Matagorda Bulletin. (Matagorda, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 10, Ed. 1, Wednesday, October 4, 1837 Page: 1 of 4
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"WHERE LIBERTY DWELLS THERE IS MY COCJS'TRY.
VOL. I.
MATAGORDA WEDNESDAY HORKOre OCTOJI
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NO. 10.
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THE
JIatagorda Bulletin
Will bo Published every Wednesday Morning.
TERMS.
Five Dollars per Annum in Advance.
J. W. J. NIf.KS Editor mid Proprietor.
Adveilieir.cnts ofll) lines and under first inirrlioii.$lOUih-
sequent Insertions 51) cents. Liberal arrangements made nitli
those desirous of advertising by the J ear.
PIIOSPECTUS
OK THE
jflatasorda Bulletin.
IN potting forth our sheet we are aware that the public will
look for n preface ciplaiiatorv. a regards our location present
len and future propcctr. Hcfbre e procredtnrniiiiieraicsoine
fen- of the manv advanta;cs which our location so eminently i js-
tmes and which no think call" for the speedy cfinuiiiiineni oi a
press we would remark that wiihout claiming for ourselves a
greater port! in of disinterested feeling than falls to the lot of man-
kind In general we believe profit must accrue to ourselves from
publishing and not less to our patrons ftom readingtha while it
Is for our Interest tn print miny ill through the Information we
hope to communicate derive equal benefit.
Texas is still In her infancy but while in her cradle she has
crushed the t.erpcnt. What then imy we not anticipate from 1 er
Herculean prowess at maturity? Her territory is as estensivc as
that of France her climite the climate of Italj her mineral
riches will be found to surpass lhoc of all Europe and in her
natural ferti:uy of soil she can challenge the world for a compari-
son. Tow.-ing such mi;lity resource for what may she not
hew when It is rcniemhered that these resources arc at the com-
raand of and to he developed by the Anglo Saxon racci
The ground upon which c found our hopes of mccess In this
publication Is a knowledge of certain fads and a conviction in
l uur own mindof thelmvitatle results to which these must lead.
" .The Bay ofJIata'oraa being at the extreme of the great north-
west bend of the Culf of Mexico and affording a harbor for vessel"
orequalled by any tothe south or westof it must necessarily be-
come the great commercial emporium .of an Immense extent of
country diverging from thi point at an angle of at lcat ninety
degrees and extending towards tnemienor ionic puismru ui civm-
utico The articles which may be produced in ilifc extensive le
gion if exported at all must Le from thi lay; and in n very few
rear. Canev and the Colorado alone n ill produce their hundreds
if thousands bales of cotMn La Dacca Xavidad the Guadaloupc.
San Antonio and Medina their twenty thousand each and when
:t isece-ldered tliat in thlshroad field large quantities of other arli
cles must he produced and that the product of the vat mineral re-
gion cannot naturally 'flow through any other channel that the
silver and copper from the mines of San Saba must pas through
Matagorda. and that the imports inusi of necessity be co extensile
with the exports -and n hen we consider the prodigious population
which this region is capable of sustaining in a condition of afflu-
ence and comfort unsurpassed unequalled clscnhcre wc look at
l.e fuiure with a hope a eelf grntulating confidence of success
fcoth of pecuniary rcnard and of fil ing our station with profit to
nur patrons n hich cheers us to the attempt.
If any on doubt the feasibility of drawing the trade from the
Cu-idaloupe and San Antonio ntew to the Bay of Matagorda we
asi l.im to remember that a Kail Itoad may and Kill inccitallj le
constructed from the bay to Bexar; and to remember nUo thatthe
lav aflords tno feet of water more than any harbor bctnccnthi
and Tampico; and that a ship may be constructed to carry a cargo
.( cne thousand hales cf ealtnfrtm the toy to Europe and If
l.t U-a ....r. p;rri :rg ficaltirecapablcof appreciating the results
wriehthce causes must ptducc his doubts will must cease.
We hope to eontri'micour mite to the dcveiopement ot ine re-
sourcM of Texas by diweminatiag uselul Inrormation a Know-
ledge of the geography andtopoiraphy.as well as of the Ian cud
insiitutions of the country. IVe shall make it our business to
seek out and publish every thing which may be useful tu cmigrauls
and .those nihing to emicrnte. tnour politicks nc take lhcbroad
ground of the gcaieftke esuulrj for our guide will advocate
verv meanre nhlch to our mind will have a tendene) to advance
this interest and as rceoluiely oppose every measure which we may
think contra rj. to tli iutercst; all local petty panjism weuuerly
cl:ew and hold ourselvcsaloof from their degrading influences.
With II ere views wc hope to receive that patronage wc arc de-
erminedif I'onest industry alone lie wanting to merit and doubt
not ne shall bct'ipporied in our endeavours by all who have the
true prcsjH-rity of Texa at heart.
DUTIES OX HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE &c.
As there has been heretofore some douU among persons intend-
ing to emigrate to Texas about the Dulles on Household Furniture
. c we have thought it ndt isah'c for their information to publish
the following from the 6th section of the Tanffof 183G which
clause n e are informed ty the Collector of the l'ort of.Malagorda
is still in force. '
'Ail goods narcx. and merchandise imported hy sea or land by
any emigiant or emigrants such as Implements of husbandry
household furniture and utensils provisions and storey and every
description of machinery intended for the use of said emigrant or
emigrant and not fur sale: and nil public property of any kind
whatsoever expressly and knowingly imported or introduced for
the ue of the government of Texis (except sutler's stores! or be
longing to the same;) or whether expressly and knowingly Intro-
duced and imported for the use of the army and navy thereof: and
all bacon pork bread stuffs and lumber for building shall lie and
the same are hereby declared free of all duty during the war "
Xtnweriu rkieh Duties are payable All sums of $109 and
under cash. All sums over 10il and not exceeding $500 three
months credit. And ail turns above $500. three and six months
credit; to be divided into two equal amounts and secured by bond
with two good securities satisfactory to the Collector.
To Rent
"MIT PLANTATION situated at the head of
" Bay Prairie at its junction with the timber of
Caney. Itliasiipouit a convenient DWELLliNtj
HOUSE with all the usual Out Houses the best of
Well Water an Orchard ot eighty Peach Trees a
GIN in good order which commands a first rate run
of custom and sixty acres under fence.
ALSO A SMALL PLANTATION
With twelve or fifteen acres cleared and under
fence situated on Caney near the Demoss Settle-
ment. FOR SALE
3 Yoke of Oxen 2 Mules. Apply to
J. W. E. WALLACE
Corner of Matagorda and Cedar streets.
Matagorda August 2 1837. 1-tf
Medicine Chest for Sale .
A FINISHED article well filled with Medicines
-containing Scales Lancet &c. suitable for
family use. Apply at this office.
Matagorda August 9 1837. 2-tf
Journeyman Printer Wanted
A LSO A LAD from 14 to 16 years of age as an
apprentice to the printing business one who
can come well recommended will receive liberal
encouragement enquire at this office.
Matagorda August 2 1637. 1-tf
JOB PRINTING NEATLY EXECUTED
AT THIS OFFICE
I
PRIVATE SALE OF LOTS
IN THE CITY OF RICHMOND.
inpiDiRE must bo towns little and big; and
-"- those who have the sagacity to look into the
natural advantages of those oucred forsnlc and can
see which the strong plans are will reap a great
harvest; and under the increasing emigration it will
be gathered sooner than the wildest cnthujiast ever
dreamed of."
The proprietors now for the first time offer to the
public Lots in the city of Richmond which they will
sell on accommodating terms to those who may wish
to improve them. Many of the most dcsirdble Lot?
remain unsold as the proprietors hive refused to
sell in cvcry-inslance tip to this time except under
the express condilion that purchasers should im
prove them forthwith. Five large commercial houses
will bs established at this place within six months
viz: Walter C. White Martin & Clow Handy &.
Lusk Texas; Mastcrson&.risher Nashville lenn.;
and James Brown &. Co. New York. Various me-
chanical branches of business are also about being
established and ' "lis said' that one or two banks
will be located at the citv of Richmond.
The city ofRichmond is situated on the weslbauk
of the Brazos at the foot of the "reat bend a short
distance below the Fort Bend rapids about 139
miles from the Gulf by water and Go miles by land;
and is at the head of steam boat navigation at a low
stage of water. The site is on a beautiful high
prairie reaching boldly up to the rier and which
was six feet above the highest water during tnc
greal.flood of 1833. The country from Richmond
to ban Antonio is connected uy a chain ot Iieautitiil
undulating prairies broken only by the waters of
the ban Bernard Colorado Aavidad LaJiicca ami
Guadalupe. On the south-west the country is open
to the Gulf and although sixty miles distant the sea
breeze is felt in all its freshness.
The best commentary upon the health of Rich-
mond and the surrounding country is that although
by far the most densely settled portion of the repub-
lic it never has given support to one physician. Of
the quality of land it is enough to say that lhc
whole "Foit Bend" was taken up by "the first three
hundred." When ourlamcnted fellow citizen S. F.
Austin first came to this counlry. he requested one
of his companions Mr. Win. Little who now resides
near Richmond to take a party of men and to as-
cend the Brazos river until ho reached the best poinl
at the head of navigation for a town. Mr. Little
and his party selected the spot on which the city of
Richmond is laid oft; and the first settlers having
forted themselves for manv years at this point gave
it the well known namo of '-Fort Bend" or "Fort
Settlement."
A line of steam boats will commence running
from the city of Richmond to Quintana and Vclasco
early in autumn to be connected with the New Or
leans and Icxas line of steam packets.
ROBERT EDEN HANDY
President and Acting Treasurer.
Proprietors of (he City ofRichmond.
IIasdv &. Ltsk McKixxnv & Williajis.
ULAIllL. UksVJlAJ.I. 1t.lJjir.Jl J. JI11J.
Bkamhi ". Anciir.it
Joii.v A. Whaktox
Jami-3 C'OLLIXSWOnTH
Wit. II. WlIAIlTO.V.
Richmond Sept. 20 1837
IMf
PROSPECTUS
For publishing a MonUily yeu-Spapcr at the city of
Houston to be called
THE STAR OF TEXAS.
nPMS periodical will be adapted to the wanls of
--anew country: its main object will be the
FKOMOTIOX OF KEUGION VIKTUE AXI) -HOKALITV and
THE DIFTCSIOX OF LEARNING.
Efforts will be particularly directed towards col
lecting an authentic account of the adventures of
the early settlers of Texas; their toils their dan
gers and their suffering. The interesting incidents
of the revolution and those daring achievments
which have characterized the present contest will
be carefully collected and preserved for the columns
of our journal.
A brief history of those who have distinguished
themselves on the field of battle; or in the halls of!
legislation will be incorporated with other subjects
in the successive numbers of our paper. The noble
spirits of the Alamo the martyrs of La Bahia and
the heroes of San Jacinto will not be forgotten.
Their names will be handed down their bravery for
the pattern and their memory for the veneration of i
posterity.
The annual messages oflhc president will be pla
ccd on our pages with oilier public documents whose
preservation in such a term may be important.
The paper will be issued in covenient form; and
efforts will be made to render it worthy of careful
preservation: .that it may be a publication to which
general refference shall be made hereafter for cor
rect information on important tacts in our history.
Interesting items ot intelligence will lie commu
nicatcd and also the most important general laws
and judicial decisions of the supreme court.
Political questions will be discussed ; yet the right
is reserved of the tree expression ot opinion on all
the measures or the department ot the government.
The cditoral department will bo conducted by W.
W. Hall.
Teems of Subscription. Three dollars in ad
vance. All persons subscribing after the first Oc
toberncxt will be required to pay fire dollas in ad
vance.
Subscriptions received at this Office.
Houston June 7 1837.
Brushes.
CLOTH Hair and Togth Brushes for sale at
this office.
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Idiot.
It was on a fine evening in October that I was
sitting at the parlour window of the best and only
hotel in the flourishing vilhge of II-: . The glit-
tering spire of the village church and the burnished
windows of here and there a cottage reflected the
lingering beams of the setting sun. The "lowing
herd" were seen solemnly winding their way over
the "Lausey." Anon a giddy straggling heifer
waded into the clear blue stream to admire its own
pastoral beauty in nature's looking-glass. It would
seem to be the season of rumination and reflection
and particularly of the interchange of kind feelings
of the clnritics of the heart: fudge! such eve-
nings as this have been described road of and felt
a ihousind times by all my thousands of readers.
And I was just yielding my soul to its soothing influ
ence when my attention was suddenly arrested by
loud whooping hurr.i-ing and other uncouth and un-
musical sounds; when on going to the door to as-
certain the cause of such unseasonable rioting my
visionary (I hate punning) faculties were greeted
with one of the most forbidding and disgusting
sights that had ever fallen within my notice.
A man apparently about forty-five years of ae.
of a cadaverous hue his hair long and floating in
disorder around his shoulders a ragged hat tippin"
over his face so as nearly to conceal one half and
the uncovered eye glaring in all the vacancy of ap
parent blindness his elbows close to his side having
the appearance of being pinioned though they Vcre
not so while his hand3 were constantly grasping and
clutching at the air motcd slowly along with an ir-
regular tottering pace; of which 1 can give no better
idea than that of a person with his ancles tied rather
loosely together so as to allow of his stepping but
a few inches at a time. His dress was mean but
tidy; and his bewildered gaze gave him ihe appear-
ance of insanity rather than intoxication. Yet he
seemed helpless and inoil'ensivo; for he resented not
nor heeded the torrent of vile and somewhat tangi
ble abuse that "was being" poured upon him by a
host of graceless boys encouraged and even assist-
ed by tome who called themselves men! Willi the
impulse of the moment I called oft' the younger pup
pies from their sport which even women were be-
holding with evident satisfaction and one young
and beautiful mother was lifting up her babe and
teaching it to clap its hands at the glbrious fun!
The bo)s who recognised in me a stranger to the
place and of course a lit subject for curiosity and
excitement readily relinquished the first object of
their courtesies to find out what "that are out-o'-towncr"
could have to say to them.
"My fine fellow" said 1 to one of the youngsters
who had a remarkably gallows look "what gentle-
man is that whom you are escorting in such brave
siyleF
" Gentleman!" said he showins a double row of
grinners "he! he! he! why its old Dodder nothin'
but old David Dodder"
"And who is old Dodder?"
"Why its old Dodder that's all he's a fool he
don't know nothin' at all no how hurra! there he
noes round that comer let's go this way and fore
lay bos ! hurra!"- "But stop" I bawled to him.
He turned and he being head bully the rest turned
also. " I just want to ask you whether all these
keen looking boys.are fools too "
" Fools? what all of us fools? I guess not" said
he with a scornful loss that would not have dis-
graced a Brummcl "Well" said I lowering my
voice so that none but he could. understand; "I am
"lad of it.- But arc ou certain? for I have heard
that 'birds of a feather flock together' and that fools
are always fond of making game of rach other. 1
am glad that none of you are fools; I am heartily
glad of it good evening my lad" and I walked in
to the house. I could see through the blinds that
the boy gazed after mo mused a few moments then
whispered to his nearest companions and presently
they moved off in a direction contrary to the one
that the poor imbecile had taken followed by the
rest who wondered what the stranger could have
been saying.
"What a miserable fate is that of the poor idiot
who has just passed" said a bright-eyed damsel
who had witnessed the scene with me "and what
a sickening disappointment of the fairest promises
ofyouth!"
I eagerly inquired his history which she obligingly
gave me in substance as follows :
David Farrington was the only child of poor and
honest parents both of whom died while ho was yet
an infant too vounc.tofecl their los3
From the timo
of their decease he resided with one or another of
his relatives of whom he had rich store and with
whom ho was a general favorite though they were
all poor they were far from considering the addi-
tional expense that he occasioned them a burthen
on their incomes. His uncommon intelligence
and sprighlliness of temper endeared him to all;
and wherever he went he was a welcome visitor.
Perhaps the flattery or if you please the well-deserved
encomiums of his friends had the effect of
exalting his own opinion of himself; for his ambi-
tion was boundless yet it was a laudable ambition
which made him eager to distinguish himself by
some great and honourable exploit and was ever
leading him into perils and deeds of awful daring.
When cautioned as to the fearful result of his wild
enterprises he would say "What care I? Who
cares for me without father mother brother or
sister or any one to feel my loss even if the worst
should happen?"
'ou wrong jour friends by such expressions"
said his admonMier; "yet you cannot deem your
Mary quite so cold-hearted."
"I wrong no one" he would reply; "I feel per-
fectly assured of the affection of my dear relatives
they have been fathers mothers nil to me. They
would grieve to lose me; but their sorrow would
soon be effaeef by other cares or perchance by
severer losses. And as for.Mary. she would mourn
the Ion-jest and" he would add with a melancholy
smile. "that would not be long either."
His subsequent history will show how true were
his prediction especially in this latter respect.
As he had his own fortune to make it was but
fair that he siiould take his own course. His ad-
venturous character led him to choose a sailor's
life. He accordingly siiipped himself on board a
whaler; and many are the deeds of courage activity
and enterprise recorded in the memory of his fel-
low voyagers. But what am I thinking of? all this
time not a word have I said of his former personal
appearance. He was under the middle size slen-
der delicate and fair with regular and even hand-
some features. Indeed the effeminacy of his "out-
ward man' formed a strange contrast to his giant
mind; and his agility and elasticity of limb made up
for the lack of corporeal strengih.
Well he returned from this voyage in fine health
full of spirits and hope and ambition. After a
tew day's delay for the purpose of "lightering" the
ship rode into our harbor. David soon stood amongst
his kindred and old companions and was exchang-
ing the cordial congratulations of friendship when
a litlle boat managed by two boys which was run-
ning for the wharf suddenly overturned and the
wild cry of the helpless children arose from the
wave. Farrington instantly leaped into the sea
and succeeded in reaching one of the lads whom
he soon brought to the shore. Ropes were thrown
for the other but without success; which when
Farrington learnt spite of the entreaties of the by
standers he again plunged in. It was with diffi-
culty that they persuaded him to suffer a Tope to be
attached to his waist. He dived and disappeared.
lie rose to take breath called out to them " I see
him !" and descended again. With fearful and ago
nizing suspense they watched for his re-appearance
till deeming it imprudent to wait longer they drew
him out together with the boy and both senseless.
They were taken to the nearest house and vigorous
measures employed for their recovery which in
one case proved alas! too successful. When Par-
tington's recollection returned his first inquiry was
whether both boys were saved; on being assured
lhat they were "God! I thank thee!" he murmur-
ed and instantly relapsed into his former insensi-
bility. Those who are accustomed to frequent bathing
are well aware of the hazards attending a second
immediate immersion. In the cold season of the
year with the dress still upon the body the danger
is of course much greater. With Farrington a
lonf and painful illness was the consequence. By
tender nursing he at last recovered his health of
body but the mind had received a blow that no
medicine could cure. He became the idiot that
you just beheld. He remembered nothing even of
circumstances that have thus reduced him. He re-
cognizes not(his former associates. His Mary was
married six months after and when some kind body
informed him he merely asked with a stupid stare
"Who is Mary?" Incapable of work he was for
many years a burden to his friends who long che"'
rished him for the love they had once borne him
These have died or become scattered abroad and
too poor to maintain him and he has been for seve
ral years an inhabitant of the alms-house from
which he has just now strayed and for which the
poor fellow will be punished on his return
May
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Niles, J. W. J. Matagorda Bulletin. (Matagorda, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 10, Ed. 1, Wednesday, October 4, 1837, newspaper, October 4, 1837; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth80328/m1/1/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.