The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-10-25
1TTEREsrrNa FROM TEXAS.

Texas, and whose Impressions now do not coincide
with the glorious visions entertained by him prior
to his departure from this section. He is man
of family, of large experience in the world, and
certainly cannot be deceived by the allurements
held out to emigrants. We commend his obserya-
tions to those who are desirous of betering their
fortunes by seeking home in Texas After
stating that he went to Texas against the advice OF
friends, and that he had theory Of his own to
work out, the writer goes on to say:
However, 81 came, 1 Isaw," and got-most awfully
disappointed We're to give you my personal ex-
perience in Texas, it would be simply relation of
misfortune, which by your leave will pretermit,
and merely inform you that all of my family have
been sick, and some ore now chilling. AS to my
own health, it has been very good and have been
able to travel over and see large portion Of Tex
as, and will give you honestly my opinion of the
country its production, resources, and its inhabi-
tants. think Texas, with the character she has
abroad, is the greatest humbug of the age. The
climate is the worst in America. In winter one
will be very comfortable without coat, and in five
minutes he will be cold with an overcoat; horses
and other animals often chill to death. The sum-
mers are hot and oppressive almost beyond concep-
tion. Vegetables grow here after sort, but no
kind lasts over two weeks, and none can be pre-
served through tho winter, consequently scurvy
and its attendant diseases are very prevalent
Peaches seem to do pretty well; apples do not
grow to perfection. The largo yield of corn,
wheat, &c., that you have read Of in Texas, is the
veriest falsehood imaginable. This has been an
extraordinary season for cOrn-the best, am told,
for fifteen years, and from twenty to twenty-five
bushels per acre is the largest estimate have
heard made about ten bushels on the best prairie
farms is said by the best farmers to be fair aver
age. From five to ten bushels of wheat is fair
average; this year it is not as good as usual, and
from two to three bushels per acre is about the
amount raised. The lands are as rich generally as
ever SOW, but they do not produce corn, because
no rain falls after April, and the corn Of course,
burns up. In the Spring, the violent winds blow
the bloom from the heads of wheat and the heads
are never more than fourth or half filed A field
of wheat that rode through just before harvest,
and Judged would produce twenty-five bushels per
acre, produced only three. On the rivers better
crops are raised but they are much more sickly.
So much for the farming in Texas AS to stock,
which after all is the great point In Texas, they
raise good many cattle on the grass, long-legged
light-bodied creatures. II is aslow business; men
who have been here twenty years, tell me that they
never have been able to double the amount of the
cattle originally purchased. Almost countless
thousands, am told, (and know it to be SO, from
the skeletons which literally cover the prairies,
die for want of water; others stray off, and are
never heard of; large numbers ore stolen and
driven to the other States Stock cattle are worth
about two dollars per head here, while wheat is
worth 81. so per bushel and corn one dollar; and
it is always about the same disproportion. They
raise good many ponies here, which are mixed
with Spanish blood, and never become gentle or
reliable, and are worth here from FIVE TO twenty
FIVE dollars; good horse cannot be raised on
rrass-it contains but little nutriment, and is not
suitable for horses. Honestly would not give one
hundred acres of clover for ten thousand acres Of
Texas grass. Sheep meet the same fate Of cattle,
except disease called ''scab" is oil over Texas
and have seen large focks that would not yield
any wool at all, the whole of them being perfect
sore all over. The cattle men here say, that with
the best of attention, they lose annually, one-third
of their cattle. This leaves but amall margin for
increase, and at good prices, would not be very
profitable. In verifcation of all this, have never
vet met or heard of man that had become wealthy
or even increased his worldly store in Texas. l
have visited many of my old friends who removed
from Tennessee to Texas years ago, and have
never prevailed on one of them yet to advise me to
settle in Texas Their advise to me has been, ''Go
back to Tennessee if you can; if not, to Georgia,
Mississippi or Alabama. at least, east of the great
river; do not buy and settle here; if you do, you
are planted for the rest of your life and you will
be like the rest of US, dissatisfied while you live"
If there is man in Texas who does not want to
sell his place, have never met him. The people
are as mass, dishonest, Iliterate, pennrious and
stupid. In their persons, they are filthy, and in
the expression of their faces the animal prcdomi-
mates almost as much if not quite, as it does in the
African race. noticed this in the Texas regi-
mcnts SOW in Tennessee, but attributed it to
circumstances; but it is characteristic of persons
raised here In word, Texas is no farming c7un-
try. Its pastures do not contain sufficient nurtri-
ment to raise and develop fine or even valuable
stock, and besides the grass is fast disappearing in
the settled portions of the State. 1 am Of the
opinion that the population of Texas will never be
much larger than it is now. The emigration from
it this year will be very large; it is SO, however,
every year. would now be on my road to some
place east of the Mississippi, it not that re-
ceived, a few days ago, letter from relation of
ours in Freestone county, requesting me to visit
her, and claiming it as duty.
Dan Castello's Great Show.
irL .roo. trcbopvn under the auspiceS of Mr.