Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-06-02
Texas.

interesting extract from private lctt"r writ.
ton from Lancaster, Dallas county, Texas, to
friend near Walhala, dated March 5th,
1871:
LANCASTER, DALLAS Co., TEX.
* You desire me to
give you sketch Of this country, &C. 1st,
tho climate is, indeed, mild, compared to
yours, in winter 1t is true, VIC have nor.
thern winds, occasionally, that are very sud
den and sometimes very cold, but of short
duration, seldom freezes tho ground We
have had but two light freezes this winter,
and now the grass, buds, flowers and leaves
arc putting forth, and everything has the ap
pcaranco of spring, as much SO as your eli.
mate and country six weeks hence. The sea.
sons, or summer, here is much longer than
yours. AS to water, it is limestone and very
good, much better than in Eastern Texas.
In fact, the water cast Of the Trinity tribua.
ries is very bad. | was offered good stua-
ton i'll Eastern Texas, on our way here, hut
did not like the appearance of the people
| was fearful my family would not have good
health. The people here, however, all look
healthy, and wc have, so lar, ali been quito
well and very hearty. The water has proved
an excellent apr ctzcr. We all can eat cuor-
nous W, will soon get plenty Of mill, and
butter; which will, | think, be much bcttcr
and healthier than SO much meat. The poo
pie here live almost cutircly Oh meat and
bread, and very little attention is paid to
growing vegetables, while they could produce
almost anything OF the kind The land is
very productive, and all that is required to
live sumptuously is industry. This is, in
decd, a poor mans country; good land, plcn
ty of money. Stock of every kind can be
raised without much expense. Horses and
cattle by the hundreds. yes, BY the thousands
feed upon the plains all wiutcr, without much
attention. Stock. raiscrs here own three or
four hundred cattle and MS many horses. One
of my nearsest ncighbors, u widow, keeps
about one hundred brood mares. Imaginc
the increase up to the time they arc old
enough for the market. This is part of
the bigger side OF the picture, now let us
view the other side.
LIST. Lumber Is very scarce, consequently,
dwellings, arc very inferior aud home comforts
greatly neglected Society not very good,
and schools and literary advantages inferior,
as general thing, but these objections will
be overcome by the influence and advanta.
ges Of railroads. Two arc now in course of
constructon---or orc running west and south, the
other cast and west will cross not far distant
from Lancastcr. The prospect Of these routes
have caused a considerable rise in price of
land near the contemplated routes Lands
have sold here, since | came, for twenty dol.
lars per acre. | am Informed that west of
this the best Of lands can be bought at from
Sl.50 to 5000 per acre. Head and myself
speak of going on prospecting expedition
us soon as crops are over. Well you ask
what my prospects arc. 1T | continue to
have good health, can make money here at
anything outside OF my profession, but if
find a good opening | sha! give "pukcs and
pills" next season. As to what YOU can do
here at the tooth and tinker business, iudg
ing from what a Dentist is doing who came
in here since Salio wrote you, you could soon
amaSs gold enough to buy anything you need.
cd. But do not let me encourage You to
move, or sell your home, for you might not
like this country as we'll as [ do Ii YOU
entertain an idea Of coming West, situated
as you are, profession to pay your way, first
come and satisfy yourself. New comcrs sui
fer many inconvcnicnccs at first arriving here
Houses and situations arc to look after, and
houses, particularly, scarce. We arc living
in very common log hut. OlIscttcrs here
not much better situated. You spoke of
Colorado do not think the climate would
suit rheumatism very well. = Kansas
no bcttcr-too cold. While we have gcni.
al climate, plenty of money, and think this
portion of Texas healthy. [ would like, it
Is true, to have you come, but be governed by
your own Judgment, after what have written.