ON THE FRINGE 327 



in 1868 to arrange the terms of union and the nature 

 of the new Texas Constitution with the President of 

 the United States. It is generally supposed that 

 Huston made a ' good trade ' with the President on 

 that occasion. So local tradition has it, at all events, 

 and the men he represented appear to have been well 

 pleased ; for he obtained 10,000,000 dollars from Uncle 

 Sam as the price of the new territorial acquisition, 

 while retaining for the new State the complete 

 control and disposal of its public lands. These same 

 public lands were no mean asset at that time in 

 a territory that extended for nearly 1,000 miles 

 from the comparatively narrow Panhandle in the 

 north the relative geographical shape of which gives 

 its name to the sea-coast and the mouth of the Rio 

 Grande on the south, where the State widens out 

 to an almost similar breadth. 



As an illustration of frontier character, the follow- 

 ing story is told of Sam Huston on this, his first visit 

 to Washington and the civilized east. When the 

 arrangements for union were completed, and Huston 

 had been appointed first Governor of Texas, he 

 received an invitation to dine with the President 

 at a big political dinner in Washington, at which 

 many celebrities were present. It was probably his 

 first experience of the kind, and there, also for the 

 first time in his life, Huston tasted champagne, which 

 proved much to his liking. Towards the end of the 

 banquet olives were handed round, these being an 

 article of diet also not contained in the new 

 Governor's philosophy. He took an olive in his 

 mouth, and, not liking the taste, promptly returned 

 it to his plate. Just then the President looked down 

 the table. 



