The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 26, July 1922 - April, 1923 Page: 211
324 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Memoirs of Major George Bernard Erath
in departing from the customs of his ancestors. An uncle was
often cited to me, or to any of the young members of the con-
nection, who, bolder than was necessary, took a fancy to do some-
thing not in accordance with old tradition. Our uncle Caspar,
we were informed, had gone off soldiering for the mere liking of
it, preferring that life of adventure to the tanner's. In conse-
quence, where was he now? killed at the battle of Hohenlinden!
I do not suppose that any one of my four older aunts had ever
been ten miles from the native town in all their lives. They
held minutely to all ancient usages, wore gold and silver caps
and costly national costumes, and I remember were particularly
down on one of the cousins for dressing French fashion, as they
called it, with high-heeled shoes and other innovations in style
permitted by the growing prosperity of her father, a brother-in-
law in the family.
It was an old world town in old world times. At that day
there was not a railway on the continent of Europe. England had
a few short lines, and at Vienna eight or ten years before I had
heard talk of one to be built in the near future, which had never-
theless not been built up to this time. After I came away from
Vienna, and just before leaving Wiirtemberg, I read of the first
steamboat being launched on the Danube, but by the awkward-
ness of the pilot it was run aground and made useless. I heard
of one on a lake in Switzerland, and perhaps there may have been
some others. When later I was in France I found five dingy
steamboats on the Seine running between Paris and Havre; but
while the distance between the two places by water is about 250
miles, and 160 by land, it took the boats four or five days to
make it, and the stage only twenty-three hours. Although charg-
ing higher for passage, the latter was the cheaper way, since the
cost of living in France was high. My astonishment may be im-
agined when, on my arrival direct from Havre, I found forty or
fifty clean-looking boats lying along the wharfs of the Mississippi.
I formed the opinion that the steamboats on the waters of the
Mississippi alone outnumbered the same kind of craft in Europe
fifty to one.
About the beginning of the year 1831 my uncle took sick, and
in the latter part of April he died. He had talked of making
me his heir, but had not done so, and I with a great many others211
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 26, July 1922 - April, 1923, periodical, 1923; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101084/m1/217/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.