Our C atltolic Heritage in Texas
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had greatly increased the element of personal danger, for these marauders were not likely to distinguish between a pious American missionary and an Anglo settler. There was litte reason, his friends argued, to dare the elements in the middle of winter and in the face of personal peril to secure information that could be obtained in Houston. As reliable sources for such information they cited men like Judge John Dunn, Senator from Goliad, Refugio and San Patricio; Senator John J. Linn from Victoria; Senator Juan N. Seguin from San Antonio; James Kerr, Representative from Victoria and Jackson; Jose Antonio Navarro, Representative from San Antonio; and Colonel Philip Sublett and Major John S. Roberts from Nacogdoches. These men, they claimed, should be able to furnish all the information on their respective districts. 43 Timon, in consequence, gave up the idea of making a personal visit to the interior of Texas and contented himself with interviewing the Rep- resentatives and Senators from the different districts. Earnestly trying, however, to obtain all the information possible, he diligently jotted down all the information he could glean not only from members of Congress but also from every other available source. Timon's return to New Orlea11s. Timon left Houston on January 9, 1839, to return to Galveston, where he spent two days gathering ad- ditional information before embarking January 12 on the Columbia for New Orleans. Even before boarding the ship with Father Llebaria, he had begun to organize his notes in a long letter to Father Nozo-- a detailed report, in fact. The two scouts of the Church arrived safely in New Orleans on January 14, by which time Timon had practically completed his report for the M aiso,i Mere. Father Llebaria was allowed to stay in New Orleans just one day before returning to Bayou Lafourche to resume his duties in the recently established seminary, where the other Spanish Vincentians were still awaiting assignments. Timon stayed for a few days with Bishop Blanc, who was then living in the old Ursuline Convent on Rue Conde. Here Timon rewrote his report to Nozo for the Bishop, and asked him to incorporate in it his to Rome. The good Vincentian purposely avoided direct communication with the Sacred Congregation at this time largely because of his natural 0 Timon to Blanc, January 15-17, 1839, copy in C. A. T. The original has been misplactd or lost. Timon to Nozo, January 9, 1839, Annales de la Congregation de la Mission, V, (Paris, 1839). This letter was published with some minor varia- tions in the Anna/es cited, as well as in the Anna/es de l'Association de la Propaga- tion de la Foi, Vol. XII (Paris, 1840), but the latter edition is not reliable in many instances. Copy and translation In C. A. T.
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