Explanation of famous quote about renting out Texas and living in hell
https://tracesoftexas.com/forum/quotes-about-texas/explanation-of-famous-quote-about-renting-out-texas-and-living-in-hell/
General Philip Sheridan is most famous for having said, in a moment of tired frustration back in 1866, 'If I owned Texas and all Hell, I would rent out Texas and live in Hell.'
Here is Sheridan explaining how that quote came about:
"Speaking so kindly of Texas ---- and I speak from my heart ----- probably I ought to explain a remark I once made about the Lone Star state. I had just returned to San Antonio from Chihuahua on some Mexican business when I received an order to proceed at once to New Orleans. I hired relays and coaches so that I had only to hitch on the wagon and go speedily to gt the boat from Galveston. I rode night and day. It was in August and, need I say, a tad warm. I arrived here covered with dust, my eyes and ears and throat filled with it. I went to a little hotel in that condition and had just gone up to the register when one of these newspaper men rushed up to me and said, "General, how do you like Texas?'"
I was mad and I said, 'If I owned Texas and all Hell, I would rent out Texas and live in Hell.' Needless to say, that did not represent my true opinion of this magnificent state.'"
----- General Philip Sheridan, March 24, 1880, during a speech in Galveston at the Tremont Hotel.
Now you know the rest of the story ..... and I feel a little bit like Paul Harvey
