The Standard. (Clarksville, Tex.), Vol. 15, No. 4, Ed. 1 Saturday, February 13, 1858 Page: 1 of 4
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VOL 15 _
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OS5a 19
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IUU TU
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ggPOBT OF THE STATE ENGlNKKR
A a* tin, Mar. 20th, 1867.
giu: I bavu the honor to sabvit ths fol-
ImHu repot t tor joar Exoelleecy't oousidsre-
thai yon may also lay the same be-
fore* tbe Honorable Legislature, now iu hmoo.
the taw one ting the ofeee of State Engineer,
D0( by any of iu provisions, require a bi-
nuisl report to be made either to the Legiata-
lan or the Executive; but the failure to insert
(ucb ptpviaion in the lew mutt have been an
overaight in the fremers of it, and I could not,
wider any view of the aubject, oonaider that 1
properly performed my duty, were I to rail
(ing the Legislator* in possession of full in-
in relation to my operations under
Mid lav
The following eontraots havo been entered
into up to this date, vis:
oostractob.
0 B Dr .
X || CUNBMU
IlIYEIt *r-
UttatUJupr,
IUU|W<d«t
plritu Man to ami
grwdbwry, b*a Jariulo,
u U V
i )
utm or sacnos
Dp to Vlrtorlh,
f'rum MiUitunU Bat t
lo AnbM* iUj and to V
UmOwuUI|w rlrrc.
DiiU I
** m •• Trloltjr,
Browu k Fr+ach, Urw*.
U J, Por^' Ool««do,
-
Wiuiaui F«rn Cjpmaa !U vou,
Abvr Jarknoo, 0ytf r 0*4,
trmltt k P*Mu , Katlna,
pftltowiraiVo. Ualrg^oo B«T,
m - Gal. k Han L«U,
Iter 4t (h« mouth.
Up U> Washing too,
Oanal round rail,
Canal to Whartou.
Jrffaraoa to btala Una
Caoftl to ltatrlet*.
Up to Lofuuport,
UyftMpuri to Harou't,
tUd halt Dar,
To ti and B Cana),
date or do*a- coxridb.
CONTRACT. T10*. B ATION.
Mar. 25, '57. 12 Mon. 922 050.00
April 4, " 18 " 47,500.03
.1 7, •• 0 •' 22.725,0")
" 1. " " " 15,120,00
u y o, " n " 6f.ooo.no
June 8, •' 27 " 35,000,00
•' '• " 15 " 11,240.55
July 25, " 18 " 21,208,00
Sept 15," 8 " 3.833.10
OoLO, " 18 •' 31,455,25
« 7, " " " 20,000,00
6.250,00
10,875,00
The forsgoing table oomprise* all the rivers,
bays and bayous for the improvement of wbiob
the neocsanrv private subscription was raised
and ^returned in time, except Buffalo Bayou
and tha Angelina, Neohea and San Bernard
Rivera, upon each of which, eioept the last
named, I expect to let oontraota in a very short
time. The timo allowed for executing rwer
cootracu, is exoluaive of high water in every
install ce
[ was requested by the Oounfy Court of Br -
aoria county, not to oontraot for th i improve-
ment of navigation upon the 8an Bernard
River, unlit they should have time to prooure
legislative authority for using, in another way,
the funds set apart for that abeam The sub-
scription was made by the County Court, and
they had the right, I thought, to ohange their
first view as to the kind of improvement best
calculated to too'liteto the navtgatioo of their
river This reasonable request was therefore
properly rospested, and the work Lft for fu-
ture consideration and aotion. I understand
it to be their wish to have the money expend-
sd in opening an outlet for their oomtncrce. by
anal, connecting perhaps with tho Galveston
tall Brazos Canal. This would he a judicious
tad valuable improvement, and it is certainly
hit just that they should have the right to use
this, a* well as any additional sum allowed
(Wa, in constructing the contemplated canal
lie amount is not sufficient to aooomplish the
object aimed at, but the ooonty of Bmacria is
quite able .and no doubt will aid further in the
attainment of an improvement so uuedful.
The work on Qalveeton and San Ijuis Bays,
was awarded to Messrs D 8 Howard & Co.,
oo the '29tb ultimo, but no written agroomont
has yet been entered into because or tbe un-
serviceable condition of the Gaivestonand Bra-
ton ctinnl, which fact aoeounta for want of -laU>
in noting those as a portion of the oontraota
let out. I determined not to expend 'he State
fond* in rpening navigation to the canal, until
the canal itself shall be sufficiently enlarged
and deepened to make it available; and Messrs
Howard A Co., were unwilling to take the Hed
Fiph Bar oontraot, without the othor one lead-
itg to the oanal The awarding of these con-
tracts was consequently conditioual as reaped*
both contracting parties. The oanal company
hate promised to raise the neoessnry means and
pat their work under contract at once, When
the Stato work will also be oomtnenood and
pushed through as spoedi'v as possible.
The contractors generally have progressed
with their work as faat as oould be expected
tinder the circumstances; hij^h water having
taste riallv retarded in some instances, and in
others totally stopped operations. Those on
tbe Brstos. Colorado and Guadalupe, have each
been delayed, more or leas by this cause, and
Cyprow Bayou, I am informed, has been up
ever since the letting of tbo Contract, so that
nothing has yet been dono toward# its imprt.ve
ment. But Cap: Perry, the contraotor. is an
energetic man, and ii folly prepared, I have no
doubt, to commenoe work as soou as tbo ftage
of water will admit of it
Captain Bradbury has completed his oontraot
at the mouth of tbe San Jacinto Riv«r, fCiop-
p«r' Bar) and Capt Dycus, on the Guadalupe,
ul Mr Phillips on the upper or *eo>nd s«
tioo of the Colorado, havo nearly oompletad
tWra.
Messrs Cromwell A llawley, coolraetor* for
dredging a channel from Matagorda Bay to
Annua Bay and to the Guadalupe River,h^ve
built an expensive, aud I think a most excel
l«t dredging machine, of twenty horse power,
*od when last board from, were only awaiting
fcvorable waather to be towed dbwn from the
*bip yard to their Said of operation*. They
ore doubtless at work before this date.
The ohannel to be dredged «*l by Oapt.
Bradbury, at tbe mouth of the Trinity Biw.
•ill be completed by the ead of Ike
J'*r That sent lemon is pushing this
with commendable eorrgy, so as to aooomma-
date the business of tba approaching winter,
on this important lino of transportation and
travel. The removal of an obstruction so se-
rious, and causing so mnoh delay end Iom as
*be Trinity Bar, will tsshr immense benefits
•pon tbe oititene of aretj portion of our oenn-
UJ interested in tbe navigation of that Hirer.
Messrs. Brown A French, hare pcogreassd
,Ul',ily with their worknpon the Braio.,when
•wr tbe eondition of the r+ver admitted of its
"•"IS worked in a proper manner Tbwy hare
delayed much, however, by high wt
m consequence of this delay, hare •<*
J*wbed Richmond, although some work
"*'0 done at Thompson's Bhoela, shore that
I am asrared by these noatre tors that
length, and than being a fall of aix or seven
(set to the mile, readers a dasp cut necessary
for a portion of the distant, so as toosereoms
or Properly graduats thia fall. It is indeed an
undertaking of muoh greater magnitude than
any one at frst view would suppoee Yet thai
it can and wt.i be acoomptuhed under this con-
tract I have but little doubt.
The cans I wi'l not be as wide as I desired or
as my specification oalledfor, but lo make it
foiijr fort, tail to trim off nil iroen Bad tompA
eveu with the ground, t> tbe width of eighty
feet, was the bust bid I could get fortle amount
of n.oncy to be expended upou it And it was
my impieasion then,and still is thai through it a
ohannel canal of luffioient width will soon wash
out. Nevertheless, if 1 suoocod in getting a
canal round this raft onl) forty feet wide, with
two and a half feet water at ordinary stages of
the river, it will be sutlioieut for light-draught,
stern beel steamers and 1 shall have acoom
pliabed much more thou boa heretofore been
dono with a larger sum of money. The Gener-
al Government and citiscus of Texaa have ex-
pended about 140.000 at ibis point, under tbe
direction of aieoufic engineers, and yet this im-
i>ediioeDt has do! been removed or avoided.
The Oyster Creek ouutraot of Maj. Abuer
Jackson, is progressing finely, and will be a
valuable improvement A very small amount
of the River Fund was given tu this stroatu.
but it is a deep natrow creek, passing partly
through a dense forest, and the uverhnn^iug
timber forms the greatest obstruction to navi-
gation, the removal of which will open navi.
gation for stoam boats, aud such small schoon-
ers i h trade thcru.
Messrs Truitt and Pattou, ( ud 1 presume
Mossrs. Likens and Co..) havo but recently
commenced operations on the Sabine, so that
I have nothing to report in rotation to their
work
It was my wish to have put all the proposed
improvements under eontrset before tbo meet-
ing of tho Legislature, but I found it impossi-
ble to accomplish so much My duties have
boeu arduous and complicated, and my field of
operations extensive. The in-door or office
business, has been uoarly enough of itself to
keep one person employed, and as I have had
no clerk tu assist me of eoursc these dutic*,
added to my out-door labors, have kept me con-
tinually pressed for time. The labor of draw-
ing up Hpeciloations, coutracts, bonds, quarter-
ly reports, iu«t uctious, contractor's draft*, tu ,
generally duplicating all these pa|>Crs,)together
with Rmlnisd reports a nccnssarily extensive
cor esp. ndenceand th keeping of my aoeounta
oorrectl^, can hardly be looked upon as a light
or oasy task, when considered in connection
with tbo fact that two-thirds of my time at
least, have been occupied in traveling over tb«
State, making the necessary examination pre
paratory to tbe letting of oouiraMs.
Having met with so many difficulties in the
execution of my duties under this law, 1 feel
constrained to sav, with due dcfcrcuco to the
opinions of tho Logislsture that framed and
passed it, that I think a much better and more
effective system wight have bee ^adopted. I
am required to prepare specifications of work
to b« don f, and upon receiving bids based
upon these specificstions. sward cont-acts to
the lowest bidder. In aiany, indeed, in moat
n«l at the mouth of the Colorado river, at Dug
Intand Bar, mouth of the Lavaca, Powdor
Horn Bayou, and every other stream down
towards Corpus Chriati where couimoroe aver
euuira or navigation oould be made available.
Anothor, ou Galveston and Ban Luis bays,
would have done the work of both, including
the dredging at Cloppcr's and Trinity Bare,
amounting iu the aggregate to W0,Ui0. and
in addition, would nave oponcd out good docp
channels at the mouths of all the tributaries of
thos«i hayi, affording oouaiderable commerce
and furnishing aluipst tho eutirv supply of
fire wood used in tho city of Galveatou. The
opening o! these several tributaries w<tuld have
been greatly boueficial, tu a targe number of
settlers relying upon them a* a ohannel for
the tranajwruiuytt of their j«ro<hici-., to mar-
kct. v
Than is still another objeotiuu lo our pre-
sent system of lettiug contracts which I have
not before alluded to It is this: competition
and undcrbiuding will soiuetiuies leave a sur-
plus which tie Stale Ki^ineer which he is not
afterwards authorised tu use without an oxtrao-
rdiuary stretch of power. This has boeu the
ossein lcttiuga contract upon tlio Brai(« There
were several bidders for this work, and I awar-
ded the oontraot upon a bid of 160,000, while
953,550 had been (iivou for the improvement
of that river by tbe Board whoso duty it was
to apportion the River Fund. Wherefore,
although tho larger sum was intouded tu be
applied tharo, 1 can only, under the restric-
tions of the law, use the smaller one, and the
surplus of ftf.VoO must go back tu the geuer-
al fund It weuld be better to give the Btate
Knginocr, more discrct.on in regard to any
work hereafter tu be let out, although it is now
too Into perhaps, to enter upon tho system ul
ready alluded to as thu heal one.
My views have often been aakadas to tbo ad-
vantages likely to result from so expenditure of
publio money for the improvmsul of our rivers.
Some persona inoliue to tha opinion that be
osuse these rivers are not Aral rata navigable
strosms.it is s waste of the public money to at-
tempt any improvement of ibom, and that <w-
ory dollar of our surplus funds shoud be appl od
to tbe oonttru}tinu of Rttlroods. Otaera again,
oootend that onl/ those water CHirses should
rcooivo attantioa that are auacaptihie of such im
provswent as will give constant or low water
navigation. I cannot aubsoribe to tho reason-
ing of either of these elassea, snd the opinions
snd policy of all the other States gf the Union
art opposed to their views 1 am an advocate
for building Railroads, but feel confident, never-
theless, that mora good will result from .hia ex-
penditure upon tbe rivers and bays, than could
possibly lie realised by loaning thosamo amount
to Railroad companies, or otherwise investing
it in tbit kind of improvement; f r, while ibis
sum would only build about twenty-five miles
of Railroei, est!mating at the usual average
oo t per mile, it will bo made materully ty im-
prove the navig lion of r.vers and bays more
than two thousand miles in extant. Some of
tb«-m will admit of and shall <eoeivs such im-
provsuoiH as will rcnoor navigation oertain at
all stages of water,ahila other of oouracfcsn on-
ly be uiade available in time of high water. But
it would bo uuwt«o, it appears tu me, lo refuse
an expsuditure or money upon a stream because
it oannot be made navinblo at all times This,
oertsinly, is not the pstloy pursued elsewhere.
The vast oommeree of tho Cutuberlsnd—tbe
immense amount of money expended upon it,
and t'.io fact that it is not navigated at oxtreme
low water, are cvidenoas of a diff- reDt way of
thinking in semo quarters at least.
Tbat much food will be realised from these
improvrmantii 1 have no doubt. Reliable low
water n ivigstion will be scoured from Indiano-
la, via 8<«luria, to Victoria on tbe Gaudalupe;
from Matagorda Bay lo Aransas Bay; from
Galveston, (when tbe Canal sbsll be sufficient-
ly enlarged and deepened,) to Columbia, per-
haps to R.ohmond, on tbo Brasos; from Galves-
ton to th« Rulteivn Plantation,on Oyster Creek;
from Galveston to Uarrisbnrg and Houston on
Buffalo Bayou, and to Liberty on tha Trinity;
•rom tb* State line t) Jefferson, on Cypres
Bsvou, whoaever Red River may be navigable;
and furs con liderabls distance on the C lorsdo,
Babino aud Necbes, lbs exiunt of which I can-
not at present state. And high water naviga-
tion ibovu these points, ou most of the rivers,
will bs grestly facilitated and tbe dangers less
seed by thu removsl of snsgs sn'd overhanging
tress and limbs. It is hoped and believed that
will be permanent, but of
course the permanency of tho channels through
only be teatud
open for a fow
•iieir
HP**® en I shall be oaniad oat in goad
, - —— . im .I w < ■« • • a—•
r' °i "v p,*fwr ««"«y
•ocompliah it.
Tha Oanal contract of Col. H. J. PowaU> «
dslsvM K. , similar raase, b*t
li have been sagagvd
ierabie pro^reai asada
. teootreMdrtthOri
b«' Qafeal wmmd raft, .a the tW-
oasos, it is a very difficult matter tu specify
definitely what shall be dono on the rivers so
as tu oonic with in the smount sl'owcd for the
work, and at the same time not lot a contractor
do too littlo for the money ho raoeivoa. Tbe
whole business is a random affair. Noono can
tell how much work 960,000 will do on seven
hundrad miles of liver full of Ion, snsgs, roots
rocks, and obstructed with overhauling tim
ber. The best engineer iu tho world oannot
do it with any sort of certainty. It is impos-
sible to arrive at correct oonclnsions as to the
number and magnitude of impediments in the
bod of tho rivor until you oommenoe remov-
ing them, and tbeiufore, neither tho Htato Kn-
S'neer nor the bidder can say how far back
o money can be made U> cut away or deaden
tho timber upon the oaving bunks' (to prevent
the accumulation of new obstructions,) iu ad-
dition to tho removal of those alroody in the
way. This is su important item in tho im-
provement of rivers, aud ymir Rxcellcncy, as
well as the Legislature, will see at a glance
the difficulties that present themselves.
We arr working the Sakine at least oovou
hundred miles, and my only reliance for hav-
ing it doue in good fiutli, is in the fact, that
tho gentlemen who took tka oout-acls are
thomsclves directly interested in ths naviga-
tion. It was cloarly impossible for me to spe-
cify definitely how much ahoull be dono ou
every portion of this long sediwi of river.
I snail endeavor io that as in every othor,
however, to aeo that contracts ire executed
according to their spirit and moaning, as wall
on thei; letter.
It is easy enough, of ooursc, to rhape a
contract so as to bind him who undertakes its
oxocution Ui remove existing obatrdptioa* in
tho bed of tho river, but tne difficulty is, to
define how much shall b« done to guard
against new ones from oonitautlj cavii^j batiks^
tike those of the Sabine.
On sovural occasion* persons have proposed '
bidding for wor k and entering into ootfcaot tu |
do the same in tho b^st and most «osdomical •
manner, rendering a1strict account under oath, :
of all-expcnditiire*,liioluiling a rewionsbk oom- j
pensation to themselves, and stop the work j
when the fund, sot aside for its exception,
should be exhausted
been mode bv persons
terested in the navigathio proposed
proved, whose only siui was to have 'the *on-
ay go as fhr as poreible towards tho attainmaat
of tha (Wired objoot, aOd whose kwlarledgtf'ti
th* uncertainly and ri«k «f bidding guder the
present sy-Klcsi deterred them from iking *o
I could not of ooursc, receive <r oomdder ad«h
bids, not being alhrned by taw tu nrtfcc ooo-
tnets of (his kind. Tat, with prepmr care,
this would have boon hsttnr th n the mode re-
^il^d by the taw an H now is
•ch the beat srstem, however Wr?4d hsva, .,
to anthoriaa ths Static Koginaer to pre- : Ths rivers of Texas havs baas of lass «M do-
the 1 ring the laH t#0 or thres ymn, than for ths
<u*>t saase length of tins, at say othor pwiod, for
■ wap v),h
has prsvsll-
earth a*d dry-
« , Colorado, aad perhaps other
Jjjmitar inprevaT^ advaatago.
sppnpria-ioo shall
M aaade for the imprevaaaant of navtgatioo to
higher points on the riven than ths ooatresis
■ow reach it a quasi ion fur tho Legistatere t>
deter mine That there can ha each iuprove-
** tacililaU the aavigmiod,
with a (tv faat nse of water, is \wy certain;
bat it is not for ate to asy whether thia shall
°° It is a qoestiou of policy—out of
fcoaihiltty.
Whatever may bo the decloion, however, io
regard to a further general appropriation, I
•ouId respectfully suggost the oqeily of a few
speoial oases, for wh oh reasonable spproprta-
atioas should oertsinly he made, vis: Sulphur
Fork, Trinity, mouth of the Colorado (as a por-
tio«of Matagorda Bay,) aod LavsoaBsy, lor
each of which subscriptions were obtained bat
not returned Sulphur Fork, 1 learn, boa been
navigated by steamboats—-is a good Uream^sd
k**® upon by private eiiUrpriM.—
A oollector was appointed by tho people, who
sent up bis bond,but uo enboeriptimi list ss the
Isw required, aad consequently bo portion of
the State fund was secured by thca. Tba
aatuc thing oooutred in eaoh if ihe others cases
mentioned, except that the Trinity oollootor,
(for Polk oouuty,) seal ap no fund. He ob-
tsiuod subscriptions to the amount of two or
three thousand dollars, which would have ob-
tained four times as muoh from the State fund;
but ho nevor returned hi* subscription list or
bond, and thus tbo abaro of Trinity river, the
best stream perhsps in the State, was cut dowD
to ths trifling sum or twelve thousand and
ninety-six dollars, based upon tubeorptiooa ob-
tained in Liberty and Qatnatou counties. Thia
sum is being expended at the oleeriug of ob-
atruetiona as high aa Liberty, between which
plaoc and the oily of Galveston a semi-werklv
stosm mail paoket is now regularly plyieg. It
is important lo all Kaalera Toxss to oavs this
line of travel made aa safe and oertain as can
ba done , Tho mails for the Bast snd North-
esst are now yoing that way, and the travel w
tbe same sections ia gradually seeking this as
tho most direct route. Thai it will become a
gresi (boron 'h-fare and a vry important mail
ins is quite apparent, and (hie consideration,
taken iu o^nneviion with the fact, that the un-
related subscription would hsva soonmplished
it .ought io jusiijc to entitle those interested in
the navigation of thia river to such amount aj
will give aafo low water navijation as above
montior:ed Ten thousand dollars would pro-
bably be a sufficient sum.
The subscription litta from
Lavasa were either mislaid
They were each intended
Matagorda Bay, hat aa they were not lo be
found on filo when the apportionm ut was
made, the board allowed the eatlre amount to
which tbat Bay was limited, lo be ured upoa
perls of it for which subserlptiims were return-
ed, so tbst sny new appropriation for those
objects will have to be independent of and un-
connected with tbe Bav fund. The Colorado
. ivcr subscription also fsll short ono thoussnd
dollsri, in cottaequonoc of the eabscriptina of
two gentlemen for that amount, not reaobing
i s-me
he draw* freai the Treatary, a f
uieace, aad I would reepe«tf«l|y i
modiloatioa of this prev al^a.
ihoald not he held aeaoaaiahle tor t
sahsorlhar* to the fuad, whea he ha*
to do «ith geuiag ap ihe aahamintioa list,
probably pretawed whea he took his ooatreat
that all tha eabeeiiptioas were valid aad avail-
able. He ought eot .o he made to lone forty
dollars more beeaase a eabsortber owiag him
tea dollaia mty die, bao uae iaealrent, or twa
sway Aad agsiu, suppose suit has to be iq
stitutid for the collhaliaa tf iadivldushaahswlp miles
Matagorda aad
or aever returned,
as subsoriptioaa lor
sLf.rU of 0o,*•'«••• by the firel of Jsaaary,
1857, as reauired by taw.
The tbe 8tb section of the geaeral provision.
ition provides, tbat no appn
shall be made fqr a laager
e, except for odncsilooslp
iioa , (aad with the existing moaey pressure
opoa us we majr reasonably expect this,) ta it
right to stipple the operetioas of a contraotor
by keepiag back four Umee the earn sued upon,
aner he haa earned hie moasyf Clearly not.
This ta ao smsll matter, and the Legislature
oauaot so look upoa it whea I Inform them
that subeeriatioaa ran up as Sigh as 91,000 by
a aiagle individual, sail a poo wbiob ope re lee
to deiaia from the eontrector 16,000, aad if
twirled to the saprems Couit m.y be thus dad
ap for years,and be ruinous in itt oonsequearee
Ths objections to tbe olauso referred to, preeeat
theatselvee ia this ahapo also: A eon treat is
1st, ay tor 910,000, which oan be execatad ia
alx months. Tbe river treasatror oollrets tv«
per ctnit. ia advanoc, ud under tb« Sd aaciisn
of the act oaly allowed to collect twenty per
coat every sixtv dsys, so that at the end of tha
six maoths, with the work completed, tho aaa>
tractor osn oaly get sixty Are cents on the dol-
lar of-Abe private subscription, aad therefore
thirty five oeate on the dollar of tour Jmee that
amount,ooming from the Stale is detained from
him. He would get 98.&0& leaving 98.600
unpaid until the private subseriptioae oould be
oollooted The traaaarera, eo far as I know,
bsv* not la any laatauoe eoltaotod more than
advsnos peyweoiof Ire per oent., uatil notited
by me of the pmgrsee of the work, and that
they wjuld soon bo eaMed upoa for moaey, al>
ihoagh they have shown a omumtadahle prompt*
new whenever I have drawn upon ihem These
contingencies ought I) bo provided ogain i —
The State Kaglneer ought to be auihorii'd to
give his drafts Simultaneously upon the Collec-
tor aad Treasurer uf private subscription, and
ths 8tats Treasurer, tor the emount entitled to
be drawa by the eontractor at iho time The
obleet of the clause «as evidently
ocll
Bhips aad ootoa
bta iear to Fort 1
*** 6ft mttaa
there art fells I
'tapads aavigation A
ueosSaary aad t
Ut at ih« '
lately I
falls, I lie fiver ta navigable to tha
mt; Wfitwpf:
oa the wa tor cottreak Ute wouataiae are also
heavily Umbered Within
numb, of high hills art aSie^Xi
connected with neighboring mountains, while
others are oomptatSy fao&tol Three are la
eaaae plaoee, covered with groeae af timber.and
ia other pleoee with graaa. the soil ta ot Mud
qasllty to their aammita, aad fareaa ami
we frequently seen perehed oa them.eto
1,000 feet above the ooentry below. „
thceo hllKor Baffoa's Mouataia.os it ta eifisi,
stands aearly ia the centre at the valley, atf ta
BfVeen miles in leusib from north to eouth, aad
from I,0M) to 1,fW toet higb tu summit ta
ttaetitate of trees, txofpt a tow ac.ttoritif oaks,
Md hare aad th* $tailMnSa# Aaee
tast stands near the h^heet point, ami Ulag
600 faat high, and without hraachas for some
Bfty feet from the ground, end atraighf aa au
arrow, preseaU a etagutar aod prominent oh-
jaot. From the tap Buiea's Monsula, the
view of the surrounding eoaatry ta of thegraa-
deet deeeripttaa. Awajt to tha aorth three tail,
owy peaks w eeen, the farthest nol loss
than 126 mllee distant These are in Was*
Inglon Territory. Oa the soath side of the
green toreete, to thaWfhtof 18,760 fast
above the eea. aad about 800 toet above tha
<iae af perpetual In Aaguit 1861, two
mao, Measm. Dy * -— ■ ~
top. Several ot
«tpa time, hot faded tn nmah-tko sun nit,—
Among three *« an TpdUn, who weal elmoet
to tbo <op,hut coming 1j a ptaoe where a stream
of hot air issued front s OMviaaWthe rmts,he
hrerme jaosA (afreM,) afcd refused to go aay
further. They found net sf " *
aaoffiosr of i
wae a toilet \
to theBm ttml
bor cl itbos, when bt
iiMil
H
toprev.nl
luelve or fictitious subscriptions, which btvo
ml in my oplaioa hew attempted, and itita y ptttre,giving evldeueo of great Internal
cheek or guard theretore l eot>mvr use leas. The The vitw lirom thssammlt wre vary axis
cont rsotore will ho doubt, ia every case, where
It cen be done,ontoroe tbo collection of amounts
«!«
way vary
have to run to I
auhsoribed.
Iu eoaelasten I l*eg lesre to say,that I have
used e ery eflort la my power to cause the sp-
proprisiion to do es much good as pomlblo; and
repeat, tbat I think It will do gcod. Tbe ap-
propriation was email eon aider! eg the extent of
oar Smto and the number of oar riveri. A
United Stale Ragiaeer oaoe exemtoed the
Bsbine, and reported to his Governmeat that
it would tsks 9160,000 to maks the niasnary
improvemcats, while we are expending only a
fraction over 981,000 upon it Thus it will be
that we have boon ft ylng to do rather too
Aa editor of one
VtW* Wf V
mucb with toe little
of tho leading jnantata of the State, In eem-
maMlag upon the law, after itr peeeage, sayst
"The greet error of thta M l ia, that the Ugle-
the nsvlgatioa
section of the
of tbo Constitution
lion of money
tbsu two yeert, except tor eaooeqoael purpo-
ses, and i' may be a question, perhaps whether
tbe Logialsturo bsd not better renew tbe sppro-
pristine of each portion sf the 9800,000 as nay n
not be darwn from the Treasury by the cud of tbsn the whole amoaot of our
tbe two years I make this suggestion becsi.se the livsre end he' s of the Bt,„,
doubts have be« expressed by amne in regsH ponded by New Tor* upon the Hudson river
to it. for myself I do not for a moment he dene, on a aeetion of It nol halt aa esteasive at
lieve tbcro U tny difficulty in ibo wa / on this1 we ere worhlng the Sabine.
great
latere has attempted to improve I
of a whole otato, as large la area as td« others
amongst the largeet Stales of tbe Ua oa, with,
a sum of money smaller In aw mint than other
State* expend oa eae river aot larger than oan
of ours," This a well known truth, tor more
ur appproprieiion to
State, ta* been e
these improvements
oourse ibe permanency ol
bare and reefs in tbo bays, oan
by time If tbey will remain
ytwrs ooly, as they certainly will, tho ooit must
assuredly be repaid four fol 1. I have evidenoc
before me, tliu 61,090 barrels of freight, aod
nearly 18,000 boles of cotton were transported
upon tbo Tnnity river in a single soasoa All
tbi-s irfl'gbt, or uoarly ao, had to be lightered
over Ibe bar, causing dslay, expense ana inlu
ry to tbo goo'lc. Tbe smoaat of loaere at this
p| er> would be dcctued fabulous if they could
be asecrtunod and men'iined here. Bat it is
uffi( ient to say, tbst tbe entire oast of tbitjni-
proveoi >nl st I ho moUCti, #UT be saved "by^lts
ailvutusge* lo otic good boutiag ssason on tbe
rivsr
It i* possible tbat the low water navigation
may be carried btgoer on the Brssos then I
have meatiea d, for 1 do not kaow yet whatef
feet the removal of impediaMau in tho bed of
W1 the river may kave upor, the aaad bare. I ae-
-hesc propositionehsre c-rtaiaed lhat many of tbem wereformed by
direcfty and Ml in- faaksa tag*aad drift,the rcmovalaf whiah wlH
: «, proposed to U 4m- o ea«r onu-tw, to wash eats btfer
aad dreper ebane^l. The mm reason preveate
giving n definite opiaioa at
of about low water navigation on the Oefawlm J
do not know to vbat extent the caaal ronad the
raft num effect tbe t*d of water above, or aaw
tor up If way eitot It, «* wbather, while It
drawa jififte he* of wale#, it may aot Stao, by
giving s steady carreat, wsah oat ihe sand
Sara eome IHtfe. so aa to en-Me V r, light
draught Kteami rs to reach Wharton at *11 amg-
■aporiateodsut on eaoa, pa
-nrffsaays
mm 1 hao haea allowed to aa
Howard or HSWteya dredges.
180,000, aad fart;
aorkaad
«oomptattoa I ooatraetod with Onl. PowaH,
Caaal faaad tba reft, ia tha Oel-
nvw, farty lew wMamsd Aim taj*-
Z*Tf " ordinary lam waMr, *r 4
<Wl wiH bsaamasb aa thaw adm lg
be semueh aa thn*
oare eoiuWe snsg snd dredgo boat^ taty
amrreas to work them, sad with a >eompi
' Ma
boats at# tiro ot
or Hawl*y'<
80,000, aad tort;
to work tbom. eoetmg *
one believe tbat U'H'000
hive don« wof1 A*® tkt.fWO.
the proeeot syswm? lltamy
tioa thai 1 would bit';* saw
doable at taacb ysl; ead Ch
wry of tho Otats 9ftj to >ii^ t
sapreonxtaof the sale of ~
k «f#i«g "feWaa
the twenty J*** 1 hfTt ^
thai* Tne blightiag diqgth
ad over the ^iaie,'pitehiagn
te up oar.toantaine, has at*
p int; f >r when oontraets sre entered in o U
the proj or spplio ition of tbe wholo fund sppro-
priatsd, ss will be the esse before tbo end tl
tbe two years from tbe date of ?he aot, it la
tbeo applied. It appear, lo me, In tbe sense
contemplated by the constitution, and will not
return to the general fund.
The 8th section of the aot making sppmpri-
sUoos for the improvement of nsvigation ssys:
' That any sum of money which may be appro-!
pristed by the Slate of Louisiana, tor the U-
provetuont of ihe navigation of the Sabine rlv-
er, sbsll authorise tbe Engineer to draw on tiio
Treeanrer of this 8tato for the ssme amount of
money, wfaiofa sum ao drawa shall be appropri-
ated to iho improvaaMOt of said river utdor
tbe provtaions of this net; end a certified oopy j
of an set of the State of Loaieleaa,m*kiogaaah
appropriation, sbsll bs suffioisut evidence tbat i
auoh appropriation has heea made; provided i gold to a printer aa though It motalUeally gUt-
tbe snm drawn frem the Treasury of thUState ' tored in his hand. What woald br thought
sbel not oxoeed 916.000 under this provision " of e man who would enter a school, aad tired-
It haa been my impreeelon thst this wss in ten die first with the teacher and then wlfh tha
ded ss an additional appropristloo over sad : eobotare—Interrupting the studies of one, and
above the 9800,000, and I therefore coutraotod , breaking the discipline of the otliorf And
for the expenditure of the entire smount eel! yet this is ths effect of a loafer ia a printing
sside for the Bsbine river,upou tha river Itself,' office. Be eeriouSiy interferes with tbe oourse
leoviajr thn 915.000 to bo ased ia the neoessa.1 of baeinaes, dtatreeto he fixed attendee which
ry drnigin? at the mouth, and Blue Buck B rj' necamary to the good prlntuf, aad the Inter-
eetoblishmant. Noimrtmxn aver
In sddiilon to my oth <r duties, 1 bsv* eg
smlnod, msssured, snd reported upoa the first
twenty Ire mile seetlnas of ths H oat toe and
Texas Central, sad tbe Oalrestoa.Heustou and
llendarsou Ral.roada.
Very res peat fully,
Your obedient servant,
WILLIAM PIBLDS,
> ' Stale Emgimttr.
His Rxesllenay K. M. PtAsa,
Governor of tbe State.
PatBTiNO Orrtcx LoArnu —The following
ta sensible to the tast, attd deeervas a wide olr-
culstion: ^ r -V
"A printing office ta like a eehool—it ost.
have no intorioperv, hangers-on, or twaddlers,
without a serious iuoouventenoc*, to aay aotb-
lug of a low of timo, which Is just ss much
ng of a
;old to a i
« W# -i«r Ltlu.
're. *4
ret oi every retoblishtnent. Nn rear man *vsf
asctifteea the Interest of or Interferes with the
1 b**# received no official ia'
formation of the action of the State of Loutai- .— T. —
ens, but Isaru, unofficially, «hsi a correspond-1 duties of others The loafer dons Both.
bim think, if thought be ever haa, that
last ptaoe ho should ever insinuate hie
less aud nnweloom* preeeaM into, tain
printing *
Ing appropriation has been made by that State,
snd aa vou Interpret the 8th scctioa differently
from the construction given it by me, It be-
comes eeeereery for tbe Legislature io take
eoms aetian ia the premises. If my view of
the matter be enrreet then the 916,000 is al<
ready appropriated, aad aatyaet to my dreft^er
tbe purprere ladta*led, whaaaver proper infor-
-astio* shall ba recsivsd rf tba aetion of Leata-
isas; bat if yoar Kxaallaaey's eoaetraction be
tbe eorreet one, it will ha aeessary lor the Lw-
letatore to r^apprepriate this mm. if it &
•ladr pleaaara to do ao, as tbe whole of tbe
9800,000 was disposed of in the appo'tiooment
made nwder the 4th aeetioc of the tanplsmen-
eleat $m- -«••• *; -W'- "
lb* State of Lowittawa ban, abs, ia onter ta
ea-emnate with Teaaa in tba Imprerement of
aavigattna apan OU4o Leka, akaaaed partly
ia bmb Mates, detevmtoad by lagMatlvs fn-
aetmaat. to meet ear wmb at ibe Bute line,
with eimilac ImmiaaMi aaea that portion
of tbe Ma lyiag srithb Iter limits Aad as
tbe sttaheritias tbat S'ale will dnabtleae da-
aire ta kaaw tbe as tare aad extent of tbe emi-
temp-ated laprovemeau, ea oar pan, ! etale,
ao that year BaeaOeaey may nffietaUy btfertf
them,thst 1 reatreeM «lb Ospt Perry a,gent If
man of areah exparisaoe in sneh improvamente
te eot a ebaaaal tbreagh Iba latere haadred
aad tweaiy five fa*t aide, mad forty iacha* ba-
tree* Is Wi ■* the tbe time I wee Ibeve
tbe eheawritrttoHow ibe most preelteabta route,
sod to be WMtm^r ea a rtesigbl Oae aaeir.
oaatetaaoM will admtk of
• If. faa«A kMl diHK JHLaatUm '
Tbs nse of gaits peraba to
anj rtiAUldl hafl Ufitl fjMld
ble.but to poseere isre saaoU
Gwtta perehs plstae will work a
siou with let
tor atorautype plates
w Bvll
ia md.UtamMarby1
arm snd applying pn
euyba ,
Thegutt.
the eabstsnae warm
about fifteen minutes in a
the ssosld
p'aml
ss before Several
bns ui aneoant of tbe axtamiaMld,
a7edto tha extaat thai could kave baaa da-
4. To tho south of ttala peak la Mt, Jafftr-
mm, and still farther aonOj, near the npper end
of tbt relief, are the Tbree Statoa, ooan ei*d
by • klgh, snowy ridge. Tbe Cblspooa Mt
tafaa at tka bead af tba vaitay^re sUo la
aad the Coast Meaatniwg .fanm the
la tba CUumbis RIrev, embeylag a efWoii of
MMnlWmllit BseUathls,!!
tiful valley (foe like an loimeuee map
o«! more ihan a thousand feet below, #ffb
e prairies ead d*fk fcftoM, and town., villa-
iwiraSSlttS
aad bright yellow fielda 9t
; TT" TH :'rw^wtiSE
The Ml gram asree e'*r lawly grevra,
The gsldeu stamina fiiada iha aiataw*.
. Aad In tha hcaaw, tbeatUew trees, -
That guard ths tember Maba.
"wlag bask aud forth, with IMmring shadows.
•Ttehsrattft, WhHsbrighM
About the g-are awnaa wbllely fit
■ ^
t tbe vlato iid' IHfleWV *wap
Oa that dear mslAaia^a nwu'ry AaemlSe.
• " i-1e t iff
|<yt ssmWuaenm ths. — ^ ami
f Lg kail Mpigk^
; Yoeag Uve wae tareaed a ruyal guest-
Mjf Ifllfrgf jjltft
Oh, htm bear, ehao fruei ber bowsr
With elsmb'riag grep* rtass slos* eateagted,
We saw the ateen ef leafy law
Eleeeajaaly evrr thesrldelageen,
And eUtab the *by with Wigjktatare apahgtad.
* ; • . ZzvZ' - ■
Her deep Mae eyes, llkstreple shlss,
Met lesepeotoaml, aad aerereeidar,
Were teed aa miaewitaguee Uriae,
' jVid r jpoMm MI His vNMS"
aeme rw||reI ream sW«p( Bar m^90®v^9^ -
Ber little hand. wMah eeeeaefy fanned
Ha, It- !^f ' Mt|.q i
Ber wtee—hutahl man uaeda er* wesh
Te palat the Joys where mmfif Hngtett
lljHM
wsptaiatkaadam Mfoaa lh* hastben
Oh. hsary grieB with autumn's )*•*
f*- tj
Ai fiur ml nb| m if i^ cUopWiftAb •:
tbeehurehyard
to him, aad-ba aitl j
Mr Baaa
Mianf^tfahtl
aid. is la my
Aad WitbMt i
Km
M
m
telm, eool oadaal
aonld ta taken out It Is hrnebnd over with
bugo, laid on tha press faaa ap. warm
I perehs pat Into B aad pnaaare applied
suits pereaa m mu by
Tba a^vaaMa rf«4«atre
wtll teat muehtregm sad
IfL. I — J auaaM^a' Haa iLa mwreaam' a*■wretam nlala
1 1J€ j^mewu^^B w^a*^1
aaw uery ataan aad dtMiaui^md tire let tors hare
iM fo their bead* to
siaoe tbe Baralaa
VTIaa W* WIC IrwnfWw
diBfwd curt iIni
exlVMl«d mm I ~
due time
AK \r-tr: t
St?t ' <V-
W" 'W
aat^;gMbrm fal
..?v Ify .
r>-. *s . .a.. st
■aBt let Bwwva I*
tbe
T
from tbe
tad in tha
- a —— a s.
}>f
iypa is, tbat it
♦lesrer -
yr'X* "v' ; •'
" ..
' A ; . AtrMM
' i* /' xl *' *' ■
Rtti
.
Mt
• • .3.
* r.'..' . •
' "
? • -v
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De Morse, Charles. The Standard. (Clarksville, Tex.), Vol. 15, No. 4, Ed. 1 Saturday, February 13, 1858, newspaper, February 13, 1858; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth234151/m1/1/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.