The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-03-31

1 AGA&A@S
Editor Clarion Numerous inquiries cor
tinue to reach me from my restless acquain
tances, touching the inducements offered (
: persons in our State to break up and NOV
to Texas, l have concluded to write you
brief letter on the subject.
only remained ten DAYS in Texas, an
was most OF that time on the Central rail
, way, extending from Houston to Calvert, il
the county of Robertson. / saw the bes
portion OF the country, and begin by say
ing the soil is rich both in the timbered AM
prairie country. mean just what say
the soil Is rich. Almost any of the land
saw above Hampstead, will make 15Oc lbs
OF seed cotton to the acre, and of "A seasona
bic year, 40 bushels of corn. The lands upoI
the Big and Little Brazos and upon Littl,
rivers are the richest l ever saw. l thinl
they are better than the Mississippi bottom
| am sure they are. In Navarro, kaufman
Dallas and Ellis counties, off the railroad
are fine lands-good enough. Any mar
who has family of boys. whom he doe:
not intend to educate, and whom he car
compel 10 WORK, can, in a few years. accu-
mulate competency, ii the seasons are pro-
pitious.
| am speaking now of the country as a
country for tillers of the soil. and declare
1t to be perhaps the best in the world, but
! for some objections which will mention.
water Is scarce, and to speak candidly. saw
no good water in Texas, except cistern wa
| ter. There are many creeks in the State,
| but none of them have any water in them,
after June, until the winter rains fil them.
The Brazos river goes dry in some places,
am told. The second objection to Texas is
scarcity of good timber. If an immigrant
| buys piece of land in Kaufman county, he
| hauls the rough blackjack poles, probe Oily
! ten miles, to build hun cabin, and if he
| puts floor in il, he must haul the lumber
over ore hundred miles. This is much the
case in various portions, and the best por-
tions of Texas.
Another objection is the distance from
market in otherwise desirable portions OF
the State. In speaking of timber above, /
should have said that on the BrazOs river,
where are to be found the best lands in the
world, there is plenty of timber for all farm
purposes, but little suited for building On
the railroad, lumber can be bought at sev-
enty dollars per one thousand feet, and the
money to be paid is specie.
Another objection is the climate. You
may be at work in your field, covered with
perspiration-coat Off--and s.norther'' will
begin to blow upon you, with full power,
cold enough to freeze you almost, -ithout q
moments warning, and perhaps the next
day, a wind, equally cold will blow from the
South.
Young mel who are willing to labor, can
do well, can get rich, in Texas they can do
well here. My observation convinced me,
that our State is healthier than Texas.
| will sum up by saying, that, any person
who has comfortable home here, surroun-
ded by tolerably good land, had better re-
main. A stout young man, with a small
family, who has no home, and who is will
ling to submit TO some Inconvenience, and
whose wife is willing To do all her own
work, can secure good home easier in Tex
as than he can here, for the land is much
cheaper. Unimproved land is low. Inn
proved places are higher than they are in
this State.
If our large land holders, who own the |
best lands, would sell off small tracts to im- |
migrants this State would Out-Strip Texas |
for improvements are so easily made here |
that home-seekers would prefer this cOun- |
try. A good house in Texas is worth more /
than rich plantation.
Society here and there is much the same, /
perhaps a little more unsettled and mercuri- |
al in Texas. The standard of Intelligence |
and morals is about the same. The stories |
afioat about rudeness and violence are OF no /
worth. Poiiteness and Kindness are as
warmly appreciated and as promptly recip-
rocated in Texas as they are In any country.
For professional men. the situation is very |
much as il is here. Good lawyers do well
there, and they do well here. 1t is the same
thing in reference to physicians and teach
ers. Merchandising is more OVerdOne and
more hazardous in Texas than it is here.
There is one thing to encourage young
men to go to Texas. and that Is,
that the country is filling up with good, So
Der. laborIng people. The estimate is that
one hundred thousand Southern immigrants
settled permanently in Texas during the
past fall, and that fully an equal number
will follow them the coming s6asOn. Such
additions will surely develope the country,
and open up field for men OF the largest
ability in all pursuits.
| do not consider Texas desirable State
for persons who wish to plant on large
scale. The laborers of Texas are generally
small proprietOrs, outside of the colored
population, and that class is much more in
loient and unreliable than in Mississippi
L. is so easy to acquire mere living, that
arge number of the freedmen cannot be in
lnced to engage in any constant employ
nent for wages.
Many young men are inquiring of me
about the prospect in Texas tor clerks,
book keepers. &c. / never saw n greater
surplus of that class of persons in any conf
nunity than | saw on the Central Texas
The seasons in Texas are uncertain, Also
For the last three years they have had good
seasons and have made large crops. This
mas made money very abundant and trade
very brisk. Lands have advanced In price,
and all kinds of property have felt the slim
illus. Perhaps this year searching drought
may visit the crops, and blast them. The
Brazos river counties, however, always
make fine cotton crops.
Another objection to the country is the
81 y
Iearten and perpleX the farmer. Ii they do
rot utterly ruin him. These grass-hoppers,
am informed, do not fall upon the country
south of the Both degree of north latitude.
] hear many other objections raised to
Texas but have stated the real ones. The
people are simply our people, surrounded
Nv different scenery and different circum-
stances.
Some speak of going to Texas to avoid
,ur State government. Theirs Is precisely
IL t. fhnFf Iaa a arn
argely in the majority, and after this. will
control the State. That will be the case
,ere. If our people viii do right. The peo-
Die of Texas complain that their Leglsla-
ure is made up of Northern men, negroes,
md those who have oonsorted with the 9TH
II two elements, for unholy purposes. The
people have no respect for their state gov
,rnment, BUT regard their law makers as
enemies and prosecutors. Ours can be no
worse; and let us hope are superior TO all
he new style, State governments that have
crown out of the beneficent =? legislation
If Congress. These are not days when men
grow to be giants.
Parties who are determined to go to Tex
Is, but have not decided upon the section Of
country in which they will cast their desti-
~, should. by all means, visit washington,
3enleson, Grimes, Milan, BraZos, Falls Nc
Clelland. Robertson, Hill, Dallas, Navarro,
Ellis and kaufman counties. i took great
pains to inquire into the resources, advan-
ages and disadvantages OF these counties.
IN special points any party eau be INFORM
d by addressing Mai. James ID. Thomas,
awyer of great ability and gentleman of
angular personal worth. at Bryan. Brazos
,ounty. Judge J. B. McLelland. of Noxu-
zee county, Miss, Moi. j. w. Tabor, of Win
ton, and G. w. Henderson, Of Lauderdale
county,, are also at Bryan. These gentle
lemen and many others were unremitting
u their kindness to me.
I should not write this letter; but quite
number of persons request that should do
~ and Won will forgive me for freighting
MIA