The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1873-05-02
NOTES FROM TEXAS.

In order 10 answer several letters re-
ceived, and at the same time comply
with a promise hitherto unfulflled of
writing something Of the peculiarities Of
our heretofore unexplored backwoods
country; how it will require no Living.
stone to find us, nor Stanley to find Liv-
ingstone; l send you this communion
tion.
We are almsst within hand+haking
distance, and nothing makes US more
jubilant over this advanced state Of civ
ililation than that we are again within
hail Of dear old Kentucky, and the hope
of soon greeting some of the pleasant
faces we left there.
In our new prairie home, We can see,
for miles and miles around us, green
prairies dotted over with houses, stretches
Of timber, innumerable cattle, horses,
etc, and, as far as the eye can reach
along our public roads, lines of emigrant
wagons. horsemen, and very often cara
vans Of railroaders making to different
points. Altogether. we have a lively
country just now, daily mail, telegraph
ic communication with the world, and a
sure thing Of the cars in month.
The junction Of the Central with the
! Missouri, Kansas and Texas, a short
time since, gives an almost unprecedented
stretch of railway, making near neigh
bou Of Galveston and New York.
Track-laying has commenced on our
trans-continel road, the Great Northern
is rapidly nearing our town, while the
Missouri, Kansas and Texas road threat
Gus branch across the State of Texas
to some point not vet determined. Texas
evidently viii furnish the great field for
railroad operations for several years to
come. With the determined resistance
Of the people to vote town, county, or
State subsidies to roads kept up, should
you visit US in few years, YOU will see
what railroads the richest country in the
world and an energetic people can make
of Texas hitherto undevelopcd.
In this connection ! would say, setting
aside all my fondness for Kentucky, that
were but a moderate farmer in your
State, and knowing what do of the re-
sources of this, would most cheerfully
give my land away, il | could not sell it,
and emigrate TO Texas, and never regret
the step.
Last season was an exceedingly dry
one, vet we had a splendid corn crop
the yield of cotton in this locality Of the
State far exceeded that of any other in
the South; the wheat yield was very
large, some farmers whom know rails
ing thirty-two bushels per acres. What
State can say as much for year of
drouthr The present crop Of wheat
looks well. 1t is estimated that in this
and the six surrounding counties one
hundred and twenty seven thousand
acres OF wheat were sown, and, from its
present promising condition, We expect
very large revenue. Although some
what retarded by backward Spring,
farmers are well up with their work, and
the crops, all things considered, are look.
ing we'll.
As for the labor system, can say but
little. II is about as you have it in
kentucky-unsatisfactory and uncertain.
The farmer who has more improved land
than he. is able to cultivate, selects good
white tenants On this there is no difficult
ty), and on stipulated contract has his
land cultivated in s.specifed a way, re-
ceiving one-fourth of the cotton, and one
third Of the corn and wh.at. Our lands
yield on the average one bale Of cotton
to the acree. forty to fifty bushels of
corn, and twenty to thirty bushels of
wheat.
Of the political condition | can but
say that it is not bad, and if Governor
Davis carries out the declaration to which
he recently gave utteranee, we have
nothing to fear. He said; "From this
time on, know no Democrat, no Radi-
cal, but only Texas" His relations with
a Democratic Legislature are of the very
best nature.
Though | have written hatteringly Of
Texas, of her great resources and bright
future, the story is not half told
w. T.. ID.