TEXAS. 



TOOMRS, ROBERT. 



749 



and, and other places. As yet no marketable 

 results have been achieved, on account of the 

 length of time it takes the terrapin to reach 

 maturity. A female must be about ten years 

 old before she will lay. In confinement the 

 terrapin eats crabs, fish, mussels, oysters, and 

 grass. The crab-diet seems to agree with them ; 

 but it is probable that fish is not their food 

 when in a wild state, because those that have 

 fed on it became disagreeably fishy in flavor. 

 Some time ago they were found to thrive well 

 on cabbage, lettuce, and water-melon rinds. 

 The penned terrapin can be distinguished from 

 the freshly caught one by the scraped and 

 roughened appearance of the central portion 

 of the under shell, and the small callous spots, 

 made by rubbing, on the bind legs. The an- 

 nual catch of terrapins is not large, although 

 they are not found to be diminishing in num- 

 ber. The largest quantity of choice terra- 

 pins comes from Chesapeake Bay. They are 

 mostly consumed in the four terrapin-eating 

 cities New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and 

 Washington. Many restaurants in these places 

 palm off" the red-legged terrapin for the genuine 

 "diamond-back." 



TEXAS. State Government. The following 

 were the State officers during the year : Gov- 

 ernor, John Ireland, Democrat; Lieutenant- 

 Governor, Barnett Gibbs ; Secretary of .State, 

 J. W. Baines; Treasurer, Frank R. Lubbock; 

 Comptroller, W. J. Swain ; Attorney-General, 

 John D. Templeton ; Land Commissioner, W. 

 C. Walsh ; Superintendent of Public Instruc- 

 tion, B. M. Baker ; Commissioner of Insurance, 

 Statistics, and History, H. T. Brewster, suc- 

 ceeded by H. P. Bee ; State Engineer, James 

 H. Britton. Supreme Court: Chief -Justice, 

 Asa H. Willie; Associate Justices, John W. 

 Stayton and S. Robertson. 



Legislative Session. The Legislature met on 

 Jan. 13, and adjourned on March 30. Of the 

 work of the session a local reviewer says : 



A great many amendments to the penal laws that 

 have long been demanded by the people have passed. 

 What the Legislature has failed to do that is needed 

 amounts to little. Legislation to protect the com- 

 merce of the State against the railroads discriminat- 

 ing against Texas cities was certainly needed. The 

 finance measures are a great improvement upon the 

 last Legislature's. Taxes are increased to meet all re- 

 quirements, and the appropriations are not excessive 

 or extravagant. 



The land bill is the best that has ever been passed. 

 It will encourage actual settlers to occupy the school 

 lands, and such lands as are fit only for pasturage will 

 be leased in all probability. It is a straight-out lease 

 law at the fixed rate of five cents an acre, and sales to 

 actual settlers at $2 in both cases to include dry and 

 watered lands. Sales limited to one section, and 

 leases unlimited and for a term not to exceed two 

 years. 



The increased penalties for gambling and carrying 

 concealed weapons are expected to work well in small 

 towns and cities. 



The Governor vetoed the road bill, which would 

 have probably been very unpopular. 



No one expects any benefit from the bucket-shop 

 bill in its present form, as it is considered by good 

 lawyers unconstitutional. 



The Governor, after the adjournment, failed 

 to approve the land bill. 



A prohibitory amendment passed the House, 

 but failed in the Senate. Several new coun- 

 ties were created. 



Finances. The total State ad- valorem tax in 

 1884 was $1,029,121.10; total school tax, 

 $735,155.39; State revenue poll, $157,830.15; 

 school poll, $315,664.85; grand total, $2,237,- 

 771.49. Add to $588,060,917, the total value 

 of the taxable property, $15,000,000 as the 

 approximate total of assessments for 1884 on 

 lands in unorganized counties owned by non- 

 residents, and the total value of property for 

 1884 is $603,060,917. 



Galveston. During the commercial year end- 

 ing Aug. 31, 1885, the great falling off in the 

 cotton-crop had a tendency to restrict trade. 

 It was only near its close that the magnificent 

 corn and small-grain crops harvested, and the 

 promising outlook for cotton, produced a no- 

 ticeable revival. * 



The following is the annual cotton statement, 

 Aug. 31, 1885: 



Bales. 



Exports to Great Britain 157,648 



Exports to France 9,619 



Exports to Continent 56,250 



Exports to Mexico 7,875 



Exports to New York 227,445 



Exports to Morgan City 4,859 



Exports to other United States ports 6,285 



Exports to El Paso for Mexico by rail 4.146 



Exports to interior of Texas by rail 8 



Stock this day 2,846 



Total 476,976 



Deduct 



Receipts from New Orleans 5,124 



Receipts from Indianola 5,519 



Receipts from Corpus Christi and Rockport. . 41 



Stock this day last year 2,829 



13,513 



Net receipts this season 463,468 



On Nov. 13 occurred the most extensive 

 conflagration that has ever visited the city. 

 The flames swept almost from bay to gulf 

 across the island, destroying some of tbe most 

 elegant residences of Galveston, and reducing 

 to ashes a portion of the city in territorial area 

 about 100 acres, all thickly populated and em- 

 bracing about forty squares. The fire was con- 

 fined to the residence portion of the city, com- 

 posed almost entirely of frame buildings. The 

 loss was estimated at about $1,400,000. 



Notwithstanding the fact that the cotton- 

 crop of the State was over 400,000 bales less 

 in 1883-'84 than it was in 1882-'83, the total 

 value of produce exported very nearly reached 

 $100,000,000. The year before values from the 

 same sources reached the total of $119,906,- 

 265. 



TOOMBS, ROBERT, an American politician, 

 born in Washington, Ga., July 2, 1810 ; died 

 there, Dec. 15, 1885. His education was begun 

 in the University of Georgia, but before com- 

 pleting the course he went to Union College, 

 N. Y., where he was graduated in 1828. The 

 following year he attended a law course at the 

 University of Virginia, and he was admitted 



