The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-06-28
ALetter from Texas

EDITORS COLUMBIA HERALD:
II your valuable columns arc not crowded
with more important matter n5 you will ALLOW
your popular journal some information
about Texas, and particularly my portion
Of the country. Smith County is situated
said 81 to be the nucleus around which eli the
god in East Texas cluster. The wealth Of
this county, perhaps, SURPRISES that Of any
In tse Inc
all the leading denominations are numerous
and represented in part by an able min
istry schools are plentiful In most every
The agricultural resources of this county
are fine. Wheat, oats, barley, rye and cot
ton, are its chief products. Rains are
semera pie ha soi an rcd usually me 0roPs
the finest farms have seen in the State are
in this county. There are still large quaint
ties Of rich land in the woods which can be
bought from four TO eight dollars per acre.
The price of cultivated lands ranges from
dve to fifteen dollars per acre; depending on
the size OF the tract, amount cleared, condi-
don Of Improvements, and locality Of place.
with from one to two hundred acres OF
cleared land, with not more than five or six
hundred acres in the tract, convenient to
railroad, can be had at from eight to ten
This county occupies the greatest altitude
)r highest ground between the Gulf of Mexico
md Red River, Astounding with good spring
observations ofthis part of Texas for twenty
eight years, am satisfied Smith County Is
one among the healthiest counties In the
State. Fruits Of all kinds raised in this lati-
tude do well here. Peaches, pears, apples,
plums, &C., get ripe from four to six weeks
sooner than they do in the Northern States.
In very short time this county will be con-
This is entirely q timbered county. The
pine forests in portions of 1t are extensive,
md of good quality. There is quite num-
Der ofsaw and grist mills, run by both steam
and water power. There are two or three
Saliens from which good quality of salt is
made. Tyler is the county site. Starrville,
rroup, jamestown, Etna, Flora, Garden
Valley, Randall, Aberdeen, Chapel Hill,
its thriving villages. Tyler is one of the
foremost towns in the State. There are three
)r four railroads projecting to run through
smith County from East to West and from
North to South. / am of the opinion that
Tyler in two years time will be in connec-
ton with all the leading railroads in the
United States. The building of railroads
ioes not seem to increase the price of land.
One reason why land is so low is, there has
been but little immigration to the country
since these roads have been properly located.
power has deferred immigration from our
We have strong hopes, at our next
fall election, that we will get out of Radi- /
cal rule in our State. E. J. Davis will likely
our next Legislature. The public school
lands and school funds of Texas, properly
will give to Texas in short time
advantages unsurpassed by any
other State in the Union.
l would advise men who are enSlaving
themselves AMI children in working the
Did, WORKOUT lands where they have TO ex-
pend more or less every year in fertilizing
their lands sufficient to make bare living
and a hard one at that, to come to Texas;
also those paying large rents for the privi-
iege of living. Men who own lands worth
fifty to one hundred dollars per acre, and
who do not make but a little over and above
a decent living, might do well to sell out
and invest their money in choice lands near
some of our railroads, where they are at
this time so cheap.
Emigrants will generally be met with a
cordial welcome; they will not be asked
their religious or political views, with
view to making these test of citizenship.
They will find ourpeople kind and obliging,
making them feel that they are among
their friends.
i am of the opinion that now is the most
favorable time for emigrants to come to
Texas that ever has been since / have
known the country. Yours, &C., .-..l
JOHN F. OvERTON.