New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-06-06

~lready gorged with wild land Now al is changed
Slavery being dead lands in request and have
! salpe which Railroads are rapidly doubling and
i .rsSruplinR. Taxes are high and rising; Common
SCHOOLS and State loans to Railroads are certain 10
\ enhance them; so that moneyless holders OF I'M
croductive tracts must sell OF be sold out by the
sheriff and tax-cOllector. am sure that al least
One Hundred Millions of fertile acres are to-day
owned by men who must sell them within the next
Eve years And this necessity is sure TO keep down
prices Let me- then. give some idea of their range
| I traversed yesterday the railroad which runs
westward from Harrisburg near Houston through
harris Fort Bend and Colorado Counties by Rch-
nond 20 Columbus IS miles. Most of this route Hes
through a rich, level prairie, covered with Horses
| and Cattle; but Timber is always in sight on one
8 le or on both. and we pass through the generaly
covered ntervales of the Brassos and Colorado
with those of Oyster Creek San Bernard, ana Caney'
THIS IL one of the earliest settled portions of Texas,
snd its population has largely increased since the
NAT. was authorized by Mr.. VIM. Brady of Hous-
sn 10 offer a league of it 4,44O acres, including
efficiency of timber and water for 81 per acre. but
Il that should not meet the views OF pioneers, he
would surveyt into farms, and gre alternate tracts
Of 100 to industrious, sober, thrifty pioneers
who would settle upon and convert them into pro-
n
oers that colony of two OF three hundred Northern
farmers and mechanics could obtain lands for settle
nent on like terms in almost any part of the State
Do not lump at the mistaken conclusion that the
! andholders of Texas are exceptionally phllan-
hrop,c and generous They make no pretensions to
his character They want to make their lands
Valuable and marketable; TO which end they VIII
/ smetmes give away part to enhance the value OF
The remainder Only few will do this; but almost
any one will sell part very cheap in order to obtain
sprce for the rest. And they are quite aware that
/ Yankee OF German colony raises the value OF the
/ bnds all around it.
| The Railroads are in like circumstances. Some OF
| Them have Immigrants; all want population and
PRODUCTION along their lines rapidly increased
T,sr interest leads them 10 invite settlement and
encourage the transfer of lands from non-resdents
| h cultiyators Hence, while lands near railroad
ncons and other locations of predicted cities are
held for higher rates. Judge that half the soil of
Texas is this day in market at prices ranging from
S. cents to 81 per acre. and that 81 per acre in cash
would buy the greater portion of it. And, while a
rand rise along some of the railroad lines is inevlta-
be Judge that 81 per acre will buy good Wild
land in this State fol- at least ten years to come.
The least favoraby situated of this vacant land is
more elgbly located to-day than the best was
twenty years ago. Railroads bringing markets
and comforts to every mans door. Milk sells for 81
per gallon in this city, there is not quart OF 1t to
every thousand cows throughout the State; and you
vhiten your tea or coffee with the condensed article
from New-YOrk or you don't whiten il at ALL even
at petty hamlets in the far interior where likely
| cow and calf viii bring not more than so.
As vet the Mineral wealth of this State sleeps I'M
disturbed and useless. She has Iron enough to
divide the earth by railroads into squares ten miles
across; but no tun of it was smelted. She has
AZ least five thousand square miles of Coal probably
much more but no tun of it was dug for sale.
She has GYPSUM enough to plaster the continent an
aually for century; but it lies inert and vaueless-
A waste of earth-cOvered stone. She has more land
good for Wheat than Minnesota vet imports nearly
An her Flour she has millions of acres of excellent
| Timber. yet builds mainly of pine from Louisi-
ana and Florida; she sends to the Ohio for her
| Hams and TO New-York for her Butter, and would
| import Berries and Fruits if her people had not
learned while they unattainabe, to do without
| Them If ten thousand Northern farmers would
settle lust below Houston and devote themselves to
supplying that city and this with fresh Milk, But
ter Strawberries Raspberries, Peaches Grapes &c,
| SC. they might charge double prices and get rich
faster than so many cultivators ever did
| before. They would have to make their own
| Ice; but that Is not difficult; they might
have to teach the Texas Central how to run milk
train fifty miles; but that need not exhaust Their
energies Their pasture land, fenced, might cost
Them $40 per acre Just around depot and a juno
zion; their cows might be picked at SIS per head
and they would soon sell Hay enough at POO pei
cent. profit TO defray the cost Of feeding and
shedding their stock. This is but one of hundred
equally promising enterprises now impauently
awaiting the night men TO direct them Who vii
sod them aIopg9 II. G.