter resorts of this sunny 
 clime. 
 
 Here are found the mild climate, the healthy atmosphere, the beautiful and romantic 
 scenery, combined with a refined society and all the luxuries known to the enlightenment 
 and civilization of the nineteenth century, in a degree not equaled by any resorts of similar 
 character in the United States. 
 
 Without fear of successful contradiction, we can exclaim, " Euieka ! The sanitarium 
 for mental and bodily ailments has been discovered in western Texas." Thither you go, 
 via the Star and Crescent and Sunset Route, so beautifully and happily named 
 from the fact that it carries the tourist where the flitting sunbeams kiss their sweet good- 
 night to Texas and to America. This line forms also a most important link in the great 
 Southern Pacific, which, alone, reaches from ocean to ocean, and enables the busy 
 denizens of both the Atlantic Seaboard and the Pacific Slope, to cross the continent from 
 summer to summer, without the interruption of snow storms and ice blockades (often of 
 weeks' duration) on the way. The managers of the Star and Crescent and Sunset link 
 are expending means and putting forth extraordinary efforto to add luxury to the comforts 
 they already have for the ease and convenience of summer ar.d winter travelers. ^Vhether 
 the trip is limited to a day or a month, it matters not, for the traveler can exercise his 
 pleasure in stopping off at intei-vals, or continuing as his inclination dictates. Tickets for 
 this especial purpose can\e purchased of any and all ticket agents of the road. 
 
 From this time forward, passengers may travel either day or night, or both day and 
 night, with the most perfect comfort, as the company runs two daily trains, which arrive 
 at and leave the Union Depot in Houston, the great railroad centre of the state. On these 
 trains are the elegant sleeping and parlor-car accommodations, which, in Texas, are to be 
 found only on the Sunset Route, and which make traveling for the aged and infirm 
 rather a relief than a lax. Oh, what a glorious change ! What a wonderful contrast to the 
 jolting of an old stage-coach, the sluggish drag of a "prairie schooner," or the exhausting 
 jog of a broken-down horse ; these, only a few years ago, were the sole methods of 
 traversing this then wild and unexplored wilderness. 
 
"THE TRUE SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 
 
 \ MAGNIFICENT highway is now (jpened from New Orleans to San 
 -^ ^ Francisco, and is naturally the nearest and most popular route to 
 the West and Southwest. The tide of travel from European and 
 Asiatic countries, and from the far-off islands of the great Pacific Ocean, 
 can now cross this jjart of America, in iess time and with greater safety, 
 than by any other steam or railroad line on the globe. Industries will 
 rise, and have already risen, by the opening of these wonderful trans- 
 continental lines, and to two men chiefly is due the honor of this timely 
 and great enterprise — C. P. Huntington and Thomas W. Peirce, To 
 them belongs the credit of having given to the world at large a new 
 empire of trade, commerce, industry and agricultrue, by the construction 
 of this grand highway in the interests of all nations ! 
 
STAR AND CRESCENT ROUTE. 
 
 VyV HE crescent nioou in oriental skies 
 
 Wanes as the stars of western empires rise ; 
 And hansjs above the ocean's eastern rim, 
 In pallid beauty, shining still, but dim. 
 
 IGH upon azure fields of upper air 
 
 The glittering stars of Occident appear, 
 And blaze in noons of night and sink to rise 
 When sets the sun in occidental skies. 
 
 ?ROM desert lands of Araby and seas 
 Of tropic climes, and where the southern breeze 
 Fans languid leaves of citron, whose perfume 
 Makes drowsy atmosphere iii isles of bloom, 
 
 VVEACHES an influence deep and ocean-wide, 
 
 '% Sti-ong as the subtie might of rising tide, 
 J^\ Linking the eastern mount and western plain. 
 Binding the western shores and eastern main. 
 
 /{CIENCE, thou goddess of the mighty West, 
 ^ Lo! shining full upon thy gene-ous breast, 
 }j And gleaming on thy brow ; light seen afar ! 
 Behold the mingled Crescent and the Star! 
 
 T 
 
 MBLEMS of power, that embraces earth 
 From sea to sea in eciuatorial girth. 
 Mild as the moon's pale crescent and so l)right 
 As ruddy stars in tropic skies of night. 
 
 H, peaceful Union ! Promise of a day 
 
 \Mien different lights shall blend in single ray, 
 When earth shall move as one harmonious \\hole. 
 And mild-eyed Peace shall reign fiom pole to pole. 
 
From New Orleans to El Paso and Mexico, 
 
 VIA THE 
 
 ''STAR AND CRESCENT" AND "■SUNSET" ROUTE. 
 
 LOUISIANA. 
 
 THIS state, justly called the "Pearl of the 
 South," has an area of 44,426 square 
 miles ; an area of 2,507,935 acres in cultiva- 
 tion ; and a population (white and colored) of 
 nearly one million within fifty-eight parishes 
 (i. e. counties), of which Baton Rouge of East 
 Baton Rouge Parish is the capital. Organized 
 as the Territory of Orleans, March 3d, 1805, 
 Louisiana was admitted into the Union under 
 its present name April 8th, 1812. Seceding 
 January 25th, 1861, it was readmitted into the 
 Union, June 25th, 1868. 
 
 THE COMPLETED RAILROADS ARE : 
 
 Baton Rouge, Grosse Tete and Opelousas. 
 
 Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans. 
 
 Clinton and Port Hudson. 
 
 Louisiana Western. 
 
 Morgan'' s Louisiana and Texas. 
 
 New Orleans and Mobile. 
 
 New Orleans Pacific. 
 
 Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific. 
 
 West Feliciana. 
 
 Texas Pacific. 
 
 Total miles of roads in state, nearly 800. 
 
 PROJECTED RAILROADS ARE : 
 
 Louisiana Midland. 
 Natchez, Texas and Pacific. 
 Vermillionville and Baton Rouge. 
 New Orleans and Northeastern. 
 Mississippi \'alley. 
 New Orleans, Red River and Texas. 
 Total number of miles in and partly within 
 the state, nearly 1000. 
 
 NAVIGABLE STREAMS. 
 
 Besides the railroads above mentioned, Louis- 
 iana has many water-ways, lakes, lagoons, 
 bayous, rivers, etc., covering an area of over 
 3770 miles ; and the U. S. engineers are now 
 at work on a number of streams in Louisiana, 
 and expect to add 240 miles of navigation to 
 the water communication of the state within a 
 year. 
 
 At present our space does not permit us to 
 give more statistical details in regard to phys- 
 ical divisions, prices of United States and state 
 lands of the state of Louisiana ; but we may 
 
 speak of these in another issue. Nor can we 
 dwell at length upon the history of Louisiana, 
 but will commence our synoptical tourist's diary 
 with the 
 
 HARBOR OF NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 In viewing the port of New Orleans, the 
 stranger obtains on either land or river side so 
 grand and eminent a sight that it is hardly 
 possible for him ever to forget it. The levees 
 of the metropolis of the Mississippi, as well as 
 the Broadway of New York and the Chinese 
 Quarter of San Francisco, may be considered 
 as chiefest among the wonders of the New 
 World. As an old traveler over North Amer- 
 ica for many years, I cannot remember to have 
 ever seen, within so small a frame, such an 
 enchanting picture as is presented by the port 
 of New Orleans. In portraying the beauties of 
 American scenery, one is too apt to become 
 extravagant, but in this case it would not be 
 out of the way to be so, for the sight is one 
 that demands an extravagant admiration. New 
 Orleans is the greatest river port in the world. 
 London, New York and even St. Petersburg, 
 
8 
 
 HARBOR OF NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 cannot be called river ports, since, although 
 they are situated on rivers, their ships are 
 mostly anchored on the great waters. Here, 
 however, you have a port on whose one side 
 roll the grand waves of the Atlantic ; while on 
 the other, the largest river on earth, together 
 with its tributaries, opens to navigation a ter- 
 ritory of a million English square miles. No 
 other port can boast of that. New Orleans 
 was destined to be one of the most prominent 
 commercial points of the continent, and though 
 many circumstances, as the civil war, politi- 
 cal disturbance, and the rivalry of other places 
 threatened at one time to dwarf its noble 
 capacities, the city must become again the 
 main port of the whole Mississippi valley, on 
 account of its geographical situation alone, 
 setting aside its other striking advantages. The 
 last few years already show a steady and de- 
 cided increase in commerce. From '79 to '80, 
 one-third of the whole cotton crop of the 
 United States was conveyed to New Orleans, 
 while New York received but one-fifth. The 
 metropolis of Louisiana is the chief cotton cen- 
 tre of the Union, and this can be easily believ- 
 ed after a sight of the river at that city. The 
 Mississippi here is not nearly so wide as at 
 other places, but it has still a width of a kilo- 
 meter, and a depth varying from 150 to 200 
 feet, preventing all danger of ships foundering 
 on sand banks. The docks of the steamers 
 and sea vessels are on the leftside of the river, 
 and upon the opposite side are the steamers 
 and ferryboats of the Morgan line (that has 
 been of so great assistance in the develop- 
 ment of the commerce of New Orleans), and 
 the depot of the but lately finished New 
 Orleans and Texas Railway. In the midst of 
 the river one sees a ie.vi ocean steamers, three- 
 masted vessels and brigantines, and at the upper 
 part of the port, lying at anchor, is a heavy 
 American war-monitor, like the grim gate- 
 keeper of the City of the Half Moon. These 
 vessels, hardly moved by the high waves of 
 the river, are only in the background of the 
 scene that opens for miles on the long levees 
 of the left side of the river. Dry -docks, har- 
 bor-basins, stone-quays and the inevitable 
 stereotyped necessities of all seaports, are 
 quite unknown here. Their place is taken in 
 New Orleans by a parquet, floored and made 
 of heavy logs, extending along the whole river, 
 partly resting on the mainland and partly 
 floating on the water, the whole firmly fast- 
 ened by anchors. At a probable estimate, this 
 gigantic raft has a width of about 50 paces. 
 Behind this there is a wide unpaved place 
 stretching for miles along the river, which is 
 the terminus of no less than 150 streets. Rail- 
 road tracks cross the shore in all directions. 
 Depots, warehouses, canvas sheds of immense 
 extension, and finally, mountains of cotton 
 bales, sugar and petroleum barrels, logs and 
 lumber, occupy, here and there, parts of this 
 extensive locality, and are far from filling it. 
 Railroad trains, dozens of street cars, and hun- 
 dreds of vehicles of every description, loaded 
 
 or unloaded, pass up and down the streets in 
 long uninterrupted trains. Thousands of people 
 — office-holders, merchants, sailors, policemen, 
 travelers, dealers in fruits and vegetaljles, and 
 last, though by no means of the less import- 
 ance, dock-hands — pass swiftly and busily 
 among the cotton bales, agricultural imple- 
 ments and other articles peculiar to docks and 
 wharves. 
 
 NEW ORLEANS THE METROPOLIS OF THE 
 SOUTH. 
 
 We quote here a pen sketch by the able 
 writer, John E. Land : 
 
 "Rich land! Noble history ! A land so 
 fertile, God seems to have pronounced upon it 
 his sweetest benediction. A climate so mildly 
 tempered, ' the mock-bird has no winter in his 
 song, no sorrow in his year.' A soil so gen- 
 erous, it gave ample competence to all who 
 came, and afforded ability to indulge, not only 
 in those pursuits which tended to satisfy animal 
 wants and desires, but softened into poetry the 
 selfish passions, improved the moral and intel- 
 lectual character and gave leisure for liberal 
 studies and pursuits. Thus, with that tran- 
 quility and leisure afforded by the enjoyment 
 of accumulated riches, those speculative and 
 elegant studies which enlarge views, purify 
 tastes, and lift mankind higher in the scale of 
 being were successfully prosecuted ; and thus 
 do we account for the illustrious names New 
 Orleans has furnished to the world --in law, in 
 medicine, in divinity, in judicature, in com- 
 merce, la military science and literary accom- 
 plishments — names that enrich not only the 
 biographical wealth of the city, but have been 
 enrolled among the nomina clara of the 
 Republic. 
 
 ." It should be an accepted fact, therefore, 
 that the barbarism or refinement of a people, 
 whether national or municipal, depends more 
 on their wealth than on any other circumstance. 
 No people have ever made any distinguished 
 figure in philosophy or the fine arts without 
 being celebrated at the same time for their 
 employed riches and industries. Pericles and 
 Phidias, Petrarch and Raphael, adorned the 
 flourishing ages of Grecian and Italian com- 
 merce. The influence of productive wealth in 
 this respect is almost omnipotent. It raised 
 Venice from the bosom of the deep, and made 
 the desert and sandy islands on which she is 
 built the powerful Mlueen of the Adriatic ;' it 
 rendered the unhealthy swamps of Holland the 
 favored abodes of literature, science and art ; 
 and it has done as much, and will do vastly 
 more, for New Orleans, the Imperial City of 
 the Gulf — the midway mart of North and South 
 America. 
 
 "While it is true there are a few, even of 
 our best informed citizens, who are sceptical as 
 to the continuance of this magnificent pros- 
 perity, and are evermore on the lookout for 
 sudden and fatal checks to the city's trade and 
 enlargement, it is equally as true that they fail 
 to notice fully either what has already been 
 
THE ''STAR AND CRESCENT'' AND ''SUNSET" ROUTE. 
 
lO 
 
 THE ''CRESCENT CITYr 
 
 accomplished or the unlimited resources about 
 us yet undeveloped, but certainly to be drawn 
 upon, in the grander conquests of the not dis- 
 tant future. Let us, therefore, be candid with 
 all such, and assert without fear of successful 
 contradiction, that the very best assurance of 
 the continued healthful progress of New Orleans 
 is found in what she is to-day — a centre of 
 enormous trade, in spite of some of the most 
 unfavorable surroundings and drawbacks that 
 ever beset a city, more, perhaps, the creature 
 of the necessities, the inexorable demands of 
 the position, than any American city that has 
 ever struggled for eminence ; and yet the forces 
 that have thus successfully built up the city are 
 far from being exhausted, or even fully com- 
 prehended. Humanly speaking, then, there 
 is no power on earth that can prevent New 
 Orleans from becoming a vast commercial city. 
 It will grow In wealth and power, in industry 
 and influence, in spite of itself — in spite even 
 of the bad fame she has abroad on account of 
 climate. The demands of commerce, like the 
 demands of necessity, know no law, admit no 
 obstacles, overcome all barriers. Back of the 
 city to north, to east, to west, lies a vast empire 
 of productive wealth with many millions of 
 people, all of whom, in a manner, are minis- 
 tering to its traffic and wealth. Like fabled 
 Cerberus, who guarded the entrance to Pluto's 
 realms. New Orleans mounts guard on the 
 highway of the Mississippi valley ; and who- 
 soever approaches will be challenged, and 
 whosoever passes must pay tribute for the priv- 
 ilege of egress or ingress through this grand 
 gateway, this unrivaled outlet, this natural 
 inlet of trade and travel from the heart of the 
 American continent to every land and clime and 
 sea where the flag of commerce is unfurled. 
 
 " In truth, the view is propitious from every 
 standpoint. The city is in a condition of vastly 
 improved sanity and health, and has com- 
 menced — nay, is far upon the road in a bril- 
 liant career of improvement. The motives of 
 social and political freedom, fertility of soil, 
 salubrity of climate, wealth of agricultural 
 resources, facilities for commerce and manu- 
 factures, and ease of river and railroad trans- 
 portation, are the material advantages which 
 invite capitalists, tradesmen and manufacturers 
 of every clime and nationality to a home in our 
 midst, to a cooperation in the development of 
 Its measureless possibilities, and to an enriching 
 participation in its prosperity. A live, intelli- 
 gent and enterprising people, now fully aroused 
 to all the requirements of the age, have posses- 
 sion of her multifarious labors, and the day is 
 now at hand when many a stately edifice is 
 musical with clanging machinery and those 
 sounds of diversified industry that quicken the 
 pulse of a nation and prolong the life of a 
 republic ; while her possibilities, thus fore- 
 shadowed, dazzle the mind by their variety and 
 magnitude, and leave the calmest and most 
 unimpassioned observer quite bewildered in the 
 prospect for this magnificent metropolis of the 
 New World." 
 
 THE "CRESCENT CITY" — WHY SO CALLED. 
 
 The older portion of the city is built on the 
 convex side of a bend of the river, which here 
 sweeps around in a northeast, east and south- 
 east course. From this location it derives its 
 familiar sobriquet of the "Crescent City." 
 ^Vhether we take it in the garish light of day, 
 or under moonlight or starlight vision, no city 
 of the New World presents a fairer view than 
 New Orleans, the Crescent City of the South. 
 Whoever has seen its multiplied charms by day 
 will pardon the enthusiasm of the writer who 
 described its charms at night and as seen from 
 the deck of one of our noble steamers : " The 
 mantle of night has settled on the scene, and 
 the historic Crescent City, with a myriad of 
 gas-jets beaming, seemed, as we approached, 
 a picture from fairy -land, instead of a reality. 
 Quite romantic and bewildering is the view as 
 we round the bend and come onward down the 
 stream ; and it did seem that the rolling flood 
 of the Patriarch of Waters had merely made 
 this graceful curve, as if it longed to look upon 
 a spot of so much beauty ere it journeyed on 
 in its unceasing travel to the remorseless sea. 
 Bending like the curve of a Mussulman's 
 cimeter, with each light from the shore re- 
 flected from its bosom, the sight was indeed 
 Oriental and crescent-like ; and one might 
 easily add in imagination the crescent-standard 
 battalions of the Grand Sultan, and picture the 
 hosts of Islam passing in view. Yet, by its 
 shape alone, does our beloved city claim the 
 symbolic name of the Mohammedan, and we 
 owe no obeisance to Saracenic poetry for the 
 suggestion, 
 
 " However, in the progress of its growth up 
 stream, the city has of late years so extended 
 itself as to fill the hollow of a curve in the 
 opposite direction, so that the river front now 
 presents an outline somewhat resembling two 
 conjoined crescents, or perhaps more properly 
 the letter S. This configuration necessarily ren- 
 ders the direction of the streets very irregular. ' ' 
 
 The old Spanish Fort, which over a cen- 
 tury ago was the stronghold of the early colo- 
 nists was erected to protect the mouth of 
 St. John's Bayou. Following the windings 
 of the stream, at that period, resulted in the 
 discovery of the present site of New Orleans. 
 What marvelous changes ! Nothing left of the 
 old fort but some crumbling walls, at present 
 ornamented with huge live-oaks. Wandering 
 over these historic grounds, you discover as 
 relics of a past lime two dismounted ancient 
 cannon, half buried in the grass ; and on the 
 side of the vanished fort, among the trees, now 
 stands a summer residence, enlarged to accom- 
 modate visitors of the newly laidout grounds. 
 We are informed that some years ago it was 
 a favorite summer resort, with rose gardens, 
 orchards and orange groves bri^jht with the 
 golden fruit of Hispania. Sailing vessels plied 
 on the bayou ready to take the delicious fruit 
 to distant marts. This orange grove was totally 
 destroyed by the great flood a few years ago ; 
 
THE ''STAR AND CRESCENT'' AND ''SUNSET'' ROUTE. 
 
 II 
 
 the estate changed hands several times, until 
 the railroad company took charge of it and 
 made it the most attractive place of the kind 
 in the South. Ascending the great pavilion, 
 eighty feet high, just before sunset, a beautiful 
 scene is beneath you. You can trace the 
 course of the river far below and see the levees 
 crowded with steamers and a motley array of 
 vessels. Nearer, you can see the city over the 
 intervening swamps, with its many steeples and 
 stately buildings. Turning toward Lake Pont- 
 chartrain, you see its waters until they unite 
 with the waves of the Mexican Gulf. Looking 
 eastward you can see the lights of West End, 
 with its numerous buildings — a rival of Spanish 
 Fort ; it was erected shortly after the Spanish 
 Fort enterpnse by another railroad company. 
 Further on is the bayou, covered with many 
 canoes and sailboats gliding as smoothly as 
 Venetian gondolas beneath the soft radiance of 
 the southern moon. What Italian landscape 
 could be more beautiful ? 
 
 THE CRESCENT CITY DIFFERS FROM OTHER 
 CITIES IN AMERICA. 
 
 New Orleans is a city of surprises. The 
 visitor, during even a brief stay in this remai'k- 
 able place, is struck with the greatest contrasts 
 in merely walking from one street to another. 
 He will pass through thoroughfares in no way 
 inferior to those of Paris, Vienna, St. Peters- 
 burg, Palermo, Venice or Rome. He will find 
 the nervous and restless business life of the 
 Yankee in contrast with the " dolce far niente " 
 of the Creole ; he will see many interesting 
 pictures in the lives of the half-civilized negroes, 
 or in the scanty existence of a few Indians ; he 
 will meet representatives of every nation in the 
 world, and hear languages and dialects ot 
 every country. He will soon discover that he 
 is in a city demanding a long stay and diligent 
 study in order to a clear comprehension of her 
 and her wonders. Some European tourist once 
 remarked sarcastically, that having seen one 
 American city he had seen all; but, without 
 doubt, he had never been fortunate enough to 
 visit New Orleans or San Francisco. A lengthy 
 visit to either of those places would speedily 
 disabuse his mind of the error into which he 
 had fallen, unless he is a victim to old world 
 prejudice. 
 
 A VISIT TO THE FRENCH MARKET. 
 
 The French Market before sunrise is an ideal 
 scene of lively traffic particularly interesting to 
 the traveler from the North, who has never 
 seen anything like it at home. During the 
 morning hours of each day these markets are 
 veritable beehives of industry. Pretty young 
 negresses chat with monsieur and madame, 
 who by the expenditure of only a few cents can 
 get a day's supply from the generous quantities 
 of tropical fruits, such as bananas, oranges, pine- 
 apples, etc. IViulatto belles, who call them- 
 selves Creoles, may be seen gracefully gliding 
 through the crowd — and, in fact, the stranger 
 who does not know the difference between an 
 
 octoroon and a Creole might easily be mis- 
 taken, for they imitate Creole maimers to per- 
 fection ; ladies with their servants, children of 
 every color, old men and dandies, flutter along 
 this endless line of exhibited merchandise, be- 
 tween two of the great market buildings, to 
 buy either vegetables, fish, fruit, meat or toilet 
 and fancy articles. Every vender is in search 
 of a customer, and tries to persuade passers-by 
 to bargain with him. On all sides rises a great 
 noise of voices chattering in a dozen different 
 patois — French, English, Spanish, and the 
 guttural negro dialects. Occasionally one of 
 those superb, almost faultlessly formed Creole 
 ladies, passes through the throng unescorted ; 
 she makes her scanty purchases with the same 
 grace as in former times, when wealthy, she 
 stepped from her carriage to enter one of the 
 magnificent jewelry establishments to pur- 
 chase precious stones as negligently as she now 
 pauses to buy fresh fruit or fish. 
 
 One notices on every hand a profusion of 
 flowers, bouquets of freshly culled roses, fra- 
 grant orange blossoms, delicate jessamines, 
 waxen japonicas and camellias, purple and 
 gold and gorgeously hued tropical blossoms — 
 for Flora is the divinity of this balmy clime. 
 These flowers are truly marvelous, and we 
 believe that no other city in the world has 
 daily such lavish and wonderful display ; and 
 the most unusual and rare blooms are sold at 
 so small a sum that one can scarcely credit it. 
 Before the intense heat of noon wilts the fruit, 
 flowers and vegetables, the jargon of languages 
 dies away, the endless procession fades like 
 phantasmagoria ; the stalls and booths are 
 silent and empty, and the golden sunlight 
 streams through the deserted market-place. 
 
 TOPOGRAPHY OF NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 New Orleans, unlike the majority of Amer- 
 ican cities, is not laid out in squares, and 
 this circumstance alone would prove it to have 
 been built by the French. Although a few of 
 the streets are straight and some parts of the 
 city are built with strict regularity, many of 
 the thoroughfares are parallel with the bendsof 
 the river or with the once great private estates. 
 The oldest and real business part of the city 
 has been built into a curve of the Mississippi, 
 while the newer parts lie in the direction 
 of Lake Pontchartrain. A few bayous and 
 canals traverse the city in various direc- 
 tions, but the " Grand Canal " of New 
 Orleans is the Mississippi River, the father of 
 waters. On it alone depends the flourishing 
 condition and the future of the metropolis, the 
 "to be or not to be" of the Crescent City. 
 Those streets next to the river-port are in the 
 centre of the business life ; but if you follow 
 their windings, you will find yourself in the 
 quieter portions of the city, and will finally be 
 lost among private residences, alleys and 
 gardens. A number of straight avenues cross 
 the squares for miles in various directions, con- 
 verge and diverge, and lead in some places to 
 the river or to the lake, without ever havmg 
 
12 
 
 THE "-CRESCENT CITY:' 
 
 a real centre. Of the multiplicity of streets 
 not a dozen run in the same direction. It 
 would have been impossible, and without any 
 practical benefit, to have numbered them, as is 
 often done in large American cities ; accord- 
 ingly they have, in New Orleans, particular 
 names, as in European cities, and these names 
 have a manifold origin. In the older pans of 
 the city, for instance, the names recall the 
 memory of the French kingdom ; some of the 
 later ones, the Republic and the Empire, as 
 Austerlitz and Marengo Streets. Other appella- 
 tions belong to the Muses, to demi-gods, fairies 
 and Titans. In short, ancient mythology was 
 raided in order to supply names for these 
 modern American avenues. The "Path of 
 Fortune " crosses the Dryades, Elysee, and 
 Magnolien Streets, and finally the "Path of 
 Melpomene." Columbus finds himself in the 
 society of charming demi-goddesses, and the 
 French kings are surrounded by the highest 
 gods of Olympus. Can one go further in a 
 kingdom in adoring royalty ? Our national 
 heroes and presidents were carried into the 
 neighborhood of all virtues, as Genius, Wis- 
 dom, Power, Charity, etc. On the other side 
 of the stream are the suburbs of Algiers, Tunis 
 and Belleville. A plan of the Crescent City 
 must look, without doubt, much nobler with 
 such flattering and ostentatious and poetical 
 names, than plans of other American cities 
 with their plain numbers i, 2, 3, etc. 
 
 CANAL STREET. 
 
 As space will not permit a more detailed 
 description of New Orleans, we will at least 
 accompany the reader into the most important 
 streets. Starting from the Mississippi levee, 
 we find ourselves in Canal Street, the principal 
 and most beautiful street of the Crescent City, 
 despite its less poetical name. It is the worthy 
 associate of the great river to whose banks it 
 leads ; it is the Mississippi of the streets. In 
 New York it is Broadway that shows us the 
 whole continent in the space of a few miles, a 
 street on whose one end is Europe, and on 
 whose other end is America. What Broadway 
 is to New York, Canal Street is to New 
 Orleans, alike impressive, alike grand, and 
 perhaps even more characteristic. We see 
 that as soon as we enter the street. It 
 is the main artery between the South of the 
 Union and the Tropic of the West Indies. 
 The manner in which it is laid out, its appear- 
 ance, the crowds of carriages and pedestrians, 
 the immense and showy shops and stores, 
 prove it to be the meeting point of the Anglo- 
 Saxon and Franco-Spanish culture, as well 
 as the line of meeting between the temperate 
 and tropical zones. These physical and 
 mental contrasts may be found in this one city 
 and more especially in this one street. New 
 0"leans is divided into two almost equal por- 
 tions by Canal Street, which has a width of 
 about seventy feet. Lined on both sides by 
 magnificent buildings whose height, number 
 of stories and magazines, show the American 
 
 energy, it has also structures whose archi- 
 tecture, breezy balconies and romantic verandas 
 display the love of the Latin race for ease and 
 comfort. Flowers in the windows, tropical 
 plants on the balconies — a picture of the 
 Spanish or French South ! Large advertise- 
 ments, signs painted in glaring colors, windows 
 gay with costly exhibitions — a picture of the 
 American North. The names which we read 
 on the street, the languages in which they are 
 written, give another example of the Franco- 
 Spanish American Babylon. Long flagstaffs, 
 with stars and stripes, reach high over the 
 houses. Green shutters and shady roofs of 
 canvas are in the balconies ; in the street win- 
 dows various sights, now an advertisement, 
 now the face of a business man, and farther 
 on the dark eyes of a charming Creole beauty. 
 This long row of buildings for miles is only 
 interrupted by other streets, whose terminus 
 is Canal Street. The sidewalks, covered with 
 great paving stones, are very wide. In the 
 midst of the street, which is somewhat lower 
 than the sidewalks, but very well paved, there 
 are long rows of shade-trees, and footpaths 
 well filled up with sand. In this way the 
 space for vehicles is divided into two streets, 
 partly separated from the sidewalk and shady 
 footpaths, by small open ditches, which are 
 covered only at the crossings. These secondary 
 streets, still twenty paces in width, are crossed 
 by dozens of tracks, and the travel on them, 
 by horse and steam-cars, especially at the 
 crossing from Charles Street to Canal Street, 
 is enormous. Canal Street is in the centre of 
 the net of street railways, which have an ex- 
 tension of over a hundred miles, and which 
 are of great importance on account of the great 
 distances. The street-cars are drawn by mules, 
 as they can better endure the extreme heat in 
 the summer than horses. We might say some- 
 thing of Carrollton Avenue and the Esplanade, 
 both very handsome streets, used as prome- 
 nades and drives by the fashionable and wealthy 
 inhabitants of the city, but instead we will take 
 a glance at Jackson Square, formerly the ' 'Place 
 d'Armes" of the French city. It lies in the 
 midst of Frenchtown, and is one of the most 
 attractive squares in the Crescent City, with 
 its tropical verdure and tall orange and mag- 
 nolia trees, whose white blossoms fill the air 
 with heavy sweetness. Besides these, bananas, 
 shrubbery and flowers of all sorts abound. In 
 the centre of the garden is the equestrian 
 statue of General Jackson, farther on is the 
 Cathedral of St. Louis, with its three tall 
 spires, that can be seen long before you reach 
 New Orleans. On both sides of the Cathedral 
 are two old buildings, used now as court- 
 rooms. The park-like garden leads toward the 
 Mississippi, and the entire square stands in 
 marked contrast with the ancient and homely 
 buildings around it in old Frenchtown. 
 
 Another attractive feature of New Orleans is 
 the City Park. This would be one of the 
 finest parks in America, for nature has done 
 much in ornamenting the grounds with 
 
THE ''STAR AXD CRESCENT'' AND ''SUNSET'' ROUTE. 
 
 13 
 
 majestic live-oaks, festooned with gray Spanish 
 moss. At present the park is not opened to 
 visitors ; it has been fenced in, and is ratlier a 
 cow-pasture than anything else. Near the 
 park is a bayou which would make a beautiful 
 lakelet if properly cleaned, but the people do 
 not patronize these shady retreats as they 
 should do, and it is nothing but a home for 
 cows and geese. 
 
 Among the various societies of New Orleans 
 is the new Louisiana Jockey Club, with about 
 300 members. This club has opened a fine 
 race-course for the advancement and improve- 
 ment of racing and horse-breeding. One of 
 the loveliest parks, the property of the club, 
 has been supplied with all the necessary build- 
 ings for these purposes. Here are given 
 delightful promenade concerts, to which 
 members only have admission. An invitation 
 is a compliment extended only to visitors, and 
 the invited stranger may consider himself a 
 lucky man, as the elite of the Crescent City 
 society assembles there. 
 
 Another society is the Liedertafel, with over 
 700 members, the largest private club in the 
 city. The members of this society give musical 
 and social entertainments, and during the 
 carnival season they take a prominent part 
 when the mystic Rex issues his proclamation. 
 They have fine club-rooms and elegantly fur- 
 nished drawing-rooms, in fact every accommo- 
 dation for the lady and gentlemen members of 
 the club. The New Orleans Philharmonic 
 Society has about 100 members. The club is 
 not only a literary and musical one, but also 
 aims to improve the public taste in art. There 
 are elegant rooms for concert and art purposes; 
 but Grunewald Hall is used for chorus and 
 oratorio singing. This hall is an ornament to 
 the city, being of fine architectural proportions 
 and having its acoustics as nearly perfect as 
 is possible. The ceiling is beautifully frescoed 
 and the walls adorned with many valuable 
 paintings. The Philharmonic Society not 
 only make use of the building, but other 
 musical associations, comprising the finest 
 talent of the city, give entertainments here, and 
 on the evening of Mardi Gras an immense and 
 loyal crowd assembles to pay due respect to 
 Rex and his queen. 
 
 In this connection we may mention the 
 "Carnival Club." The Variety Theatre pre- 
 sents, during the progress of the Mardi Gras 
 ball, one of the loveliest sights in the Crescent 
 City. From floor to ceiling, the parquet, 
 dress-circle and galleries are one mass of 
 dazzling toilets, for none but ladies are given 
 seals. White robes, delicate faces, dark 
 sparklini^; eyes, luxurious folds of glossy hair, 
 tiny, faultlessly gloved hands — such is the 
 vision that a humble spectator of the mascu- 
 line gender may see through his opera-glass. 
 Delightful music swells on the flower-fragrant 
 air ; the tableaux change like pictures seen in 
 a kaleidoscope ; the curtain rises, and joyous 
 grotesque maskers appear upon the ball-room 
 floor ; gradually the ladies and their cavaliers 
 
 leave all parts of the theatre and join the 
 dance, and the mystic Rex holds his levee. 
 
 The Yacht Club have a fine pavilion at 
 West End, on Lake Pontchartrain, and have 
 rules and regulations like the Jockey Club. 
 The club regattas are celebrated. Another 
 association similar to this is the " St. John 
 Rowing Club," that gives festivals with fire- 
 works on the lake. Other societies, as rifle 
 clubs, turners, secret or charitable associations, 
 abound. 
 
 In regard to public buildings, both finished 
 and unfinished, New Orleans is second 
 to no other city. We might mention the 
 Cotton Exchange (the new building), Grune- 
 wald Hall, Lilienthal's Art Rooms, St. Louis 
 Hotel, the Supreme Court House, the United 
 States Branch Mint, the Custom House with 
 the Post Office, Jewish Synagogue on Lee 
 Place, St. Paul's Church, Trinity, St. Joseph's, 
 St. Patrick's, Jesuit Church and College, 
 Christ Church, St. Anna's Asylum, Odd 
 
 Fellows' Hall, Marine Hospital, Maison de 
 Sante, the University of Louisiana and the 
 noblest of all institutions — the Charity Hospital. 
 To give a description of prominent business 
 houses, or private villas and residences with 
 their fairy-like gardens, would make an in- 
 teresting volume in itself. But taking leave of 
 the Pearl of the South, and casting a lingering 
 look of regret at this lovely spot, we cross the 
 Mississippi on the Morgan ferry and land in 
 Algiers, the depot of the Star and Crescent 
 Route. We soon obtain seats in the smoking 
 parlor-car, and are off to visit some sugar-cane 
 plantations, and to note down all that is worth 
 seeing from New Orleans to the city of 
 Houston. 'While comfortably smoking in the 
 coach we make the acquaintance of a Creole 
 planter, whose ancestors, he tells us, were 
 among the first colon'sls. What a change in 
 one hundred and fifty years! New Orleans 
 was then the capital of an empire-colony that 
 comprised a territory of over 500 miles along the 
 Pacific, 1700 miles along the British domains. 
 
14 
 
 TOWNS ON THE ROUTE. 
 
 about 1400 miles along " Meschashebi, " the 
 P'ather of Waters, and over 700 miles along 
 the Mexican Gulf. Louisiana at that time 
 was the Western dream of every European 
 crown. Two Indian tribes, the Choctaws and 
 the Chickasaws, were in a state of constant 
 warfare, and the colonists had to struggle for 
 a precarious existence under circumstances of 
 extremest difficulty. Out of this immense 
 territory the finest states were formed, and the 
 name Louisiana, belonging originally to an 
 immense tract of one and a half million 
 square miles, was transferred to a territory of 
 only 40,ooD square miles. Louisiana has a 
 great future revenue in her cane-sugar produc- 
 tion. There are in the state from twelve to 
 thirteen hundred sugar-houses, of which nearly 
 one thousand are run by steam. It has been 
 stated that the sugar district of Louisiana is 
 about 13,000 square miles in area, divided into 
 nmeteen or twenty parishes and showing the 
 largest population in the Mississippi delta. 
 Although Northern capitalists have taken 
 possession of many old plantations, whose new 
 chimneys and clanking machinery destroy the 
 ideal landscapes, yet there are many happy 
 homes still left in their old-time picturesque- 
 ness along Bayou Teche, Bayou Lafourche, 
 Bayou Sarah, Baton Rouge, Natshita and 
 other places up and down the Mississippi, 
 where Creoles and old French settlers "hold 
 in mortmain still their old estates." 
 
 Another important part of the state is the 
 Red River region. Red River enters Louisiana 
 at Shreveport, traverses the state diagonally 
 and flows between Natchez and Sarah into the 
 Mississippi. This part of Louisiana has at 
 present too much water, and is but thinly 
 settled. Still cattle in large numbers, various 
 products and lumber are brought by steamers 
 to New Orleans, and as we cannot give a 
 detailed account of this section, we will men- 
 tion that only six parishes along Red River are 
 adapted for sugar-cane and cotton cultivation, 
 while the interior region produces gram of 
 every kind. About 9000 square miles wait 
 for the agriculturist to open new avenues of 
 wealth. Altogether, the southwest of this 
 state has yet several millions of acres of ex- 
 cellent soil lying untilled. Toward the gulf, 
 along the rivers, bayous, lakes, lagoons, are 
 gigantic cypresses and other forest trees wait- 
 ing for the woodman's axe, and between the 
 parishes of St. Mary and Iberia, Vermillion, 
 St. Martin and Lafayette (the former home of 
 the Attacapas), are at present the best culti- 
 vated plantations of Louisiana, girdled by a 
 belt several miles wide, containing majestic 
 forests with all kinds of useful woods peculiar 
 to the South. Farther down, along the gulf, 
 stretch the savannas, the home of uncounted 
 cattle ; then come prairies yet untouched by 
 civilization and but little known, but which 
 will soon be opened by enterprising railroad 
 companies. A brief sketch of the towns and 
 plantations traversed by the Star and Crescent 
 Line to Houston will perhaps be interesting. 
 
 Jefferson Parish has an area of 395 square 
 miles, with 19,767 acres under cultivation. 
 Population, 12,166. Seat of justice, Gretna, 
 an old place with evergreen orange groves, 
 stately live-oaks, fine gardens and ancient 
 houses. In the background is the river and 
 the levee, lined with dense woods. The 
 Company Canal connects at Jefferson with 
 Grand Isle, a watering place. A little steamer 
 makes regular trips during the time from May 
 to October, for the accommodation of pass- 
 engers, and to carry freight. Toward Junction 
 are seen fine sugar-cane fields in good condi- 
 tion ; now and then one catches a pretty view 
 of sugar mills and adjoining buildings through 
 pleasant groves. We notice among various 
 shrubs along the road, a "fleurdu sureau." 
 The white blossoms in clusters are beautiful, 
 and the berries make a delicate confection, 
 and also wine and vinegar, of which the 
 Creoles are very fond. 
 
 Nineteen-Miles-Switch is a small place with 
 rice fields in cultivation everywhere. Looking 
 over the country one sees the pale green sugar 
 fields and waving plains of rice, separated by 
 hedges ; forests, looking hazy-blue in the dis- 
 tance, and chimneys of sugar-mills on fine 
 plantations near at hand. St. Charles Parish 
 is next, with an area of 284 square miles ; 
 21,177 acres in cultivation, and a population 
 of 7,161. The seat of justice is Hahnville. 
 St. Charles and Boutte, twenty-four miles 
 apart, are passed, and we catch glimpses of 
 cottages, gardens, and busy workers in ripen- 
 ing fields. A vast amount of land is still un- 
 cultivated. The soil of the parish is good, 
 and the bottom-land is covered with dense 
 woods, containing a great variety of shrubs 
 and trees, festooned with superb vines. The 
 tourist will be delighted with the lovely scenes, 
 Twenty-eight-Miles-Switch is a water-station, 
 and is a pretty stopping place, with its clear 
 lake covered with snowy lilies, and overhung 
 hy moss-covered branches of the live-oak. 
 The scenery between Boutte and Mestier is of 
 the same character and its charm increases as 
 we reach Bayou des Allemandes, in the 
 middle of which is a tiny island upon which is 
 a picturesque old cabin, hidden by trees of 
 richest foliage. The stream is full of cypress 
 logs, which are shipped from here to the gulf. 
 Between green prairies rimmed with forests, is 
 an opening toward the gulf, the verdure con- 
 trasting charmingly with the blue skies above. 
 Cane-fields, dark forests, low shrubs, prairie 
 land, flash past in dazzling variety. Raceland, 
 forty miles on, is only a single cottage and 
 water-tank. Again come rice, cane and com 
 fields, mills, houses and hedges on both sides ; 
 sufficient proof, it would seem, of the salubrity 
 of the climate and the fertility of the soil. 
 The only danger to be apprehended here is the 
 occasional inundations, but which will be pre- 
 vented in future by proper river engineering. 
 At Ewing's, where we met the Houston train, 
 we saw a monster alligator swimming in the 
 water. He was soon a target for the revolvers 
 
THE '^STAR AXD CRESCENT'' AND ''SUNSET" ROL'TE. 
 
 15 
 
 of the passengers, but with the imperturbable 
 indifference characteristic of his species, he swam 
 placidly along, and soon was out of reach. The 
 country here is more elevated, and the planta- 
 tions show excellent culture. No doubt from 
 the indications, a lich harvest of sweet potatoes 
 will be reaped here. If the country were 
 properly drained, the soil would be unusually 
 fertile, and fruits of all kinds would grow in 
 abundance. Lafourche Parish has an area of 
 1024 square miles ; acres in cultivation, 44,802 ; 
 population, 19,113. Thibodaux is the county 
 seat. Lafourche is the next station, fifty-two 
 miles, situated on a bayou ; it is a quiet town. 
 The bayou has very clear water, is navigable, 
 and is a tributary of the Mississippi. The 
 levees of this canal are from eight to ten feet 
 high and extend to the river ; there is also 
 connection by lagoons with Morgan City. 
 Between Lafourche and Terrebonne, a dis- 
 tance of fifty-five miles, all the good land is 
 in cultivation, interspersed with groves of fine 
 trees. The Land Reclamation Company is 
 digging canals to drain this sect. on, and 
 doubtless much valuable land will be gained. 
 The bottom-land along the streams is con- 
 sidered to be some of the best in the whole 
 state. Terrebonne Parish has an area of i8c6 
 square miles ; 40,403 aci-es under cultivation, 
 and a population of 17,956. Houma is the 
 seat of justice. Towards Chacahoula, sixty- 
 one miles, we can see cypress and water-oak 
 swamps, the resort of alligators, turtles and 
 water-snakes. Snow-white cranes stand silently 
 on aquatic plants waiting for t'leirprey, and 
 beautiful palmettoes, from ten to twenty-five 
 feet in height, spread their graceful leaves m 
 the damp shade. We find a similar landscape 
 en route to TigervlUe, L'Ourse, and Boeuf 
 Bayou connecting with Atchafalaya River, 
 near Morgan City. This is a place where 
 lumber of all kinds is shipped to different 
 points of the country. At Romos some plan- 
 tations are in sight. Years ago the Acadian 
 exiles came to this region from Acadia, cut 
 down the cypress forests and, following this 
 unnavigable portion of the Bayou Teche, 
 settled near its source and began to cultivate the 
 ground. Many comfortable houses are seen 
 hidden in groves of Pride of India trees, built in 
 plain cottage style, weather-boards outside and 
 plastered walls within ; in front the inevitable 
 veranda. The corrupted French of these 
 Acadians is the same that was spoken years ago. 
 They marry at an early age, and it is stated 
 that girls twelve years of age, and boys a few 
 years older, become husband and wife and 
 take charge of their own homes. All these 
 settlements reach far. beyond the prairies of 
 Opelousas. To be sure, these people live in 
 the United States, but as to being Americans — 
 that is quite another thing ! In these regions 
 many lagoons, connecting all these water- 
 ways, are known only to these Acadians. 
 For hundreds of miles swamps, with all 
 their mysterious contents, wait to be traversed 
 by man. And what will be the future home 
 
 of industry is now the retreat of the moccasin 
 and alligator. From here towards the gulf 
 and Mississippi, a distance of over 150 mdes, 
 there is nothing but swamps. The country 
 around Romos Bayou, a branch of Boeuf 
 Bayou, is mostly inhabited by negroes. The 
 fields are in good condition and bring good 
 crops. At Morgan City, eighty miles further 
 on, we cross, on a fine iron bridge, the Atcha- 
 falaya River to Berwick Bay, a place cele- 
 brated for its excellent oysters. Boeuf Bayou 
 and Tedre River are tributuries of this bay, 
 and a live trade gives Morgan City the im- 
 portance of a large town. 
 
 After passing Pattersonville, farm joins farm, 
 and here flows the b2autiful Teche (corrupted 
 from Deutsche) for sixty miles, its lovely shores 
 in gentle curves. Bartles' Plantation is a little 
 
 town in itself, with its fine buildings, shady 
 groves, sugar mills, orchards and good looking 
 negroes and negresses. In the fields, not far 
 away, are the "quarters," rows of cottages, 
 each with a veranda, and all shaded by fine 
 trees. St. Mary's Parish, comes next ; seat of 
 justice, Franklin ; area, 648 square miles ; acres 
 under cultivation, 66,326 ; population, 19,891, 
 Bayou Sali shows beautiful forests ; and the 
 next place we reach is Franklin, a lovely town 
 of 2800 inhabitants. Farther on are Baldwin, 
 Sorrel, Jeanerette and New Iberia. It is as if 
 we see nothing but one great garden. There 
 are fine residences, plantation after plantation, 
 bosky woodlands, rolling prairies doited with 
 fine stock, corn and sugar in the highest state 
 of cultivation. The most beautiful portion of 
 fair Louisiana lies along Bayou Teche. Nature 
 discloses here all her charms ; and taking pas- 
 sage on the steamer that plies on the clear 
 water, you are gliding in "the lost Eden," an 
 earthly paradise, where life is good because of 
 the delicious investing of it by nature with 
 everything that is fairest. When you wish to 
 see plantations at the height of culture ^lawns 
 as fragrant, as clean-shaven, as nobly shaded 
 
i6 
 
 TOWNS OX THE ROUTE. 
 
 by graceful trees as any sovereign's, then seek 
 the Teche country ; it is the gem of Louis- 
 iana ; it is the perfection of the South. Thither 
 Andry and the exiled Acadians took their mourn- 
 ful way more than a century ago, when the 
 cruel order of the arrogant English dispersed 
 them from their homes ; thither they went, 
 threading the swamps and wandering up the 
 beautiful Atchafalaya and her lakes, where 
 
 " Water lilies in myriads rocked on the slight undu- 
 lations 
 
 Made by the passing oars, and resplendent in beauty 
 the lotus 
 
 Lifted her golden crown above the heads of the 
 boatmen. 
 
 Faint was the air with the odorous breath of magno- 
 lia blossom?. 
 
 And with the heat of noon ; and numberless sylvan 
 islands. 
 
 Fragrant and thickly embowered with blossoming 
 hedges of roses. 
 
 Near to whose shores they glided along, invited to 
 slumber." 
 
 Now. as then, the traveler pushing his way in 
 a tiny steamer, or m a shallop or piroque, can 
 hear 
 
 " Far off, indistinct, as of wave or wind in the forest. 
 Mixed with the whoop of the crane and the roar of 
 the grim alligator," 
 
 strange sounds from the dark forests and the 
 lonely lands. 
 
 From Berwick's Bay, where the rich fields 
 lie trustingly upon the water, strange vnies and 
 creepers seeming to caress the waves and bid 
 them to be tranquil, ascend the Tedre Bayou and 
 lose yourself in the tangled network ot lake 
 and lakelet, plain and forest, plantation and 
 swamp. By day you shall have the exquisite 
 glory of the sun, which, gleaming on the 
 seignorial residences, the great white sugar- 
 houses with their tall chimneys, the long rows 
 of cabins for the laborers, the villas peering 
 from orange groves — makes all doubly bright 
 and beautifid ; and at evening the moon may 
 lend her witchery to swell your admiration and 
 surprise. You will drift on by superb knots 
 of shrubbery, from which the birds sing 
 amorous madrigals ; past floating bridges and 
 garden bowers ; along the banks by a ruined 
 plantation, one of the wrecks of the war. Now 
 seeing in the distance dense cypress swamps, 
 bordered by picturesque groupings of oak and 
 ash and gum trees; now through that fine region 
 extendmg from the entrance of the bayou into 
 the parish of Iberia and the town of New Iberia, 
 where the beautiful water-willows and iorest 
 trees lean downward from the banks to see 
 themselves reflected in the stream, and where 
 the wheels of passing steamers are compelled 
 to brush them rudely as they pass between ; 
 where the live-oak spreads its ample foliage 
 over some cool dell, upon whose grassy carpet 
 strange bright-hued flowers grow rankly ; and 
 where suddenly, as though opened by the 
 hand of enchantment, a vista of forest glade, 
 of happy sylvan retreats, where the moonlight 
 makes checker-work of gleam and shadow, 
 appears before you. 
 
 is^ew Iberia is the county seat of the parish of 
 
 Iberia. Area of the parish, 536 square miles ; 
 acres in cultivation, 49,604; population, 16,686. 
 From New Iberia, a distance of 125 miles on 
 our way, you can visit the romantic and un- 
 touched forests, full of game, along the shores 
 of the "Des Lac Peigneur," or go to the well- 
 known Orange Island. At New Iberia some 
 enterprising gentlemen have done much for 
 horse breeding — something very much needed 
 in Louisiana. NearCherondon, a village about 
 six miles from Sorrel, the Teche makes a great 
 bend, and this whole part — including Jean- 
 nerette, a lovely town of about 1500 inhabi- 
 tants — to Iberia and farther on, is the wealthiest 
 part of Louisiana, of which Oliver Plantation, 
 with over 1000 acres under fine cultivation, is 
 considered to be a model. Mr. Oliver is an 
 authority on sugar and fruits in general. 
 " Below New Iberia, on Petit Anse Island, you 
 may descend into a salt mine sixty feet beneath 
 the level of the Gulf of Mexico, through fifty- 
 eight feet of solid rock salt, and watch the 
 miners picking out the crystal freight, which 
 has proved superior to any other salt found in 
 the southern market." Toward New Iberia, 
 which is on the line of the railroad, fine prairies, 
 with excellent cattle feeding on the nutritious 
 grass, alternate with highly cultivated cotton 
 fields ; sugar-cane fields alternate with gardens 
 for miles up to Vermillionville. New Iberia 
 has a population of nearly 4000 inhabitants ; 
 has cotton-seed mills, sash and saw mills, 
 foundries, shingle mills and a large trade in 
 lumber. Railroad tracks have been laid to the 
 different saw-mills, for greater convenience in 
 carrying off the logs, which are generally 
 cypress. There are two good schools here, one 
 Catholic and th^ other Presbyterian. About 
 six miles farther on we come to St. IMartin, on 
 Bayou Teche ; the town is a chief shipping 
 point, and is situated on a branch of the rail- 
 road. We come next to the lovely Spanish 
 Lake, with its fine residences, the water as 
 clear as crystal and full offish and water-fowl. 
 The lake is over three miles wide, and is seven 
 miles long. Along the shores are excellent 
 orange groves, the moisture protecting them 
 from frost. The landscape is lovely, and ash, 
 pecan, live-oak, wild cherry, water-oak and 
 cypress make beautifully shaded groups of 
 green. The climate is very healthy from 
 Franclin to Estherwood, and fevers are un- 
 known. Toward Broussardville and Royville 
 undulating prairies predominate. The country 
 has natural drainage, and corn, cotton, sugar- 
 cane, fruits and all sorts of berries grow here 
 luxuriantly. Almost anything will grow here, 
 and the Acadians must have known that, and 
 therefore chose it as a settling place. The 
 view at sunset is grand, and Spanish Lake 
 looks like molten gold. St. Martin's Parish 
 has 648 square miles, of which 39,876 acres are 
 under cultivation. Lafayette Parish has an 
 area of 262 square miles, of which 62,704 
 acres are being tilled. The population is 
 13,236. Between Rayne, 159 miles from New 
 Orleans, and \'ermillionville, the county seat of 
 
THE ''STAR AXD CRESCENT" AND '-SLNSET" ROUTE. 
 
 SOUR LAKE — HARDIN COUNTY. 
 
iS 
 
 TOWN'S ON THE ROUTE. 
 
 Lafayette Parish, everything shows the indus- 
 trious character of the people. Rayne is quite 
 a town, has good stores and neat cottages. 
 You see farms on all sides with well stocked 
 cattle-pens and very fine horses; cattle ponds 
 supply the stock with an abundance of good 
 water. The soil is chocolate in color, and well 
 adapted to the raising of sweet potatoes. St. 
 Landry Parish has an area of 2276 square 
 miles, and an area of 137,370 acres under cul- 
 tivation ; population, 40,002 ; county seat, 
 Opelousas. This is one of the largest parishes 
 in Louisiana. The cattle are in the best con- 
 dition, and near Estherwood you will find 
 superior grass, comfortable farms on the prairies, 
 and corn, cotton, and even sugar-cane in suc- 
 cessful cultivation. Farther west we come to 
 boundless prairies with large herds of cattle 
 grazing on them. Mermentau River Station, 
 179 miles from New Orleans, can boast of a 
 navigable stream ; along its shores are fine 
 farms and beautiful trees. Small sailing vessels 
 and boats are on the river, and a ferry-boat 
 conveys to the other side, which makes here a 
 sharp bend. Cattle-pens tell of cattle-raising 
 and stock farms, and the live-oaks grow to an 
 enormous height. Welsh, also a shippmg 
 station for cattle, has cattle-pens, some few 
 stores, a fine station house ; many horses and 
 
 colts, cattle, hogs, etc., roam over the prairies, 
 which are bordered with dense forests. Parish 
 Calcasieu, with Lake Charles as county seat, is 
 217 miles from New Orleans, with an area of 
 3400 square miles, but only 14,003 acres under 
 cultivation, and a population of 12,483 inhabi- 
 tants. The lake is strangely beautiful, and on 
 moonlight nights, with the silvery light scarce 
 penetrating the branches of the gigantic moss- 
 draped cypresses — standing "like Druids of 
 old, gray, indistinct in the twilight " — the scene 
 is fantastic and impressive beyond description. 
 The lake is the resort of the blue-heron and 
 the crane, and the home of the alligator. 
 Your boat crushes pale water-lilies and gro- 
 tesquely lovely aquatic plants; your oars startle 
 fish that glide in the shallows along the shore. 
 Schooners and other vessels spread their sails 
 on these placid waters ; small fishing craft dart 
 on the surface of the lake, scarce disturbing the 
 slumbers of some monster, black and scaly, 
 sunning himself in a spot fit for a fairy revel. 
 At night, when naught is heard but the sough 
 of the wind in the gloomy cypresses, or the 
 faint wash of ripples on the shore, camp-fires 
 gleam like jack-o'-lanterns here and there in 
 the darkness, and the hunter stretches himself 
 in the dancing light and dreams of the weird 
 beauty of the moonlit lake. 
 
THE ''STAR AND CRESCENT'' AND ''SUNSET" ROUTE. 
 
 19 
 
 TEXAS 
 
 THE outlet of Lake Charles connects with the 
 gulf, and the lake has the largest lumber 
 trade in the state. The lumber, often seen 
 floatmg in rafts of logs, is shipped to the gulf. 
 Swamps extend to the gulf and partly to the 
 Sabine River, which latter stream we cross in 
 entering Texas. The Sabine River forms part of 
 the eastern boundary, and theNeches Rivercon- 
 stitiites the western and southwestern boundary. 
 Orange County has an area of 5cx» square miles, 
 and is about equally divided into prairie and 
 timber land. The soil is very rich ; the prin- 
 cipal crops are cotton, sugar-cane and vege- 
 tables. The soil yields two crops a year, and 
 peaches, oranges, figs and plums have a luxu- 
 riant growth. Yellow pine and cypress seem 
 to be inexhaustible along the river, and are of 
 the best quality. Of Orange City very litde is 
 known, but it is an enterprising place, and has 
 a great future. In regard to its shingle fac- 
 tories, its lumber trade, and its saw-mills lighted 
 by electric lights, it certainly ranks first Li the 
 state. The Sabine River is navigable, and 
 Sabine Pass is destined to become a great 
 harbor. The city is beautifully planned, and 
 is second to no other in Texas in regard to 
 its gardens, orange groves and tropical fruit 
 growth. It is increasing rapidly both in wealth 
 and population (now about 3000). Sabine 
 Lake, ten miles below the city, is about twenty- 
 five miles long and ten miles wide ; is navigable 
 and connects with the gulf. 
 
 The next county that we traverse is Jefferson, 
 south of Hard n County, with an area of about 
 900 square miles, and a population of about 
 3000 inhabitants. The larger portion is prairie, 
 and the rest of the land is covered with a great 
 variety of timber, as oak, hickory, pine, cypress, 
 magnolia, live-oak, etc., finely watered by the 
 Neches River and some of its tributaries, with 
 the well known Taylor and Pine Island bayous. 
 The county seat is Beaumont, on the Neches 
 River, the present population of which is 1500 
 inhabitants. The town will certainly increase, 
 as the railroad is to be built to vSabine Pass ; it 
 is even now in a very flourishing condition. 
 The staple productions of the county are cot- 
 ton, corn, rice, vegetables of all kinds. Stock 
 raising is an industry that is on the increase. 
 The prairie land is rich, and the climate, 
 although warm, is agreeable on account of the 
 breezes that blow from the gulf. 
 
 We now enter Hardin County, about three 
 miles from Sour Lake Station, and a distance 
 of about nine miles from the lakes themselves, 
 if you travel by stage. Hardin is situated in 
 the southeastern portion of Texas ; has an area 
 
 of about goo square miles, and about 2000 
 inhabitants. It is comprised within the heavy 
 timber belt of eastern Texas, and only one- 
 tenth of its area is prairie land. The largest 
 portion of the timber is a very fine quality of 
 yellow pine, but you will also find a great 
 variety of oak, hickory, beech, wahiut, holly, 
 etc. ; the timber is valuable because it can be 
 floated to saw -mills in Beaumont. The chief 
 products of the county are corn, sugar-cane, 
 cotton, peas, sweet and Irish potatoes; vege- 
 tables could be raised in large quantities, and 
 fruits of every kind. The climate is fine on 
 account of the gulf breezes. There is an 
 abundant supply of water from clear running 
 streams and creeks tributary to the Neches 
 River, which are of sufficient volume to float 
 the heaviest timber. But the most valuable 
 and most interesting feature of Hardin County 
 is Sour Lake. The surroundings of this won- 
 derful lake have never been improved until 
 the present enterprising proprietor, Mr. Willis, 
 took charge of the place. It is his intention to 
 puljlish in a very short time an illustrated 
 pamphlet that will treat exclusively of Sour 
 Lake, and for this purpose the ready pen of 
 the well-known editor, Mr. Jack Redmond, 
 has been secured, and the brochure will be 
 highly interesting. The area of the lake is 
 somewhat over two acres, the water is sul- 
 phurous, aluminous and ferruginous, and is 
 used for bathing purposes as well as drinking. 
 It is regarded as a specific for rheumatism and 
 cutaneous diseases. For scrofula, skin diseases 
 of any description, it is a complete cure, and 
 will prove to be more beneficial than even the 
 celebrated Hot Springs, Las Vegas, or springs 
 of equal renown. There is an oil that rises 
 upon the surface of the waters at Sour Lake 
 that is possessed of wonderful curative proper- 
 ties, and it has been demonstrated in many 
 cases that it clears and beautifies the com- 
 plexion as nothing has ever done before. It 
 leaves upon the face the unmistakable glow of 
 health, which can never be successfully imitated 
 by cosmetics. So far, it has been discovered 
 by careful analyses that these waters show 
 about twenty-seven difierent ingredients ; and 
 the experiments durhig a period of forty years 
 are sufficient to prove that, with a few exceptions, 
 among which is consumption, the Sour Lake 
 water will cure every disease that flesh is heir to. 
 In the immediate vicinity of the lake are numer- 
 ous wells ( at present about fi fteen ) especially used 
 for either drinking or bathing purposes, accord- 
 ing to the directions of attending physicians 
 who have been at the lake for years. We 
 
20 
 
 THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
 
 give the analysis of one gallon of the water, 
 made by E. L. Wayne, of Cincinnati, July 14, 
 1877 : 
 
 Free sulphuric acid, . 
 
 ■ 47-25grs 
 
 Sulphate of iron, . 
 
 6 . 92 " 
 
 Sulphate of lime, 
 
 . 9.90 " 
 
 Magnesia, 
 
 4.20 " 
 
 Alumina, . 
 
 • 7-35 " 
 
 Organic matter. 
 
 1.23 " 
 
 As it has been stated before, there has been 
 made no complete chemical analysis of all the 
 thirteen or fifteen distinct and separate com- 
 binations now used, and the distinguished and 
 learned Professor Streeruwitz has been engaged 
 to make an analysis of all of them during the 
 coming season. After an agreeable drive in 
 a comfortable conveyance over prairie and 
 through a lovely forest we pass through Liberty 
 County, one of the southeastern counties of 
 Texas, with about iioo square miles and con- 
 taining about 5000 inhabitants. The greater 
 part of this region is level country ; over three- 
 fifths is prairie land and the remainder is well 
 timbered, the trees being of the same kinds as 
 those of Hardin County. The soil of Liberty 
 County is very fertile, and is especially adapted 
 to the cultivation of sugar-cane, cotton, corn, 
 rice, potatoes, etc. The county is about 200 
 feet above the gulf, and the light breezes from 
 the ocean make the climate very delightful. 
 The town of Liberty is a thriving one, with 
 about 600 inhabitants, and is situated on the 
 beautiful and navigable Trinity. The railroad 
 traverses the entire county. After passing 
 Crosby we cross the San Jacinto River, in 
 Harris County, and reach Houston, the great 
 railroad centre of Texas. 
 
 HOUSTON. 
 
 From various statistical and other sources of 
 information we quote some facts most interest- 
 ing to the tourist, who will no doubt spend a 
 day or two in a city whose citizens always dis- 
 tinguish themselves by a cordial hospitality not 
 often equaled elsewhere. 
 
 The prominent commercial advantages of 
 this city rank it among the leading business 
 places in the Lone Star State. Houston, 
 situated in Harris County fifty miles from the 
 coast, is at the head of navigation on the Buffalo 
 Bayou, and is reached by tide water from the 
 gulf. 
 
 Formerly a line of steamboats plied regularly 
 between this point and Galveston ; now, how- 
 ever, Clinton, a small place six miles below, is 
 the nearest landing for steamers, it being the 
 landing place for Alorgan's gulf steamers. It 
 is believed, with reason, that governmental 
 appropriations will soon make this short chan- 
 nel navigable for the largest vessels ; and this, 
 with the dozen railroads centreing here, will 
 make Houston the commanding centre of ti-ade, 
 transportation and commerce. 
 
 It was founded in 1836 by the Aliens, but 
 has now a population of about 25,000 souls, 
 with a taxable property of over $7,000,000. It 
 
 is situated at the western verge of the great 
 timber belt of eastern Texas, which stretches 
 from Arkansas to the gulf coast, and on the 
 eastern hmit of the great prairies of Texas, 
 which extend to the Rio Grande and New 
 Mexico. It is on the direct line between New 
 Orleans, the metropolis of the South, and San 
 Francisco, the great business centre of the 
 Pacific slope. New life, new ambition, new 
 strength and energy are coursing the arteries 
 of city government. The finest school-houses 
 and the best system of public schools in the 
 state have already resulted. A handsome 
 court house, electric light system, finely paved 
 streets, and the largest hotel in the state are 
 results soon to be realized. 
 
 Among the numerous societies the Lyceum, 
 a literary institution, may be mentioned as the 
 leading one, and may be termed a conservatory 
 of music and literature ; it has done much to 
 improve the taste for the fine arts. During 
 the past season it gave a series of most interest- 
 ing and instructive entertainments. By the 
 generous patronage of the public the directors 
 and members have been very much encouraged. 
 
 There are many other organizations, suck 
 as Masons, Odd Fellows, Good Templars, 
 Young Men's Christian Association, Knights 
 of Pythias, Heptasophs, Knights of Honor, 
 Young Ladies' Benevolent Association, Inde- 
 pendent Order B'nai Brith, Volksfest Asso- 
 ciation, Turn Verein, Deutsch Gesellschaft, 
 Orchestral Glee Club, Agricultural, Mechan- 
 ical and Blood Stock Association, Horticultural 
 and Pomological Association ; Houston Light, 
 the first military organization in the state ; 
 Houston Press Club ; six newspapers ; several 
 public parks, prominently the State Fair 
 Grounds and Driving Park, Emancipation 
 Grounds, Brashear Park, Tivoli Garden and 
 Merkel's Grove. All of which go to prove 
 that Houston is second to no city in enterprise 
 and progress. 
 
 Besides the above mentioned there are fifteen 
 or more corporations, viz. : Texas Express Co., 
 Pacific Express Co., Houston Direct Naviga- 
 tion Co., Buffalo Bayou Ship Channel Co., 
 City Transfer Co., Texas Immigration Asso- 
 ciation, Houston Insurance Co., City Street 
 Railway Co., Houston Gas Light Co., Cot- 
 ton Exchange and Board of Trade, Yoimg 
 Men's Real Estate and Building Association, 
 Railroad Real Estate and Savings Associa- 
 tion, Buffalo Compress Co., Odd Fellows' 
 Building and Exchange Co., Houston Com- 
 press Co., Grain Elevating Co., Cotton Mills 
 Co., Houston Flour Mills Co., People's Press 
 Co., Volksfest Association, and a few others. 
 
 Hotel accommodations now are equal to any 
 city of the same size, and before winter they 
 will be equal to cities of much larger popula- 
 tion. The new Capitol Hotel has all of the 
 latest improvements of to-day, and hasn't a 
 superior, in convenience and beauty, in the 
 South. It is fifty rooms larger than the larg- 
 est hotel in the state, and probably has more 
 exterior exposure than any hotel of its size. 
 
THE ''STAR AND CRESCENT'' AND ''SUNSET'' ROUTE. 
 
 21 
 
 The health of this city is also most remark- 
 able. Official statistics show that the death 
 rate is less than that of many cities that are 
 considered the healthiest in the land. 
 
 In conclusion, one other fact may be men- 
 tioned, viz.: that some of the finest stores and 
 some of the finest residences in the state are 
 now in course of construction here. 
 
 The ^\■orld is beginning to learn something of 
 the fair land which the adventurous French- 
 men of the seventeenth century overran, only 
 to have it wrested from them by the cunning 
 •and intrigue of the Spaniard, in which the 
 Franciscan friars toiled, proselyting Indians, 
 and building massive garrison missions ; which 
 Aaron Burr "dreamed of as his empire of the 
 southwest," and into which the republican 
 army of the North marched, giving presage of 
 future American domination. The dread pirates 
 •of the gulf made the islands of the Texan 
 coast their retreats and strongholds ; Austin 
 and his brave fellow-colonists rescued Texas 
 from the suicidal policy of the Mexican govern- 
 ment ; the yomiger Austin accepted it as his 
 patrimony, and elevated it from the degraded 
 and useless condition in which the provincial 
 governors held it ; it spurned from its side its 
 fellow -slave, Coahuila, and broke its own 
 shackles, throwing them in the Mexican tyrant 
 •Guerrero's face ; it nourished a small liut noble 
 band of mighty men, who made the names 
 •of San Felipe, of Goliad, of the Alamo, of 
 Washington, of San Jacinto, immortal. It 
 crushed the might of Santa Anna, the 
 Napoleon of the West ; it wrested its freedom 
 from the hard hands of an unforgiving foe, 
 ■and maintained it as an isolated republic, com- 
 manding the sympathy and respect of the 
 world ; it placed the names of Houston, of 
 Travis, of Fannin, of Bowie, of Milam, of 
 Crockett upon the roll of American heroes and 
 faithful soldiers, and brought to the United 
 States a marriage gift of two hundred and 
 thirty-seven thousand square miles of fertile 
 land. 
 
 This gigantic southwestern commonwealth, 
 which tan nourish a population of fifty 
 millions, whose climate is as charming as that 
 of Italy ; whose roses bloom, whose birds sing 
 all winter long ; whose soil can bring forth all 
 the fruits of the earth, and whose noble coast- 
 line is broken by rivers which have wandered 
 two thousand miles in and out among the 
 Texan mountains and plains^is a region 
 of strange contrasts in peoples and places. 
 You step from the civilization of the rail- 
 way junction in Denison to the civilization of 
 Mexico of the seventeenth centmy in certain 
 sections of San Antonio ; you find black, sticky 
 land in northern Texas, incomparably fertile ; 
 and extensive plains which give the cattle abun- 
 dant living along the great stretches between the 
 San Antonio and the Rio Grande. You may 
 ride in one day from odorous, moss-grown 
 forests, where everything is of tropic full- 
 ness, into a section where the mesquite and 
 chaparral dot the gaunt prairie here and there ; 
 
 or from the sea-loving population of Galveston, 
 and from her thirty-mile beach, to peoples who 
 have never seen a mast or a wave, and whose 
 main idea of water is that it is something diffi- 
 cult to find and agreeable to taste if one is 
 exceedingly thirsty. 
 
 The state has been much and unduly 
 maligned in many respects ; has been made a 
 by-word and reproach, whereas it should be a 
 glory and a boast. It has been guilty of the 
 imperfections of a frontier community, but 
 has rapidly thrown the majority of them aside, 
 even while the outer world supposed it growing 
 more and more away from what it should be. 
 Like some strange, unknown fruit, it has ripen- 
 ed in the obscurity of its rind, until, bursting 
 its covering, it stands disclosed as something 
 of passing sweetness, whereas all men had 
 willingly believed it bitter and nauseous. Texas 
 has suffered much odious criticism at the hands 
 of people who knew very little of its actual 
 condition ; border tales have been magnified 
 into generalities ; the people of the North and 
 
 ^""^^SL. 
 
 of Europe have been told that the native 
 Texan was a walking armament, and that his 
 only argument was a pistol-shot or the thrust of 
 a bowie-knife. The Texan has been paraded 
 on the English and French stages as a maudlin 
 ruffian who only became sober in savagery, 
 and the vulgar gossipings of insincere scribes 
 have been allowed to prejudice hundreds of 
 thousands of people. Now that the state is 
 bound closer than ever before to the United 
 States by ii-on bands ; now that, under good 
 management and with excellent enterprise, it 
 is assuming its proper place, the truth should 
 be told. Of course, it would be necessary to 
 say some disagreeable things ; it would even 
 be just to make severe strictures upon certain 
 people and classes of people ; but it would not 
 be necessary to condemn the state wholesale, 
 and to write of it in a hostile spirit. The first 
 impression to be corrected — a very foolish ar.d 
 inexcusably narrow One, which has, neverthe- 
 less, taken strong hold upon the popular mind 
 — is, that travel in Texas, for various indefi- 
 nite reasons, is everywhere unsafe. Nothing 
 
22 
 
 TEXAS AS IT IS. 
 
 could be more erroneous. There is only one 
 section where the least clanger may be appre- 
 hended, and that is vaguely known as the 
 "Indian country. ' ' Hostile Comanches,Lipans, 
 or predatory Kickapoos might rob you of your 
 cherished scalp if you ventured into theii- 
 clutches ; but in less than three years they 
 will have vanished before the locomotive, or, 
 possibly before the legions of Uncle Sam, who 
 is said to be possessed of a strange mania for 
 removing his frontier quite back to the moun- 
 tains of Mexico. Indeed, this apprehension 
 with regard to safety for life and property in 
 Texas is all the more inexplicable from the very 
 fact that the great mass of the citizens of the 
 state were interested to maintain law and 
 order, and fought the outlaws who fomid their 
 way among them with bitter persistence. It 
 is true that during, and for two years after the 
 war, things were in a lamentable condi- 
 tion. Outlaws and murderers infested the 
 high-roads, robbed remote hamlets, and 
 enacted jail deliveries ; there were a thou- 
 sand murders per year within the state 
 limits ; but at the end of the two years the 
 reconstruction government had got well at 
 work, and annihilated the murderers and 
 robbers. It was a noteworthy fact, too, that the 
 people then murdered were mainly the fellows 
 of the very ruffians who murdered them ; shot 
 down in drunken broils or stabbed in conse- 
 quence of some thievish quarrels. Of coiu-se, 
 innocent people were plundered and killed ; 
 but then, as now, most of the men who "died 
 with their boots on" were professional scoimr 
 drels of whom the world was well rid. 
 
 The correct verdict, however, with regard to 
 the present condition of Texas may be summed 
 up as follows ; 
 
 "A commonwealth of unlimited resources, 
 with an unrivaled climate, inhabited by a 
 brave, impulsive, usually courteous people, 
 who are anxious for the advent of others to 
 share the state's advantages with them ; who 
 are by no means especially bitter on account of 
 the results of the war ; who comprise all grades 
 of society, from the polished and accomplished 
 scholar, ambassador, and man of large means, 
 to the rough, unkempt, semi-barbaric tiller of 
 the soil or herder of cattle, who is content with 
 bitter coffee and coarse pork for his sustenance, 
 and with a low cabin, surrounded by a scraggy 
 rail-fence, for his home. 
 
 " The more ambitious and cultured of the 
 native Texans have cordially joined with the 
 newly-come Northerners and Europeans in 
 making improvements, in toning up society in 
 some places, toning it down in others ; in en- 
 deavoring to compass wise legislation with 
 regard to the distribution of lands, and the 
 complete control of even the remote sections 
 of the state by the usual machinery of coiuts 
 and officials ; and the binding together and 
 consolidation of the interests of the various 
 sections by the rapid increase of railway lines." 
 
 The above is the picture presented to the 
 able writer of that day as he viewed Texas 
 
 then, while the contents of this brief volume 
 we have endeavored to make a true picture of 
 that section to-day penetrated by the Sunset 
 Route and its numerous branches. 
 
 HARRIS COUNTY. 
 
 One of the most important coimties in the 
 Lone Star State, with an area of 1832 
 square miles, and with a population of nearly 
 30,000 ; situated upon the thirtieth parallel of 
 latitude and between the eighteenth and nine- 
 teenth degrees of longitude west from Wash- 
 ington. With about three-fourths prairie-land, 
 the remainder of the county is covered with 
 a heavy growth of timber along the margins 
 of streams, mostly confined to the eastern por- 
 tion of the county. As ten lines of different 
 railroads cross this county, and it has besides 
 a commmiication by water from Houston to 
 Galveston, it offers to the public such facilities of 
 transportation as are rarely found . The prairies 
 of Harris County, beautifully undulated, are 
 for the most part devoted to stock-raising ; 
 besides, the soils are of considerable variety, 
 (the black, waxy and sandy loam predomi- 
 nating), and can be tilled for generations with- 
 out deterioration, being well adapted to the 
 growing of cotton, cane, oats, vegetables in 
 great variety and fruit in abundance. The 
 value of all the principal productions increases 
 with the extraordinary Convenience to a good 
 market, chiefly to Houston, the county seat, 
 with a population of about 25,000, and at 
 which no less than ten raihoads centre. Hous- 
 ton, besides being the centre of all railroads in 
 Texas, is beautifully encircled with groves of 
 live-oaks and stately pines ; the whole city is 
 in fact a garden, and roses and other sweet 
 daughters of Plora never cease blooming 
 summer and winter. The Buffalo Bayou, 
 fringed with magnohas, cypresses of gigantic 
 size festooned with mustang grape and other 
 vines, with trees and shrubs of every descrip- 
 tion bordering its shores, affords facilities for 
 boating rarely found elsewhere. The drives 
 toward Harrisburg, early in the spring, along 
 the bayou, through never-ending natural parks, 
 containing trees covered with vines and draped 
 with Spanish moss, is truly a delightful 
 pleasure. The whole atmosphere is perfumed 
 by the magnoHa blossoms ; Spanish-daggers 
 and palmettoes deeply shadow the right and 
 left of the road ; all around are the woods, a 
 wonderful mass of verdure ; and the beholder, 
 enraptiued by the sweet song of the mocking- 
 bird, will find no more beautiful landscape in 
 America. Besides Houston, there are several 
 progressive towns in the county, among which 
 we mention Peirce Junction, ten miles from 
 Houston, which is the original eastern terminus 
 of the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio 
 Railway, and is an important live-stock ship- 
 ping point. Spring Station is another thriv- 
 ing place, convenient for lumber shipment ; 
 so also Westfield, a small town north of Hous- 
 ton, and several others. The county is well 
 watered by a number of streams, among them 
 
THE '^STAR AXD CRESCENT'' AND '^ SUNSET'' ROUTE. 
 
 23 
 
24 
 
 FORT BEND AND WHARTON COUNTIES. 
 
 the San Jacinto River, Cypress Creek, Spring 
 Creek and others. 
 
 FORT BEND COUNTY. 
 
 The noble Brazos River winds its yellow 
 waters between beautifully timbered shores, 
 almost doubling its length by its crooked way 
 in this county. It is very interesting to quote 
 Mr. W. P. Ouiggs' remarks in regard to the 
 wonderful soil of tlie heavily timbered bottom 
 land, about six miles in breadth. He has been 
 for years one of the largest sugar planters in 
 this section. He says, " I consider the Brazos 
 and Oyster Creek lands to be the best in the 
 state. They produce abundantly and are very 
 easy to cultivate. 
 
 "The land is a rich, reddish, alluvial soil, 
 mixed with small shell. The soil is so deep 
 that I have seen wells dug thirty feet, that at 
 the bottom being as that on the top. The 
 chief products are corn, cotton, sugar-cane, 
 sweet and Irish potatoes. 
 
 "The average yield of corn is per acre from 
 fifty to seventy bushels ; of cotton, from one to 
 two bales ; of sugar, fifteen hundred pounds 
 and ninety gallons of molasses ; of sweet 
 potatoes, from two hundred to three hundred 
 bushels ; peaches are a safe and abundant 
 crop ; plums and grapes flourish luxuriantly. 
 There is an abundance of timber for all pur- 
 poses, ash, oak, elm, box-elder, hackberry and 
 wild peach. The depth of timber from the 
 river to the prairie will vary from three to five 
 miles. The prairie furnishes plenty of fine 
 grasses for summer pasturage, while the timber 
 bottom lands afford protection from the ' North- 
 ers ' and bad weather, with plenty of grass all 
 the winter. I have been planting for six years, 
 and I make this statement from actual experi- 
 ence. I have never found any difficulty in 
 procuring all the labor I wanted, and have 
 taken off four hundred bales of cotton, two 
 hundred hogsheads of sugar, and corn without 
 limit. Corn has ready sale at fifty cents." 
 
 The beautiful prairies, interspersed with 
 lovely groves, dotted with herds of cattle, 
 almost hidden in the ever-living grass, have 
 to be seen and traversed that one may com- 
 prehend the beauty, and breathe the exhilar- 
 ating air of an ocean of flowers. 
 
 Oyster Creek, a slowly running stream of a 
 dark color, influenced by the tides of the gulf 
 only during dry weather, runs nearly parallel 
 with the Brazos. Very extensive cane-brakes, 
 existing formerly on its banks, are now partly 
 desti'oyed by cattle and by cultivation of the 
 soil by industrious colonists, now rich and inde- 
 pendent citizens. Richmond, thirty -four miles 
 fi-om Houston, is the county seat of Fort Bend, 
 and is situated on the west bank of the Brazos. 
 It has two railways, the Galveston, Harrisburg 
 and San Antonio, and the Gulf, Colorado and 
 Santa Fe. The county is north of Brazoria 
 and south of Harris coimties, in longitude 
 eighteen and nineteen degrees west, and 
 in latitude twenty -four and thirty degrees north. 
 Area, 889 square miles, and population about 
 
 10,000. The health of this county, so near the 
 gulf coast, is excellent, the inhabitants are re- 
 fined, intelhgent and industrious. In regard to 
 the products that were exhibited at the pomo- 
 logical fair held at Houston in 1878, they 
 were unexcelled, comprising sugar-cane, corn, 
 cotton, fruits and melons of every kind, im- 
 mense in size and excellent in quality. The 
 most wonderful articles on exhibition were 
 thirty-six different varieties of native nutritious 
 grasses ; fifty-four varieties of timber cut from 
 the forests of the county ; the finest and best 
 honey, and specimens of rock and different 
 soils. The railroad next traverses a portion 
 of the northern section of 
 
 WHARTON COUNTY. 
 
 South of Austin County and north of Mata- 
 gorda, this county lies between the twenty- 
 ninth and thirtieth degrees of north latitude, 
 and on the nineteenth degree of west longi- 
 tude, with an area of 900 square miles, 
 and a population of about 5000, mostly 
 white. It is watered by the Colorado flowing 
 through its centre, with Old Caney and East 
 and West Bernard Rivers. Peach, Middle 
 Bernard, Lone Star, East, West and Middle 
 iSIustang, Pin Oak, Golden Rod, Sandy, Jones, 
 Blue and Palocois Creeks, traversing every 
 section of the comity, makes it the best watered 
 along the Sunset Route, and therefore not 
 surpassed in productions by any other portion 
 of our state. The soil is the rich alluvial, and 
 the coimty is divided by lovely valleys, well 
 timbered, and prairie lands awaiting the culti- 
 vator; for as yet only a small part of the county 
 is imder cultivation. The timbered portion 
 abounds, like Fort Bend County, in every 
 variety of oak, cypress, Cottonwood, ash, 
 pecan, elm, etc. The crops are principally 
 cotton, corn, sugar-cane ; and it is stated that 
 the corn is better than com raised in the East 
 or North. Cattle and other stock are in ex- 
 cellent condition both winter and summer, as 
 they find grass, other provender and water 
 during all seasons. Horses are herded, and it 
 is estimated that from five to six thousand are 
 in the best condition, grazing on the prairies 
 with many thousands of Texas cattle. The 
 principal towns of Wharton County are Whar- 
 ton, the county seat, situated on the Colorado 
 River, with a population of about 600, and 
 New Philadelphia, a splendid location recently 
 laid out by Pennsylvanians, sixty-three miles 
 from Houston. This place is growing rapidly, 
 and yet there is much room for immigrants 
 who desire a home for themselves and children. 
 Eagle Lake is a favorite camping place. It is 
 one of those lovely spots which never fail to 
 attract the tourist and those who seek seclusion 
 from the fatigue of city life. The hunter, 
 early in the morning, is sure to find ducks, 
 geese of various kinds, the plover, the snipe 
 and curlew, or the sand-hill crane and tlie 
 trumpeter crane ; the latter is a beautiful bird, 
 standing quite six feet high, with white plum- 
 age relieved by black wings and back. The 
 
THE ''STAR AND CRESCENT'' AND ''SCNSET" ROUTE. 
 
 25 
 
 angler is sure to get a bite of a black bass 
 (trout), white perch, cattish, or a buftalo ; the 
 latter, similar to the European carp, has a very 
 fine flavor. The botanist or florist will find 
 water roses and water lilies with other beauti- 
 ful specimens of aquatic plants peculiar to this 
 lake only. Unimproved lands, mostly owned 
 "by some speculators, are sold from one to ten 
 dollars per acre, while cultivated farms 
 range from fifteen to forty dollars per 
 acre. Some new settlers, about four to 
 •five years ago, have, in this locality and 
 about Schulenburg, founded colonies which 
 are improving wonderfully ; most of them are 
 composed of Germans. May they prosper ! 
 
 COLORADO COUNTY. 
 
 This county, traversed by the Colorado 
 River and the Galveston, Harrisburg and San 
 Antonio Railway, has a splendid reputation in 
 regard to its free school system, as the citizens 
 take a warm interest m educational matters. 
 They have built fine school-houses, etc., and 
 although anxious and generous to promote 
 general welfare, they are fi-ee from debt— a 
 sure index to prosperity. On the west bank 
 of the Colorado River is situated Columbus, 
 the county seat, eighty-six miles from Houston. 
 This city is one of the most charming along 
 the line. Along all the streets fine rows of 
 shade trees of different varieties are planted, 
 and the taste formerly displayed by the first 
 settlers in preserving the exceptionally fine live- 
 oaks has given this lovely place a poetically 
 romantic appearance, and they may justly take 
 pride in having the finest specimens of live- 
 oaks in the state. Strangers passing through 
 the city admire these grand old trees. Draped 
 with the gray Spanish moss, during moonlight 
 evenings they are enchantingly beautiful in 
 eftect and form— the more so when the gentle 
 gulf breeze, with which they are always 
 favored, gracefully swings the long, waving, 
 ghost-like hair of these kings of the former 
 forests on the Colorado River. 
 
 In regard to health, Columbus is a favored 
 spot on earth, as the nights during summer 
 are made cool and pleasant by a regular breeze 
 from the gulf. Persons whose constitutions 
 are worn out are there restored to new life and 
 happiness ; even cases of consumption have 
 been cm-ed, and patients have regained perfect 
 health. As the country throughout the county 
 is undulating, and as the rivers and creeks are 
 running toward the gulf, no pools of stagnant 
 water can collect to produce miasma. 
 
 ' Although there is a jiredominance of prairie 
 land, there is enough timber for fuel, building 
 and fencing purposes, such as post-oak, water- 
 oak, burr-oak, live-oak, black-jack, hickory, 
 pecan, cypress, elm, ash, wahuit, cottonwood, 
 willow, sycamore, etc. The bottom lands are 
 excellently adapted for the cultivation of corn, 
 cotton, all kinds of grain, fruits and vegetables. 
 Besides the Colorado River, the county is 
 watered by the Navidad River, Harvey's, 
 Cummins, Skull and Sandv Creeks. 
 
 FAYETTE COUNTY. 
 
 It is located in longitude 20 degrees west and 
 latitude 30 degrees north. The Sunset Route 
 passes through this county, also the Colorado 
 River, with numerous creeks traversing the 
 same, which water-courses afford an inexhaust- 
 ible supply of water for all purposes. The 
 names of these creeks are : Peach, Live Oak, 
 Pin Oak, Buckner, Barton, Cedar, East and 
 West Navidad, Mulberry, Rocky, Middle, 
 Williams, Criswell, Babbs, Jones, Cedar No. 2, 
 Clear, High Hill, Owl, Cummins and Haw 
 Creeks. This county was organized 1838, and 
 has an area of 975 square miles. About one- 
 half of this county is tillable prairie, one-fourth 
 tillable timber land, and one-fourth first-class 
 timber land. The surface of the county is 
 rolling, and, in regard to landscape scenery, a 
 
 7: c^; 
 
 paradise for artists who are in search of the 
 picturesque. The whole country is alive with 
 stock, cattle, sheep, hogs, goats, mules, horses 
 — found along the creeks or traversing the 
 prairies that are ornamented with beautiful 
 shrubs and groups of trees. The two lakes, 
 Primms and Crownover, are the homes of all 
 kinds of water-fowls, fishes, turtles, etc. 
 
 The timber is principally post-oak, but there 
 is along the creeks and lakes a limited variety of 
 other kinds. The soil is waxy, black and sandy 
 loam ; it is very productive and bears the 
 highest cultivation. The excellent facilities for 
 transportation, still increased by another pro- 
 posed railway, adds considerably to the value of 
 the land, and, considering all advantages, ren- 
 ders this county one of the most desirable in our 
 state. It is attracting a large immigration and 
 has some of the richest and finest settlements 
 of this state — due to the energetic, intelligent 
 and industrious inhabitants. The climate is 
 mild and healthy ; the principal agricultural 
 productions are cotton and corn. The stock- 
 raising interest of this county is of importance, 
 and statistics prove that over 70,000 of various 
 kinds of domestic animals are registered. The 
 county has an intelligent population of about 
 30,000. There are ninety-eight schools, fifty 
 churches, six Masonic lodges, and various other 
 societies. The Galveston, Harrisburg and San 
 
26 
 
 GONZALES AND CALDWELL COUNTLES. 
 
 Aiitonio Railway passes through some of the 
 most important cities of this comity, viz.: 
 Borden, Weimar, Schulenburg and Flatonia. 
 La Grange, the comity seat, with a popula- 
 tion of over 3000, is connected by a branch 
 railroad with Columbus and the main line. 
 Next town in size and of importance is Schu- 
 lenburg, III miles from Houston, with a popu- 
 lation of over 1200 ; then follow villages, each 
 one the home of happy citizens of different 
 nationalities, such as Fayetteville, Ehlinger, 
 Round Top, Warrenton, Ledbetter, Ruster- 
 ville, Winchester, Cistern, New Prague and 
 High Hill. The water power of the Colorado 
 River will soon become utilized ; it needs only 
 capital and energy to convert the bending 
 Colorado into a powerful motor that will move 
 a hmidred industries. 
 
 GONZALES COUNTY. 
 
 This comity, partly traversed by the Sunset 
 Route, ranks among the very best agricultural 
 comities in the state. The county is about 
 sixty miles in length and about twenty-five in 
 width, containing iioo square miles; with a 
 population of 18,000, rapidly increasing. In 
 regard to scenery, water-courses, springs, soils, 
 etc., this county has a great variety, and we 
 only attempt to give some general outlines of 
 such a vast body of land. 
 
 The Sunset Route, in traversing this county, 
 passes through Waelder, Harwood and Luling 
 ' — the latter place one of great importance 
 as a winter resort for invalids, of which we will 
 speak in its proper place. Gonzales is the 
 county seat, and situated on the Guadalupe 
 River, about a mile below the mouth of the 
 San Marcos. It has over 2000 inhabitants, 
 very fine buildings, a stone court-house, a large 
 college building, etc., and offers to immigrants 
 great inducements. 
 
 There are few counties that are better 
 watered. The Guadalupe and San Marcos 
 Rivers, Peach, Plum and Sandy Creeks, and 
 many rivulets, flow through it ; besides, there 
 are never-failing lakes well supplied with good 
 water, even during the driest seasons, and in 
 all portions of this county well-water is found 
 by digging from twenty to sixty feet. Most of 
 the springs, and both rivers, contain lime- 
 water — cool, healthy and very palatable after a 
 short use of it . Some of the wells and springs 
 are sulphur and some sour ; but near-by plenty 
 of lime-water (sometimes fi-eestone) can be 
 found. The land upon these rivers and creeks 
 is naturally a fine alluvial soil, covered with a 
 fine growth of black-walnut, biur and Spanish 
 oak, hackberry, mulberry, pecan, Cottonwood, 
 elm, ash, willow, sycamore, alder, box-alder, 
 etc., and a dense imdergrowth of black and 
 red haw, buckeye, wild china and plum, dog- 
 wood and dogberry, and many small vines. 
 The mustang grape-vines twine almost every 
 tree and swing in graceful festoons from their 
 boughs, heavily laden with rich clusters of 
 grapes. Prairie land fonns the higher ground, 
 in which nature stored away inexhaustible 
 
 fertility, with a fine growth of native grasses, 
 affording constant pasturage in spring, summer 
 and winter. The uplands, touching these 
 prairies, are well timbered with post-oak, live- 
 oak, black-jack, hickory and various grape- 
 vines ; and are also interspersed with undu- 
 lating prairies with rich black soil covered with 
 mesquite grass and mesquite timber. 
 
 This is certainly the spot where the poor man 
 may live independently, or the place for the 
 capitalist to increase his wealth ; the more so 
 as few healthier spots can be found in Texas. 
 The climate is mild, the thermometer rarely 
 getting higher than 96 degrees or lower than 
 25 degrees, and during summer a healthy gidf 
 breeze renders the country pleasant everywhere. 
 Corn, cotton, oats, rye, wheat, millet, tobacco, 
 sorghum, ribbon-cane, melons, peas, beans and 
 all kinds of garden vegetables can be raised in 
 abundance. Peaches, all kinds of grapes, 
 plums, pears, figs, apples and apricots grow 
 there ; and as there is an abundant supply of 
 post-oak, pin-oak, pecan and black-jack, the 
 mast alone is sufficient to fatten hogs. 
 
 The new settler may rent land and will be 
 furnished everything necessary to make a crop, 
 and get one-half what he makes ; or he can 
 buy land (the best in the comity) from $1.50 to 
 $5.00 per acre. 
 
 The citizens of this county are enterprising, 
 liberal, intelligent and industrious, inviting the 
 immigrant and others to share their resources. 
 From Gonzales the railroad passes into 
 
 CALDWELL COUNTY, 
 
 "with the charming valley of the San Marcos 
 River, renowned in song and story ;" "its rich 
 and fertile soil, its stately cedars and towering 
 pines, its bloom and beauty and fragrant sum- 
 mer breezes — an Eden on earth." Caldwell 
 County has an area of 522 square miles, about 
 two-thirds of which is timbered and one-third 
 prairie land. The timber consists of post-oak, 
 elm, walnut, ash, hickory, mesquite, etc. The 
 prairie lands are, as usual, very rich, and pro- 
 duce abundantly cotton, corn, vegetables, many 
 of the cereals, fruits, grapes, etc., as do the 
 lands in Gonzales County. Lockhart, with a 
 population of over 1000, is the county seat. 
 The railroad passes through Luling only ; some 
 miles from the road is the charming village, 
 Prairie Lea. The total population of this 
 coimty is over 10,000, and the gratifying in- 
 crease is owing to a large immigration here by 
 the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio 
 Railway, and consequently much new land is 
 becoming cultivated. The county swarms at 
 present with all kinds of stock, and new homes 
 give shelter and ]3lenty to all settlers. 
 
 The springs of this county are celebrated for 
 their medicinal qualities, and are visited by 
 thousands who are seeking health — Burditt's 
 Sour Wells, Cardwell's Spring, and others 
 not far from the Smiset Route. As a winter 
 resort these springs present unusual attractions, 
 and together with the charming scenery and 
 delightful chmate they excel by far the favorite 
 
THE ''STAR AND CRESCENT'' AND ''SUNSET" ROUTE. 
 
 27 
 
 watering places upon the southern Atlantic 
 coast. Therefore, some general outlines of the 
 most prominent mineral spring near the Sunset 
 Route will be given herein. 
 
 LULING SPRINGS. 
 
 " These springs have come to be of marvel- 
 ous value during the past few years, and they 
 have the advantages of good hotels and places 
 where invahds can be properly and comfortably 
 cared for. Luling is situated in Caldwell 
 County, on the line of the Galveston, Harris- 
 burg and San Antonio Railway, 155 miles west 
 from Houston and 57 miles east from San 
 Antonio. The reputation of the Luling sour 
 water is wide-spread, and large numbers from 
 the North and East are seeking its benefits. 
 It is also shipped to different parts of the 
 coimtry, and furnished to those who cannot 
 aftbrd the expense of visiting the springs. As 
 a winter resort Luling is one of the most 
 desirable in Texas. The climate is like that of 
 San Antonio, and in addition to the great 
 value of its waters is the mild and invigorating 
 atmosphere, which alone will restore health to 
 a system that has become weakened and de- 
 pleted. The most alarming cases of inflamma- 
 tory rheumatism, and indeed all diseases of an 
 inflammatory order will yield to the use of these 
 waters. It is also a specific for the cure of 
 chronic diarrhea, and many other of the 
 diseases that afflict mankind. 
 
 " The following is the analysis of the Luling 
 sour water : Sulphate of lime ; sulphate of 
 magnesia, in large quantities ; chloride of 
 sodium ; chloride of potassium ; carbonate 
 of iron, in moderate quantity ; phosphate 
 and choride of lime ; sulphates of alumma 
 and baryta, and traces of silica and strontia, 
 and large quantities of free sulphuric acid. 
 Its benefits extend to all diseases that proceed 
 from an abnormal condition of the biliary 
 secretions. ' ' 
 
 In Caldwell County have been discovered 
 traces of silver ore, and southeast of Lockhart 
 an abundance of iron, while in other parts 
 veins of coal have been found ; all of which 
 will be fully examined and utilized as soon as 
 this beautiful county becomes more thickly 
 settled. Now to the celebrated 
 
 GUADALUPE COUNTV'. 
 
 The beautiful San Marcos River forms its 
 northwestern boundary, the clear Cibolo runs 
 through its western section, while the noble 
 and charming Guadalupe River traverses its 
 central portion, forming one of the loveliest 
 valleys in Texas, and not only the loveliest, but 
 the most productive. The general character of 
 the surface of this county is undulating and 
 varied. It is situated on the twenty-first 
 degree of longitude west from Washington, 
 and between the twenty-ninth and thirtieth 
 degrees of latitude north. The soil ranges 
 from the rich, black, sandy loam of the mes- 
 quite lands, to a light, sandy soil which is 
 easily tilled and of great productive strength ; 
 
 especially so along the streams, where a large 
 percentage of humus adds greatly to the 
 fertility. 
 
 The rapids of the Guadalupe River, not far 
 from the celebrated iron bridge, are beautiful ; 
 the clear water dashes over a rocky plateau 
 and forms many graceful cascades ; between 
 these cascades numerous small islets, covered 
 with shrubs, relieve the eye from the brilliant 
 white foam of the Guadalupe ; anglers are en- 
 gaged in securing trout and other specimens of 
 the finny tribes with which this river abounds. 
 Looking up these water-falls the iron bridge 
 is suspended over the river ; on the right shore 
 of the Guadalupe, majestic cypress trees stretch 
 their graceful branches over numberless other 
 trees and shrubs of smaller size. The whole 
 landscape is all light and shadow — the dark 
 green shores contrasting finely with the 
 pearly hues of the foaming cascades ; and 
 over-arching all is a vault of deep azure, 
 where the white crane sails and the sinking 
 sun reflects in all its splendor the last rays in 
 the sparkling river. 
 
 Wood-land and prairie about equally divide 
 the county, which is comprised within an area 
 
 •iSr'i- 
 
 
 of about 800 square miles, with a population of 
 over 11,000 intelligent and thriving citizens. 
 Its elevation above the gulf is 700 feet, the 
 mean temperature about sixty-nine degrees, 
 the rainfall sometimes thirty-four inches. The 
 products are cotton, corn, oats, rye, wheat, all 
 kinds of vegetables and fruits, also grapes in 
 abundance. Timber of but moderate growth 
 is found here, but enough for domestic or fenc- 
 ing purposes. Along the rivers are fine sections 
 of oak and black-walnut timber ; and as 
 springs and creeks abound in every section in 
 this county, everything grows luxuriantly. 
 vSeguin, the county seat, is a flourishing town 
 of 2500 inhabitants, situated upon the north 
 bank of the Guadalupe River, on the line of 
 the "Sunset Route," 35 miles east of San 
 Antonio, and 180 from Houston. The town 
 is built upon a beautiful plateau, interspersed 
 with giant live-oaks, beneath which are 
 many sparkling springs. A tributary of the 
 Guadalupe passes through the city, which 
 is spanned by two fine bridges. The public 
 buildings are large and comfortable, and 
 besides many elegant private residences there 
 
28 
 
 BEXAR COUNTY. 
 
 are ten churches, the college and a high school. 
 In and near Seguin are three water-mills, and 
 west, about one mile below the railroad bridge, 
 is a fall of ten to twelve feet, where several 
 hundred horse-power might be yet utilized. 
 
 The climate so near San Antonio is delight- 
 ful ; stock-raisers do well, and to the agricul- 
 turist rare inducements are offered. Next 
 the Sunset Route enters the world-renowned 
 and historical grounds of Bexar County, but 
 passes first a village by the name of Marion, 
 191 miles from Houston, which place is well 
 known, as the stage-coach takes from there 
 passengers to various inland villages. 
 
 BEXAR COUNTY 
 
 has an area of 1475 square miles and a popula- 
 tion of over 32,000. The county is situated in 
 the southwestern portion of the state, between 
 the 29th and 30th degrees of latitude north, 
 and between the 21st and 22d degrees of longi- 
 tude west from Washington. Formerly this 
 comity embraced an area larger than the State 
 of New York, and is perhaps the best known 
 county in Texas. Its topography is a grand 
 undulating prairie, a portion of which is tim- 
 bered with varieties of trees usually found in 
 this section of the state. The altitude is high ; 
 the soils are very rich, ranging in depth from 
 thi-ee to fifteen and twenty feet. The county 
 is watered by the Ciliolo, San Pedro, San 
 Antonio and Medina Rivers; the Leon, Medio, 
 Colabras, Cottonwood, Balcones and Geronimo 
 Creeks, and a large number of springs which 
 flow from the base of limestone and sandstone 
 formations, including tlie famous San Pedro and 
 San Antonio springs. 
 
 This county, under favorable circumstances, 
 will produce abundantly cotton, corn, wheat 
 and the other small grains ; also tobacco, rice, 
 sugar-cane, broom corn, castor beans, Califor- 
 nia clover, Hmigarian grass, millet and every 
 variety of vegetables ; and of fruits, such as 
 peaches, pears, apples, plums — ^\•hile figs and 
 grapes are produced to perfection. The alti- 
 tude of Bexar County above the gulf, its supply 
 of clear and running water, the cooling breezes 
 from the south, the delightful and exhilarating 
 climate, and its freedom from low bottom lands, 
 renders it the most healthy in the state, and 
 perhaps in tlie whole country. 
 
 In regard to San Antonio, the county seat of 
 this coimty, with a population of about 25,000, 
 so much has been v'ritten as to how it can be 
 reached fi-om Houston or Austin and other 
 parts of the country, and what wonderful 
 attractions the city offers to tourists and inva- 
 lids, etc., that we prefer the following beautiful 
 description by Mrs. Harriet Prescott Spofford to 
 oiu: o%\n ; we, in addition, will only continue 
 the description where this charming writer 
 stopped some years ago. The following article 
 (ending on page 40) is herewith copied, by the 
 courteous permission of Harper Bros., from 
 their popular magazine : 
 
 " At the moment that you start west\vard on 
 the Simset Route, the landscape salutes you in 
 
 all the loveliness of a blossoming prairie iw its 
 first luxuriance of green under the tender early 
 sun. The flowers are numberless. When you 
 have counted a couple of dozen varieties, you 
 find you have only begun. Here the painted- 
 cup makes the great reaches gay ; here yellow 
 indigo stars them, and presently lends them its 
 color, leading away into the boundless horizon 
 a Field of the Cloth of Gold ; here it is scarlet 
 with the scarlet phlox, here blue with the ver- 
 bena ; here the lilies, with their long snowy 
 filaments wondrously alive, whiten all the wind- 
 ings of an unseen brook ; here, clothed in the 
 priceless small clover, and greener than Dante's 
 freshly broken emeralds, beneath vast and hol- 
 low heavens, and ' moulded in colossal calm, ' 
 the naked prairie rolls away, league after 
 league, unbroken to the gulf. 
 
 Oh, the glory of a Texas prairie under a 
 vertical sim ! the light, the color, the distance, 
 the vast solitude and silence, the limitless level, 
 the everlasting rest ! A flock of white cranes 
 rise flashing in the light and soar away ; a 
 mirage lifts the lofty timber that outlines a dis- 
 tant river, and shows you the stream shining 
 beneath, shaking silver vapor at its feet ; in the 
 creek beside you, fearless blue ducks dip and 
 dive and skim away, scattering the \\ater- 
 drops ; a drove of horses, rising from beds of 
 simflowers, with flying manes and tails, go 
 bounding into space ; vast herds of cattle crop 
 the clover without lifting their heads as you 
 sweep by ; riders are romiding up their droves, 
 hawks are hovering, birds are singing, winds 
 are blowing, and what seemed only solitude 
 and silence is full of life and action and music. 
 Now the forests of the Brazos begin to rustle ; 
 cypress and magnolia, linden and locust, ash 
 and beech and elm, hickory and black-jack, 
 dense to darkness, yet trembling with dew and 
 smi, laced with gay vines of trumpet and passion 
 flowers, and with huge ropes of blossoming 
 grape slung from tree to tree, thick with under- 
 growth of dogwood and redbud, wild peach 
 and cane, and their great dark live-oaks 
 wrapped in the fantastic shadows of a thou- 
 sand gray swaying cobwebs, and standing 
 weird and awful in their Druidical beards. 
 And out on what bottom-lands you come — the 
 Nile-rich bottoms of the Brazos and of the 
 Colorado ; the black mould and the chocolate 
 of an unmeasured depth ; the cotton springing 
 in endless rows of opening, bean-like leaves ; 
 the delicate sugar-cane just shaking out its 
 ribbons 1 Here in the Brazos we dash by a 
 sugar plantation, the low house with its broad 
 verandas and wide-open doors under huge 
 trees, in the distance the great sugar mills, and 
 all around it the two thousand acres that make 
 it a yearly return of one hundred thousand 
 dollars. In the old times it Mas worked by 
 a couple of hundred slaves ; now seventy con- 
 victs under an armed and mounted guard do as 
 well. 
 
 There is, however, let us say in passing, no 
 trouble about work in Texas. Political diffi- 
 culties were over there sooner than elsewhere 
 
THE ^-STAR AND CRESCENT'' AND ^^SUNSET" ROUTE. 
 
30 
 
 SAA' ANTONIO IN RE VIE IV. 
 
 in the South, and the affairs of labor equalized 
 themselves to the laws of supply and demand. 
 Throughout the state the freedmen are in- 
 dustrious and quiet, securing a good livelihood 
 and laying up money. 
 
 Not far away, and still in the Brazos bottoms, 
 by Oyster Lake, a Massachusetts colony is 
 setting up its tents ; and here land may be had 
 for five dollars an acre, better than lands on 
 the Illinois alluvial for fifty dollars an acre, 
 and quite as healthy. 
 
 Still we roll on, slowly mounting the six 
 hundred feet of altitude at which San Antonio 
 lies above the sea, out upon other prairies, 
 where a single pasture of one hundred thou- 
 sand acres fences in its tremendous herds. 
 Flocks of birds darken the air like clouds of 
 leaves, and vanish ; a deer, perhaps, bounds 
 by ; a great buzzard is spreading his ragged 
 wings over his unseen quarry ; a carriage and 
 pair go gently along the springing sod — strange 
 anomaly, so far it seems just then from usual 
 life. We roll past Bernard, whence, with but 
 one house in sight, nearly ten thousand bales 
 of cotton are dispatched ; past the young city 
 of New Philadelphia ; past the lovely Eagle 
 Lake, with its fish and game ; past Schulen- 
 burg, whose former owner, annoyed by the 
 approach of civilization with the railroad, 
 refused to sell a right of way, but disposed of 
 his whole estate, and moved on where no one 
 could elbow him — six years ago a homestead, 
 to-day a town with mills and workshops, and 
 daily paper ; past Luling, with its neighboring 
 Sour Springs, working cures by repute won- 
 derful as the Pool of Bethesda, the gate to the 
 San Marcos, whose fairy-like beauty has been 
 so fitly sung by Mrs. Davis, the sweetest singer 
 of the South ; past a score of neat villages, 
 under their live-oaks and pecans ; and so on 
 and up and out on the great grain region ot 
 the world, where the tender wheat is springing 
 in long stretches vanishing from sight, the rye 
 is already high, the corn is up two feet — a vast 
 roUmg region of plains and sun-bathed slopes, 
 before which Mesopotamia is a fable, and the 
 wealth of Odessa is but dust. Over the 
 Guadalupe then, the three Santa Claras, the 
 Cibolo, the Salado, straight into the sunset 
 that casts out its long beams and reddens sky 
 and prairie, and wells up in a flood of lustre 
 suddenly extinguished by the quick-descending 
 night. Lights begin to twinkle below, and 
 you descend into San Antonio. There is a 
 crowd of dark faces at the station, a confusion 
 of strange tongues. As the carriage goes 
 along, soft wafts of balmiest fragrance salute 
 you ; you are conscious of being in a world of 
 flowers. As you alight at the Menger, enter a 
 narrow, unevenly stoned passage, and come 
 out upon a broad flagged court-yard, sur- 
 rounded on three sides by open galleries, with 
 the stars overhead, and the lamp-light flaring 
 on a big mulberry-tree growing in it below, 
 you feel that you are in the heart of Old Spain. 
 
 San Antonio is like nothing so much as the 
 little African town of Blidah that Eusjene 
 
 Fromentin comes upon in the midst of the 
 desert, set behind jalousies, among gardens 
 and fountains, smothered in roses, and sung to 
 by nightingales. On a more enchanting spot 
 the eye of poet never rested. There is prob- 
 ably nothing like it in America. Four days 
 ago you left the snow of March or April 
 under the windows at home, now your room 
 is full of roses ; and as you go out and 
 about, you find the town one wilderness 
 of roses, a very Vale of Cashmere. Blush 
 and creamy and blood-red, the delicate little 
 Scotch rose, the superb Marshal Niel, the 
 shining Lamarque, the beautiful great tea-rose, 
 hundred -leaved and full, waxen-white, and 
 damask, the heavy-headed Persian rose itself 
 — they hedge gardens by the quarter of a 
 mile together, lattice every veranda, climb 
 and lie in masses of bud and blossom on every 
 roof. It is a long red roof usually, that, bend- 
 ing slightly, forms also the roof of the veranda. 
 Most of the houses beneath it are long and low 
 and narrow, of a single story, and but one 
 step from the ground, built of a cream-colored 
 stone that works easily and hardens in the air, 
 and so placed that the south wind or the east 
 shall blow in every room — the wind that blows 
 all day long from the gulf, and makes the 
 fervent heat itself a joy. There is no vesti- 
 bule ; you enter the saloon from the door, and 
 the other rooms open on either side of that, 
 and as they all open on the veranda, that is 
 used as a hall. Over them rise the tall cotton- 
 woods and the huge spreading pecans, and 
 before them or behind them, almost invariably, 
 flows a swift, clear, artificial stream of water 
 some four or five feet wide, the banks now 
 stoned in, now covered with a lush growth of 
 the blooming cannas and caladiums, immense 
 arrow-headed leaves the size of an African 
 warrior's shield, and now bridged beneath 
 honeysuckle arbors. 
 
 These charming dwellings stand with little 
 regularity or uniformity, but here and there, 
 facing this way and that, just as the winding 
 roads wind with the winding river, and always 
 half buried in a sweet seclusion of leaf and 
 blossom. Not roses only, but all the other 
 flowers under heaven : lilies and myrtles and 
 geraniums make the air a bliss to breathe ; 
 aloes sit drawing in the sunshine, suddenly to 
 shoot it out in one long spike of yellow bloom 
 higher than the house itself ; the Spanish- 
 dagger lifts its thick palm-like trunk, and 
 bristles at a thousand points around its great 
 cone of creamy bells ; the euphorbia clothes 
 its strange and lofty stem with a downy green, 
 and then flowers with a blossom like a redbird 
 just alit ; m every vacant space the acacia 
 ' waves her yellow hair ' — the very acacia, it 
 is said, with whose long scarlet silken stamens 
 tumbling out of their yellow hood Moore has 
 taken such poetic license. There are groups 
 of bananas, too, the arch of whose huge leaves 
 reminds you only of Paul and Virginia's home ; 
 there are walls of the scarlet pomegranate, 
 one blaze of glory ; lanes lined with the 
 
THE ''■STAR AKD CRESCENT'' AXD '' SUNSET" ROUTE. 
 
 lovely-leaved fig-lree, where the fig is already 
 large; and the comely mulberry-tree, grown to 
 an enormous size, is drippmg with its blacken- 
 ing and delicious fruit. Sometimes there are 
 summer-houses at the gate almost half the 
 size of the dwelling, entirely covered with 
 vines, and the whole spot so sequestered behind 
 mimosa and cacti and huge-leaved plants that 
 it seems only a tropical tangle that you might 
 hesitate to enter ; but, pushing your way 
 through which, you will find, behind broad 
 porches, lofty rooms with polished floors and 
 rugs, books and pictures and vases and costly 
 furniture, inhabited by white-clad women 
 whose manners have peculiar grace. 
 
 In and out among these houses slips the San 
 Antonio River, clear as crystal, swifter than a 
 mill-race ; now narrow and foaming along be- 
 tween steep banks rich with luxuriant semi- 
 tropical growth, and with the tall pecans on 
 either side meeting above them in vaulting 
 shadow ; now spreading in sunny shallows 
 between long grassy swards starred with 
 flowers, twisting and turning and doubling on 
 itself, so tortuous that the three miles of the 
 straight line from its head to the market-place 
 it makes only in fourteen miles of caprices and 
 surprises, rapids and eddies and falls and 
 arrowy curves, reach after reach of soft green 
 gloom and flickering sunshine, each more ex- 
 quisitely beautiful than the other. Around 
 every lane it takes a loop ; here it is just a 
 pebbly ford, there, although so perfectly trans- 
 parent that you can see every flint in its bed, it 
 is of a profound depth, and everywhere it is of 
 a color whose loveliness is past belief. It flows 
 by the Mexican jacal, and through the wealthy 
 garden, around the churches, across the busi- 
 ness streets with its delightful glimpses. You 
 cannot escape it ; you think you have left it 
 behind you, and there it is before you, hurry- 
 ing along to the forests on its two hundred 
 miles to the gulf. It is a happy course this 
 river runs to-day, but a hard fate is in store 
 for the lovely San Antonio. All its pretty, 
 boisterous play is presently to become the 
 groaning labor of a slave, for the sixty feet of 
 its fall, if it is something to delight the heart 
 of a poet, is something also to dilate the bank 
 account of the manufacturer. 
 
 The San Antonio is joined in the valley by 
 the San Pedro, another limpid stream, that 
 pours from the rock and winds through some 
 public gardens before making itself more 
 useful. 
 
 The town lies in its valley in the broad basin 
 of the great hills, and upon both sides of the 
 river, and the serpentine course of the river, 
 crossed by a score of bridges and as many 
 fords, is such a confusion and a snare that you 
 never know upon which side of it you are. 
 The streets in the old part of the city are ex- 
 ceedingly narrow, and by no means clean, 
 and the sidewalks are narrower yet, and worn 
 in ruts by the tread of numerous feet. Many 
 of the buildings on this street are of adobe, all 
 of them a single story in height, most of them 
 
 with galleries, as the veranda and piazza and 
 porch are called. Some of i\\c\w have a 
 curious front, the wall projecting a couple of 
 feet above tlie line where eaves should be, and 
 pierced by rain-spouts, forming a breastwork 
 Ijchind which the defender lay protected, 
 while through the rain -spouts firing down into 
 the streets, which, in the furious old times that 
 this town has known, with now one master 
 and now another, were wont to run with blood. 
 Narrow as the streets are they are incum- 
 bered in every way and made still narrower. 
 Mere the incumbrance is carts full of huge 
 blocks of unhewn stone, which are handled by 
 brawny Mexicans and negroes, without der- 
 ricks, and which the citizens patiently submit 
 to see cut in the streets day by day instead of 
 in the stone-cutter's yard ; here it is trains of 
 
 .-^^ -^ 
 
 ^T. 
 
 clumsy Mexican wagons covered with canvas 
 and drawn by oxen whose yokes are bound 
 upon their horns, thus occasioning every jolt 
 to jar the brain, and shortening the term of 
 service of the stoutest beast. Often the main 
 plaza is entirely covered with these teams, the 
 great oxen lying all day in the sun there, and 
 from under the canvas of the wagons protrude 
 a crowd of little dark faces that make one 
 fancy all Mexico is on the move. Sometimes 
 the incumbrance is a string of donkeys that 
 trot through the streets, each one with a single 
 fagot on his back, oddly contrasted by 
 another where each one is so hidden by his 
 load of straw, hay, fresh grass, sugar-cane, or 
 corn, according to the season, whose long 
 blades and stems trail upon the ground, that 
 only his head and ears show how the bundle 
 moves. Now it is a Mexican family trans- 
 ferring their altar — the Lares and Penates — 
 on a cart, the father leading it, the mother 
 and grandmother totally obscured by the 
 things they lug along, an infinity of children 
 round their heels, dirty and ragged and with 
 tangled hair, but with the blackest eyes and 
 whitest teeth, the ruddiest dark cheek and 
 most roguish smile ever seen, and with the 
 Ixiljy all but bare, strapped on a blanket on a 
 mule's back, sound asleep in the sun, as sweet 
 a little morsel as the first baby ever born in 
 paradise. If it is a Mexican family in a cart 
 encountered thus, the mother is always on the 
 front seat, while the father sits behind and 
 holds the baby. Here it is an army train that 
 stops the way, and makes a prominent feature 
 
32 
 
 SAN AXrOXIO IN REVIEW. 
 
 of the streets — huge covered wagons drawn 
 by mules four abreast, with an armed and 
 mounted escort, whose rifles and broad 
 cartridge belts mean business — on its way to 
 the yet distant frontier, between which and 
 the town a train is almost always moving, as 
 supplies are being dispatched, or officers' 
 families are taking their long ambulance 
 journeys. These streets afford a good deal of 
 interest, and add much variety and vivacity 
 to life for the invalids who visit San Antonio 
 seeking health, the number of whom is large, 
 since the air there and in the surrounding 
 region seems to have peculiar properties that 
 render it almost a specific for consumption and 
 diseases of the throat ; and the invalids who 
 have come down there simply to prolong life 
 have in uncounted cases gone away entirely 
 cured. You will see these re-born people, 
 themselves a sight, strolling and driving about 
 in all the pleased surprise of their return to 
 life, and that in a town of such strange and 
 foreign sights to them. Here comes a gay 
 Mexican rider, too, who, if he is in full dress, 
 wears his dark trousers buttoned up the out- 
 side of his leg with silver bells ; his jacket rich 
 with dollars, and his belt ; his great light felt 
 sombrero stiff with embroidery of gold and 
 silver ; and his bridle and saddle, stirrup and 
 spurs, shining and clattering again with silver. 
 Or perhaps it is a party of ladies bounding 
 along, for every woman in San Antonio is a 
 fine and fearless rider ; or some heavy cavalry 
 riders, superb in blue and gold ; or else it is 
 a mounted beggar, who, if he does not have a 
 servant to carry his bag, as the Fayal beggar 
 does, yet rejoices in a stout little burro of his 
 own. Here on the sidewalks, beneath an 
 umbrella-tree that sheds abroad powerful 
 fragrance, little tables are spread, where the 
 market people get their roll and chocolate and 
 bit of pastry, sitting where the gutter would 
 run if there was one. Here, too, are the 
 venders of strange dark candies, from which 
 the flies are brushed with a cow's tail ; of 
 porcupine-work ; of bunches of magnolias, 
 and great, ineffably sweet Cape jasmines from 
 the coast ; and Mexican women crouch upon 
 the hot stones, their dark sad faces half veiled 
 by their ragged ribosas, surrounded by wicker 
 cages full of mocking-bu'ds, vivid cardinals 
 with their red crests, and lively little canaries 
 on whose plumage every color under the sun 
 glistens, making the tiny creatures marvels of 
 emerald and gold and ruby and tiu-quois. 
 These Mexican faces are a great part of the 
 little town ; there are portions of it, called 
 Chihuahua and Laredo, where you see noth- 
 ing else. There, tumbling in the dirt, are 
 the Mexican babies, than whom nothing can 
 be lovelier ; there, too, are the Mexican grand- 
 mothers, than whom nothing can be uglier. 
 Here you can buy skins of leopards and 
 ocelots, which the Indian M'omen dress with 
 the brains of the beast till they are as supple as 
 silk ; here are the little Chihuahua dogs that 
 can nestle in the sleeve of your coat ; here is 
 
 wonderful Mexican needle-work, made on the 
 drawn thread, rivaling the Old-World laces ; 
 here are earthen pipkins or jarritos prettily 
 ornamented, with their molinilios, or curious, 
 wooden sticks, set in many rings, which, 
 rolled upright between the palms, make the 
 chocolate foam in the pipkin. Whatever you 
 buy, felon will be given you ; and whatever 
 the Mexican buys himself, be it but five cents 
 worth, he expects pelon, or something thrown 
 into the bargain, which renders him not toa 
 profitable a customer. Here, in these old 
 regions of the town, you can still see the 
 women patiently crushing the corn on the 
 matata ; and here, at almost any hut, you can 
 get Mexican refreshment, if you wish it, that 
 will make you odorous for days. 
 
 Everywhere about the outskirts of the to-wn 
 are innumerable low huts built of sticks and 
 mud and straw and any old drift, roofed with 
 thatch coming almost to the ground, and pre- 
 senting an appearance of the utmost squalor. 
 These are the Mexican jacals. The chimney 
 and its ovens are usually in a cone of baked 
 and blackened mud a little removed, and 
 under a rude awning or a tree the whole 
 family is usually to be seen, with mules, 
 donkeys, chickens, and a horde of dogs, 
 among the latter a hideous, hairless animal, 
 promiscuously intermixed. Dogs are largely 
 in the majority of the population in San 
 Antonio, and their baying divides the noises, 
 of the night with the cock-crowing that re- 
 sounds from house to jacal, from farm to 
 ranche, and rises on the ear in broad surges 
 of sound like the waves of the sea. If you 
 should glance into one of these jacals, you 
 would find an earthen floor cleanly swept, a 
 bed neatly made and brightly covered, and 
 the place garnished after its sort ; and although 
 the general idea is that it is a nest of filth, to 
 the casual eye it seems clean and orderly, but 
 poor to the last degree of poverty. Yet the 
 Mexican here can live on less than any. In 
 the summer the corn and onion and peppers 
 of his garden-patch meet his needs ; in the 
 winter, even when he owns his bit of land, a 
 five-penny soup bone and one sweet potato 
 comprise his usual marketing. But poor as- 
 he may be, his daughters do not go out to 
 service ; his mother wraps her ribosa — that 
 remnant of the Spanish mantilla — about her 
 with the grand air ; and he himself, although 
 in rags, salutes you on the street with the 
 grave courtesy of a Spanish don. Making 
 exception of the proud old Mexican families, 
 of lineage and repute, who live in seclusion, it 
 is not possible to feel that these people who 
 are known as Mexicans have any claim to the 
 name as we use it. They are simply a gentler 
 Indian, accepting a sort of civilization, now 
 and then with a fairer tint, now and then 
 with a wave in the hair that tells of darker 
 blood, and always with a high cheek-bone, 
 following them to the tenth generation. 
 The proud Castilian has but small part in 
 them, the gentle Montezuma race perhaps has 
 
Tim ''STAR AND CRESCENT" AND '-SUNSET" ROUTE. 
 
 ' #^>%:( 
 
34 
 
 SAX AXTOXIO IX REVIEW. 
 
 less. One having those two strains in his 
 veins— the Spaniard, with his hemisphere of 
 poetry behind him ; the Montezuman, repre- 
 senting ancient and rightful empire of the 
 continent — should wear, it would seem, other 
 than these low-browed faces stamped in their 
 dumb and sullen ignorance, whether you see 
 them on the women squatting on the brick 
 floor of the cathedral, or on the men lounging 
 in the plazas against anything which will up- 
 hold them, darker and more sullen for the 
 shadow of their huge sombreros. 
 
 San Antonio is, in fact, a Spanish town to- 
 day, and the only one where any considerable 
 remnant of Spanish life exists in the United 
 States. In its old archives much interesting 
 information is held concerning the early Span- 
 ish rule in this country, and here also, by-the- 
 way, are some papers going very far to prove 
 the utter innocence of Aaron Burr of the trea- 
 son under the charge of which he suffered. 
 Many of the people proudly call themselves 
 Spanish, and most of the Americans of the 
 region find it necessary to speak their tongue 
 easily ; a lawyer, indeed, could hardly prac- 
 tice his profession without knowledge of the 
 language, which he needs in examining wit- 
 nesses, in pleading, and in recourse to the 
 documents in the matter of land titles, many 
 of which are in the Spanish, while most of the 
 local laws are founded on old Spanish usage. 
 Land is still measured here by the vara, and 
 the town has its alameda, its plazas, its ace- 
 quias, the houses have their jalousies, and the 
 stranger never loses a foreign feeling while he 
 stays. It is true that there are large numbers 
 of Germans, French, and Poles here, that no 
 shop-keeper employs a clerk who can not 
 deal with at least two of these nationalities 
 besides his own, and the place is in a manner 
 cosmopolitan ; t)ut Spain is at the foundation 
 of the whole of it. The secular buildings are 
 such as those which the earthquakes had 
 forced on the Spaniard in Mexico, and which, 
 from habit, he brought with him — and wher- 
 ever the modern builder varies the design, he 
 ornaments the galleries with a light wood- 
 work, cut, doubtless unconsciously, in a Moor- 
 ish pattern— and the church buildings are 
 such as those which the Spaniard venerated 
 in his mother-land. The Cathedral of San 
 Fernando has, indeed, been i-ebuilt, retaining 
 only a small fragment of the old building at 
 the back ; but the other ancient church build- 
 ings, quainter and more picturesque, known 
 as missions, although in ruins, have endured 
 no alteration of design. 
 
 San Antonio was itself a mission. A poor 
 little village called San Fernandez in 1698, it 
 was deemed best to remove thither from the 
 Rio Grande the mission of San Antonio de 
 Valero, in execution of a plan still further to 
 settle and civilize Texas, and thus to repress 
 the encroachments of the French, who, under 
 the pretensions of La Salle's brief occupancy, ■ 
 were always laying claim to it. Thenceforth 
 the mission was known as that of San Antonio , 
 
 de Bexar, from the name of the province, 
 Bexar being an immense section of territory 
 then comprising nearly all of southwestern 
 Texas, attached to the Intendancy of San Luis 
 Potosi. The population of the town was in- 
 creased by a royal importation of families from 
 the Canary Islands and from Tlaxcala, and 
 during the following half century the missions 
 of La Purisima Concepcion, of San Jose, San 
 Juan and La Espada were built down the river, 
 each a few miles from the other, and the Alamo 
 was begun on the left bank just behind the 
 town. These were posts partly religious, 
 partly defensive, founded by the Franciscans, 
 to whom some five square leagues were given 
 for the purpose, and who induced the milder 
 Indians to cultivate the rich lands, improve 
 their own condition, and enlarge the revenues 
 of the Church, without any doubt performing 
 a great work of civilization. The buildings of 
 the missions usually consisted of a noble church 
 at one end of the square, a fort at the other, 
 the apartments of the friars, the huts of the 
 laborers, the granaries and storehouses dis- 
 tributed between, all of massive stone, and 
 inclosed behind a high wall completing the 
 whole as a fortress, which was, indeed, neces- 
 sary, subject as it was to the incursions of the 
 fierce northern Indians. 
 
 These missions have an interest for us quite 
 apart from their beauty, for they stand up in 
 their solitude and decay, still giving silent tes- 
 timony to the immense debt that we, as a 
 people, owe to-day to the old conquistadores 
 of Spain. They are a part of the visible ro- 
 mance of our country, too ; for they met the 
 line of that chain of forts which followed in 
 the adventurous path of the Sieur de la Salle 
 and the intrepid Father Hennepin from the 
 Great Lakes to the Red River, and they also 
 ^\•ere the outposts of civilization in the wilder- 
 ness. The monks of these missions, more- 
 over, were those who opened to the world the 
 resources of this great empire of the West ; 
 with their patience and labor, they were the 
 first pioneers of the region, and but for the 
 riches which the soil displayed at their touch, 
 the colonist might not have been tempted here 
 for a century later. They cleared the way for 
 a new power among the peoples of the earth, 
 and in the annexation of that power to our 
 own, in the war that followed and the conse- 
 quent acquisition of all the northern half of 
 Mexican territory and the great train of cir- 
 cumstances resulting, one sees that, like all the 
 other conscientious workers of the world, they 
 ' builded better than they knew.' 
 
 Every one of these missions is now a ruin ; 
 the grass grows on so much of the roof as is 
 left, the mesquite starts up in the long cloisters 
 where the fathers used to pace, the cactus 
 sprouts and blossoms in the crannies of the 
 outer wall, the wild thyme hangs in bunches 
 there, and sweetens all the lonesome summer 
 air. Nothing can describe the solitary gran- 
 deur and beauty of the Concepcion, and the 
 marvelous piece of color that it makes, as you 
 
THE "■STAR AND CRESCEXT'' AND '■^SUNSET" ROUTE. 
 
 35 
 
 drive over the prairie, first approaching it 
 when, a mile and a half from the town, its 
 twin towers and dome darkly rise on the lumi- 
 nous sky. It is the first religious ruin you 
 have seen in America — indeed, these ruins are, 
 we think, the only things of the sort in the 
 country ; its existence is a romance, its con- 
 dition a mystery, and a vague pathos haunts 
 its broken arches and disused cells. The mis- 
 sion of San Jose, some four miles below the 
 first, is, however, both finer and more interest- 
 ing. This is really, it is said, the mission of 
 San Juan, but through a transmutation of 
 names peculiar to Texas, in which, for in- 
 stance, the original Brazos became the Colo- 
 rado, and the Colorado the Brazos, the place 
 is now always known as San Jose. The build- 
 ings of this, the second mission, were not only 
 of finer design and workmanship, but they 
 were those of a scholastic as well as of a reli- 
 gious institution, inclosed a much larger space, 
 and are left in much more detail. The church 
 was built in the style introduced in Europe by 
 the Jesuits when the Renaissance had become 
 wearying — the style from which subsequently 
 the Louis Quatorze developed itself. But 
 although a meretricious style, its effect, judg- 
 ing from these ruins, must have been very fine, 
 particularly in the dazzling light of this lati- 
 tude, and the execution of its details was of 
 the best. The stone, although now lichen- 
 eaten and weather-stained, is the soft cream- 
 colored stone of the district, which is easily 
 wrought, the surface walls frescoed with a 
 diaper of vermilion and blue, of which only 
 faint lines remain. All the lofty facade is a 
 mass of superb sculpture of colossal figures, 
 Avith cherubs, scrolls and iiowers ; similar 
 noble work surrounds one of the exquisitely 
 beautiful windows ; but for the rest, the great 
 halls are roofless, the long arcades are crumb- 
 ling into mounds of dust, and even the fine 
 statuary has been defaced by wanton wretches 
 who have enriched themselves with the hand 
 of a St. Joseph or the head of an infant Jesus. 
 Such as the carving is, it is regarded with 
 superstitious idolatry by the simple Mexicans 
 whose village surrounds the ruin, and the 
 priesthood itself would not dare to take any 
 measures for its preservation that should re- 
 move it from their daily sight. The chapel 
 attached to the mission is still in use, a weekly 
 service being held there. In spite of its pretty 
 font and of the groined arches of its vaulted 
 roof, it is a sad spot. Two or three old paint- 
 ings adorn it, a sacred image stands in the lofty 
 niche of the only window, which, lined with 
 scarlet, surrounds the image in a blazing 
 aureole, while the walls all about the altars 
 are strung with the votive offerings of the poor 
 worshipers, who, since they can not give lace 
 and jewels, and gold-wrought altar cloths, 
 give curious patch-work hangings which are 
 inexpressibly touching to see. There are said 
 to be great underground chambers attached 
 to this mission building, capable of holding 
 two years' provision of wheat, together witta 
 
 secret passages to the river, so that the water 
 supply could never be cut off ; and owing to 
 this, the mission was able once to endure, 
 triumphandy, according to tradition, a siege 
 of eighteen months' duration from those war- 
 like Indians who never ceased their hostility 
 to the undertaking of the Spaniard and the 
 Franciscan. Of the other missions, down the 
 river, there is scarcely enough left to mention; 
 but take them by moonlight, the effulgent 
 moonlight of San Antonio, and they are worth 
 a journey to see, the front of La Espada 
 towermg above the dark foliage, a melancholy 
 haunt of poetry and dreams. WTiy all these 
 buildings have been allowed to fall into such a 
 condition it is not easy to say. Whether it 
 was that the secularization of the missions 
 crippled them beyond their strength, whether 
 the Indian service was no longer able to main- 
 tain them, whether the dry climate had any 
 particularly injurious effect upon them, whether 
 
 the depredations of marauders have been equal 
 to such destruction, or whether it is judged 
 that they are most effective as they are — what- 
 ever the reason, the lover of the picturesque 
 may well be thankful f )r the result. 
 
 The drive to these missions, in deep woods, 
 across all the fords at all the windings of the 
 rivers, through the forsaken avenues of pecans 
 that the good friars planted, and up the open 
 prairie-side, is as wide and delightful a con- 
 trast with the ruins as it is possible to imagine, 
 and accents a great deal of their charm. Here 
 is no decay, no disrepair. Nature is alive 
 and throbbing through every leaf and blade ; 
 the mesquite is waving all light and feathery 
 grace on every ripple of the air, a thing of 
 beauty, half sunshine and half verdure ; the 
 mustang grape, with a stem the size of a baby's 
 
S.-4.V AXTOX/O LV KEI'/EIV. 
 
 waist, twists itself in long, loose ropes and 
 testoons from tree to tree, and spices the 
 wood ; the great ratamma, with its yellow 
 primrose flower set in a radiation of slender 
 green spike-like leaves, shines with all its 
 lamps against the dark masses of the magnifi- 
 cent pecan ; and earlier in the year the 
 wisache, each spray of which, strung with 
 downy golden balls, is precious in the North- 
 ern conservatory, soars like an illumination 
 beside the way, and the thickets of the lovely 
 frijo-lio clothe themselves in purple with the 
 narcissus at their feet. All around the Con- 
 cepcion mission, where one of the deadliest 
 fights of the Texan revolution once reddened 
 the grass, sheets of the white prickly-poppy 
 wave in the wind, the Texas star sprinkles 
 the sod, and the delicate little white rain- 
 lilies that spring after a shower, scatter their 
 delicious odor ; everywhere over the broad 
 slopes the prickly-pear blazes up in the sun 
 with its big red and yellow cups full of flame : 
 in the same colors, native to the soil, scarlet 
 and orange lantanas and abutilons grow be- 
 side the slender swaying mountain heliotrope 
 with its white blossom and vanilla scent, while 
 violet and verbena, morning-glory, marandia, 
 convolvulus, and clematis, greet the familiar 
 eye, and unknown blossoms flaunt in every 
 copse. The music of the mocking-bird, 
 which tilts on countless topmost boughs, is 
 pouring over you in floods of ecstacy ; the 
 cardinal-bird's note pipes clear as he darts 
 from the shadow of one bush to another like a 
 winged coal of fire ; the little finches warble 
 and thrill ; the turtle doves coo on the low 
 boughs, or go skipping together across the 
 grass ; the scissors-tail and the chacalaca skim 
 over the tops of the thorny chaparral ; a flock 
 of blackbirds that seem to have lit on the knoll 
 in a patch of yellow blossoms fly away at your 
 approach, and take the blossoms with them ; 
 the rabbits bound along the ground ; the 
 splendid wings of butterflies brush your face. 
 
 Just below the second mission you come to 
 the falls of the San Antonio. Although the 
 falls themselves, divided into many, are of no 
 great height, yet the volume of tumbling foam, 
 the wondrous color of the waters, and all the 
 harmony of the world of verdure that in every 
 shade of mighty oak, dipping willow, and 
 feathery fern swings over the stream which 
 slips so smoothly to the fall, and with such 
 jewel-like polish that its very swiftness seems 
 stillness, make a picture of green and silver 
 that it would take a West Indian wilderness 
 to rival. 
 
 The Alamo, the last of the missions, and 
 one never quite completed, is but a few steps 
 from your inn, on a dusty plaza that is a re- 
 proach to all San Antonio. Its wall is over- 
 thrown and removed, its dormitories are piled 
 with military stores, its battle-scarred front has 
 • been revamped and repainted, and market 
 carts roll to and fro on the spot where the 
 flames ascended at the touch of the torch of 
 an insolent foe over the fmieral pyre of heroes. 
 
 But yet the Texan visits it as a shrine, and 
 thrills with pride in a history that is more to^ 
 him than all the Monmouths and Lexingtons, 
 and Cowpens and Yorktowns of the Revolu- 
 tion ; for, after all, Texas is a domain by it- 
 self, with a past of its own, and although long^ 
 a voluntary member of our federation, yet, 
 like Hungary or like Scotland, it is hardly to 
 be absorbed. 
 
 The sword years since usurped the gown in 
 men's thoughts when they spoke of the church 
 of the Alamo, that fortress of the church mili- 
 tant. Yet many a stout contest, to be sure, 
 was waged in and around the little town of 
 Bexar before the walls of the Alamo were 
 ready for the banner poles from which such, 
 various flags have tossed defiance : to-day the 
 French, under St. Denis and La Harpe, driv- 
 ing back into it all the Spaniards of the out- 
 lying country, to-morrow the Comanches and 
 the Tahuacanos harrying it, and even after it 
 was garrisoned, the Apache riding boldly in and 
 bidding the soldier there tether his horses. 
 But with the building of the Alamo the strug- 
 gles for its possession became fierce and fre- 
 quent, and all the peaceful nestling beauty of 
 the town was, until within the last thirty years, 
 only the background for successive scenes of 
 bloodshed. Now Salcedo and Herrera sur- 
 render it to the Americans — that Salcedo 
 whose keen insight saw the ruin of Spain in 
 her colonies, and would have forbidden the 
 birds to fly across our border and bring back 
 any whisper of liberty ; now Elisondo threat- 
 ens it, one sunrise, from the distant heights of 
 the Alazan ; out of it eagerly marches a band to 
 meet Arredondo at the Medina, and lay their 
 bones to bleach on the old San Antonio road ; 
 now, again, a raw army of 500 men hold 
 Perfecto de Cos, the brother-in-law of Santa 
 Anna, and his force of nearly three times their 
 number, prisoners within the walls for two 
 months, till the assault is ordered, when, while 
 one party divert attention by an attack on the 
 Alamo, from which, as well as from the cathe- 
 dral, waves the merciless black and red flag, 
 two columns march up Soledad and Acequia 
 Streets, the one pushing through De la Garza's 
 house, the other through Veramendi's — each 
 house, with its walls three and fom- feet in 
 thickness being a little fort — push slowly on 
 day by day through the houses, not through 
 the streets, which were raked by Mexican guns, 
 through Navarro's house, into the priest's 
 house, into the square, when the black and red 
 flags come down and a white one goes up — a 
 bitterly contested fight, where on the second 
 day the magnificent Milan fell, long lying 
 buried where he fell. Although, some years 
 afterward, the ashes of this hero were removed 
 to a cemetery, yet the scarcity of land in Texas 
 recently created the necessity of running a 
 highway through the cemetery ; and while he 
 has his monument in the Capitol, yet Milan, 
 who so loved Liberty for Liberty's sake — lay 
 in canebrakes, slept in dungeons, starved and 
 bled and died for her — lies to-day in an 
 
THE '■'STAR AND CRESCENT'' AND ''SCNSET" ROC'TE. 
 
 37 
 
 unmarked grave where every hoof insults him. 
 But the great fight of the Alamo, that which 
 has immortalized it with the battles of the 
 world, took place when Santa Anna advanced 
 upon it with all the machinery of war at 
 Alexico's command. From the outset there 
 was no hope within the walls, and the little 
 garrison there made up their minds to their 
 fate ; indeed, one of them. Colonel Bonham, 
 sent out to seek re-enforcements, came back 
 alone, although he knew it was to die, hero- 
 ically as Regulus returned to Carthage. There 
 were 144 men in the Alamo ; Santa Anna's 
 troops, at first estimated at 1500, were pre- 
 sently increased to 4000 ; they were the flower 
 of the Me.\ican soldiery, commanded by officers 
 of matchless skill and daring, many of whom 
 loathed the work required of them. But Santa 
 Anna, who styled himself the Napoleon of the 
 West, left no foes to rise behind him : his policy 
 was the policy of extermination. The town of 
 San Antonio was already his ; the blood -red 
 flag flapped from the cathedral, and the fortress 
 was summoned to siu-render and throw itself 
 upon Mexican mercy. What that mercy was 
 can be imagined from the subsequent fate of 
 those who capitulated with the brave, im- 
 petuous Fannin at Goliad under all the forms 
 and articles of war, and with promise of speedy 
 release, only to receive orders, one Sunday 
 when they were singing 'Sweet Home,' to 
 march out in double file under guard, suddenly 
 halted when half a mile from the fort, the 
 guard wheeling and firing upon tliem till they 
 fell, betrayed and butchered in cold blood. 
 'This day, Palm Sunday,' writes a Mexican 
 ■officer of the massacre, ' has been to me a day 
 of most heart-felt sorrow. At six in the morn- 
 ing the execution of 412 American prisoners 
 was commenced, and continued till eight, when 
 the last of the number was shot. At eleven 
 commenced the operation of burning their 
 bodies. . But what an a\\-ful scene did the field 
 present, when the prisoners were executed and 
 fell dead in heaps, and what spectator could 
 view it without horror ! They were all young, 
 the oldest not more than thirty, and of fine 
 florid complexions. When the unfortunate 
 youths were brought to the place of death, 
 their lamentations, and the appeals which they 
 uttered to Heaven in their own language, with 
 extended arms, kneeling or prostrate on the 
 earth, were such as might have caused the very 
 stones to cry out in compassion.' 
 
 Travis and his men had no njind for such 
 mercy. Shut up in the Alamo, this was the 
 proclamation of that superb leader : ' I am 
 determined to sustain myself as long as pos- 
 sible, and die like a soldier who never forgets 
 what is due to his own honor and that of his 
 country. Victory or death 1' 
 
 This splendid death-cry was unheard. The 
 call was neglected. No help came. Santa 
 Anna surrounded the place on all sides with 
 intrenched encampments, and kept up a can- 
 nonade for ten days, many times attempting 
 to scale the walls, but always repulsed with 
 
 slaughter — 1500 of his men, it is said, falling 
 before the unerring Texas rifle. At midnight 
 of the thirteenth day the storming party was 
 ordered to the assault for the last time, the 
 reluctant infantry, pricked on by cavalry in 
 the rear, amidst the roar of artillery and the 
 volleys of musketry, the trumpet sounding the 
 dreadful notes of the deqttelo, signifying no 
 quarter. T\\ice they made the attempt in 
 vain, and recoiled only to be urged on for the 
 third time by the irresistible cordon behind 
 them ; the thii-d time they mounted the walls 
 and fell to their bloody work. It was short 
 and terrible. As Travis stood on an angle of 
 the northern wall, cheering the fearless spirits 
 behind him, a ball struck his forehead, and he 
 fell ; a Mexican officer rushed forward to dis- 
 patch him, but he died on the point of Travis's 
 sword as that hero breathed his last. And 
 with that the indiscriminate slaughter began, 
 man to man, of the little force that, worn out 
 
 with the task of repelling attacks and manning 
 works that required five times their number, 
 with sleeplessness and thirst, and without time 
 to reload their pieces, fought with their knives 
 and the stocks of their rifles till no soul of the 
 desperate band was left alive. Death and 
 Santa Anna held the place. The Alcalde of 
 San Antonio, summoned before the conqueror, 
 pointed out to him Travis on the wall with the 
 bullet in his forehead, Bowie butchered in his 
 cell where he lay on his sick-bed, Evans shot 
 in the act of blowing up the magazine, and 
 David Crockett lying dead with a circle of his 
 slaughtered foes around him. On the shaft 
 erected to the heroes runs a legend wRose 
 eloquence makes the heart stand still : ' Ther- 
 mopylce had its messenger of defeat, the Alamo 
 had none.' 
 
 San Antonio has always had more or less to 
 do with warlike operations. It is now again 
 a military department, under the control of 
 
3« 
 
 SA.V ANTOXIO IX REVIEW. 
 
 General Orel, a brave and accomplished sol- 
 dier, who from this station directs the frontier 
 movements between those forts that constitute 
 om- wall against the Mexican and the Apache ; 
 and in the event of a new Mexican ^^'ar, it will 
 be, as it is now, owing both to its situation and 
 to its railway connection with the coast, the 
 base of military operations. It has an arsenal, 
 with picturesque grounds and buildings, on 
 Flores Street, and a military depot on one of 
 the side hills, whose stone walls inclose suffi- 
 cient accommodation for all the stores needed 
 in time of war, while its tower overlooks the 
 country for many miles. There are several 
 regiments permanently stationed here, while 
 officers of other regiments are frequently going 
 and coming to and from other posts ; and there 
 is almost a pathetic contrast between the young 
 officer with his unfleshed sword, who arrives 
 smooth and fresh and fine in San Antonio, and 
 the bronzed and roughened fellow who rides 
 back from the frontier after a couple of years 
 of service there. San Antonio is held to be 
 quite a desirable post in the army, and the 
 army Hfe adds a great deal to the pleasure of 
 society in the place, with the high tone of its 
 brilliant men and lovely women of varied expe- 
 rience and graceful manners. But the society 
 proper to the place itself is of a superior order, 
 having something of the old Spanish base of 
 courtesy and gravity with the polish born of 
 contact with the world. For the San Antonians 
 are by no means a stay-at-home people, nor do 
 they confine their rambles to Mexico and the 
 South ; you will find many of those in com- 
 fortable circumstances who have made the 
 European tour, and several who have crossed 
 the ocean half a dozen times. Besides the 
 school of the convent, there are several fine 
 private schools, and there has long been a sys- 
 tem of free schools in operation there, and 
 those for whom these facilities are insufficient 
 send their children sometimes to the North 
 and sometimes to Europe. Of the young 
 ladies there — who, by-the-way, are rather 
 remarkable for their beauty — there are many 
 who speak Spanish or German, and many are 
 mistresses of four tongues ; while several of 
 the matrons have an acquaintance with the 
 dead languages which would allow them to fit 
 their own boys for college, are well read in 
 general literature too, and proud of the fact 
 that Texas has no lack of literature of her own. 
 A good deal of the quality of this society is 
 owing to the fact that its members depend so 
 largely for entertainment upon themselves, 
 and while dancmg and music have received 
 great attention, the art of conversation has 
 had an unconscious cultivation that it does not 
 so generally receive where opera and concert 
 andltheatre spare the trouble. Yet this society 
 is a growth of the present century. When the 
 first American lady went to San Antonio, the 
 Mexican women would beg permission to 
 come in and admire her, and after sitting in 
 silence a space, would go away lisping many 
 thanks in their sweet syllables, and saying 
 
 that she was very white and very lovely. 
 This soft lisp of the Mexican, we may say, 
 has somewhat infected the speech of the aver- 
 age San Antonian, who calls acequias isakers, 
 and speaks of the Salado and the Cibolo as 
 the Slough and the Seewiller. Perhaps, also, 
 he has been infected by something more than 
 the Mexican lisp, in a certain enervation and 
 lack of public spirit which causes him to allow 
 his lovely town still to retain its fantastic 
 charm, instead of joining the march of im- 
 provement ; he does not wish to see things 
 other than they always have been ; it is no 
 paradox for him to say that although they be 
 better, they are not so good. This is the 
 square where Baron de Bastrop met Moses 
 Austin turning away in disgrace and despair, 
 and changed the fortunes of Texas ; here is 
 the public crossing of the river where old 
 Delgado's head was set up on a pole ; there is 
 the brook that once ran red with the blood of 
 Salcedo, Herrera, and twelve other good 
 knights and true to pay for that head ; and 
 yonder is the plaza where the famous Co- 
 manche fight took place not forty years ago, 
 when three-score Indian warriors, squaws and 
 papooses came into San Antonio by appoint- 
 ment to surrender their white prisoners, and, 
 failing to keep faith, were told they should be 
 held as hostages, upon which, in an instant, 
 bows were strong and knives unsheathed, and 
 in the fearfid struggle which followed, the 
 squaws themselves fighting like tiger-cats, not 
 one of the warriors was left alive. The old 
 vSan Antonian wishes to keep these places un- 
 altered, nor would he have the honored names 
 of Manchaca, Navarro, Zavala, Seguin, and 
 their sort, superseded by those of enterjDrising 
 emigrants. From the point of view of the 
 picturesque he is certainly right ; but other- 
 wise one is reminded of the saying, now be- 
 come a proverb, that the enemy of Texas is 
 the old Texan. In spite of him, though, cer- 
 tain changes will be wrought by time ; enter- 
 prise has already crept into the place. It has 
 a Historical Society and a Board of Trade ; 
 it is talking of a new system of sewerage ; it 
 has a gas house, much of whose gas is made 
 of cotton-seed ; it has a railroad which has 
 already improved its market, and it is bound 
 to have others yet. 
 
 There is a sort of romance attaching to the 
 road that brings into daily communication 
 with the world this city, one of that lonely 
 trio, San Antonio, Nacogdoches, and Santa 
 Fe, that for nearly two centuries have stood 
 on their long untraveled trails, unknown and 
 remote in their silent solitudes upon the out- 
 posts. This road was built, single-handed, by 
 its owner, Mr. Peirce, who is said to be the 
 largest land-holder in the world. The bed in 
 all its length is broad and firm, much of it 
 made of the solid concrete deposits which are 
 found on the line, the ties are laid with an 
 exact precision, the rails are steel, and the 
 bridges are of iron, with piers of solid masonry 
 tlmt defy the floods. On the occasion of its 
 
THE ^'■STAR AND CRESCENT" AND ^'S INSET" ROUTE. 
 
 39 
 
 opening the San Antonians displayed a unique 
 hospitality. To every guest that came over 
 the road they gave literally the freedom of the 
 city — the best they had to offer. Bed and 
 board and fruit and flower were his ; any gar- 
 den where he wished to stroll was his ; any 
 carriage that he chose to stop upon the street 
 and enter was his ; any bar across which he 
 wished to drink — and their name is legion — 
 any cigar he chose to take. For three days 
 the three hundred guests were entertained as 
 kii>gs and princes entertain, and were dis- 
 missed without having been allowed to pay a 
 bill. It has always been a long and fatiguing 
 stage-coach ride thither ; but now the Texan 
 is pouring in to visit its sanctuaries. He calls 
 it almost invariably ' Santone,' and it is as full 
 of novelty and delight to him as to the rest of 
 the world. He goes to the Alamo and is 
 weighed, congratulating himself on those that 
 were weighed in the balance and not found 
 wanting there once before ; he climbs to the 
 top of the mission tower, and recalls yet earlier 
 days ; he visits the springs ; and he spends his 
 evening at Wolfram's Garden, where the cups 
 of colored light, among all the greenery re- 
 flected in the river, make an elfin place of 
 strange contrast to those rude earlier scenes. 
 He goes to the bee caves outside the city, to 
 the bat caves some twenty miles away, where 
 the scent of ammonia is stifling, the accumu- 
 lations of guano are tremendous, and where 
 the bats flying out just at sunset in long 
 streams, like the never-ceasing smoke of a 
 volcano, darken all the air, while the trans- 
 parent membranes of their outstretched wings, 
 catching the sidelong sunlight, make an unin- 
 termitting dazzle of prismatic lustre. Or per- 
 haps he is on the fortunate party that unearths 
 the skeleton in armor of one of those Spanish 
 knights sent out by Cortez to find the seven 
 treasure cities and never returning — wonder- 
 ful bronze armor, finished in the perfection of 
 art. Within the town he sees the long emi- 
 grant train threading the streets, with home- 
 sick women and determined men ; he sees the 
 great supply trains going out full and heavy 
 to the markets of Saltillo, Monterey, and 
 Chihuahua, and returning with hides and 
 silver and wool ; he sees the hunters coming 
 home laden with game, and the gay party of 
 young roughs pushing forth, with their six- 
 shooters on the saddle, to seek for the lost 
 mines of San Saba, or for those of Uvalde and 
 the remoter west. He sees, too, the group of 
 Mexican officers meeting here, perhaps for 
 refuge, perhaps for safer conspiracy, perhaps 
 to act with that Escobedo who put an end to 
 Maximilian's pretty romance, and served 
 notice on Europe to send no more kings to 
 America ; he sees the old banker, who, an 
 American prisoner, has cleaned the streets of 
 Mexico with ball and chain on his foot, the old 
 physician who holds the diploma of all the 
 learned societies in Europe, and who came to 
 this country with that scion of royalty, the 
 prince who colonized Xew Braunfels, bringijig 
 
 with him letters from Humboldt ; or possibly 
 he may meet a still stately dame who wears 
 the diamonds given to her by her old partner 
 in the dance, the pirate Lafitte, hero of Byron's 
 ' Corsair. ' He sees, with these, this and that 
 veteran of Houston's men, still full of the old 
 fire, as interesting to him, and almost as an- 
 cient, as if just stepped out of Joshua's army 
 before Jericho ; or, as possibly, one of the 
 'bean men,' a sort of sacred character, being 
 the survivor of the famous Mier expedition. 
 
 But her own surrounding hills and prairies 
 are wealth enough for her as it is. The yield 
 of the cereals there is simply enormous. The 
 corn is twice as high as your head in May, and 
 the grass has twice been cut by that ; every 
 known vegetable has long been in the market 
 then. The sweet and luscious figs are ripe, 
 and pears and apples, apricots, phmis and 
 
 peaches, are ready to gather ; while, later in 
 the year, bananas, pomegranates and persim- 
 mons come in, and the pecans drop big and 
 sweet as one finds them nowhere else. There 
 are fields about San Antonio where $400 an 
 acre have been realized out of sugar-cane, 
 although that is an extremely exceptional 
 yield, the proceeds being partly due to the 
 sale of cane in the streets, it being a choice 
 morsel in its season. Large quantities of it 
 are fed to cattle also ; and for them, afe another 
 delicacy, the prickly-pear is raked into heaps 
 and scorched of its thorns by fire. The Spanish 
 moss is found in immense quantities on the 
 trees in certain portions of country round San 
 Antonio, as well as all the way to the coast. 
 It is an epiphyte, not a parasite, drawing its 
 sustenance from the air, and not the tree, to 
 which it does no injury ; and it is already 
 forming a good branch of commerce, as, being 
 well rotted and dried, it makes a valuable sub- 
 stitute for curled hair in upholstery. Cotton, 
 too, is almost equally prolific with everything 
 else. In fact, there is nothing which the rich 
 earth does not seem capable of producing, and 
 producing at its best. As you see it freshly 
 turned up, clean, dark, and glistening as 
 though it held hidden sunbeams, it seems, 
 according to the old saying, fairly good enough 
 to eat. It would excuse the clay -eaters them- 
 selves if it were on such substance that they fed ; 
 
40 
 
 SAA' AKTOXIO IX REVIEW. 
 
 and one would well wish that, having the tra- 
 ditional peck of dirt to eat, it might be eaten in 
 San Antonio. One does not wonder to see this 
 sod break into blossom the day after it is cut. 
 
 ' A footfall there 
 Suffices to upturn to the warm air 
 Half-germinating spices : mere decay 
 Produces richer life, and day by day 
 New pollen on the lily petal grows, 
 And still more labyrinthine buds the rose.' 
 
 And San Antonio in this matter is but the type 
 of all western Texas — a land of promise and 
 ■of plenty ; a land flowing in milk and honey 
 (if, with the cattle roaming in multitudes, one 
 were not obliged to use condensed milk in 
 ■one's coffee) ; a land where the vagrant can 
 sleep in comfort under a tent in open air all 
 "his lifetime, and may live in luxury, scarcely 
 lifting his hands to labor, and where the ener- 
 getic and intelligent bind fortune hand and 
 foot, and compel her to their service. Nearly 
 300,000 people entered it in the last year, and 
 sought permanent homes ; many more, we 
 understand, contemplate the same movement 
 in the commg year. And their success is 
 entirely in the measure of their endeavor ; for 
 with eggs selling at from six to ten cents a 
 dozen, and beef at from five to eight cents a 
 pound, the cost of living is at its minimum. 
 Rents are the only expensive item, and the 
 ■climate, as we have said, makes a tent suffi- 
 cient shelter until a house can be built. And 
 never was any place more full of opportunity 
 to those who can seize occasion by the fore- 
 lock — opportunity, too, quite outside of the 
 farming industries. Wonderful water-powers 
 that could spin and weave all the cotton on 
 earth compass the cotton belt there, while the 
 machinery of woolen mills covdd run without 
 steam beside the ranch where the wool is 
 shorn ; the huge heaps of bones, gathered 
 from the prairies where the cattle of two hun- 
 dred years have laid them, and that are 
 transported at great cost, could be ground 
 into dust, or made into combs and buttons on 
 the spot ; acres of blooming wild white pop- 
 pies tell ivhat is yet to be done there in opium ; 
 tons of indigo are ready to the hand ; and the 
 mesquite is able to tan the hides that travel 
 some five thousand miles before they come 
 back in saddles and harnesses and shoes. 
 
 This mesquite, by the way, could be to the 
 Texan almost as much as the palm is to the 
 Arab — an object of pleasure to the eye of 
 man. Cattle browse upon its foliage, sheep 
 eagerly eat its teans ; its gnarled wood, when 
 grown to any size, is as fine as old mahogany 
 for furniture ; its abundant gum is the gum- 
 arabic of the East, and its bark tans leather 
 as quickly and thoroughly as any other sub- 
 stance known. Forbidden by Spain, in that 
 narrow policy which has reacted in ruin on 
 herself, to grow flax, hemp, saffron, olives, 
 grapes and mulberries, the country blossoms 
 with them all to-day. And, in truth, there is 
 nothing which she does not bring forth, from 
 the wines of El Paso to the camels raised ana 
 sold to traveling menageries, for confiding 
 parents to exhibit to marveling children as the 
 ship of the desert, and the product of the 
 Scriptural East. 
 
 It is the Scriptural East that the region 
 round about San Antonio, and all this west- 
 ern Texas, indeed, constantly presents to 
 the mind in the lay of the land and all its 
 characteristics. The irrigating ditches, the 
 shepherds and their flocks, the cattle on a 
 thousand hills, the wild asses snuffing the 
 breeze, the wheat, the vineyard, the lilies 
 of the field, the smell of the grape, the voice 
 of the turtle-dove, the fig and the pomegranate 
 — they are all there ; the very atmosphere, 
 and the high clear heavens recall the skies 
 of Palestine ; one feels what the burden 
 and heat of the day means, and recalls the 
 Lord walking in His garden in the cool of 
 the evening. At every step some mem- 
 ory or association concerning the Holy Land 
 arises ; and the dweller, sitting on his gal- 
 lery, and overlooking his green pastures, 
 as the sweet and sudden dusk follows sunset 
 without twilight there, can well give thanks, 
 saying, ' For the Lord thy God bringeth 
 thee into a good land, a land of brooks of wa- 
 ter, of fountains and depths that spring out of 
 valleys and hills ; a land of wheat, and barley, 
 and vines, and fig-trees, and pomegranates ; 
 a land of oil olive, and honey ; a land wherein 
 thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou 
 shalt not lack anything in it ; a land whose 
 stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou 
 mayest dig brass.' " 
 
THE '^STAR AXD CRESCENT'' AXD ''SUNSET" ROUTE. 
 
 41 
 
 SAN ANTONIO OF TO-DAY. 
 
 As the tourist or invalid, perhaps, desires 
 some description of San Antonio's new 
 features, and, may be, Hkes to know also some- 
 thing of rambles of former times in a stage- 
 coach or in a prairie schooner, we will give 
 some fiu-ther synopsis of such rambles made 
 very recently, and of such made in former 
 years. 
 
 A stage ride from San Antonio to Austin 
 was considered one of the most romantic in 
 western Texas, and in fact, by being favored 
 with a comfortable seat beside the driver, it 
 was a rare treat. We will, in our limited 
 space, only speak of a drive from San Antonio 
 to the Comal Springs, near New Braunfels. 
 
 One b.-autiful morning we take our place 
 beside the driver of the San Antonio stage, on 
 the high box-seat, perched above four fine 
 and strong horses, in front of the Menger 
 House. The driver cracks his long whip, and 
 we dash by quaint stone houses, pass the 
 Government Depot, climb a hill, and get some 
 glimpses of the dear old city, encircled by the 
 richly tree-bordered river ; in the dim distance 
 some missions peep out between pecan groves ; 
 to the left we observe a long chain of the Gua- 
 dalupe Mountains, and are on the hard, white, 
 glistening highway. 
 
 Fording the Saluda Creek, we come upon 
 something of a plateau, overgrown with nutri- 
 tious pasturage grass and shaded by the scant 
 foliage of numberless mesquite orchards, that 
 crowd each other on either side of the road. 
 Here a dilapidated INIexican hut varies the 
 scene, and further on a b^-autiful farm-house, 
 with its surroundings indicative of thrift and 
 prosperity, pleases the eye ; anon a prairie, 
 whereon graze the cattle in innumerable 
 herds, and where the frolicsome calf disports 
 himself \\'\\.\\ his playmate in the presence of a 
 sleepy mother ruminating upon the pickings 
 of the past feed time. In the distance a couple 
 of cow-boys — one with his Mexican sombrero 
 and flashy ornaments, the other with slouch 
 hat and boot-legs over his pants — pursue a 
 stray member of the herd and bring it within 
 bounds. 
 
 Overhead the bright blue sky reaches from 
 horizon to horizon, and the pure atmosphere ' 
 all around fills the lungs at every inhalation 
 with the essence of eternal youth. Onward 
 we whirl, passing low stone fences that inclose 
 cultivated fields and growing crops ; these 
 marks of the husbandman indicate the prox- 
 imity of a streamlet, on the banks of which 
 nature has planted a more fertile soil. In its 
 crystal depths our horses slake their thirst, 
 
 
 and we ascend again a still higher elevation 
 of table-land. From here, as by magic, the 
 beautiful little city of New Braunfels, nestled 
 in the bosom of the rich valley of the Comal 
 River, bursts upon our view. As we draw 
 near, the increased number of little homes 
 betoken the vicinity of a manufacturing town, 
 and a growing industry among the settlers. 
 
 For a moment we lose sight of the city and 
 are buried in the dense shades of a live-oak, 
 where the great branches of the trees reach 
 out their arms seemingly to support the long 
 
 0t' 
 
 rolls of hanging moss, almost sweeping the 
 groimd as the breeze stirs among green leaves. 
 Next, on the left, the white rock'foundations, 
 in contrast to a rich growth of green cedars, 
 make a beautiful picture of wild nature's paint- 
 ing. To the right the hand of man paints a 
 rural picture with all the colors of incipient, 
 progressing and perfected agriculture. 
 
 The yard, the garden, the field are all there 
 tilled by the careful hand and hoe, or by the 
 brawny muscle and sharp ploughshare A 
 fair maiden with flaxen hair and bright blue 
 eyes looks up from her wi_>rk among the rose 
 bushes as we pass, and seems not only queen 
 of that domain, but queen of health, beauty 
 and happiness. We imagined she almost 
 smiled as we passed on to the town of New 
 Braunfels, the oldest settlement in that section, 
 it having been the home of German settlers as 
 early as 1S54. There they set foot, and despite 
 the hardships of pioneer life, privations of 
 explorers and frequent battlings with Indians, 
 held, and will ever hold, a firm footing on 
 that now prospering land. Having safelv 
 landed in town, we met at the hotel Mr. Landa, 
 whom we found to be an elegant, educated and 
 refined gentleman and the fortunate owner of 
 Comal Springs. Resting awhile we accepted 
 an invitation from him to visit these springs. 
 Seated in an open landau behind a fine and 
 spirited pair of dark bays, we drive through 
 the principal streets and see on every hand 
 
42 
 
 S.4.V AXTONIO OF TO-DAY. 
 
 groups of healthy looking children indulging in 
 their more or less athletic sports. Now and 
 then the graceful movement and elastic step of 
 a fair-haired German lassie attracts the eye, 
 while the clear ring of her sweet voice speaks 
 to the ear in prophetic tones of the generations 
 to come and the great people that are yet to 
 cover the lands of this great state. The 
 town is laid out with much regularity, giving 
 each house ample room for a vegetable or 
 flower garden. The Germans having a pecu- 
 liar fondness for flowers did not forget to leave 
 space for the cultivation of roses, pinks, 
 resedas, violets, forget-me-nots and the many 
 other fragrant flowers that flourish here. 
 Driving from the city we descend a small 
 decline and cross one of the many tributaries 
 of the Comal. To the right a miniature 
 Niagara tumbling over the rocks conveys to 
 your mind a small idea of the immense water 
 power confined within the banks of this river. 
 Ascending we pass Landa's grist mill, built of 
 stone, just above which the waters, pent up 
 by the dam, form a beautiful lakelet of crystal- 
 clear water. Around its borders, and hanging 
 over its limpid depths, water lilies, the giant 
 leaves of the caladium and many other 
 aqtiatic plants are to be seen in the wildest 
 profusion and of the most luxuriant growth. 
 Here we dismount, and on a rustic foot-bridge 
 made of unsawn forest saplings, cross to an 
 island whereon is a vineyard of the most lus- 
 cious grapes to be found anywhere. Side by 
 side with the vines, are fig-trees loaded down 
 with an abundant crop of that most delicious 
 fruit. 
 
 From this garden-island, from this lap of 
 luxury, we take our departure in a small 
 canoe and skim over the placid surface of the 
 Comal, with rich wreaths of aquatic plants 
 and tropical flowers clustering along either 
 margin and the dense foliage of giant forest 
 trees clasping hands above the silvery band 
 that steals its way about their roots, until 
 we re-enter the carriage to drive past spring 
 after spring of bubbling water, throwing out 
 its share of the immense supply that forms this 
 beautiful river of which we write. As we 
 travel there stretches behind us one of the 
 most beautiful and sublime landscapes that the 
 pen of poet or novelist ever described, or the 
 brush of painter pictured. Not the celebrated 
 vale of Tempe, nor any of the immortal valleys 
 of the Orient equal this paradise of the wes- 
 tern world . After having ridden some distance 
 we again take it afoot and cross once more to 
 our little insular Eden, from whence in another 
 direction is seen the loveliest picture of nature 
 that enchanted the human eye. The undis- 
 turbed waters stretch away as far as the eye 
 can reach, and in their shallows the white 
 cranes wade and the moss dips to the water's 
 surface from the overreaching boughs. A 
 little way off" the dark green cedars spring 
 up from the white limestone rocks, and all are 
 reflected from the glassy mirror that trails 
 beneath them. We were fain to exclaim 
 
 ' ' Let us rest here forever ! ' ' Through a 
 picturesque glen we again find our carriage 
 and drive to the top of some mountainous 
 bluffs where begins a table-land more beauti- 
 fid than that seen on the road from San 
 Antonio. It is covered with rich grass, and 
 numberless clumps of trees are interspersed 
 with meadows replete with the rarest flowers. 
 In the distance the blue mountain ridges loom 
 up, deepening their tints as they recede, and 
 valley after valley intervenes. Evening has 
 now nearly gone ; and as the sun, casting his 
 farewell gleams into every nook and corner of 
 the landscape, and fringing every cloud with 
 his silvery lining, disappears behind the west- 
 ern horizon, a scene of grandeur is presented 
 that beggars all description. 
 
 San Antonio is watered by two beautiful 
 streams, the San Antonio and the San Pedro, 
 the former running directly through the heart 
 of the city. It is a crystal-clear, swift current, 
 of a deep bluish hue ; and although flowing in 
 a channel not very wide, its banks are pic- 
 turesque and overhung by beautiful foliage 
 that in some places (often in the middle of the 
 town) overarch the entire stream. Passing 
 under large stone bridges and under newly 
 built iron bridges, it is one of the loveliest pos- 
 sible water streets, and is something original 
 and unique, to be found nowhere else. The 
 flights of stone steps, leading to cozy bath- 
 houses and thence into the comfortable villas, 
 reminds one of Venetian canals. Enchanting 
 gardens touch the borders of this river, and 
 little skiffs are used in making neighborly 
 visits. The residences on Flores Street are all 
 completely embowered in shrubbery. Since 
 1877 many additions have been made to the 
 building list of 1S76, chiefly on Main Street ; 
 they are notable for the decided architectural 
 improvement and the superiority of the building 
 material used. 
 
 The headquarters of the general command- 
 ing the Department of Texas are located in a 
 large stone building two stories in height, on 
 Government Hill, near the new Government 
 depot, which is situated upon a splendid eleva- 
 tion northeast of the city, with a beautiful view 
 of the town, commanding both banks of the 
 San Antonio, with all the missions, and the 
 range of hills semicircling the city with a 
 gradual elevation of 200 to 300 feet. All the 
 grounds comprise 216 acres, with four main 
 buildings constructed of stone, each 624 feet in 
 length. The offices of the different depart- 
 ments are perfect and complete in every re- 
 spect, and are very elegantly furnished. The 
 building to the west is for storage of all kinds ; 
 that upon the east for flour ; upon the north 
 for wagon, blacksmith and repair shops, etc. 
 In the centre is a tower built of stone, 90 
 feet in height, a landmark, and one that com- 
 mands a panorama rarely to be seen. To the 
 northwest are corrals, with buildings for all 
 domestic purposes, and in regard to combin- 
 ing the useful and convenient no other military 
 post in the state is its equal. Plazas, parks. 
 
THE ''STAR AXD CRESCENT'' AND ''SUNSET'' ROUTE. 43 
 
 MISSION SAN JOSE. 
 
44 
 
 SAN ANTONIO OF TO-DAY. 
 
 churches, missions, etc., are already described. 
 In regard to business houses, information can 
 be found in the newspapers of this city, which 
 are ably conducted and have a leading in- 
 fluence in this part of the state. The Express 
 is published daily and weekly ; the Herald, 
 also, is published both daily and weekly, and 
 last but not least, the Freie Presse, a German 
 paper, the very best of its kind in the state. 
 The leading hotels are the Menger, Maverick, 
 the Central House, Hord's Hotel, and the 
 Vance House. Private boarding-houses with 
 all accommodations can be easily secured. 
 Places of amusement are few, but with the 
 growth of the city, suitable investments will 
 doubtless be made. At present only three 
 halls are in use : the Alamo Literary Associa- 
 tion, the Casino (German), Turner and the 
 Music Hall above Schalz's summer garden. 
 
 The markets, mentioned elsewhere, present 
 scenes imlike those in any other city in the 
 United States, and remind the curious looker- 
 on of the customs of an old Spanish town. 
 
 Concerning the public and private schools 
 of San Antonio, we can state that they do 
 great credit to the city, being amply provided 
 for by the State School Fund, and receiving be- 
 sides a liberal share of the Peabody and private 
 endowments. Five public schools and build- 
 ings ; eight private and select schools ; one 
 Catholic college ; one convent, and one Eng- 
 lish and German academy (the last being one 
 of the best conducted schools in Texas), con- 
 stitute vSan Antonio's educational advantages. 
 The various associations are. Masonic, Odd 
 Fellows, Knights of Pythias, and other benev- 
 olent orders ; a German casino, with a beau- 
 tiful theatre and concert hall, a Turn Verein, 
 an association of Mexican war veterans, an 
 Agricultural, Stock and Industrial Association 
 and two well-organized singing clubs (German). 
 Carriages, street cars and other means of 
 transportation are convenient for the many 
 beautiful drives or excursions to the missions 
 and parks near the city. Objects of interest 
 can be found everywhere in this old town ; 
 and the superior character and comfort of 
 nearly an hundred licensed carriages, afford 
 to the visitor and invalid a necessary luxury, 
 which should be highly appreciated, as many 
 other winter resorts are often lacking in such 
 accommodations. 
 
 The water supply of San Antonio is the 
 very best in the state. F>om the earliest set- 
 tlement of the quahit town, the San Antonio 
 and San Pedro springs and rivers have been 
 the only sources of water supply for house- 
 hold and gardening purposes. The . rapid 
 growth of the city being foreseen, it was de- 
 cided to erect a system of water-works, using 
 the head-springs of the San Antonio River to 
 supply the city with an abundance of pure 
 water for fire protection, sanitary, public and 
 domestic purposes ; these works are now 
 completed. The head-force raises the water, 
 which is of the purest kind, to a height of 
 twenty-four feet, from whence it is forced by 
 
 machinery to the height of eighty-five feet into 
 the receiving reservoir. This reservoir is 
 erected upon a space of six acres, known as 
 the City Rock Quarries, having a capacity of 
 five million gallons. Not far from these water- 
 works are the sources of the San Antonio. 
 In no other place is the river so supremely 
 beautiful as at its head-waters, on the high 
 plateau at the foot of the Guadalupe range ; 
 here it breaks out from innumerable springs, 
 which at once form themselves into a beautiful 
 stream, having its banks ornamented with a 
 wealth of blossoms. Mr. Brackenridge, who 
 purchased the estate of several hundred acres 
 containing this lovely natural park lying 
 along the base of the mountains, has thrown 
 a protecting stone wall around it to prevent 
 abuses, but has kindly given one or two days 
 each week to those who desire to visit these most 
 interesting and picturesque grounds, the pos- 
 session of which an English lord might envy 
 him. As some one well says in regard to the 
 San Antonio: "The stream is a delicious 
 poem, written in water on the loveliest of river- 
 beds, from which mosses, ferns, dreamiest 
 green and painted crimson, rich opalescent 
 and strong golden hues peep out. Every few 
 rods there is a lovely waterscape — a painting 
 in miniature." Butterflies of rare beauty and 
 other brilliant winged insects, swarm from 
 flower to flower, large-leaved bananas over- 
 shadow a part of the springs, and groups of 
 other beautiful water-plants lend an enchanting 
 verdure to the cool banks. Noble pecans, 
 beautiful oaks, ashes and shrubs of every de- 
 scription, "stand like Druids of old," around 
 these fairy -like waters, not only draped with 
 the historic moss, but festooned with gala-vines, 
 with blooms of red, white and blue, reflecting 
 themselves in the placid pools so pure, so deep 
 and crystal-clear to the very bottom. It is 
 the desire of many prominent citizens to pur- 
 chase this splendid park for the city, to be 
 used by the public, and Mr. Brackenridge is 
 willing to part with it for the sake of the 
 great general benefit that will arise from 
 its proper use. The San Pedro is also a 
 clear and charming stream. All its sources 
 are confined to the northern border of the 
 city in the enclosure of San Pedro Park, 
 easily reached by the street cars. This park 
 is a favorite public resort ; there are held fes- 
 tivals, illuminations, boating parties on the 
 lovely lakelets, picnics, concerts, hops, fairs, 
 etc. The San Pedro is utilized to irrigate a 
 large portion of the city, and from its very 
 source becomes a great benefactor, as is its 
 noble companion stream, the San Antonio. 
 Within the corporate limits the San Pedro 
 produces, by a system of irrigation, a luxur- 
 iant growth of trees and brilliant as well as 
 fragrant flowers in. the adjoining gardens. 
 Tropical blossoms, and beautiful cypresses, 
 weeping willows and other shade-trees with 
 variously tinted foliage, delight the eye on 
 every side, and mark with beauty the course 
 of the silver stream. 
 
THE ^^6TAR AND CRESCENT'' AND ^'•SUNSET'' ROUTE. 
 
 45 
 
 SAN ANTONIO AS A WINTER RESORT. 
 
 So much has been said and written over and 
 over again in regard to San Antonio and 
 its highlands, its unsurpassed climate, so heal- 
 ing and soothing to the invahd, that we can only 
 recapitulate some general remarks by expe- 
 rienced observers, in order not to lengthen 
 this pamphlet too much ; and we will bring it 
 to a close with some gen- 
 eral hints to invalids, as 
 well as to the tourist or 
 sportsman, and by giving 
 some description of the Sun- 
 set Route's Pacific Exten- 
 sion and its adjacent win- 
 ter resorts. 
 
 Thousands who have the 
 means wherewith to travel 
 — especially those residing 
 in the cold climates of the 
 North and East, and who 
 wish to avoid the extreme 
 winters, lasting about seven 
 months of the year — and 
 who are in search of a 
 more genial clime, would 
 do well to visit this section. 
 Many valuable lives can 
 thus be saved and many 
 prolonged. Those suffering 
 with pulmonary affections, 
 rheumatism or kindred in- 
 firmities, will be cured or 
 relieved by spending the 
 winter months in San An- 
 tonio or its vicinity. The 
 elevation of San Antonio 
 is 625 feet above the sea. 
 Its atmosphere is as pure 
 and balmy as that of Italy ; 
 its climate is dry and in- 
 vigorating ; its numerous 
 springs are pure and spark- 
 ling; summer flowers bloom 
 in the gardens during the 
 winter ; in and about the 
 city are easy and delight- 
 ful drives ; hotels and pri- 
 vate residences offer all 
 the conveniences and luxuries that are found 
 anywhere, either North or East. The medical 
 faculty, noted for their science and high attain- 
 ments, are ever ready to help and to advise. 
 It 15 an invariable experience of those M'ho go 
 to San Antonio from the heavy and moist 
 atmospheres of the Mississippi valley, the 
 marshy swamps of Florida and Cuba, or the 
 Atlantic coast, that they experience a sense of 
 
 exhilaration and buoyancy while inhaling the 
 strengthening, electrical and balmy atmos- 
 phere in this western Paradise, unequaled in 
 climate throughout the United States. Those 
 sceptical ones, who are desirous of being con- 
 vinced of the fact that the climate of western 
 Texas is equal in salubrity and healthfulness to 
 
 DOORWAY OF SAN JOSE MISSION. 
 
 any in the world, have only to consult the 
 United States Census Reports of the Signal 
 Service Observations, or any scientific work on 
 climatology ; an honest perusal of these would 
 certainly satisfy the most incredulous. We give 
 the mean standard thermometer as observed 
 for the six cold months: November 58.73, 
 December 55.76, January 49.59, February 
 58.72, March 64.50 and April 67.67 degrees. 
 
46 
 
 SAA' ANTONIO AS A WINTER RESORT. 
 
 It is an interesting fact that the inhabitants 
 of western Texas are free from pulmonary 
 diseases ; a truth noticed even in its first set- 
 tlement in the seventeenth century. No such 
 diseases can originate in that section of the 
 state, while many who go there suffering from 
 lung affections, often experience a perfect cure 
 or prolong their lives for years in comfort. 
 Marked instances of this have become widely 
 known, and the General Passenger Depart- 
 ment will with pleasure answer any questions 
 in regard to persons who have been thus al- 
 most miraculously cured, giving names and 
 address of ladies and gentlemen of wealth and 
 culture. 
 
 It is further stated that invalids in an ad- 
 vanced stage of consumption will find almost 
 any desired temperature near San Antonio, 
 securing a beneficial change by going to higher 
 altitudes, so easily reached by the extension of 
 the Sunset Route. Such health-seekers will 
 receive from the medical practitioners of San 
 Antonio the most reliable and trustworthy ad- 
 vice. 
 
 Many an invalid in the first stages of lung 
 disease would be cured by camp life, by sleep- 
 ing in a tent, and pursuing out-door sports ; 
 and many who make an experiment of frontier 
 life soon delight in their wild freedom, and 
 learn to enjoy a venison steak, a trout, a wild 
 turkey, a partridge or prairie chicken, simply 
 prepared by the camp fire, in preference to all 
 the luxurious dishes by any "cordon bleu." 
 The reward for such a hardy experiment is 
 almost invariably a recovery of strength ; and 
 the bloom of youth returns with the bronzed 
 cheek and health with the muscular chest and 
 clear eye. The following extracts from a pa- 
 per read at the ninth annual session of the Tex- 
 as State Medical Association, by Dr. J. B. 
 Robertson, one of the oldest and most highly 
 esteemed physicians in the state, will not fail 
 to impress the reader favorably : 
 
 ' ' That portion of western and southwestern 
 Texas lying west of the 98th meridian of longi- 
 tude, and north of the 29th degree of latitude, 
 has an elevation above the sea, begintiing fifty 
 miles south of San Antonio, of 500 feet, and 
 gradually rising as the line is traced north 
 to 2000 feet. This region is drained by the 
 following rivers and their numerous tributaries: 
 Brazos, Colorado, Guadalupe, San Antonio, 
 Nueces and Rio Grande, all of which find 
 their outlets into the Gulf of Mexico. The 
 rapidly decreasing elevation of the country 
 through which these streams pass in their 
 course to the sea, secures to the section named 
 the most perfect and thorough drainage. In 
 addition to this fact, this vast area of territory 
 is entirely free from ponds, marshes, lakes or 
 stagnant bodies of water, to disturb with their 
 contaminating effluvia the purity of the at- 
 mosphere. Here are also found the principal 
 mountain ranges, of which the Guadalupe is 
 the largest, and has the greatest elevation. 
 These mountains, with their intervening val- 
 leys and plains, with their springs of pure and 
 
 limpid water — which, for beauty and pic- 
 turesqueness are rarely equaled and never 
 surpassed — are beginning to attract the atten- 
 tion of the professional man in search of a 
 locality for the climatic treatment of diseases 
 of respiratory organs, especially phthisis. 
 
 "It is a source of much regret that I have 
 not been able to get satisfactory reports of the 
 range of the thermometer and the barometer, 
 with the humidity of the atmosphere. I am 
 only able to give the mean temperature for 
 the seasons and year (means obtained from six 
 years' observation at San Antonio) ending with 
 the year 1875, which is : 
 
 Spring, . . . 69.94 deg. 
 
 vSummer, . . . 85.56 " 
 
 Autumn, . . . 68.95 " 
 
 Winter, . . . 52.94 " 
 
 For the whole year, . 68.85 " 
 
 ' ' The pressure of vapor, its weight, the ab- 
 solute humidity, have, as far as I know, never 
 been measured, but the observations of daily 
 life, by all who have lived in any part of this 
 section or traveled through it, concur in at- 
 testing the astonishing rapidity with which 
 the roads dry after a fall of rain; and the per- 
 fect preservation of meats for days, hanging 
 in the open air, indicate unmistakably a small 
 amount of moisture suspended in the air. 
 
 " The beneficial effects of the climate, in the 
 area treated of, is not simply a matter of 
 opinion, on the part of the writer, on purely 
 theoretical grounds. During a practice of 
 over thirty years in central Texas he has 
 seen many patients sent there with clearly 
 marked indications of consumption, and at a 
 time in the history of the coimtry when such 
 patients had to rely almost entirely upon the 
 climate for the benefit they received. In all 
 cases the change gave marked relief, with, he 
 believes, a prolongation of life for years with 
 some and a perfect cure with others." 
 
 The desire for winter resorts has become 
 so widespread throughout the North and East 
 that the superiority of western Texas in regard 
 to climate will not fail to attract attention. 
 
 MEDINA COUNTY. 
 
 Situated west of Bexar County, on the 22d 
 degree of longitude and between the 29th and 
 30th parallels of latitude, this county has an 
 area of 1304 square miles, and a population of 
 about 5000. The surface of the county is a 
 somewhat elevated and undulating prairie, 
 in the region of the finest stock-raising 
 country in Texas, and has, like Bexar County, 
 perpetual pastures of the finest and most nutri- 
 tious grasses, with an abundant supply of clear 
 and running water, rendering it a magnificent 
 grazing country, where stock thrive and fatten 
 throughout the year. The Medina. River, a 
 branch of the San Antonio River (crossed by 
 the railroad over a fine bridge), with high 
 banks overhung by the foliage of majestic 
 trees, has beautiful landscape scenery. This 
 river takes its course throusrh the eastern sec- 
 
THE ''STAR AND CRESCENT'' AND ''SUNSET" ROUTE. 47 
 
 VIEW ON HEADWATERS OF THE SAN ANTONIO. 
 
48 
 
 UVALDE COUXTY. 
 
 tion, while the Quihi, Chacon, Hondo, Verde, 
 Geronimo, Ranchero and Black Seco Creeks 
 flow through other sections of the county. 
 
 The soils are diversified and range in char- 
 acter from the rich bottom-land, well tim- 
 bered along the margins of the streams, to the 
 lighter soils of the uplands. About one-eighth 
 of the county is timbered with the several 
 varieties found in this section of the state, 
 post-oak predominating, and upon the prairies 
 the mesquite abounds. 
 
 Farmers produce the usual crops in this sec- 
 tion — cotton, corn and the smaller grains, all 
 kinds of vegetables and some fruits, especially 
 the grape, which is abundant. Sheep hus- 
 bandry is particularly profitable in this county, 
 and this industry is increasing very rapidly. 
 The Sunset Route, traversing the county, affords 
 excellent facilities for transportation of surplus 
 productions and live stock to the best markets 
 in the country. The building of this road 
 through the county has added largely to its 
 wealth and population ; and as the people 
 are progressive, intelligent and hospitable 
 they receive a large accession from the con- 
 stant flow of immigration. Good lands can 
 be bought at from $i to $5 per acre upon 
 favorable terms, and the advantages offered by 
 this county to industrious laborers and farmers 
 are many and hardly excelled in any other 
 section of the state. There is also an abun- 
 dance of fine stone for building purposes, which 
 can be quarried at a moderate cost. 
 
 A railroad branch from the main line will 
 soon reach Castroville, only four miles, the 
 county seat. This town is situated in a beauti- 
 ful valley twenty-five miles west from San 
 Antonio. It was settled in 1844 by French 
 and German immigrants under the direction 
 of Henry Castro. The dwellings, hotels, 
 churches and business places of Castroville are 
 mainly constructed of stone. It has a saw- 
 mill, two grist-mills, Protestant and Catholic 
 churches and free schools. As the elevation 
 of this lovely city is over 500 feet, and other 
 sections near by 700 feet above the level of the 
 gulf, from which it receives the cooling breezes 
 from the south, the climate is delightful and 
 charming ; and as the health of the place is 
 unexcelled, the mean temperature being about 
 68 degrees, it will become a favorite winter 
 resort for invalids. The tourist and hunter 
 find also all accommodations for their rambles, 
 and can readily obtain an invitation to accom- 
 pany the hardy Texans upon their annual 
 "rounding up," which occurs in the early 
 summer, when all the cattle upon a range are 
 brought together, the calves marked and 
 branded and the selections made for market. 
 
 Traveling in west-bound trains one often 
 notes some consumptive who is journeying 
 toward the dry plains to rough it for a while, 
 with hope and good prospect of regaining his 
 health. Many others have sought these prair- 
 ies, from the close confinement of mercantile 
 life, to renew failing health and what medicine 
 could not he-al,_ and were cured by the pure 
 
 atmosphere ; and ranches are full of brown 
 and bearded men, in full possession of strength, 
 who came to this locality under such conditions 
 as mentioned above. Since the Sunset Route 
 traverses this county its cars are often crowded 
 with excursionists from San Antonio to various 
 places along the road. Medina Park, not 
 many miles from Castroville and about twenty 
 miles from San Antonio, has become a popular 
 place of amusement ; entire families bring tents 
 and camping outfits, and enjoy themselves in 
 a thousand pleasant ways, often remaining 
 several days, and returning to the daily routine 
 of life with the determination to revisit this 
 delightful park. It is situated on a plateau 
 near the Medina River, shaded by huge oaks 
 that are covered with natural swings of mus- 
 tang vines, so inviting to childish imaginations. 
 A spacious pavilion has been recently erected 
 here by the company, besides many comfort- 
 able cottages. Rustic benches and chairs in 
 natural arbors invite to rest, and a band of 
 music frequently enlivens the scene \\ith the 
 bugle-call to the dance. 
 
 Along the line new places of future import- 
 ance are being laid out, in towns such as 
 Lacoste, Summit, Hondo City and D'Hanis. 
 Other places in the county are growing and 
 prospering, as Quihi, New Fountain, Sico, 
 Francisco, Perez and others ; all thriving little 
 villages, supplied with churches and having 
 excellent educational advantages. 
 
 UVALDE COUNTY. 
 
 From Medina the "Sunset" passes into this 
 remarkable county, of which, up to the present 
 tune, very little has been written, although it 
 is known to have strong attractions for the 
 health-seeker, tourist, capitalist, laborer and 
 sportsman. A volume might be filled with 
 the beauties, grandeur and wild scenery of 
 the Nueces Mountains alone. This county, 
 formerly known as Rio Brava, the old Spanish 
 name, is situated in southwestern Texas, on 
 the 23d degree of longitude west from Wash- 
 ington, and between the 29th and 30th parallels 
 of north latitude. It contains 1300 square 
 miles, with a population of four thousand, 
 which is constantly increasing, and is composed 
 of Americans and Mexicans, in the proportion 
 of two of the former to one of the latter. 
 
 The watercourses all take their rise among 
 the heights in the northern part of the county, 
 and flow in a southerly direction, dividing them- 
 selves pretty equally throughout the county. 
 The Sabinal River is one of the chief streams 
 and has fertile land extending for many miles 
 on either side. Its waters are beautiful, clear 
 and cool, and are inhabited by the finest game- 
 fish in the land, which can be caught in great 
 abundance. The attention of the explorer 
 upon entering this rich valley is at once at- 
 tracted by the numerous and large groves of 
 immense cypress to be found along the river 
 borders. These giants of the forests, judging 
 from their huge proportions, are probably the 
 oldest m the land and the most serviceable for 
 
THE ''STAR AND CRESCENT'' AND ''SUNSET'' ROUTE. 
 
 49 
 
 the uses of civilization. One may pass a life 
 time in travel and not find anywhere their equal 
 in size. This river, the Sabinal, is principally 
 formed by Blanchero, Turkey, Canon and 
 Aii-Flaco Creeks, which, from their sinuous 
 courses, like the river, render irrigation easy, 
 and the raising of crops not a matter of chance, 
 but a certainty. 
 
 Sabinal, which takes its name from the 
 river, is a station seventy-one miles from San 
 Antonio on the Sunset Route, and is easily ac- 
 cessible from the farming districts. Its cen- 
 tral location and accessibility with regard to 
 the agricultural interests, render its rapid 
 growth and prosperity fixed facts. It is the 
 centre through which all of the exports and 
 imports will pass. The whole length of this 
 river valley, from the northern boundary to 
 the south line of the county, can be ren- 
 dered, by irrigation, one ever-blooming garden 
 spot. Near the southern border of the coun- 
 ty, this stream empties into the Rio Frio, a 
 somewhat larger river and one possessed of 
 the same valuable characteristics, but on a 
 much larger scale. On the latter river is 
 Chatfield, another station, peculiarly fitted for 
 the shipment and handling of stock from the 
 extensive ranges in that section. These two 
 stations place every farmer and stock-raiser 
 in the county in easy and quick connection by 
 rail with the great trade centres of the South 
 and West. Next to the agricultural and pas- 
 toral advantages above mentioned, may be 
 noticed the beautiful scenery and landscapes 
 presented on every side to the passenger look- 
 ing from the window of a parlor car as it 
 glides along over a new and fine steel rail 
 track. These two rivers and the beautiful 
 Rio Leona, with their numerous tributaries, 
 formed from never-failing springs, aft'ord a 
 copious water supply. But to improve on 
 nature and increase this abimdance, a sirong 
 company has been formed in New York for 
 the purpose of cutting a canal for irrigating 
 purposes, from a point twenty miles northwest 
 of Uvalde, on the Nueces River, to a designated 
 point on the Leona. This canal, while it will 
 cross only about twelve miles of country, will 
 bring about 30.000 acres of valuable land sub- 
 ject to irrigation and increase the certainty of 
 raising good crops. The fall of the country 
 and the inexhaustible supply of water afforded 
 by the Nueces, will make this canal equal to a 
 natural river, rushing through the country and 
 distributing its benefits without stint and alike 
 to all settlers on its borders. 
 
 Uvalde, the county seat, a short distance 
 from the railroad and about ninety-three miles 
 from San Antonio, is situated on a romantic 
 lakelet '\x\ the southern central portion of the 
 county. It is the largest town in the county, 
 having about 1200 Americans and 300 Mexi- 
 cans within its corporate limits. This forms 
 the chief point of commercial importance in 
 this section, and promises to reach metropolitan 
 proportions in the course of a few years. A 
 large and commodious hotel has just been fin- 
 
 ished for the special accommodation of tour- 
 ists, invalids and trading men from the in- 
 terior. Even this with the other hotel accom- 
 modations is hardly equal to the demand of 
 the public. There are several wholesale busi- 
 ness houses there, doing a business that 
 amounts to $200,000 per annum. Farmers, 
 stockmen and rancheros from all parts of the 
 country deal with merchants here, and through 
 them reach the greater cities. The town is 
 prettily and tastily laid out on the hanks of the 
 limpid Leona, which river, by a curious freak, 
 forms a lovely lakelet about a mile frc^n 
 town. Of this we will speak more at length 
 hereafter. 
 
 The numerous and thick groves of live-oak, 
 post-oak, hackberry and pecan lend much to 
 the other natural attractions of the place, and 
 
 ^'*4#^!''?'<:, 
 
 go far, with the extraordinary beauties of the 
 river and its rugged banks, to make a perfect 
 paradise for the invalid and seeker after health 
 and recreation. 
 
 This place, being situated on the road that 
 has been for many years past the great high- 
 way for traffic between the more thickly settled 
 sections of Texas and northwestern Mexico 
 with its numerous towns, is frequently filled 
 with large wagon trains or long files of pack- 
 mules carrying merchandise and products 
 and is thus made the scene of novel and in- 
 teresting sights. Its near proximity to the 
 Nueces River forms another point of interest, 
 as it makes practicable a trip through this 
 wild, romantic and unsettled region, where we 
 find the wild turkey, Mexican lion, black- tail 
 deer, mountain sheep occasionally, and even 
 buffalo. 
 
 In the Nueces range of mountains, higher up 
 in the county, but not out of reach ot this 
 town, are vast mineral resources that spme 
 
5° 
 
 KINNEY, CROCKETT AXD ZAVALLA COUNTIES. 
 
 day will be developed and will form a source 
 of untold wealth to this section. There is also 
 an ample supply of timber for domestic and 
 agricultural purposes. The topography of this 
 district is generally broken and diversified, 
 but its elevated nature renders this a most 
 excellent resort for invalids. This dry, bracing 
 air of a thousand feet above the level of the sea 
 is pronounced a panacea for all pulmonary dis- 
 eases, even though they be in a most advanced 
 stage. Among the very hills nature has placed 
 a wonderfully beautiful lake, filled it with the 
 finest table- fish in the world and bordered 
 it with forest trees of the densest foliage. It is 
 supplied by inniunerable subterranean springs 
 that boil out from the various strata of lime- 
 stone that form the basin. The depth in 
 places is an hundred feet, and the water is so 
 clear that white rock nearly fifty feet down can 
 be clearly seen. Fish swnnming far below tlie 
 surface are almost as distinctly visible as birds 
 flying in the open air. Years ago Indians of 
 iTiany tinbes made this romantic reti-eat their 
 camping-ground. Here in their wigwams 
 they sharpened the savage tomahavv'k and 
 whetted the barbarous scalping-knife for bloody 
 butchery, or smoked the pipe of peace as they 
 watched theu" toiling squaws dress the buffalo 
 robe or tan the hide of the wild deer. Here 
 they taught the dusky youth the skilful use of 
 the bow and arrow, or in the frail bark canoe 
 skimmed the silvery surface of the lake in pur- 
 suit of goggle-eyed perch and beautiful moun- 
 tain trout. This is a spot where life is worth 
 livhig and where nature has been so lavish in 
 the dispensation of her beauties, that there is 
 companionship, even though the hamits of man 
 be far away. 
 
 During the rainy season, when the Leona 
 River is very high, it is believed to have a sub- 
 terranean connection with this remarkable 
 basin, and even has been known to overflow the 
 surrounding land and pour in an exti-a supply 
 of water. Going further along the line of the 
 railroad the Nueces River and bridge are the 
 next points of interest. It is a beautiful stream 
 with characteristics similar to those we have 
 just described. The bridge is solidly set upon 
 stone piers, the material in which was taken 
 from a quarry not far away, and is of the most 
 durable quality. Many rancheros in this sec- 
 tion have their houses constiaicted of this stone. 
 Seen by the traveler the abodes impress him 
 strongly as being the homes of comfort and 
 happiness. Not far distant from Uvalde is Fort 
 Inge, and a pretty village called WaresvUle, 
 on the banks of the Nueces River. 
 
 KINNEY COUNTY. 
 
 The road leaving in this vicinity Uvalde 
 County, next enters Kimiey, one of the extreme 
 v/estern counties of the state, bordering on the 
 Rio Grande. It is situated between the 23d 
 and 24th degrees of longitude west from Wash- 
 ington, and the 29th and 30th parallels of lati- 
 tude. It is distant 125 miles west from San 
 
 Antonio, and has an area of over 1400 square 
 miles, with a population of 2Chdo Americans and 
 Mexicans. 
 
 It is almost exclusively a grazing country, 
 bemg adapted expecially to sheep husbandry, 
 of which we will speak more fully in time. 
 
 With a system of irrigation which is very 
 successfidly managed by those who undertake 
 it, much land is cultivated and yields a large 
 profit to the farmer. Crops by this means are 
 kept growing from year in to year out. As 
 a winter resort this county is unsm-passed. 
 
 Leaving Uvalde, prepared for several weeks 
 of camp life, we take an ambulance to explore 
 the county more thoroughly in all directions. 
 This trip we will briefly describe in a chapter 
 appropriated to that purpose. At present our 
 writing will be confined in a general way to the 
 counties and territory traversed by the Sunset 
 Route. The main line runs from Uvalde, 
 crossing Nueces River, Turkey, San Moras 
 and San Filipe Creeks to Del Rio, thence to 
 the Rio Grande, along which it passes to the 
 mouth of Devil's River and crosses it a few 
 miles above, entering a very picturesque canon, 
 
 reaching to 
 
 CROCKETT COUNTY, 
 
 one of the largest though yet unorganized 
 coimties in this section of the state. This 
 county is situated south of the 31st degree of 
 north latitude, and between the 23d and 25th 
 degrees of longitude west from Washington. 
 The Pecos River flows along the western 
 boundary, with many tributary creeks and 
 springs. On the southwest it is boimded by 
 \ery pictiu-esque scenery, and in the sight of 
 many imposing views of the beautiful State 
 of Coahuila — Mexico. 
 
 Generally this vast county, though in many 
 places it approaches the mountainous, is im- 
 dulatiiig. In the more level parts near the 
 river the fertihty of the soil is unsiu-passed. 
 Of this 16,000 square miles very little is under 
 cultivation, and timber is somewhat scarce, 
 but for grazing p^uposes it is not excelled 
 anywhere. Sheep husbandry and the raising 
 of goats are followed with miprecedented suc- 
 cess. The altitude is 2000 feet above the level 
 of the gulf, and the climate is delightful, with a 
 dry and healthy atmosphere. 
 
 This region and others toward El Paso w"ill 
 soon be better explored, and details will be 
 given in an edition of this work next season, 
 which will also contain glimpses of Mexico, 
 Arizona and southern California. 
 
 Before entering our ambvilance for the jour- 
 ney overland, we will just glance at two west- 
 ern counties traversed by the Eagle Pass 
 branch of the Sunset Route. One of these is 
 
 ZAV.\LL.\. 
 
 South of Uvalde and adjacent to it, this 
 county has very much the same topography 
 and general characteristics of soil, climate and 
 elevation. It is well watered by the rivers 
 Leona and Nueces, by the creeks Turkey, 
 
THE ''STAR AND CRESCENT" AND "SONSET" ROUTE. 51 
 
52 
 
 MAVERICK COUNTY. 
 
 Las Minas, Oak and by Forked Lake. The 
 land lying along these streams is very produc- 
 tive and in most cases well timbered. A large 
 portion of the better land is under cultivation 
 and yields abundantly to the hand of the in- 
 dustrious husbandman. The railroad pene- 
 trates only a portion of the northwestern part, 
 then passes through 
 
 MAVERICK COUNTY 
 
 to its Texas terminus. This latter county is a 
 large, fine section of country, situated between 
 the 23d and 24th degrees of north latitude. 
 Its area is 1600 square miles and its popula- 
 tion nearly 4000. Eagle Pass and the Rio 
 Grande is the present terminus of the great 
 Sunset Route, which stretches almost entirely 
 across the great territory of Texas. This point 
 is 160 miles west of San Antonio and 376 from 
 Houston, the eastern terminus of the road. 
 Just south of Eagle Pass is Fort Duncan, while 
 
 across the Rio Grande is Piedras Negras. 
 The agricultural advantages of this county are 
 not so extensi\'e as those of other coimties we 
 have passed over, but its pastoral greatness 
 will compare favorably with the best sections of 
 the state. The climate is warm but dry and 
 very healthy. It is genial to the rich pasturage 
 grasses that grow here and keeps them green 
 the entire year. This perpetual verdancy of 
 the grazing is the secret of the success of stock- 
 raising here. 
 
 The only river of any note besides the Rio 
 Grande is the Tecasquite, but there are the 
 Las Moras and quite a number of other creeks 
 with rills and branches not a great distance 
 from Eagle Pass. 
 
 The geological formations on both sides of 
 the river are soon to be explored, and as 
 remarkable discoveries have already been 
 made, we may be able to give some very inter- 
 esting data in the account of our futtire ram- 
 bles up the Rio Grande to El Paso. 
 
THE ''STAR AND CRESCENT'' AND '^SCNSET" ROUTE. 
 
 53 
 
 Rambles from Uvalde to the Rio Grande, 
 
 AND FROM 
 
 DEL RIO ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO EAGLE PASS AND PIEDRAS NEGRAS. 
 
 WHEN we first traversed Texas from north 
 to south, having come from the snow- 
 covered northern states, it seemed to us so 
 sti-ange to see great cypresses, hve-oaks with 
 tangled vines, Spanish dagger, palmettoes, 
 tall, rustling grasses in all tints of refreshing 
 verdure, with thousands of croaking frogs 
 in the midst of water plants, we were in- 
 toxicated ^\■ith delight, but became in time 
 accustomed to it and also to her almost never- 
 ending freshness of verdiu-e. Now again 
 traversing Texas from east to west, our en- 
 thusiasm becomes renewed, especially by 
 spending part of the winter and fall in the 
 southwest section of this favored coimtry. 
 There are at that time fewer blossoms, and the 
 weather is somewhat cooler than during spring 
 or summer, but in regard to the agreeable out- 
 door life, the refreshing, balmy air on the high 
 plains, the blue sky, and eternal verdm-e, the 
 intoxicating delight we felt before returned and 
 increased day by day, and we are now more 
 in love with the "Lone Star State " than 
 ever. These highland regions are bound to be- 
 come the favorite winter resorts in the future. 
 From them you will never be out of sight of 
 momitains, beautiful prairies, valleys, wood- 
 land, creeks and rivers. The longer you re- 
 main the more yovi are infatuated. From San 
 Antonio the cretaceous formation begins, ex- 
 tending northeast toward Austin and south- 
 west toward the Rio Grande. In Uvalde 
 County it changes its course directly to the 
 west, forming a natural line dividing two dis- 
 tinct regions of geological formations, with an 
 elevation gaining very rapidly. This, so little 
 traveled region, we will traverse from Uvalde 
 to the Fecos River, and from there along the 
 •Rio Grande to Eagle Pass and beyond. 
 
 One morning, which came sharply over the 
 great plains, sending a thrill of joy through all 
 nature, we are on the way to regions formerly 
 abounding with wild horses, and black with 
 bufialo. Now we meet on the highway men 
 and women vigorous and quick with the glow 
 of health, then a "prairie schooner" crowded 
 with prattling children, extending their saluta- 
 tory, " Howdy ! " alike to native or foreigner. 
 Everything is sunshine and exuberant life. 
 Our outfit consists of a well covered four-seated 
 ambulance and t\vo good horses, with an old 
 
 stage-driver as pilot, who years ago traversed 
 the plains toward Mexico, El Paso and Santa 
 Fe. Soon we pass a Mexican town, get some 
 glimpses of Uvalde, and we are on our way 
 to Turkey Creek Valley. We pass some 
 fine fields fenced in with stone walls, showing 
 ditches for purposes of irrigation. Fort Inge 
 we leave to the right, and ascending a high 
 plateau we overlook the Nueces valley, with 
 the clear stream, from which its name is taken, 
 gliding through the dense forests toward the 
 Mexican Gulf. Occasionally the silvery sur- 
 face reflecting the bright sunshine peeps up 
 between high and rugged bluffs. In the dis- 
 tance looms up the blue mountain range from 
 whence all these streams are supplied. De- 
 scending, we pass from time to time wagon 
 trains returning from Fort Clark, Laredo or 
 Eagle Pass ; finally passing through clumps of 
 live-oak or mesquite we come to the Nueces 
 River, and upon its banks pitch our first camp. 
 It is a rule of importance never to "pitch tent " 
 too near the river, but select a high elevation 
 for protection against a sudden rise in the 
 river of many feet, which is liable to occur 
 without the slighest warning. Another rule is 
 to get beneath shade-trees, to prevent exposure 
 to the heavy dew of the night. Having taken 
 these precautions we are soon settled for the 
 night around a blazing fire. 
 
 Not far from us is a camp of hunters just 
 returning from an excur>ion to the Nueces 
 mountains and canons. Our driver knowing 
 the leader of the party introduces us, and soon 
 an interesting chat is in progress which lasts 
 until long after midnight. A word or two 
 from the experience of these hunters might 
 not be totally without interest to some of our 
 readers of an adventurous turn of mind. They 
 were bountifully provided with ammunition 
 and with good saddle and pack-horses. Their 
 course was due north along mostly the right 
 bank of the Nueces River. About twenty miles 
 up they found plenty of game, and about the 
 break of day brought down from their roosts 
 what turkeys they wanted. Farther uji, a black 
 bear, caught in the act of feeding upon the 
 root of bear grass, a favorite food, breathed 
 his last. A Mexican lion prowling around 
 in the evening fell reluctantly at the crack of the 
 j unerring rifle. This beast, however, is rather 
 
54 
 
 RAMBLES TO THE RIO GRANDE. 
 
 scarce and his skin is prized highly. We 
 made an ofter for the one they had, but were 
 refused. Of wolves they found plenty in this 
 locality, but shot only a couple of black coyotes, 
 the pelt of which is also highly prized. All 
 species of wolves are cowardly and will do no 
 more than brave a lamb or some such helpless 
 creature. They make night hideous to camp- 
 ers by gathering round at a safe distance and 
 howling at times in piteous shrieks, then in 
 fierce cries. 
 
 This party, venturing out from the river, dis- 
 covered rich grazing grounds above the high 
 water-mark. They jumped a wild-cat, but not 
 having dogs made no attempt to pursue him. 
 Mule-eared and cotton-tail rabbits darted from 
 " the bush " on every side. Ducks and grouse 
 of limited varieties frequent this region but 
 quail are very abundant. Of the quail, the 
 Mexican, the Massener and the common Texas 
 bird predominate. The chapparal cock, with 
 long tail and brown plumage, and with won- 
 derful fleetness of foot, by which the necessity 
 of taking wing is most always avoided, may 
 be seen by any hunter. The marked peculiar- 
 ity of this bird is its solitary habits, being 
 rarely ever seen in company with any other. 
 It has no value for the hunter. 
 
 In attempting to extend their hunt further, 
 they came to tuch broken country that a re- 
 turn for rest, the refreshment of the horses 
 and the saving of pelts that had been taken, 
 was absolutely necessary. Among the furs in 
 their possession was that of the black-tail and 
 other deer, the wolf, the mule-eared and cot- 
 ton-tail rabbit, the bear and the raccoon. The 
 buffalo and antelope are to be found here, but 
 are somewhat rare. The sportsman at Uvalde 
 can equip himself with a complete outfit and 
 have days or weeks of the best sport to be had 
 anywhere in the land. A hunting party has 
 to keep a sharp out-look for Indians, who 
 sometimes waylay to kill and rob. A guide 
 should always be engaged on such extensive 
 trips. 
 
 Some specimens of rich ore, iron and cop- 
 per, were in possession of the ]iarty, but it will 
 take a scientific party to investigate and locate 
 the mines, also to estimate their wealth. 
 Whenever this is done a new and great source 
 of wealth will be opened to the public and en- 
 terprising capitalists of the world. 
 
 After a night of refreshmg sleep and a hearty 
 but plain breakfast, we parted with our hunt- 
 ing friends the next morning, and continued 
 our journey toward Turkey Creek. But just 
 before starting we enjoyed the sight of some 
 beautiful landscapes both up and down the 
 stream. Its course is very crooked here, its 
 banks high and rugged, its current swift and 
 clear, its bottom pebbly and many feet from 
 glistening wavelets on the surface. Black bass 
 and blue-cat are the predominating fish and 
 can be caught in abundance. Strata of lime- 
 stone streaking the high bluffs beautify the 
 landscape very much. Taking the road, we 
 passed during the journey not only much 
 
 beautiful scenery but rich and productive prairie 
 lands that are sufficiently elevated for the 
 farmer and should be converted into beautiful 
 rural homes. 
 
 Before coming to Turkey Creek Springs, but 
 not far from them, are some beautiful groves 
 of pecan, which form the camping- ground for 
 travelers and teamsters, and are the pride of 
 Mr. Cline, their owner, a great hunter and ex- 
 plorer. The springs bubble from the rocky 
 ground and form immediately Turkey Creek, 
 a tributary of the Nueces River. RIany of 
 these trees are so close to the banks of the • 
 creek that the roots form a perfect net-work, 
 dipping down to the water's edge. The girth 
 of these nut-bearing trees frequently measures 
 eight feet, ranging down to four or five. The 
 branches often reach so far out that they min- 
 gle with those coming from the opposite side, 
 and form a protecting green veil over the 
 water that moistens their roots with nourish- 
 ment as it flows on toward the Nueces. We 
 reached this enchanting spot soon enough to 
 take a short morning stroll and enjoy the sub- 
 lime scenery of nature, and catch that medita- 
 tive turn of mind that it so often imparts. 
 Among the branches of these forest trees 
 leaped the cat and fox-squirrel, and were 
 heard the rich notes of the mocking-bird, the 
 shrill voice of the lark and the gentle cooing 
 of the dove. A thousand chirps and twitters 
 came from every side, and the babbling waters 
 played a sweet accompaniment as they toiled 
 on seeking their own level. 
 
 Remounting our ambulance we pushed for- 
 ward and soon arrived at a station composed of 
 several corrals and one store. Here we met 
 a good German, Mr. Cline, of thirty-five years' 
 experience in western Texas. He being a man 
 of culture, shrewdness, and a keen eye for 
 business, erected a large and commodious 
 hotel here, with all modem improvements, to 
 entertain visitors who come here to spend the 
 winter season, with the luxuries of the day. 
 The Sunset Route has made this an important 
 station on account of the superior accommoda- 
 tions of this hotel as a winter resort, and the 
 fitness of Mr. Cline, the proprietor, to take 
 proper care of his guests. Following Turkey 
 Creek, which gets its name from the abundance 
 of wild turkey found along its banks, we ad- 
 vanced toward the Nueces River, where the 
 two form a junction. On this stretch of road 
 any amount of deer, duck, snipe, geese and 
 other game are found. Even the bear hunter 
 finds good game among the thickets and bluffs 
 of this section. 
 
 Our driver, who was an old Texan, and had 
 lived in this region many years ago, said that 
 the prairie here and further toward the Rio 
 Grande, in earlier days, was perfectly nude of 
 shrubbery, but for some years past had been 
 growing mesquite rapidly, which aided the 
 ground by its shade to retain moisture, which 
 in turn produced grass abundantly, and is now 
 making a fine grazing country of what was 
 once almost without vegetation. The long 
 
THE ''STAR AND CRESCENT" AND ''SUNSET" ROUTE. 
 
 55 
 
 curly mesquite grass that grows here now all 
 the year round is happily adapted to the fat- 
 tening of stock. This new course of nature, it 
 is thought, resulted from the prevention of 
 prairie tires, that once every year used to be 
 started by the Indians, and swept everything 
 in the shape of ligneous material before them. 
 An air line from Uvalde to this point would 
 not be more than twenty miles, but the zigzag 
 course of orn- road makes it about thirty. 
 Hence we took the road toward Fort Clark 
 and Brackettville, which are not over thirty- 
 five miles distant. This road on either side is 
 bounded by rolling prairies, which sometimes 
 break into ravines and again stretch away, ter- 
 minating in picturesque hills or ridges. Dur- 
 ing the dry season these ravines furnish to 
 travelers, hunters and herdsmen their chief 
 supply of water from " water holes " that are 
 formed in their beds. When the dry season is 
 extraordmarily long these sometimes dry up 
 too. 
 
 This stretch of country is used for nothing 
 but grazing, the only live water being Elm 
 Creek, about twelve miles distant from Brackett- 
 ville. On its banks we hurriedly drove, as 
 dark was drawing on rapidly, pitched our 
 camp and slept until two o'clock in the morn- 
 ing, when, on account of the heavy dew, we 
 built a fire. This was a signal for a concert 
 by wolves, which was uninterrupted, except by 
 the hideous notes of a screech owl, until the 
 moon rose, when we gladly struck camp and 
 sought the highway toward Brackettville. On 
 the i-oute we met some suspicious lookmg 
 characters, but they, mistaking us by the ap- 
 pearance of om- ambulance for United States 
 officers, willingly allowed us to pass without 
 interruption. As daylight began to dawn in 
 the east we neared Brackettville, and by sun- 
 rise we were in town. Our driver had pre- 
 pared us for a good breakfast and rest by 
 telling us of a house kept by a former veteri- 
 nary surgeon, who had allied himself matri- 
 monially with a Mexican senora. Our expec- 
 tations had not been raised in vain, for we 
 drove up to a beautiful stone residence, sur- 
 rounded with low-roofed outhouses, and a yard 
 filled with many tropical flowers and plants. 
 The house was built on a plan well suited to 
 the warm climate, having verandas and piazzas 
 on every side. The hail of our driver brought 
 a response from a deep bass voice, the owner 
 of which, upon being informed who we were, 
 extended an invitation to come in. 
 
 From the front gallery we were ushered into 
 a !ieat clean room, in which were two beds, 
 very inviting to the weary traveler, and other 
 furniture betokening refinement and culture. 
 Soon a blazing fire biimed in the fire-place and 
 melted the stiffness of our limbs. Taking a 
 good wash and drying our hands and faces on 
 clean white towels, we felt like new men. 
 Breakfast was announced, and we were ushered 
 into a handsome eating-room and beheld a 
 right royal feast, consisting of tenderloin beef 
 and venison steaks, mutton chops, spring 
 
 chicken, fresh butter, milk and eggs and well 
 prepared birds. This was the work of the 
 lady of the house, assisted by her beautiful 
 daughter, half Mexican and half American, 
 and, sooth to say, it was done to perfection. 
 Not the Menger House of San Antonio, nor 
 even the best hotel in the land, could excel in 
 cjuality or preparation the meal that was 
 spread before us. It is needless to say that 
 we enjoyed it immensely. Breakfast finished, 
 we looked through the house and found many 
 evidences of taste and culture, which we later 
 learned had been placed there thi-ough the 
 instrumentality of the accomplished daughter 
 of our host. From this place, which was on a 
 rather elevated location, could be seen a large 
 portion of the town, with Fort Clark just oppo- 
 site on the outskirts, and forming an impressive 
 view. Beneath, the Las Moras Springs, with 
 
 their surrounding groves; to the west, an exten- 
 sive prairie, which on its far side was bounded 
 by the Las Moras range of mountains. 
 
 On account, probably, of the topographical 
 roughness of the country surrounding, the rail- 
 road does not run directly through this place, 
 but passes near enough to make it well worth 
 the time and trouble of the tourist to make a 
 visit here, if for no other purpose than to see 
 Fort Clark. This government post is a thous- 
 and feet above the level of the sea, and may 
 be termed the look-out tower of all the sur- 
 rounding country. The officers stationed here 
 are men of the first rank, and are always cor- 
 dial and hospitable in their treatment of visitors. 
 In one of their comfortable ambulances a trip 
 to the Las Moras Springs, among their natural 
 and artificial groves, and encircled by elegant 
 drives, is a rare treat. 
 
 The landscape scenery in this vicinity would 
 be inspiration to poet or painter, and would 
 challenge comparison with scenery of a similar 
 character anywhere. The Mexican women and 
 girls washing, the children playing around, the 
 water-carts making their constant trips, the 
 mischievous boy ever playing some prank, the 
 soldiers lolling about the springs with a sort o( 
 dolce-far-niente air, and the herder resting from 
 his arduous labors — form an animated scene 
 that is probably not to be found elsewhere in 
 this section of country. Far to the west and 
 south valley after valley discloses its charms. 
 
56 
 
 RAMBLES TO THE RIO GRANDE. 
 
 and in the dim distance the San Rosa Moun- 
 tains of Mexico draw their curving profiles 
 upon the blue sky. Before you a sharp con- 
 tour of the winding course of the Rio Grande 
 is distinctly marked. On the right the Devil's 
 River range of mountains and the Coahouila 
 range attract the eye, and with their beauty 
 invite the traveler, in terms whose silent 
 eloquence is irresistible, to come to this land 
 of promise and of plenty. Acting on this mvi- 
 tation, we renew our course and drive west. 
 
 We have now, in an air line, made about 
 forty-five miles, but in our zigzag course made 
 about double that, and have thereby seen more 
 of the country than if we had come over the 
 regularly traveled route. After i-eceiving the 
 cordial treatment and the comforts of Sargent's 
 hotel, we are surprised at having to pay only 
 fifty cents a meal, and take our leave with 
 many regrets. Leaving Fort Clark behind, we 
 cast a glance around us and see the adjoining 
 rocky ridge of hmestone, which we ascend 
 starting toward Uel Rio. To the south the 
 Fort Clark and Las Morras Hills — the latter 
 with their noted Sentinel Mountain — form a 
 panoramic view of the country that approaches 
 grandeur in its effect. 
 
 We reached a high plateau covered thickly 
 with mesquite and chapparal groves, underlaid 
 with rich pasturage grass. The quail, lark, 
 dove and rabbit frequently flee from us as we 
 advance. The Piedras Pinto Mountains lie to 
 the north, and afford a pretty view as we cross 
 the Arroyo Piedras, a clear, swift- ninning 
 stream bordered with beautiful groves of trees 
 and plots of shrubbery. Ascending to the 
 plateau after leaving the bed of the latter 
 stream, we are shown several ranches, where 
 by attention to the herds large fortunes have 
 been accumulated. Some of these live stock 
 farms look rather dilapidated, but to us each 
 one has a history fraught with deep interest. 
 In the distance the Las Moras Mountains are 
 seen with greater distinctness than ever before 
 by us, and continue to be seen more plainly as 
 we drive forward. Fording the Zoquete Creek, 
 night catches us on Maverick Creek, and we 
 pitch tent. These two streams, including the 
 Sycamore and others, take their rise in the Las 
 Moras Mountains, and flow in the same direc- 
 tion. The landscape here has a peculiar 
 appearance on account of the thickly growing 
 Spanish dagger intermixed with cactus and 
 yucca. Flocks of sheep numbering thousands 
 browse from hill to hill, living upon the luxu- 
 riant grass. 
 
 While selecting our camping ground a new 
 bird, the mountain falcon or Mexican eagle, is 
 seen ; from here on it becomes quite common, 
 while the American eagle is to be seen at 
 intervals. Having selected a spot some dis- 
 tance from the highway, we sleep for the night 
 and resume before daylight our journey toward 
 the Del Rio. 
 
 The moon is in its last quarter, and mynads 
 of stars give light sufificient to see the windings 
 of the dim road, until by-and-by roseate Aurora 
 
 begins to smile from the east and tip with her 
 magic pencil the leaves of the trees and grasses 
 of the fields. It is a gorgeous sight to see the 
 myriads of dewdrops, pendant from as many 
 twigs and grass blades, glistening like diamonds 
 as far as the eye can reach. The lofty bluffs 
 ot the Sycamore River are bathed in a flood of 
 sunlight, while the waters below are gilded by 
 scattered beams. Crossing this stream, a drive 
 of several hours over a country similar to what 
 has been described brought us to Filipe Sprmgs, 
 the next point of interest. 
 
 Descending a gentle slope, we came to the 
 margin of a clear water ba>in. It is an immense 
 bswl of cool crystal water, boiling and bubbling 
 as if heated from the furnaces of Hades. Its 
 depth is over sixty feet, and the water is so 
 clear that the strata of limestone are plainly 
 visible at the bottom. Huge trout, fruit for 
 the "lone fisherman," spurt through the clear 
 liquid, and seem at times to rest upon the white 
 rocks. The white limestone at the bottom 
 takes the shape of a beautiful water cave, which 
 is distinctly visible to one peeping fiom the 
 water's edge, and impresses the mind with its 
 marvelous beauty and urusual appearance. A 
 channel below forms the outlet for this great 
 volume of water, and only a short distance 
 down breaks into a rapid cascade, where the 
 resthetic eye of the artist may feed with ecstasy 
 and the practical optic of the artisan see visions 
 of great mills and factories in lively operation. 
 Just above the Filipe Springs is another group, 
 which forms a considerable body of water, the 
 surface of which is covered with water-lilies 
 and other aquatic plants. These appear to 
 have direct connection with the others, and 
 there seems to be but little doul>t that there is 
 an underground connection between them. To 
 the south is San Filipe military post, which, 
 like Fort Duncan, is one of the eyes of our 
 government looking after invasions and depre- 
 dations upon Us territory. This has natural 
 fortifications, and is a valuable stronghold for 
 the United States troops. 
 
 It is anticipated that either the railroad 
 company or private individuals will convert 
 the above natural advantages into a desirable 
 health resort by erecting a handsome and com 
 modious building for the entertainment of 
 invalids, tourists and sportsmen. In addition 
 to the excellent bathing facilities offered there 
 is an abundance of game, a genial climate with 
 healthy atmosphere, and last, but not least, 
 the sublime scenery presented by the far-reach- 
 ing prairies, the San Rosa Mountains, the Rio 
 Grande \'alley, and Devil's River with its 
 precipitous blufifs. 
 
 A drive of two miles crossing the upper 
 springs brings us to Del Rio, a place of great 
 importance as a winter resort. In a bee line 
 this IS thirty-five or lorty miles from Fort Clark, 
 but our course, as usual, made it much greater. 
 Here we were received at Freeman's Hotel, 
 where the accommodations are good and a 
 warm welcome :s extended to travelers like 
 ourselves. We find some members of the 
 
THE ''STAR AND CRESCENT'' AND ''S&NSET" ROUTE. 57 
 
 EAGLE PASS — FANDANGO BY MOONLIGHT. 
 
;8 
 
 RAMBLES TO THE RIO GRANDE. 
 
 Engineer corps and afterward join their party. 
 Del Rio was, before railroad time, like Uvalde, 
 a place of much importance, the stage-coaches 
 on the old Santa Fe route and other lines 
 coming and going every day. It is a general 
 rendezvous for herders, traders, speculators, 
 rancheros, officers, soldiers and sometimes 
 smugglers. Wholesale houses here formerly 
 got their supplies by wagon from San Antonio, 
 and furnished the whole country for miles 
 around with merchandise and supplies. Vol- 
 umes misjht be filled with thrilling adventures 
 and stories of frontier towns, but want of room 
 now forbids what we may say at some future 
 time. The attractions of the town have been 
 for some time past, and are now, constantly 
 growing, and will eventually make this one of 
 the most important towns on the Pacific exten- 
 sion. Lately a few Indian scares have alarmed 
 newcomers, but no attacks have occurred as in 
 years past. The town itself, with a population 
 of about 600 Americans and Mexicans, is regu- 
 larly and tastily laid out. All through it run 
 irrigation canals, which are managed judi- 
 ciously by a company for that purpose. This 
 company also has for rent large tracts of land 
 subject to irrigation. 
 
 On account of the great water-power of the 
 San Filipe River this place may at some future 
 day become a great manufacturing centre. 
 Along this river are over 400x3 acres of irrigated 
 land devoted to the cultivation of corn alone. 
 Here are also many beautiful farms in a high 
 state of cultivation. 
 
 Almost within the corporate limits of the 
 town is the celebrated Sugar Loaf Mountain, 
 composed of former river strata, which became 
 by some means isolated. It appears to have 
 been once a part of, and is likely a renewal of, 
 the old chain of hills which bounded this valley, 
 but which have disappeared before the hand of 
 time ; while this, being more durable, is still 
 standing. Its top is aboat 200 feet above the 
 ordinary level of the ground, and from it a mag- 
 nificent view is to be had in any direction, and 
 one which for unbroken range of sight is rarely 
 equaled. Standing upon the apex of this 
 cone, at your feet is Del Rio, with its water 
 streets in the form of irrigating ditches. Across 
 the river is the old Mexican town, antiquated 
 in appearance, but none the less beautiful ; 
 this is connected by numerous foot logs or 
 rustic bridges built in a rude manner by the 
 natives. A number of water mills, with their 
 ponderous wheels moving slowly around, lend 
 a pleasant effect to the impression made. For 
 miles along the river banks beautiful farms 
 with their neat cottages — something rare in 
 this section— succeed each other in close 
 proximity. A short distance off is the Rio 
 Grande, and far beyond are the blue ridges 
 of the Santa Rosa and Co ihouila ranges of 
 mountains. The Rio Grande, in its serpentine 
 course, doubles and quadruples itself over and 
 over for miles within view. Looking to the 
 east, the military posts are seen, and their em- 
 bankments bristling with warlike associations. 
 
 At the foot of these battlements the river steals 
 along, forming a natural barrier against the 
 invader. The eye reaching still further meets 
 the foot hills of the Las Moras and Nueces 
 ranges, and soon climbs the rock-ribbed sides 
 of the mountain ranges themselves, the latter of 
 which is reputed great in mineral wealth. In 
 another direction, and near by, the custom- 
 house shows up in full view, also the ferry and 
 ford between Alexico and the United States. 
 
 This is one of the many desirable places for 
 the invalid to visit. Not only is the country 
 healthy, but it is full of novelties and attrac- 
 tions that will deeply interest his mind and 
 imagination for weeks or months. Sources of 
 inexhaustible wealth, yet untouched, are here 
 for any one who desires to invest capital and 
 reap a rich harvest . Material upon which the 
 scientific mind can feed for a lifetime abounds. 
 
 The mountains of Texas form the great 
 sanitariums of nature, and should be made the 
 resort of those persons who, in other states, 
 have contracted diseases that the rigor of the 
 climate will never allow to heal. Many in- 
 stances of maivelous cures by the climate and 
 mountainous district can be found in the region 
 of San Antonio, where invalids have moved 
 expecting to die, but in many cases entirely 
 recovered their health ; and in others added 
 years of happiness to what otherwise would 
 have been miserable existences ending in early 
 deaths. Some far-sighted capitalist or wealthy 
 philanthropist will no doubt soon erect a com- 
 modious structure, somewhere in these sources 
 of health, for the accommodation and use of 
 invalids and seekers after health. Such a 
 building should be in an altitude of pure moun- 
 tain air, and provided with all appliances con- 
 ducive to the comfort and protection of the oc- 
 cupants. Ample provision should be made for 
 northers and the deleterious effects of the sud- 
 den changes they sometimes produce in the 
 temperature. " Wet northers " last twelve or 
 eighteen hours, and are the most disagreeable. 
 "Dry northers," though cold, are not so 
 disagreeable, and may even be beneficial in 
 purifying the atmosphere. It is seldom that 
 either of them lasts long enough or is suffi- 
 ciently cold to damage first trees or kill stock, 
 though many instances can be found in the 
 history of this country where such has been 
 the case. The dry norther should be regarded 
 more as a messenger of health than otherwise ; 
 for, being free from miasma, its purifying effect 
 is self-evident ; and bemg fraught with elec- 
 tricity, that great health restorer, it has a very 
 exhilarating and buoyant effect upon the human 
 system. 
 
 To resume our journey we crossed west from 
 Del Rio and came upon a rolling prairie cov- 
 ered with mesquite, cactus, some species of 
 aloes and Spanish dagger, intermixed with a 
 fine growth of rich grass. Here we passed a 
 large sheep ranche, with its stables, corrals, 
 pens and lots, where the owner gathered and 
 counted his herds by the thousand. Passing 
 on, the prairie became broken by bluffs and 
 
THE ''STAR AND CRESCENT'' AND ''SUNSET" ROUTE. 
 
 59 
 
 small canons and the roadway almost obliter- 
 ated by rocks ; but we, wishing to reach the 
 camp of May Polk (the head of one of the En- 
 gineer corps), situated about eighteen miles 
 away, on the Rio Grande, pushed forward to 
 accomplish the journey. The roughness of 
 the country greatly impeded our progress, and 
 in one instance came near upsetting our vehicle 
 and turning out its contents. We escaped, 
 however, and finally reached the camp of the 
 Engineer corps, where we were cordially wel- 
 comed and hospitably treated. During the 
 latter part of this drive darkness approached so 
 rapidly that we had no time for observations ; 
 but oir awakenmg from a comfortable rest on 
 the ground-floor next morning ample reward 
 came to us in the sublime scenery that sun- 
 rise revealed. Our tents, only a few feet from 
 the bluffs overlooking the Rio Grande, stood 
 beneath a grove of giant pecans. From here 
 we took our tirst look, and were vividly re- 
 minded of the beauties of the Hudson River. 
 The yellow waters stretching toward the 
 orient glistened and sparkled in the morning 
 sunlight like a field of molten gold. In 
 marked contrast to this was the emerald hue 
 of the numberless groves of pecan trees lining 
 its banks as far as the eye could reach. The 
 gray rocks and precipitous canons fiu-ther in- 
 creased the varied colors of the sublime land- 
 scape and heightened the wonderful effect. 
 E.\cept the Missouri, perhaps, the Rio Grande is 
 different in appearance and characteristics from 
 all rivers in the world. The turbid, boiling, 
 surging water during a freshet, when giant 
 trees are swept down by its current like mere 
 twigs, fills the stoutest heart with terror. Es- 
 pecially is this the case when it is remembered 
 that these rises come down like a great ava- 
 lanche without any premonitory warning. One 
 moment the country is dry, the ne.xt it is the 
 bottom of a living, raving sea that inundates 
 the valley in the twinkling of an eye. But its 
 habitual state is a placid, quiet and gentle one. 
 The greater part of the shores of this mighty 
 stream is not wooded, save where the many 
 canons that widen into valleys bear trees and 
 shrubbery of the most beautiful foliage. 
 
 These treeless banks rise perpendicularly 
 fi-om the water's edge to a height of many 
 feet, while from their summits the bound- 
 less prairies extend east and west for hundreds 
 of miles, without even a twig to obstruct the 
 sight or break their baldness. 
 
 This locality where we now stand, though 
 five hundred miles in the interior or from the 
 mouth of the river, will soon be rendered ac- 
 cessible to the world by the iron girdle of the 
 Sunset extension as it circles the bluffs, rocky 
 peaks and hills in this region of romance. 
 
 The railroad measures should here be at 
 once inaugurated, in order to bring within the 
 reach of the ti-aveler the wonderfid gifts that 
 nature has so benignantly granted this region, 
 and which are now unobserved save by a few 
 adventurous souls. The glorious mountains, 
 rivers and prairies ; the beautiful glens, valleys, 
 
 canons, hills and dales, decked in their emerald 
 garments of luxuriant and never-fading foliage, 
 should be placed before the eye of the in- 
 valid, the tourist and the man of science. The 
 pure and bracing atmosphere should inflate 
 worn-out lungs and impregnate every particle 
 of diseased bodies. The delicious and cool 
 water should delight the palate and erase 
 the seeds of disease from the skin. The 
 healthy and nutritious vegetation of the fertile 
 soil should strengthen the feeble and invigorate 
 the strong. The wonders of this wild nature 
 should be presented to the over-worked and 
 exhausted brain of the business man, to create 
 within him a stimulus to his jaded imagination 
 and a restoring energy to his dormant fancy. 
 To accomplish all of this the hand of the 
 architect and the artisan must erect in this 
 blooming wilderness, this western El Dorado, 
 a monument to their own skill and the potency 
 of capital. 
 
 A hotel palace would be the most appropri- 
 ate and appreciated design for such a monu- 
 ment ; its fame would be borne along the 
 
 "Sunset Route " from the Pacific Slope to the 
 Atlantic Seaboard. Invalids and pleasure- 
 seekers, from the remotest part of the Union, 
 would be its constant visitors dm-ing the winter 
 season ; the one, to gain health and to realize 
 the dream of Ponce de Leon ; the other, to 
 find fresh fields and pastures new for enjoy- 
 ment. Just above the junction of Devil's 
 River with the Rio Grande is the spot where 
 this palatial hotel, this temple to the twin 
 divinities of health and pleasure, should be 
 built. There the grandeur of the well-named 
 Rio Grande would delight the admiring eye 
 from day to day; there the wind-swept bluffs of 
 the Devil's River would become the scene of 
 morning promenades and evening drives for 
 the visitors from every city — not only distant 
 cities, but those contiguous to the line of the 
 railway. Such a structure as this, placed upon 
 one of the elevated plateaux that far overreach 
 the greatest altitude of the high water-mark. 
 
6o 
 
 RAMBLES TO THE RIO GRANDE. 
 
 would be simply a terrestrial Eden — a paradise 
 whose rock-bound gateway could only be 
 reached by the Sunset Route, and whose por- 
 tals would open when her engines shrieked for 
 admission. Out of dangei* of high-water, 
 disease, extreme heat or extreme cold, and 
 free from all the business cares that so poison 
 and distract existence, one could then sit in 
 luxurious apartments, breathing the purest 
 breath of heaven, and beholding on every side 
 the most sublime scenery, perhaps, on earth, 
 for hundreds and hundreds of miles. 
 
 This would be happiness, for health and lux- 
 ury are happiness. At the base of the hotel 
 plateau the broad bosom of the Rio Grande 
 del Norte would heave in violent emotions 
 with its swollen waters, or sigh, as if with the 
 gentlest murmurs of love, from its tranquil 
 depth. Hundreds of feet beneath, its winding 
 course, through the emerald-hued fields, could 
 be followed by the sight, until, like a tiny silver 
 thread, it could still "be seen winding its way 
 through a mighty ocean of green. Bounding 
 this broad expanse, the Santa Rosa Mountains 
 of Mexico could be seen lifting their towering 
 tops to the skies. 
 
 On the right, a short distance away only, 
 the crystal waters of Devil's River mingle with 
 the saffron waves of the dancing Rio Grande, 
 and for miles and miles they glide along, crys- 
 tal and saffron, side by side without com- 
 mingling. 
 
 Along the bluffs of these tvvo streams many 
 a spot rich from the lavishness of nature, and 
 many a steep declivity awful from its magni- 
 tude, present themselves to the eye. Around 
 the rocky precipices the iron monster winds 
 his way, and, a hundred feet above the terrify- 
 ing chasms, follows his steel track. Hills and 
 valleys resound with his sharp voice, and 
 every glen, dale and canon echoes his hoarse 
 breathing and ponderous clanking. 
 
 The reader, from this attempt to picture the 
 situation, can do no more than get a vague 
 idea of the glorious reality that awaits his com- 
 ing. Life there becomes a dream, a beautiful 
 vision, a fabric woven from sweets too delight- 
 ful to seem real. 
 
 With all of the pleasures presented by this 
 lovely country, it has a store of wealth that 
 cannot fail to attract the attention of business 
 men. Its exhaustless quarries, its rich iron 
 and copper ores, its fertile alluvial soils, its 
 incalculable water power, are all sources of 
 immense wealth — which are not often found 
 in connection with inexhaustible pleasure and 
 health. The railroad near this point crosses 
 one of the oldest highways known to have 
 existed in Texas. Two hundred years ago it 
 was used by travelers in crossing this immense 
 plain. Not far away are the Plains of the 
 Pecos, where the buffalo may be hunted suc- 
 cessfully even at the present day ; while in 
 former times they grazed upon the prairies in 
 large herds, and were hunted by the white 
 man in a manner graphically described by 
 Mr. George Catlin in Catlin' s iVorih American 
 
 Indians. We take the liberty of inserting his 
 entertaining accomit of the hunt : 
 
 " Every one of these red sons of the forest (or 
 rather of the prairie) is a knight and lord — his 
 squaws are his slaves. The only things which 
 he deems worthy of his exertions are to mount 
 his snorting steed, with his bow and quiver 
 slung, his arrow-shield upon his arm, and his 
 long lance glistening in the war-parade ; or, 
 divested of all his plumes and trappings, armed 
 with a simple bow and quiver, to plunge his 
 steed amongst the flying herds of buftaloes, and 
 with his sinewy bow, which he seldon\ bends 
 in vain, to drive deep to life's fomitain the 
 whizzing arrow. 
 
 " The buffalo herds, which graze in almost 
 countless numbers on these beautiful prairies, 
 aftbrd them an abundance of meat ; and so 
 much is it preferred to all other that the deer, 
 the elk, and the antelope sport upon the 
 prairies in herds in the greatest security, 
 as the Indians seldom kill them, unless they 
 M'ant their skins for a dress. The buffalo (or 
 more correctly speaking, the bison) is a noble 
 animal that roams over the vast prairies, from 
 the borders of Mexico on the south to Hudson's 
 Bay on the north. Their size is somewhat 
 above that of our common bullock, and their 
 flesh of a delicious flavor, resembling and 
 equaling fat beef. Their flesh, which is easily 
 procm^ed, furnishes the savages of these vast 
 regions the means of a ^^'holesome and good 
 subsistence, and they live almost exclusively 
 upon it, converting the skins, horns, hoofs and 
 bones to the construction of dresses, shields, 
 bows, etc. The buffalo bull is one of the most 
 formidable and frightful looking animals in 
 the world when excited to resistance ; his long 
 shaggy main hangs in great profusion over his 
 neck and shoulders, and often extends quite 
 down to the ground. The cow is less in 
 stature and less ferocious, though not much 
 less wild and frightful in her appearance. 
 
 " The mode in which these Indians kill this 
 noble animal is spuited and thrilling in the ex- 
 treme; and I must, in a future epistle, give 
 you a minute account of it. I have almost 
 daily accompanied parties of Indians to see 
 the fun, and have often shared in it myself, 
 but much oftener ran my horse by their sides, 
 to see how the thing was done and study the 
 modes and expressions of these splendid scenes, 
 which I am industriously putting upon the 
 canvas. 
 
 ' ' They are all, or nearly so, killed with arrows 
 and the lance, while at full speed ; and the 
 reader may easily imagine that these scenes 
 aftbrd the most spirited and pictiu-esque views 
 of the sporting kind that can possibly be seen. 
 
 ' 'At present I will give a little sketch of a bit 
 of fun I joined in yesterday with Mr. McKenzie 
 and a number of his men, without the company 
 or aid of Indians. 
 
 " I mentioned the other day that McKenzie's 
 table, from day to day, groans mider the weight 
 of buffalo tongues and beavers' tails and other 
 luxuries of this western land. He has within 
 
THE ''STAR AND CRESCENT'' AND ''SUNSET'' ROUTE. 
 
 6l 
 
 his fort a spacious ice-house, in which he pre- 
 serves his meat fresh for any lenyjth of time 
 required, and sometimes, when his larder runs 
 low, he starts out, rallying some five or six of 
 his best hunters (not to hunt, but to ' go for 
 meat '). He leads the party, mounted on his 
 favorite buffalo horse {i.t\, the horse amongst 
 his whole group which is best trained to run 
 the buffalo), trailing a light and short gimin his 
 hand — such a one as he can most easily reload 
 whilst his horse is at full speed. 
 
 " Such was the condition of the ice-house yes- 
 terday morning, which caused these self-cater- 
 ing gentlemen to cast their eyes with a wishful 
 look over the praii^ies ; and such w^as the 
 plight in which om- host took the lead, and I, 
 and then Mons. Chardon and Batiste Defonde 
 and Tullock (vs'ho is a trader amongst the 
 Crows, and is here at this time with a large 
 party of that tinbe), and there were several 
 others whose names I do not know. 
 
 "As we were mounted and ready to start 
 McKenzie called up some four or five of his 
 men and told them to follow immediately on our 
 trail with as many one-horse carts, which 
 they were to harness up, to bring home the 
 meat. ' Ferry them across the river in the 
 scow, ' said he, ' and follow our trail through 
 the bottom ; you will find us on the plain yon- 
 der, between the Rio Grande and Pecos Rivers, 
 with meat enough to load you home. My 
 watch on yonder bluff has just told us, by his 
 signals, that there are cattle a plenty on that 
 spot, and we are going there as fast as possible. ' 
 We all crossed the river, and galloped away a 
 couple of miles or so, when we moimted the 
 bluff ; and to be sure, as was said, there was 
 in full view of us a fine herd of some four 
 or five hundred buffaloes, perfectly at rest, 
 and m their own estimation (probably) per- 
 fectly secure. Some were grazing and others 
 were lying down and sleeping ; we advanced 
 within a mile or so of them in full view and 
 came to a halt. Mons. Chardon ' tossed the 
 feather ' (a custom always observed to try the 
 course of the wind), and we commenced ' strip- 
 ping ' as it is termed (/'. e., every man strips 
 himself and his horse of every extraneous and 
 unnecessary appendage of dress, etc., that 
 might be an incumbrance in running) ; hats 
 are laid oft", and coats and bullet pouches ; 
 sleeves are rolled up, a handkerchief tied 
 tightly around the head and another around 
 the waist, cartridges are prepared and placed 
 in the waistcoat pocket, or a half-dozen bul- 
 lets 'throwed mto the mouth,' etc., etc., all of 
 which take up some ten or fifteen minutes, and 
 is not, in appearance or in effect, unlike a 
 council of war. Our leader lays the whole 
 plan of the chase, and preliminaries all fixed, 
 gims charged and ramrods iix our hands, we 
 mount and start for the onset. The horses are 
 all trained for this business, and seem to enter 
 hito it with as much enthusiasm, and with as 
 restless a spirit, as the riders themselves. 
 While ' stripping ' and mounting they exhibit 
 the most restless impatience ; and when 
 
 ' approaching ' (which is, all of us abreast, upon 
 a slow walk, and in a straight line towards the 
 herd, until they discover us and run), they all 
 seem to have caught entirely.the spirit of the 
 chase, for the laziest nag amongst them prances 
 with an elasticity in his step, champing his bit, 
 his ears erect, his eyes strained out of his head 
 and fixed upon the game before him, whilst he 
 trembles under the saddle of his rider. In 
 this way we carefully and silently marched 
 until within some forty or fifty rods, when the 
 herd discovered us, wheeled and laid their 
 course in a mass. At this instant we started 
 (and all must start, for no one could check the 
 
 fui-y of those steeds at that moment of excite- 
 ment), and away all sailed, and over the 
 prairie flew, in a cloud of dust which was rais- 
 ed by their trampling hoofs. McKenzie was 
 foremost in the throng, and soon dashed off 
 amidst the dust and was out of sight --he was 
 after the fattest and the fastest. I had dis- 
 covered a huge bull whose shoulders towered 
 above the whole band, and I picked my way 
 through the crowd to get alongside of him. 
 I went not for 'meat,' but for a trophy; I 
 wanted his head and horns. 
 
 "I dashed along through the thundering 
 mass as they swept away over the plain, 
 scarcely able to tell whether I was on a buf- 
 falo's back or my horse — hit, and hooked, and 
 jostled about, till at length 1 found myself 
 alongside of my game, when 1 gave him a 
 shot as I passed him. 1 saw guns flash in 
 several directions about me, but I heard 
 them not. Amidst the trampling throng, 
 Mons. Chardon had wounded a stately bull, 
 and at this moment was passing him again with 
 his piece leveled for another shot ; they were 
 both at full speed, and I also, within the reach 
 of the muzzle of my gun, when the bull in- 
 stantly turned, receiving the horse upon his 
 horns, and the ground received poor Chardon, 
 who made a frog's leap of some twenty feet or 
 moreover the bull's back, and almost under 
 my horse's heels. I wheeled my horse as soon 
 as possible and rode back, where lay poor 
 Chardon gasping to start his breath again, and 
 within a few paces of niin his huge victim, with 
 his heels high in the air and the horse lying 
 across him. I dismounted instantly, but Char- 
 don was raising himself on his hands, with his 
 
62 
 
 RAMBLES TO THE RIO GRAXDE. 
 
 eyes and mouth full of dirt, and feeling for his 
 gun, ■which lay about thirty feet in advance of 
 him. ' Heaven spare you ! Are you hurt, 
 Chardon?' 'Hi — hie, hie, hie, hie — no — hie 
 — no, no — I believe not. Oh, this is not much, 
 Monsieiu- Cataline — this is nothing new ; but 
 this IS a d — d hard piece of ground here. Hie 
 — oh! — hie' At this the poor fellow fainted, 
 but in a few moments arose, picked up his gun, 
 took his horse by the bit, which then opened 
 its eyes, and with a hie and a ugh — UGHK ! — 
 sprang upon its feet, shook off the dirt ; and 
 here we were, all upon our legs again, save the 
 bull, whose fate had been more sad than that 
 of either. 
 
 " I turned my eyes in the direction where the 
 herd had gone, and our companions in pursuit, 
 and nothing could be seen of them, nor indica- 
 tion, except the cloud of dust which they left 
 behind them. At a little distance on the right, 
 however, 1 beheld my huge victim endeavoring 
 to make as much headway as he possibly could 
 from his dangerous ground, upon three legs. 
 I galloped off to him, and at my approach he 
 wheeled around and bristled up for battle ; he 
 seemed to know perfectly well that he could 
 not escape from me, and resolved to meet his 
 enemy and death as bravely as possible. 
 
 •■ I found that my shot had entered him a 
 little too far forward, breaking one of his should- 
 ers and lodging in his breast ; and from his very 
 great weight it was impossible for him to make 
 much advance upon me. As I rode up within 
 a few paces of him he would bristle up with 
 fury enough in his looks alone almost to anni- 
 hilate me, and making one lunge at me, would 
 fall upon his neck and nose, so that I found 
 the sagacity of my horse alone enough to keep 
 me out of reach of danger ; and 1 drew from 
 my pocket my sketch-book, laid my gun across 
 my lap and commenced taking his likeness. 
 He stood stiffened up and swelling with awful 
 vengeance, which was sublime for a picture, 
 but which he could not vent upon me. I rode 
 around hin^ and sketched him in numerous 
 attitudes. Sometimes he would lie down, and 
 I would then sketch him ; then throw my cap 
 at him, antl, rousing him on his legs, rally a 
 new expression and sketch him again. In this 
 way I added to my sketch-book some invalu- 
 able sketches of this grim-visaged monster, 
 who knew not that he was standing for his 
 likeness. 
 
 ' ' No man on earth can imagine what is the 
 look and expression of such a subject before 
 him as this was. I defy the world to produce 
 another animal that can look so frightful as a 
 huge buffalo bull, when wounded as he was, 
 turned around for battle and swelling with 
 rage ; his eyes bloodshot and his long shaggy 
 mane hanging to the ground — his mouth open 
 and his horrid rage hissing in streams of smoke 
 and blood from his mouth and through his 
 nostrils, as he is bending forward to spring 
 upon his assailant. 
 
 "After 1 had had the requisite time and 
 opportunity for using my pencil, McKenzie 
 
 and his companions came walking their ex- 
 hausted horses back from the chase, and in 
 our rear came four or five carts to carry home 
 the meat. The party met from all cjuarters 
 around me and my buffalo bull, whom I then 
 shot in the head and finished ; and being seated 
 together for a few minutes, each one took a 
 smoke of the pipe and recited his exploits and 
 his ' coups ' or deaths, when all parties had a 
 hearty laugh at me, as a novice, for havmg 
 aimed at an old bull whose flesh was not suit- 
 able for food, and the carts were escorted on 
 the trail to bring away the meat. I rode back 
 with Mr. McKenzie, who pointed out five cows 
 which he had killed, and all of them selected 
 as the fattest and sleekest of the herd. This 
 astonishing feat was all performed within the 
 distance of one mile ; all \\ere killed at full 
 speed, and eyery one shot through the heart. 
 In the short space of time required for a horse 
 under ' full whip ' to run the distance of one 
 mile he had discharged his gun five, and loaded 
 it four times — selected his animals, and killed 
 at every shot ! There were six or eight others 
 killed at the same time, which altogether fur- 
 nished, as will be seen, alnindance of freight 
 for the carts, which returned, as well as several 
 pack-horses, loaded with the choicest parts, 
 which were cut from the animals and the 
 remainder of the carcasses left a prey for the 
 wolves. 
 
 " Such is the mode by which white men live 
 in this country, such tlie way in which they 
 get their food, and such is one of their delight- 
 ful amusements — at the hazard of every bone in 
 one's body, to feel the fine and thrilling exhila- 
 ration of the chase for a moment, and then as 
 often to upl)raid and blame himself for his folly 
 and imprudence." 
 
 Our party, after spending several days de- 
 lightfully in this region, photographing and 
 sketching many of the beautiful landscapes, 
 procured a guide and made all necessary 
 arrangements for a trip to Eagle Pass. The 
 warm hospitality of the chief engineer and his 
 able assistants, whose guests we had been, 
 made us loath to say goodbye, or rather "au 
 revoir," for we may see them again before our 
 next issue, in \\hich we will give a fuller account 
 of the Devil's River and the comitry surromid- 
 ing it. We will also give a complete, and we 
 trust an interesting, account of the country 
 lying between the mouth of the stream and 
 El Paso. 
 
 Having made our preparations, we set out 
 on the old Santa Fe trail, but had not gone far 
 before we saw the necessity of having a guide, 
 as we had driven entirely out of the road, and 
 so were obliged to wait for hnn to direct us 
 before we could either pursue our way or turn 
 back. On this route we traversed a pastoral 
 country rich beyond description, driving often 
 along the banks of the Rio Grande, and then 
 varying our journey by leaving the river for 
 many miles. We were told that this country 
 was, many years ago, the favorite resort of 
 wild horses ; and as these noble animals will 
 
THE ''STAR AND CRESCENT" AND ''SUNSET" ROUTE. 63 
 
 PAINTED CAVES, RIO GKANDE RIVER. 
 
64 
 
 KAMBLES TO THE RIO GRANDE. 
 
 eventually be exterminated or driven from the 
 state, and never be seen by our readers, we 
 fancy that a description of them, as given by 
 Mr. George Catlin, would not be altogether 
 without interest in these pages : 
 
 "The tract of country over which we passed 
 — the upper Rio Grande — is stocked, not only 
 with buffaloes, but with numerous bands of 
 wild horses, many of which we saw every day. 
 There is no other animal on the prairies so wild 
 and so sagacious as the horse, and none other 
 so difficult to come up with. So remarkably 
 keen is their eye that they will generally run 
 ' at the sight ' whea they are a mile distant, 
 being, no doubt, able to distinguish the char- 
 acter of the enemy that is approaching when 
 at that distance, and when in motion will 
 seldom stop short of three or four miles. I 
 made many attempts to approach them by 
 stealth, when they were grazing or playing 
 their gambols, without ever having been more 
 than once able to succeed. La this instance I 
 left my horse, and, with my friend Chadwick, 
 skulked through a ravine for a couple of miles, 
 mitil we were at length brought within gun- 
 shot of a fine herd of them, when I used my 
 pencil for some time while we were under cover 
 of a little hedge of bushes which effectually 
 screened us from their view. In this herd we 
 saw all the colors, nearly, that can be seen in 
 a kennel of English hounds. Some were milk- 
 white, some jet-black ; others were sorrel and 
 bay and cream color, many were of an iron- 
 gray ; and others were pied, containing a 
 variety of colors on the same animal. Their 
 manes were very profuse and hanging in the 
 wildest confusion over their necks and faces, 
 and their long tails swept the ground. 
 
 "After we had satisfied our curiosity in look- 
 ing at these proud and playful animals, we 
 agreed that we would try the experiment of 
 ' creasing ' one, as it is termed in this country, 
 which is done by shooting them through the 
 gristle on the top of the neck, which stuns them 
 so that they fall, and are secured with the 
 hobbles on the feet ; after which they rise 
 again without fatal injury. This is a practice 
 often resorted to by expert hunters, with good 
 rifles, who are not able to take them in any 
 other way. My friend Joe and I were armed 
 on this occasion each with a light fowling-piece, 
 which has not quite the preciseness in throw- 
 ing a bullet that a rifle has ; and having both 
 leveled our pieces at the withers of a noble, 
 fine-looking iron-gray, we pulled trigger and 
 the poor creature fell, and the rest of the herd 
 were out of sight in a moment. We advanced 
 speedily to him, and had the most inexpressible 
 mortification of finding that we never had 
 thought of hobbles or halters to secure him ; 
 and in a few moments more had the still 
 greater mortification, and even anguish, to find 
 that one of our shots had broken the poor 
 creature's neck, and that he was quite dead. 
 The laments of poor Chadwick for the wicked 
 folly of destroying this noble animal were such 
 as I never shall forget ; and so guilty did we 
 
 feel that we agreed that when we joined the 
 regiment we should boast of all the rest of our 
 hunting feats, but never make mention of this. 
 
 ' ' The usual mode of taking the wild 
 horses is by throwing the lasso whilst pur- 
 suing them at full speed, and dropping a noose 
 over their necks, by which their speed is soon 
 checked, and they are 'choked down.' The 
 lasso is a thong of rawhide some ten or fifteen 
 yards in length, twisted or braided, with a 
 noose fixed at the end of it, which, when 
 the coil of the lasso is thro\vn out, drops with 
 great certainty over the neck of the animal, 
 which is soon conquered. 
 
 "The Indian, when he starts for a wild 
 horse, mounts one of the fleetest he can get, 
 and coilmg his lasso on his arm starts off under 
 the ' full whip ' till he can enter the band, 
 when he soon gets it over the neck of one of 
 the number ; when he instantly dismounts, 
 leaving his own horse, and runs as fast as he 
 can, letting the lasso pass out gradually and 
 carefully through his hands, until the horse 
 falls for want of breath and lies helpless on 
 the gromid ; at which time the Indian ad- 
 vances slowly towards the horse's head, keep- 
 ing his lasso tight upon its neck until he 
 fastens a pair of hobbles on the animal's two 
 forefeet, and also loosens the lasso (giving the 
 horse chance to breathe), and gives it a noose 
 around the under jaw, by which he gets great 
 power over the affrighted animal, which is 
 rearing and plunging when it gets breath ; 
 and by which, as he advances hand over hand 
 towards the horse's nose, he is able to hold it 
 down and prevent it from throwing itself over 
 on its back, at the hazard of its limbs. By 
 this means he gradually advances until he is 
 able to place his hand on the animal's nose 
 and over its eyes, and at length to breathe in 
 its nostrils, when it soon becomes docile and 
 conquered ; so that he has little else to do than 
 to remove the hobbles from its feet and lead 
 or ride it into camp. 
 
 "This 'breaking-down' or taming, how- 
 ever, is not without the most desperate trial on 
 the part of the horse, which rears and plmiges 
 in every possible way to effect its escape, imtil 
 its power is exhausted and it becomes covered 
 with foam, and at last yields to the power of 
 man and becomes his willing slave for the rest 
 of its life. By this very rigid treatment the poor 
 animal seems to be so completely conquered 
 that it makes no further struggle for its free- 
 dom, but submits quietly ever after, and is led 
 or rode away with very little difficulty. Great 
 care is taken, however, in this and in subse- 
 quent treatment not to subdue the spii-it of the 
 annnal, which is carefully preserved and kept 
 up, although they use them with great severity, 
 being, generally speaking, cruel masters. 
 
 " The wild horse of these regions is a small 
 but very powerful animal, with an exceedingly 
 prominent eye, sharp nose, high nostril, small 
 feet and delicate leg, and undoubtedly have 
 spnmg fi-om a stock introduced by the Span- 
 iards at the time of the invasion of Mexico, 
 
THE ''STAR AND CRESCENT'' AND "■SUNSET'' ROUTE. 
 
 65 
 
 which, having strayed off upon the prairies, 
 have run wild and stocked the plains from 
 this to Lake Winnepeg, two or three thousand 
 miles to the north. 
 
 " This useful animal has been of great 
 service to the Indians living on these vast 
 plains, enabling them to take their game more 
 easily, to carry their burdens, etc., and no 
 doubt renders them better and handier service 
 than if they were of a larger and heavier breed. 
 Vast numbers of them are also killed for food 
 by the Indians at seasons when buffaloes and 
 other game are scarce. They subsist them- 
 selves both in winter and summer by biting at 
 the grass, which they can always get in suffi- 
 cient quantities for their food. 
 
 " Whilst on our march we met with many 
 droves of these beautiful annuals, and several 
 times had the opportunity of seeing the Indians 
 pursue theni and take them with the lasso. 
 The first successful instance of the kind was 
 effecteil by one of our guides and hunters, by 
 the name of Beatte, a Frenchman, whose 
 parents had lived nearly their whole lives in 
 the Osage Village, and who himself had been 
 reared from infancy amongst theni ; and in a 
 continual life of Indian modes and amusements 
 had acquired all the skill and tact of his Indian 
 teachers, and probably a little more, for he 
 IS reputed, without exception, the best hunter 
 in these western regions. 
 
 "This instance took place one day whilst 
 the regiment was at its usual halt of an hour, 
 in the middle of the day. 
 
 " When the bugle sounded for a halt, and all 
 were dismounted, Beatte and several others of 
 the hunters asked permission of Colonel Dodge 
 to pursue a drove of horses which were then in 
 sight at a distance of a mile or more from us. 
 The permission was given, and they started 
 off, and by following a ravine approached 
 near to the unsuspecting animals, when they 
 broke upon them and pursued them for several 
 miles in full view of the regiment. Several of 
 us had good glasses, with which we could see 
 every movement and every manoeuvre. After 
 a race of two or three miles, Beatte was seen 
 with his wild horse down, and the band and 
 the other hunters rapidly leaving him. 
 
 " Seeing him in this condition, I galloped off 
 to him as rapidly as possible, and had the sat- 
 isfaction of seeing the whole operation of 
 ' breaking down ' and bringing in the wild 
 animal. When he had conquered the horse 
 in this way, his brother, who was one of the 
 unsuccessful ones in the chase, came riding 
 back and leading up the horse of Beatte, 
 which he had left beliind ; and after staying 
 with us a few minutes assisted Beatte in lead- 
 ing his conquered wild horse towards the regi- 
 ment, where it was satisfactorily examined and 
 commented upon, as it was trembling and 
 covered with white foam, until the bugle sound- 
 ed the signal for marching, when all mounted, 
 and with the rest Beatte astride of his wild 
 horse, which had a buffalo skin girted on its 
 back, and a halter, with a cniel noose around 
 
 the under jaw. In this manner the command 
 resumed its march, and Beatte asti-ide of his 
 wild horse, on which he rode quietly and with- 
 out difficulty until jiight ; the whole thing, the 
 capture, and breaking, all having been ac- 
 complished within the space of one hour, our 
 usual and daily halt at midday. 
 
 ' ' Several others of these animals were caught 
 in a similar manner during our march by 
 others of our hunters, affording us satisfactory 
 instances of this most extraordinary and almost 
 unaccountable feat. 
 
 " The horses that were caught were by no 
 means very valuable specimens, being rather 
 of an ordinary quality ; and I saw, to my per- 
 fect satisfaction, that the finest of these droves 
 can never be obtained in this way, as they 
 take the lead at once when they are pursued, 
 and in a few moments will be seen half a mile 
 or more ahead of the bulk of the drove which 
 they are leading off. There is not a doubt but 
 there are many very fine and valiiable horses 
 
 amongst these herds ; but it is impossible for 
 the Indian or other hunter to take them, miless 
 it is done by 'creasing' them, as I have be- 
 fore described, which is often done, but always 
 destroys the spirit and character of the animal. ' ' 
 
 As we drove along our way oiu" reveries of 
 wild horses, and the time when they trampled 
 the very spot, perchance, where we were 
 driving, were quite entertaining. Soon we 
 crossed Filipe Creek and drove upon a table- 
 land that stretched far ahead of us. Its sur- 
 face was broken considerably by small canons 
 extending out from the Rio Grande, but the 
 soil was fertile. From this we descended into 
 the valley of Sycamore Creek, a lovely and 
 productive bottom. It was well timbered with 
 large pecans and sycamores. This creek we 
 mentioned before as we traveled to Devil's 
 River. 
 
 We thought of camping beneath these large 
 trees, but when the guide called our attention 
 to the high-water-marks among the limbs of 
 
66 
 
 CROCKETT COUNTY. 
 
 the trees we pushed ahead and passed some 
 fiiie flocks of sheep herded by Mexicans. 
 
 Large numbers of cattle also grazed upon 
 these prairies, and among them were some of 
 the fattest and finest we had ever seen, of the 
 pure Texas beef. They had never been fed, 
 nor had they ever eaten a particle of cultivated 
 vegetation in their lives, yet they were fat and 
 apparently in the best condition. They were 
 not sheltered by sheds, as they received all the 
 needed protection in severe weather from the 
 heavy timber of the bottom-lands. An owner 
 of some of the cattle, upon seeing our aston- 
 ishment at the fact that they were Texas stock 
 and yet so fine, explained that all large stock- 
 raisers exchanged bull calves every year, in 
 order to sustain the mixture of blood and pre- 
 vent the enfeebling effects of "breeding in." 
 
 We pitched our camp on a high bank just 
 out of the valley, and were fortmiate in obtain- 
 ing a view of a most magnificent sunset. The 
 sunsets in this portion of the country are phe- 
 nomenally splendid, especially at this season of 
 the year. In the distance were observable the 
 deep blue outlines of the Santa Rosa IMomi tains, 
 contrasting exquisitely with the golden splendor 
 of the clouds that had gathered, as has been 
 their invariable custom ever since the world 
 was made, around the sinking orb of day, to 
 pay their last respects to the departing god 
 and usher in with purple pomp the stars of the 
 summer night.; it was ti'uly a lovely and divine 
 picture. The next morning, arising from a 
 sweet and undisturbed repose, we beheld even 
 a grander sight, if possible, in the rising of the 
 cloud-attended luminary. The wonders of the 
 west were rivaled by the splendors of the east; 
 each day seemed to us more beautifid than any 
 we had ever seen. We continued our journey 
 with practical eyes, however, and saw on all 
 sides points of interest to the farmer and capi- 
 talist, as well as to the artist and poet. The 
 beautiful coiuitry we left behmd us was equaled 
 by the rich tracts we continued to traverse. 
 We finally crossed several pretty creeks and 
 came back to the Las Moras, which we had 
 crossed higher up on our westward trip. This 
 placed us again in Maverick County ; and we 
 cannot find a more suitable time in which to 
 give the story of the origin of the name 
 "Maverick," as used by Texans : 
 
 ' 'A certain well known ' colonel ' of the name 
 bought an island in one of the rivers and stocked 
 it with a few cattle, proposing to keep his 
 animals where he could find them when he 
 wanted beef or hides. Business entanglements 
 claimed the worthy colonel's attention, and in 
 course of time he well-nigh forgot his island 
 colony. Rounders began to find among their 
 herds ancient bulls and co\\-s, all guiltless of an 
 owner's mark ; they came to be counted by 
 thousands, and it was finally discovered that 
 they were runaways from Colonel Maverick's 
 island. The old colonel was informed by 
 herders of his good luck, and told, among other 
 things, that some two thousand bulls were sub- 
 ject to his orders. The last thing recorded in 
 
 connection with this legend is the colonel's ex- 
 cited speech upon the occasion : ' For Heaven's 
 sake, boys, go and help yourselves!' There- 
 after any animal found without a brand was 
 called a ' Maverick, ' and duly stamped with 
 the finder's mark." 
 
 Between Las Moras and Elm Creek the 
 country is broken, though not well watered. 
 In the distance of sixty miles, between Devil's 
 River and Elm, we saw only about four ranches, 
 although the prairie was covered with flocks. 
 
 Looking to the northeast, from whence we 
 came, the countiy had the appearance of being 
 terraced, it being the decline from the elevated 
 section we had visited. The formations, as we 
 advance, are of limestone and sandstone. The 
 plateau about Olmus Creek is almost level ; it 
 is covered with good grasses and rests upon 
 beds of coal. Iron ores are also found there 
 with 50 per cent, clear metal. On Olmus 
 Creek are some interesting specimens of posi- 
 donomya, ooliths, also sauroliths and other 
 petrifactions in the lias formation. 
 
 Leaving this creek, Eagle Pass and Fort 
 Duncan soon appear in sight. The bottom 
 lands of the Rio Grande along here are exceed- 
 ingly fertile, sugar-cane, corn and cotton grow- 
 ing in the greatest liLxuriance ; some marshy 
 lands covered with a tall grass are found on the 
 route. Passing through a mesquite thicket we 
 were rejoiced at finding ourselves in Eagle 
 Pass, of which place we will speak at length 
 in our next issue of this work. 
 
 For the benefit of many of our readers, we 
 will content ourselves with saying here that the 
 broad valley of the Rio Grande is the same in 
 soil as the valleys of the Colorado and the 
 Brazos ; it bears the rankest growth of moun- 
 tain cypress, oak, cedar, hickory, pecan, elm, 
 ash, sycamore, Cottonwood and many other 
 trees of noble size. Grapes and other fruit 
 grow and flourish here also. 
 
 CROCKETT COUNTY. 
 
 The railroad crosses the Devil's River, which 
 is spanned by a beautiful iron bridge high 
 above water-mark, connecting in this way the 
 shores close by the fording — a former old Indian 
 ti-ail, and for years the military highway. The 
 Dom Pedro, or Devil's River, with its emerald- 
 like waters, runs many miles clear and swift in 
 its stony bed, lined on both sides with rich 
 groves. This part of the country has not been 
 organized as yet, and but a limited portion is 
 settled. The county has an area of about 
 16,000 square miles, of which but very little is 
 under cultivation. 
 
 Herders and Indians state, that along Devil's 
 River and its tributaries, along Ricardo Creek 
 up to Willow Spring, Kuechler's Lake, Beaver 
 Lake, Pecan Spring and Camp Hudson Spring, 
 beautiful \-alleys are found which are well 
 adapted for gardening, ranking as high as any 
 soil of this description in this country. 
 
 Crossing the river over the beautiful bridge, 
 
 we enter Painted Cave Canon, winding our 
 
 I way through rocky walls, a chaos of stones. 
 
THE ''■STAR AXD CRESCENT'' AND ''SUNSET" ROUTE. 
 
68 
 
 PECOS COUNTY. 
 
 In regard to vegetation, we notice little but 
 cactuses and aloes of various kinds. We w^ill 
 state here, too, that as to engineering, in no 
 region in the United States is it surpassed by 
 any oiher railroad. The tomust will see canons 
 of the wildest character, and will have a sight 
 of rare grandeur. It will certainly pay him to 
 visit the celebrated "Painted Cave" with its 
 magic chambers. Most of them have been 
 used by those notorious tribes, the Apaches 
 and Comanches, as their hiding-places, and 
 many peculiar figures are either painted or 
 chiseled into its rocky walls. 
 
 Everything seems to have been comfortably 
 arranged by nature to invite the toiu-ist to stay 
 and rest. A cool, refreshing spring is close by 
 for the weary teamster, and many a name on 
 the surrounding rocks in the cave is proof 
 and evidence enough that for years these caves 
 have been, and are still, the abode and camp- 
 ing-ground of many travelers, who, further 
 west, may have perished for want of drinkable 
 water. 
 
 The western limit of Crockett County is the 
 Pecos River, but before we come to it we 
 have to pass three tminels through gray lime- 
 stone mountains, which are respectively twelve, 
 fifteen and sixteen hundred feet in length. The 
 course of the Pecos River is marked on both 
 sides by rich tracts of pasture-land ; the ground 
 is fertile, bare of any growth of brush or tim- 
 ber, but here and there alongside the bluffs 
 there are groves of tall cedars. 
 
 Traversing this region on horse-back, there 
 is nothing to indicate the proximity of so large 
 a stream. Descending into a wide canon, 
 an extensive valley smooth with splendid 
 grasses, we stand at once on the banks of the 
 Pecos. Looking down we observe its waters 
 movmg on silently, running in a smooth chan- 
 nel. The water is of a dark hue, brackish, 
 and has a decided sulphur and alkaline taste. 
 The current is ratiier swift, about seven to eight 
 miles an hom- ; its depth in many places is 
 twenty feet, and over loo feet in width. In 
 regard to its bed, it is remarkable for the 
 great number of sharp bends, probably more 
 so than that of any other river on the 
 globe. Many of its side valleys are still a 
 "terra incognita," aboimding in wild game ; 
 but what is known of them and explored 
 is easy to irrigate on account of the rapid 
 inclination of this county, about ten feet to the 
 mile. 
 
 Some old Mexican settlers in this region, 
 who live along the tributaries farther up the 
 Pecos River, are growing fine corn and wheat 
 crops, especially along the headwaters of How- 
 ard Creek. They also tell that elks, panthers, 
 buffaloes, moimtain lions, deer, wild turkeys, 
 etc., are found in abundance in the northwest- 
 ern portion of Crockett County, along the 
 Pecos River, and that there are valleys enough, 
 principally adapted for grazing. 
 
 We cross the Pecos River on a bridge of 
 rare excellence, and enter a still larger unor- 
 ganized county, viz.: 
 
 PECOS COUNTY. 
 
 About fifteen miles from the river we come 
 to ' ' Painted Rock Creek. ' ' Nature has here 
 painted these rocks with similar colors as those 
 world-renowned "Painted Rocks" on Lake 
 Superior. The creek below is formed by some 
 fine springs, known as "Painted Rock 
 Springs. ' ' 
 
 Going further down towards the Rio Grande, 
 we traverse a high plateau, passing through 
 wild and picturesque canons, with the Apache 
 Movmtains in view, in the direction of Fort 
 Stockton, where we will find nothing but 
 sage, cactus, very seldom water and very little 
 grass. Comanche Creek, near Fort Stockton, 
 in this region makes an exception, inasmuch 
 as it is proved that this whole tract would 
 become fertile by ii-rigation, for the soil, water- 
 ed by Comanche Creek, produces the finest 
 kinds of corn, wheat and vegetables. The 
 spring of this creek is said to be one of the 
 most remarkable natural artesian wells in 
 western Texas. Although an immense body 
 of water, the thirsty earth soon absorbs its 
 lively and swift-running waters. Those who 
 intend to visit the Apache Mountains, which 
 are exceedingly rough and abound in chasms, 
 canons, and wild game, will come into an al- 
 most unknown region, of which scarcely the 
 outer edges are explored. 
 
 As far as it is known, granite and basaltic 
 formations predominate, while along the Pecos 
 River lime and sandstone are found. As to 
 minerals, all kinds of fables and stories exist of 
 gold and silver ores in the Apache regions. 
 
 Turning south toward the Rio Grande, the 
 Horsehead Hills come in view, which are 
 likewise very little known, but there are still 
 some first-class ranges for agricultural pur- 
 poses, and beautiful, fertile valleys with a 
 scenery second to none in regard to sublime 
 grandeur, even to those in the Rocky Moun- 
 tains. 
 
 The elevation in average of this region is a 
 little over 5000 feet, and here you can see the 
 highest peaks of the United States east of the 
 Rocky Mountains. 
 
 Pecos Coimty, with about 18,000 square 
 miles, of which the greater portion is still un- 
 occupied, has some large stock ranches and 
 farms. Imagine only that these three im- 
 mense counties, viz., Pecos, Presidio and El 
 Paso, embrace an area of over 54,000 square 
 miles, which is about the size of IS^'ew Hamp- 
 shire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island 
 and Connecticut, if put together. 
 
 This region is traversed by well-defined 
 mountain ranges, as the Guadalupe, Sacra- 
 mento, Organ and Chinati Mountains. 
 
 Travehng through this portion of the coun- 
 try', one will see rich valleys with fine, nutri- 
 tious grass, many streams, water-holes, etc, 
 and this it is that makes it so valuable as a 
 grazing country on this continent. Also, along 
 the Rio Grande, the Pecos, the Toyah Rivers 
 and other tributaries, we come to fertile valleys 
 
THE ^'STAR AND CRESCENT" AND ^^SUNSET'' ROUTE. 
 
 69 
 
 and mountains, the latter being partly covered 
 with a rich growth of large timber, consist- 
 ing of pine, mountain juniper and some species 
 of oak. 
 
 Without doubt there are precious metals yet 
 to be brought to light, and since the railroad 
 has traversed these territories expeditions have 
 been organized to explore these parts of the 
 country ; and by next season valuable results 
 will be gained and published. 
 
 The Southern Pacific Route now opens this 
 vast territory, which is rich in minerals, and 
 has a health-giving and invigorating climate. 
 The railroad crosses diagonally the southern 
 portion of Pecos County, and enters, 
 
 PRESIDIO COUNTY, 
 
 another grand, but still unorganized, country. 
 It is bounded by the Rio Cirande with its 
 many tributaries. 
 
 Along these valleys fine settlements are 
 found, and capitalists will have good chances 
 for investment. The tourist may rest and lie 
 over at Fort Davis, near Limpia River, about 
 480 miles from San Antonio, and a little over 
 220 miles from El Paso ; its elevation above 
 the gulf is about 4700 feet. 
 
 This important post was established in 1854, 
 has a charmmg and healthy climate, and is 
 situated at the outlet of a canon which is here 
 over four hundred feet wide, but is finally lost 
 in the mountains. The country looks sterile, 
 with the exception of some live-oak and cotton- 
 wood clustering along the banks of the Limpia 
 River. In a line north and south across the 
 entrance to the canon are the quarters of the 
 officers, barracks, corrals, the executive office, 
 the guard-house, and stables to accommodate 
 about five hundred horses. The store-houses, 
 the hospital and all those buildings are mostly 
 built of adobe, and form a town by itself. A 
 trip from this post to Wild Rose Pass, and from 
 there to Seven Springs, in the Davis Mountains, 
 will certainly pay the tourist if he wants to see 
 grand scenery. Game is in abundance, and 
 the air is fresh and balmy. 
 
 The southern part of Presidio County is yet 
 a "terra incognita." The Rio Grande makes 
 there a great bend, guarded by several military 
 sub-posts. Before long this beautiful spot will 
 be opened to all by a railroad which will be 
 built by the Mexicans along the Rio Grande up 
 to El Paso. 
 
 EX. PASO COUNTY, 
 
 which is easily reached from Presidio, was first 
 settled by Jesuits in 1620. El Paso Valley has 
 an extension of over 140 miles and an average 
 width of about six miles ; its soil is alluvial, 
 rich and productive. The Rio Grande bounds 
 the county on the west and south for a distance 
 of over 100 miles ; on the southeast the bound- 
 aries are Presidio and Pecos Counties ; the 
 northern boundary, the 32d degree of north 
 latitude, and divides it from New Mexico. The 
 
 elevation of this county is about 4000 feet above 
 the gulf; the whole country is broken and 
 mountainous. The climate is dry and delight- 
 ful, the rainfall slight, and fine products are 
 raised by irrigation. The population chiefly 
 consists of Mexicans, numbering about 4000, 
 all of whom have their settlements along the 
 Rio Grande Valley ; and now already, through 
 the influence of the railroad, great changes 
 have laken place. 
 
 The railroad passes by Fort Quitman, situ- 
 ated several hundred yards east of the Rio 
 Grande and 619 miles from San Antonio. The 
 country around is a sterile sand-prairie, covered 
 here and there with cactuses and mesquite 
 wood. Not far from here the Rocky Mountains 
 rise abruptly and bare of any vegetation. At 
 this post there is no chance to cultivate any 
 vegetables. The buildings are made of adobe, 
 and the fort is supplied by Mexican towns, viz.: 
 Guadalupe, San Ignatio, San Elizario and El 
 Paso. 
 
 Farther up, and about three miles from El 
 Paso, there is Fort Bliss, another important 
 military post, situated on Concordia Ranch, 
 about 3600 feet above the level of the gulf. 
 The accommodations at this locality are excel- 
 lent, and the people live comfortably, excepting 
 the occasional experience of malarial influences 
 from the bottom-lands of the Rio Grande. 
 The portion along the river may be called a 
 real garden spot, especially near El Paso, a 
 city of importance and a railroad terminus. 
 Wheat, corn, rye, barley, onions (the finest m 
 the world), and vegetables of all sorts yield 
 here astonishing crops. Peaches, pears and 
 grapes are cultivated with profit, and in regard 
 to the latter, even European varieties grow 
 very finely, and before long this will rank first 
 as a wine-cultivating country. In general these 
 regions are treeless, except along the streams 
 Cottonwood, willow, wild cherry, elm and 
 mesquite are found. In some of the mountain 
 ranges are large cedar forests, many trees over 
 sixty feet in height, rarely met with elsewhere ; 
 and with regard to mineral wealth, important 
 discoveries are on record. 
 
 We can say much of frontier life, and will 
 take particular pains to explore those regions, 
 so little known, and of which no correct maps 
 have been published as yet ; and therefore in 
 our next revised issue we shall bring new 
 sketches and a more detailed description of 
 stations and localities of importance, especially 
 to the capitalist and the rancher. We have 
 also in store some very romantic legends of 
 frontier life. 
 
 In conclusion, we may say again, this road 
 completed — now ready for the iron horse from 
 New Orleans to San Francisco — is one of the 
 longest, most charming, most varied and 
 delightful in the world. 
 
 The great Southwest is now open, and the 
 country will soon be the home of thousands of 
 industrious people. 
 
 ADIOS. 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 >AGE 
 
 Spanish F(^rt, Sr. John's Bayou, 6 
 
 Bayou Teche, g 
 
 Sour Lake — Hardin County, - 17 
 
 Cotton and Sugar-(Jane Field, near Houston, --.-.. 23 
 
 San Pedro Park, -------.-.... 29 
 
 Mission La Concepcion, ---... ,, 
 
 Mission San Jose, - --..... 4^ 
 
 View on Headwaters of the San Antonio, 47 
 
 Medina Picnic Grounds, -j 
 
 Eagle Pass — Fandango by Moonlight, ---..... rj 
 
 Painted Caves, Rio Grande River, 63 
 
 Guadalupe Mountains— Going to Market, - - . . 67 
 
THE "STAR and CRESCENT" and "SUNSET" ROUTE: 
 
 THE SHORT LINE 
 
 And Great National Thorough/are 
 
 Texas, Mexico and the Pacific Coast. 
 

 
 
 W fl^ 
 
 T. W. PEIRCE. Jr. 
 
 General Passenger Agent, 
 
MMHi 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 787 4 
 
 I )i u ii\