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Show LAS TEXAS Y LOS TEJANOS. 417 was my first, last and only, and I sot old Sally at a gallop for that pint, holdin' ' old blaze' to be ready for him. Sure enough, just a minute too soon to take me on- a- wars, Mister Injun riz with his piece ready cocked. But I was too quick for him, and spiled his aim. His bullet cut pretty close, but mine took him center, and ' fore another . could get up to the pass I was through an' out, an' I tell you I kept clar of that squaw arter that." Fortunately for the community, Bob's blood cooled as he grew older, and he settled into a very respectable citizen. My first call in Austin was upon Governor E. J. Davis, last Repub-lican executive of the State, then holding his own against fearful odds. Also his Adjutant General, none other than an old Evansville friend, Captain Frank Britton, formerly of the Twenty- fifth Indiana Volun-teers. Between them and other State officials a hot conflict was raging, and the Legislature was devoting all its energies to undoing the work of its predecessors, so as to cut down the Governor's power as much as possible. This body had lately come into power as the re-sult of the revolution of 1872, when the election was carried by the Democrats by an overwhelming majority. It was the first State Leg-islature I ever saw, and later experience has not changed my first im-pression, that it was a very able one. In the House the Democrats had three- fourths and in the Senate only lacked three of having two-thirds, all very industrious in repealing the laws of preceding Leg-islatures. The regular proceeding was to pass a law, send it to the Governor, get it back with a veto message, and then spend a week bringing over enough Republican Senators to pass it over his veto. I was taking notes from Hon. C. B. Sabin, representative from Brazoria and Matagorda counties, when Hon. " Shack" Roberts, of Harrison County, an immense black man, rose to speak. His address was replete with humor and sarcasm, causing great laughter and ap-plause. He is a Methodist preacher, very black, and uses the broad-est " plantation- darkey" English. The six colored members of the House and two in the Senate added a pleasing variety. The members generally would compare quite favorably with those of Indiana or Ohio. ( After that comparison, further description would be " risky.") I was introduced to the Honorable " Shack," and after giving his testimony to the improved condition of affairs generally, he added : " The Methodists have done wonders for our people in edication, and we're a doin' more. Our church at home the A. M. E. has just ' stablished the Wiley University at Marshall, Texas named after Bishop Wiley. We bought two hundred acres in a mile an' a half of 27 |