Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1872-03-30
A Friendly Talk with the PeO-
pie Of Dallas.
Editor " DALLAS HERALD.

" DALLAS uEhAbD
People complain that property, unim
proved ground, is held at unreasonable
prices by those who have real estate fol
sale within the corporate limits of Dallas
If the complaint is true, then property
holders here, as in many other places, are
acting unwisely and against their own in
terests. Some of the best town sites in
the United States, possessing great natu-
raj advantages, have been utterly des-
troyed as towns by the foi lish greed oil
proprietors, while inferior points, by low
prices, tact and enterprise, have grown in
to prosperous cities.
Let US look ut the facts as friends hav-
ing common hope and common inter-
est; and let us look In the light of reason
and uniform experience in town growing.
Facts show that, leaving out ofcount all
of the bottom land, there is within the COR
porate limits of Dallas, good, dry and ELI.
gibe land enough for the following pur-
poses, allowing oil streets to be eighty feet
wide:
l,400 residences on lota 100 feet square !;
$500 residences ON lots so by 100 feet
square. Total residences 1920. Allow
ing an average of six souls to each resi-
dence, we have population of 25,200; /;
1882 stores shops, offices, etc., on lots 331
by 100 feet; 1892 houses Of all sorts, and
probable corresponding population of at
least 10000 souls.
No one can say that the above averages
allow TOO little ground. They are proba-
bly, above those of any town of 10000 in
Lhbitants' in the United Slates.
Now when will Dallas attain such n
population The answer must be alto
gother speculative; but it may be based on
reasonable hypothesis. Houston, from its
birth possessing extraordinary advanta-
ges amo hitting in large degree for many
years almost to n monopoly Of o rich and
ever-increasiDg trade, was laid out and at
once started as the seat of government,
Just SO years ago, and to. day does not con-
tain $4,000 inhabitants. Yet its mer-
chants, business men and people have ever
been distinguished as intelligent, enter
prising, high-toned and liberal.
Galveston, with its fnc positioa-al-
ways the chief port ON our coast, with
large coastwise and respectable foreign
trade begun and always pushed forward
by first class business men, is 81 years Of
age, and Is months ago contained only a
iittie over 1900 inhabitants-now possi-
BY l6 Or 1900.
Kansas City, begun on the Missouri riv.
er about 20 years ago, contained, in 1870,
81, ,820 inhabitants But Kansas City has
railways paying tribute to her otherwise
fine position, on the longest river in the
" ord, and in the heart Of large and
productive country, and long enjoyed i'm
mense advantages as the place Of out fit
for wsgon trains across the plains to Santa
Pc, Chihushua, Utah, etc.
Memphis, unriynlled in position, in the
valley of The Mississippi, except by St.
Louis, has but $4,000 Inhabitants. In
iianapolis, great railroad and manufao-
ing centre, and forty years old, has but
37,648. Columbus, Ohio, another railway
centre the seat of factories and the seat Of
of the third Stale in the Un.
iop,. has but 1928. Atlanta, Ga, the
crack little city Of the South, q great rail- |
way centre, . little queen in factories, full
Of s,;called Yankee vim in enterprise, and
about 60 years Of age, counts but "a 1886 |
Caucasian, Congo Guinea,
Senegambihn and heather Chinee. savan-
nab, splendidly situated, famed for wealth.
and commercial sagacity, AMI |
,lder than George Washington, at roll call |
in 1870, numbered but SO, ,463, very large
portion of whom are descended from the
and wherein DR.. Livingstone has been
ost for the last seven years. Mobile
,ounts up 3S, $50, and that pisen little spot
shore the loyal British hung the rebel Col.
Hayne, in 1850, and would have hung
Marion, Sumier and Moultire, IL they had
lad the chance, glorious little Charles
on, the mother Of great men, noble patri-
'ts, peerless women, famous merchants,
md the queen of ofhospitalIiy, (as it sforetime
vps) this old and opulent place has but
|8,4H inhsbitants, more than half Of
Ehom are negroes.
These comparisons may aid those who arr
isrosed 70 reflect seriously and act wisely
or the welfare Of Dallas, to arrive at rea-
enable conclusions.
But Let ms remember in the count that
rom southeast 10 northeast, for miles
round in q semi. circle, we have unlimited
oom for bnilding city, ii need be, rs
Dng rs Nsw York. Business, professional
e uecf anical men, able 10 keep horse ard
uery. can always avoid high prices for
tsidencss fand so far escape city taxss)
y living one, two or three milcs out, as
loszanas 10 in all the larger cities, aai