Texas Almanac, 1859 Page: 150
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take their sleep whilst traveling. The provisions are the best that the nature of
so long a trip will allow. The character of the country is that of a high, dry,
and eminently healthy one, and a trip across our Continent could hardly fail to
prove beneficial to the health of the traveler.
The Company employ, in carrying out their contract, sixty-five men, fifty
coaches, and four hundred mules. The officers of the Company are: Mr. J. C.
Woods, Superintendent; Mr. G. H. Giddings, Agent, San Antonio; Mr. IM: B. Brainm-
hall, jr., Agent, pro tem., San Antonio; Mr. T. S. Rogers, Agent, Fort Clark;
Mr. E. Hall, Agent, El Paso; Mr. R. E. Doyle, Agent, San Diego.
The San Antonio and San Diego Mail Route is, without doubt, the most practica-
ble overland route to our Pacific possessions, and, in this view, possesses a nation-
al importance. That it will be extensively used for travel and emigration, at an
early day, we have no doubt, whilst its chances of becoming the route for the
great Pacific Railroad, are believed to be better than any route known to the
country.
THE TRADE OF SABINE PASS, NOW .AUGUSTA.
FUTURE PROSPECTS-STATISTICS OF SHELBY, &c.
SHELBYVILLE, TEXAS, July 1, 1858.
Ens. TEXAS ALMANAC :-The following is a list of the exports from Sabine
Pass, for the season ending June 1st, 1858, as taken from the boos of N. Hurd,
Deputy Custom-House Collector, at Sabine Pass, to-wit: 15,176 bales cotton;
6,120,500 shingles; 210,600 staves; 1,063,000 feet lumber; 1,543 hides; 18 bales
wool; 3 bales peltries; 2 casks of horns; 11 mules; 4,531 beef cattle; 325 bbls.
lime; 4,850 pounds leather; 1 box deer skins; 30 barrels potatoes; 7 barrels
beans; 115,800 pounds of tobacco; 125 pounds dressed deer skins; 2 horses; 9
bear skins; 25 bundles deer skins; 4 bales deer skins; 45 sacks of rice, 3 casks
of tallow; 135 barrels Sour Lake Water, and 1 bundle Otter skins.
A considerable portion of the cotton made in Shelby county was shipped down
the Sabine this season. The people, in this section of the country, in view of
the improvement going on to open the Sabine river, are much pleased with the
probability of being able, hereafter, to turn their entire trade to New Orleans
and Galveston through this channel. In fact, I find a great disposition with the
planting community to patronize their own sea-ports, and build up a home trade.
The steamer Uncle Ben made five successful trips, two of which were as high up
as Belzora, in Smith county, a distance of near eight hundred miles, carrying
out near one thousand bales each trip, this season. Also, the Pearl Plant and
other boats have done considerable in the Sabine trade, and without the least
difficulty, save from leaning timber, &c. The steamer Uncle Ben is now laid up
at Hamilton. in good condition, and ready for the Fall and Winter trade. Her
owners design never taking he? out of the Sabine trade. The counties of
Orange, Jasper, Newton, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Panola, Rusk, Smith,
and a considerable portion of Louisiana, are situated near, and border on the
Sabine River, and make a very large quantity of cotton and other produce, and
I have no doubt that sixty or seventy thousand bales of cotton will find its way
to market, next season, through this channel to New Orleans or Galveston. Of
course, it will go wherever it will command the best price, with least expense of
getting it to market. If the merchants and those interested in the prosperity
of Galveston, will hold out the necessary inducements in the way of shipping
facilities from Sabine Pass, I have no doubt that a vast amount of trade that
has heretofore gone to New Orleans, will be turned to Galveston. The contrac-
tors for improving the navigation of the Sabine, are pushing the work forward,
and if the water continues low until November, will, I have no doubt, complete
their contracts by that time, which, when done, will give increased shipping fa-
cilities on the river.
The county of Shelby has improved rapidly in the last twelve months. I was
furnished a statement by the Assessor and Collector of the county, which is as
follows, to-wit Population; whites, 3,625; slaves, 1,235; total, 4,860. Scholastic
population, 1,215. Qualified voters, 763. Number of acres in corn, 13.635; cot-I
TEXAS AL-dANAC.
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Texas Almanac, 1859, book, 1859~; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth123765/m1/151/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.