244 TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 



the Guadalupe river, near Sister- 

 dale where quite a string of trout 

 and catfish were caught, and sus- 

 pended later on a long line for 

 this view. It was only a temporary 

 camming place, as the fly and in- 

 sect pest was bad; but later, we 

 camped close to the river, in full 

 view of the grand Guadalupe 

 scenery resembling those seen 

 on the boat fishing photo view 

 along the river banks, and here 

 we spent a few delightful • dajs 

 close to a farm. 



a broad smile of contentment. 

 What also interested us very much 

 were some very old log houses — 

 built by the first settlers around 

 Sisterdale, and also the ma^y an- 

 cient and solidly built rock fences 

 traversing the picturesque vales 

 and hilly forest regions all 

 around the old post oak Sister- 

 dale valley. These vales and hilly 

 forest regions in olden days (and, 

 to some extent to-day yet) were 

 full of large, wild game, especially 

 deer, wild turkey and bear, roam- 



A Typical Log House of the First Settlers of the Western Wildernesses 

 (Reproduced by the Writer from Rudolf Cronau's Historical Work: "America" 



What interested us also, and 

 most, during our late outing trips 

 to the Guadalupe river — partly 

 per auto, and the last trip in bug- 

 gies (a little less convenient, but 

 by far more enjoyable to observe 

 the grand nature sceneries) was 

 the highly prosperous condition of 

 the farming districts all along the 

 Boerne and Guadalupe valleys ; 

 the fields and crops never before 

 looked any better to us, and the 

 farmers, mostly Germans, all wore 



ing around the steep canyons, 

 postoak brush and dense forests, 

 and a book could be written about 

 them when listening to the hunt- 

 ing tales of the old, sturdy Ger- 

 man settlers of unsurpassed beau- 

 tiful Sisterdale. 



On the way homeward, we 

 camped near a queer Mexican set- 

 tlement and limekiln plant near 

 Boerne, and the latter reminded 

 us of the large rock quarry ro- 

 tunda at Laurel Heights, Jiorth 



