GALVESTON 



2370 



GALVESTON 



through the coil. Movement occurs over the 

 face of a dial marked off in degrees, the 

 strength of the current being indicated by the 

 distance over which the needle passes. In the 

 galvanometer invented by Lord Kelvin a ray 

 of light is reflected upon a screen from a mirror 

 attached to the needle. The slightest move- 

 ment of the needle is indicated by a movement 

 of the light ray. Currents so weak that they 

 would not be noticed even if passed through 

 the human body can in this way be detected 

 and accurately measured. 



GAL'VESTON, TEX., is the greatest cotton 

 port in the world, and it ranks next to New 

 York and New Orleans among the cities of the 

 United States in the value of exports and im- 

 ports. It is the county seat of Galveston 

 County, and is situated on the east end of Gal- 

 veston Island at the mouth of Galveston Bay, 

 an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, fifty-three miles 

 southeast of Houston and 300 miles (direct) 

 southwest of New Orleans. Railway facilities 

 are provided by the Gulf, Colorado & Santa 

 Fe; the International & Great Northern; the 

 Missouri, Kansas '& Texas; the Galveston, 

 Houston & Henderson, and the Galveston, 

 Houston & San Antonio railroads; the city 

 also has the Galveston-Houston electric rail- 

 way. Besides steamer lines which have regular 

 sailings to New York, there are regular commu- 

 nications with European, Asiatic and North 

 and South American ports. The city is con- 

 nected with the Texas mainland at Virginia 

 Point by a reenforced concrete causeway two 

 miles long, which spans Galveston Bay. Pas- 

 sage is afforded ocean steamers by a lift bridge, 

 the largest of its kind in the world. All nation- 

 alities are represented in its population, which 

 increased from 36,981 in 1910 to 41,863 in 1916; 

 the latter is an estimate based on the increase 

 from 1890 to 1900. The area, which includes 

 Pelican Island, is nearly fifteen square miles. 



Boulevards and Buildings. The residential 

 part of Galveston suggests a typical Southern 

 city, with its stately mansions, many of them 

 white, luxuriant gardens, and streets lined with 

 palms, oaks, oleanders, magnolias and jasmine. 

 Menard Park, Sidney Sherman Park and Cen- 

 tral Park add to the general beauty of the 

 city. Between the sea-wall and the sea extends 

 the beach, thirty miles long and considered the 

 finest in the world, the bathing, fishing and 

 boating facilities being unsurpassed. This 

 beach is also an automobile course. 



Galveston is a popular health resort in the 

 Southwest, attracting great numbers of visitors 



annually. It has many notable buildings, 

 among which are the old post office, which has 

 been remodeled; the new Federal building; the 

 Federal Quarantine Station; the Rosenberg 

 Library, costing $250,000 and having an endow- 

 ment of $400,000; the city hall with its beau- 

 tiful park; John Sealy Hospital, which oper- 

 ates in connection with the state medical col- 

 lege; American National Insurance building; 

 and the Hotel Galvez, built in 1912 at a cost 

 of $1,000,000, raised by public subscription. 

 The last-named, with the eleven other hotels, 

 is equipped to uphold Galveston's reputation 

 for Southern hospitality, many thousands of 

 visitors being easily accommodated over night. 

 There are some fine bank and business build- 

 ings and homes for orphans and homeless 

 women. 



Educational Institutions and Churches. Be- 

 sides its public school system, including two 

 high schools, the city has the state medical 

 college, a department of the University of 

 Texas, Saint Mary's University, Ursuline Con- 

 vent, a Jesuit college, a Dominican convent, 

 Sacred Heart Acau'emy, twelve sectarian 

 schools and business schools. There are thirty- 

 one churches for white and twelve for colored 

 people. 



Commerce and Industry. Galveston is the 

 leading commercial city of Texas. Its wharf 

 and terminal facilities have few equals in the 

 United States, being exceeded only in size. The 

 harbor has been improved at a cost to the 

 United States government of $15,000,000; the 

 granite jetties twelve miles long alone cost 

 $8,000,000. Cotton ranks first among the ex- 

 ports, which also include wool, hides, grain, 

 flour, oil-cake, oil-meal, fish-oil, lumber, pro- 

 visions and fruit. The most important indus- 

 trial enterprises are the Galveston Wharf 

 Company, the cotton compress and concen- 

 trating plants and flour, bagging and rope 

 mills. There are four export grain elevators, 

 and several large wholesale houses. 



History. In 1836 Colonel Michael B. Menard 

 organized the Galveston City Company and 

 purchased the site of modern Galveston from 

 the Republic of Texas. The city was incor- 

 porated in 1839 and named in honor of Count 

 Bernardo de Galvez, Spanish viceroy of 

 Mexico. During the War of Secession it was 

 captured by the Federal troops and retaken in 

 1863 by the Confederates, who held it until 

 the close of the war. For many years to come 

 the inhabitants will remember September 8, 

 1900, when the city was visited by the most 



