64 
THE SPORTSMAN’S AND TOUTIST’S GUIDE. 
perfect months for sport, and January 
few days, at intervals, of rather cold 
weather—that is, a few inches of snow 
and ice, with cold, northerly winds— 
thus constituting what isso well known 
in Texas as “a norther.” These remarks 
apply to Northern Texas in Winter, while 
along the Gulf, or southern coast, these 
same Winter months have the mild cli- 
mate of New York in September. Con- 
nected with the railroad runniug south 
from Dennison, near the north line of the 
State, are stages which convey persons 
at once to almost any part of the State 
desired. For central cities, in which to 
spend the Winter for health, as well as 
for sporting, San Antonio stands first, 
Austin, the capitol of the State, second. 
These places cannot very well be excell- 
ed, everything considered. Persons with 
weak lungs will find reliefin Central and 
Western Texas, if anywhere. She will 
prove more than the Italy or the Egypt 
to the United States. Happy will they 
be who early go down to the “ promised 
land,” and partake of varied offerings. 
SAN ANTONIO—WACO, 
Between San Antonio and Waco is 
the sportman’s paradise. Bob White’s 
whistle is heard everywhere, and they are 
always in sight along the beaten roads 
feeding on cereals. Around New Braum- 
fells, are to be found deer and turkeys. 
The Comal River abounds in fish. At 
San Marcus, the prairies are alive with | 
quail. At Georgetown deer and turkeys 
are plentiful a few miles from town. 
From Belton to Waco is as fine a quail 
country as a sportsman ever passed 
through, with deer and turkeys in abun- 
dance, with a sprinkling of wild cats, 
and an occasional leopard cat. Hill 
county adjoining is alive with deer and 
| turkeys, sparsely settled, and the best 
and February not bad, but having a | 
grounds within forty miles of Waco. 
TURKEY LAND. 
As a game region, there probably can 
be no place found equal in all respects 
to Western Texas, with the Almo City 
as a base of operations. Mr. H. Lyman 
Bingham gives a short account of a 
fine twelve days’ hunt he, with a party 
of others, had there during the Fall of 
1878. Fully supplied with all necessary 
equipments for twelve days in the nest, 
the party started from Alamo City on 
Tuesday, the 12th of November, 1878, 
their destination being the neighborhood 
of Frio City They brought up about 
fifteen miles beyond that place, having 
bagged considerable game along the 
way—such as turkeys, quail, and ducks. 
They finally pitched tents on the Yo-le- 
digo, fifteen miles from Frio City. There 
all hands settled down and went to work 
for deer, and spent two or three days, 
but found them rather scarce, only 
killing seven. ‘Finally they determined 
ona change of base, and began to re- 
trace their steps, coming ten miles north- 
east of Frio City, and camping on the 
Saco, where attention was paid to the 
turkey. ‘‘ I can safely assert,” he says, 
“that the Saco is one of if not the most 
favored places for turkey in Texas. It 
is a small stream, and runs only a little 
during the year, but it has water holes 
all along it the entire twelve months, 
and it is timbered, as all such streams 
are in Western Texas, with scattered 
clumps of live oak and other trees. The 
clumps of trees, especially where you 
find a water hole, are favorite spots for 
the turkey to roost in, and here is where 
the hunters go to shoot them. I am 
well aware that many consider this a 
barbarous way of slaughtering turkey; 
