Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-08-17
Letter from Texas.


Correspondence of the Alexsndris Gazette
AUSTIN CITY, Texas, Aug 6.-Thinking
perhaps some OF your community would like to
hear from this dark and benighted land
Ia Ia RadicaD I will without preface or going
into the usual stereotyped apology briefly por
tray some of the wants, as we'll as sketch OF
our country, climate and society.
In the first place the greatest extent Of Texas
is eight hundred miles east and west and about
seven hundred miles north and south. The
supe1fces is estimated at two hundred and fifty
thousand square miles, an area equal to that
Of the Austrian Empire, or three times the
extent of the six New England States, with q
population of (uo census since lS60) suppose
over one million and half of live, energetic,
thrifty people, with an enormous daily increase
of enterprising immigrants from the older and
more populous States. Most gladly do We
welcome the the mechanic, the farmer, and all
enterprising people without respect to old par
tizan issues We bid them come. Texas pos
ses>es more advantages and offers greater TO-
lucements to the industrious settler than any
other State. Her products are more varied
than any other portion of the United States.
la many localities may be seen, growing side
By side, wheat, corn, cotton, rye, oats, tobacco
and hemp, all yielding equally we'll. Our sugar
lands are not Cqualed out OF the tropics, cane
having six weeks longer to mature than Louis
lana, and her cotton commands in New Y ok
higher price than any of the cotton growing
States, besides producing more per acre. The
time too is not lar distant when her wines from
the Mustang, a native grape, will be an article
Of export and much sought after in other
countries.
10 farmers and mechanics, and all who are
industrious, we say if you wish to better your
condition and live in country where all who
work are literally rewarded where lands that
are now very cheap will be worth fortunes in a
few years, come to Texas. Come early in the
ialL. Everything is prosperous; crops are hne
and the medical faculty report it "distresslngy
healthy" Our school system is fine and it is
confidently believed that in less than five years
Texas will mature the best system OF free e0u-
cation yet developed. 10 fact an education will
he in reach OF every child of our beloved State.
Our fundamental law makes it obligatory upon
rareots to send their children. under penalty
The Peabody fund will now be distributed
among the schools in operation. A large Mill.
tary Institute is now being erected, on TO
mantle site near the city, on the plan OF the
Virginia Military Institute 1t is large com.
Enodlus bulldog and can accom- modate tour
hundred students. 1t will be in operation by
the Goth Of September next,
Our climate is not equalled, being salubri
Gus and delightful. The bafmy breezes from
the coast greatly mtigateS the heat aod rem
,ierS the atmosphere pure and healthy. We
have more degrees of latitude and necessarily
greater differences 10 C innate and season than
any other country.
The Northern, the Southern, the Eastern,
the Western man, all fud homes 10 the Lone
Star, at very slight cost. With cheap lands
bo, ,ltb ohp ad
children they will find their industry aud en-
terprise rewarded with competence aud for
tune Our correspondence from Strangers,
making inquiry about Texas, has become
task, hcnce we are preparing a pamphlet tor
graiuitous distribution, our aim in which will
he to confne ourselves strictly te facts and not
disappoint the most credulOus -
Our Legislature now 10 session has taken
one very important and healthy step. 1 he es-
tablishment of bureau Of immigration, which.
il carried out, will fully develop the natural Ie'
sources of the State Many railroad schemes
are now before this body, and it is predicted
by some OF the largest railroad men on this
continent that Texas will be checkered with
paying lines 10 five years.
Taxation is very light The State tax being
only Is cents on the hundred dollars. Our
homestead law is quite liberal, allowing two
hundred acres of land, or city property not TO
exceed 5000 in value, which Is not subject TO
execution or force sale, except for the purchase
money. Neither can the homestead be allenat
ed without the consent OF the wife II man IS
50 rcrg fortunate as to haze one AdtoS. PAM
The CENSUS OF lS7O-Partial returns from
the c.rsus takers in many Of the States are
finding their way into the newspapers. ltap
pears that the local estimates OF the popula-
ton Of every one of the large cities, and OF
] many of the second and third class have been
much 100 large New York will tall short OF a
million souls Chicago, cut down to three hun
lred Thousand, and so on. The aggregate pop
ula,ion of the United States, by the ceDsus
SUPERINTENDENT, is estimated at forty millions
from the returns received. The cities and
large towns of New England generally show an
increase but those States, in their aggregate
1 population, appear to have gained little or
a nothing since 1860, the gains ia the cities be-
q ing offset by losses 10 the rural Districts
d Even the State Of New York. above West
S chester end otf from the Hudson river and
great railways, will not show much advance.
ment. The ratio of increase in population Will
doubtless be better in Pennsylvania. All the
East however, has suffered by drainage to the
West, and from Ohio the increase in people
The great Southwestern State OF Texas, how
ever, will probably show an increase since
1850 in actual numbers hardly cxceiled by
Minnesota. California will not show anything
like the increase for this decade OF that from
1850 to 1860. The rush there is over.
We have nothing Yet from the census mar.
Sha's to indicate the growth or decline OF the
States and cities of the South in population,
white End black. 1t there is any truth in the
reports of the decay Of the blacks since their
emancipation, the census will exhibit decline.
We thlnk the returns ofthe white population
Ct the South, will. since 1860, show an as
tonshing Increase, ard that Kentucky will
4 appear farther behind than any other State
except South Carolna.-N. T. HeraM
! The Obcrlin College junior class, thinking a
e recent sweltering morning was not warm
81 enough, built up fire in their recitation room
sss and when the hour for recitation came, anc
Il