NOTES AND FRAGMENTS.

The Texas Republican.—In a former number of the Quarterly (Volume VI 162) a notice of The Texas Republican was quoted from its contemporary, the St. Louis Enquirer for Sept. 15, 1819. The following is a similar notice from the Gazette de la Louisiane for Saturday, September 4, 1819:

“Par le courrier d'hier, nous avons recu le premier numéro du Texas Republican, gazette imprimée en langue Anglaise, au village de Nacogdoches á 50 lienes au de la Sabine. L'imprimeur se nomme Eli Harris, ⁷¹ natif de la Caroline de Nord.”

L'Ami des Lois et Journal du Commerce of the same day and date as the Gazette copies this notice, but changes the phraseology; for instance, it calls Harris “le redacteur.” Both papers furthermore copy the article, dated “Nacogdoches, August 14” and printed in the Quarterly referred to, but omit the paragraph (the record from the end) stating the quentity of bounty land and the pay volunteers are to receive. Moreover, the Louisiana Gazette ⁷² for Thursday, Sept. 23, copied the item below from a later number of the Republican:

“Nacogdoches, Aug. 18. ⁷³

“Major Smith, who lately accompanied Gen. Bigelow to Galveston, we understand is on his way from that place; he comes up the Trinity river, with a large boat loaded with provisions and munitions of war.

“We feel authorized to state that no persons, for the future, will be received into the Republican Army unless they are of good moral character and come well recommended or give sufficient assurance for their good conduct. The cause in which we are engaged ought to be gained by good men alone; and as ample fortunes await those who faithfully persevere to the end, we hope to have plenty of such men as we never shall be ashamed of, and who we can treat as brothers.”

E. W. Winkler.

The Mexican Advocate.—The St. Louis Beacon of November 14, 1829, copies the interesting notice below from the New York Courier of October 23, ⁷⁴ 1829:

“New Paper in Texas.—We received the other week the first number of a new paper from Nacogdoches, in Texas, called the `Mexican Advocate.' It is printed in Spanish and English, and appears to be conducted with intelligence and success. Nacogdoches is situated in 31 degrees 42 minutes north latitude, on the main road from Nacogdoches ⁷⁵ to San Felipe de Austin and Bejar.”

Additional information concerning the Mexican Advocate is very much to be wished for. The earliest paper published in Austin's colony, The Texas Gazette, appeared about Sept. 29, 1829. ⁷⁶ If the exact date of the appearance of this first number of the Advocate can be ascertained it is barely possible that it will be found that Nacogdoches can claim not only the first newspaper but also the second to appear in Texas.

E. W. Winkler.

The Mexican Road from Béjar to Laredo.—The statement printed below, which is contributed by Mr. R. G. West, is a translation of a document found among some old papers that once belonged to Governor Viesca. It is a list of stations, with the distances in leagues between them, on the road from Béjar to Laredo used by the Mexicans in 1835.

Note: It is only known that from Bexar to New Mexico it is 250 leagues, for neither the travelers nor the Comanches who are here can define the stopping places.

Dated, Bexar, 22nd of March, 1835,  Angel Navarro (rubric.)

Texas History Materials in Satillo.—Last summer I examined the public archives of the State of Nuevo Leon preserved in the capitol at Saltillo, with a view to learning what they contain on Texas history. A large portion of the materials stored in the Archivo is as yet unclassified. The character of such of the classified documents as relate to Texas is well indicated by the title of the index in which they are listed: Registro de las Solicitudes, Concesiones y otros asuntos relativos á terrenos en Texas. This register contains descriptions of two hundred and forty-two documents, all but seven of which fall within the period from 1825 to 1835, inclusive—the period of active colonization in Texas. Most of these are special land grants made to Mexicans. Of the remainder—some fifty in all—a considerable portion seems to be composed of duplicates of papers that are to be found in Austin, in the Bexar Archives or in the General Land Office.

Thus it may be concluded that of the classified materials in this collection those relating to Texas are not of the highest importance. An examination, however, of the large mass of documents that are as yet unclassified might bring to light papers of greater value.

Ethel Zivley Rather.