The Texas Almanac for 1873, and Emigrant's Guide to Texas Page: 98
[242] p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
TEXAS ALMANiAC.
with the peculiar smell of-some say-sulphur, but others say like a burn-
ing forest. Let this be as it may, there is evidently in these dry "blue
northers" (as they are called), a state of high electrical condition of the atmos-
phere, which produces a thrilling sense of exhileration in man and beast.
The force of the wind in the most violent of these dry storms is about
sufficient to blow down an ordinary rail fence, where most exposed to the
wind. These storms continue without abatement for about twelve hours,
and then gradually subside in about twelve or fifteen hours more. The cold
which attends them is variable, often not freezing at all, and then again sink-
ing the mercury in the tube of the thermometer down to twenty five or
twenty degrees, and in one instance at Austin as low as six degr. cs; but
such extreme cold only occurs, perhaps, once in a lifetime; as was experi-
enced in Flprida in February, 1835, when the water froze on the skin of the
cheek between the washpan and the towel.
These dry northers are considered. and no doubt are, very healthy winds,
coming as they do over an extended dry and elevated country. The experi-
ence is that a few "blue northers" sweeping over the malarious districts of
the country, in the month of October, bring health and infuse life and energy
into all the subjects of chills and fevers, and morbid livers.
W. J. BLEWETT.
EAST TEXAS IMMIGRATION SOCIETY-ELYSIAN FIELDS, TEXAS.
LOCATION, CLIMATE, ETC., OF EAST TEXAS.
To Immigrants -We are about one hundred and fifty miles from the
coast, nearly north from the mouth of Sabine river, and in the space between
the 32d and 33d degrees of North latitude. Our section is not of a moun-
tainous character, nor is it swampy, but generally level and free from rock,
with about 5 per cent. of waste land. Our summers are long and somewhat
enervating. Yet we have no cases of total prostration from heat. They are
tempered by breezes from the gulf that rise about 9 o'clock in the morning
and continue until about 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Our winters are
=always mild. The ice in our ponds is never sufficient to bear up anordinary
mnan, and in our running water ice never forms. There is no time in winter
that a man may not labor out doors, except from rain or sleet, which fall
more or less in December, January and February. We never house our cattle,
sheep, or goats, nor our horses, except such as work.
SOIL.
Our soil is of three or four kinds. We have some land of gray sandy
character, easy of cultivation, which does not last long, owing to its light
nature. We have some red sandy land, more or less stiff, which lasts a life
time, without manure of any kind. We have a gray land usually clothed
with the hickory, shumac, oak and dogwood, which produces freely and
is well suited to be improved, having clay subsoil. The latter forms nearly
two-thirds of the land in the counties of Panola, Harrison, Shelby and Rusk.
Our creek and branch bottoms are of two kinds: dark stiff, or light sandy, the
darker land being considered most durable and most valuable.
HEALTH.
East Texas is healthy. We occasionally have cases of Pneumonia in
'winter, generally superinduced by exposure, and occasionally persons die ot
This disease. Our summers being long, oor people become weakened or
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
The Texas Almanac for 1873, and Emigrant's Guide to Texas, book, 1873~; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth123778/m1/100/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.