A Memorial and Biographical History of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon Counties, Texas Page: 112

                                
HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

Oldhatn's store in Waxahachie took tire
whilst lying on a shelf, right under the
sight of the clerks and proprietor, in broad
daylight. The cat was out of the bag; the
explanation of all the mysterious and alarming
conflagrations was plain-spontaneous
ignition. To test the matter, and that all
might see the cause for themselves, matches
were placed on the sidewalks, and in other
situations, which, in a short time, burst into
flames. In fact, as soon as the matches, in
many instances, touched the heated pavement
they ignited.
"In 1859-'60-'61 there was almost no
rain for three years, and still good crops,
especially wheat, rye, oats, barley, etc.;
corn, moderate, but very little of it was
planted.  Wheat made from    twenty to
forty bushels per acre, and the heaviest
wheat I ever saw, weighing from  sixtyeight
to seventy-two pounds to the measured
bushel. The question naturally arises,
How could such a crop be produced with
almost no rainfall? We had what was
known as a sea or gulf fog, which came
up nearly every morning about daylight or
shortly after, and continued until about
eight o'clock. All vegetation would be
wet with it. These fogs have very nearly
disappeared. From the time I came to
Texas, in 1846 up to the '60s, they occurred
almost every morning; but they
have become fewer and fewer, until now,
1891, they scarcely ever appear. As to
the cause of the cessation I have thought
considerably, but have not yet been able
to solve the problem. I never saw one of
these fogs beyond the Red river, and have
been on this side amid a heavy one, whilst
across the river there was no sign of a fog.

They originated in the gulf, but just why
they came then and not now    is one of
those inscrutable mysteries wlich seem
beyond our ker. A further evidence of
some great change in our meteorological
conditions is the presence of those pestiferous
little gnats, which very seldom annoyed
one at work out doors. For instance,
in 'chopping' cotton, as it is termed, in
those former days it was rare that any one
was annoyed; but now the little insects are
so numerous and persistent that one at
work in the field is often compelled to
wear a veil over his face. Even in traveling
it was rarely the case that one was
annoyed; the wind blowing the gnats off;
but now they are extremely bad at times.
The beautiful phenomena of the mirage
accompanied these gulf fogs; that is, they
preceded the fog. Pictures suspended in
the low clouds, consisting of landscapes,
hill and dale, groves, farms, houses and
farms, appeared, and it would last for some
time. They were similar in principle to
the mirages seen on the desert and in the
Arctic regions, and were formerly thought
to be optical illusions superinduced by
the wants of the traveler, as in passing
over a desert when water was needed.
These would see beautiful streams, and
those in the Arctic regions see boats of
rescue: but investigation has shown that
these images of the mirage are the reflection
in the clouds, under peculiar circumstances,
of real objects."
THE COUNTY ORGANIZED.
As has been seen this territory, in the
time of the surveys of 1838, was a part of
the vast old county of Robertson, created

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