Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1873-03-13

wy AOt y.
Editor Obserger-I am con
stantly in receipt of letters from
persons in Lincoln and othe
counties III Tennessee, asking in
formation about Texas. and mus
ask the use OF your paper, through
which to reply to thom all ut once
The letters come generally from
poor people. who are desirous of
bettering their fortunes by goine
to new country. and to such
address this letter. BY way of
introduction, it may he proper tc
state that | am a native of Fay
ettevilIe, from which place | came
to Texas in 1860, so that / may
justly claim to know whereof
write, concerning the relative ad.
vantages OF Tennessee and Pexas
1t may also be necessary, for
the benefit of some, to say that
the reports which frequently ap.
pear in papers whose aim is to dis.
courage immigs ition to this Sta,e,
that our people are lawless, igno-
rant or immoral. and our country
unhealthy. are entirely without
foundation in fact. There is not. IA
more peaceable, generous and in
telligent people on earth than the
population of Texas.
That thtre are exceptions to
this rule is true here as it is in
Tennessee, but | am prepared 10
say that such exceptions are not
so numerous here as in Tennessee
and other S1Lthern States, the
reason being that Texas was net
during the war, to the
demoralizing influence of inter
nal strife. Any man who comes
to Eexas with the Intention Of en-
gaging in any honest business, and
conducts himself as an honest
man, is sure Of cordial welcome,
kind treatment and a good living;
but there are some who have come
with the idea Of living witLCut
work, and such characters cannot
long refrain from stealing; then
we are in the habit of treating
them roughly, and; they general
zy report a1nJaUorablg Of Ieras.
We don't want men who don /
expect TO work, but to those who
will work, we offer a better ceur-
try, finer climate, and more and
better facilities than can be found
combined in any other country.
for making a good living.
Now as to the chance for get
ting a good home here. L.nd
can be bought in this county,
which l may say ranks as one OF
the best in the State, at from So
TO 5 an aor4, with small portion
only payable in cash, and the re,
mainder in one, two and three
years. An industrious man, who
will improve the land, can buy
aoithout paying a cent IN cash,
and he will not be pushed for the
money so long as he is industri-
Gus, pays the interest on his note,
and thus makes the vendor feel
secure.
On this land, he can make on
an average one bale of 500 pounds
of cotton to the acre, some seasons
more and some less, but this is an
average crop. The same land
produces 80 or 40 bushels of
corn per acre, with not more than
half the working required in Ten
nessee.
Say you buy 200 acres of land
at s. an acre, and put in cultiva
ton only 90 acres, half IN cotton.
The average product of this 20
acres will be 10 bales of cotton,
worth now $500, and 200 bushels
of corn worth n3w' $3.50, and if
you have raised no potatoes OF
vegetables of any description,
(alI of which grow in the great
est abundance) you can still afseI
paying all expenses, come very
near paying for the entire 2OC
acres of land out OF the first crop
John W. Grantham, a farmer who
cultivates prairie upland, IA miles
southwest of Cameron, fJr which
he paid So an acre, made in 1869
his only assistance being a hall
witted boy IA years Of age, OF
20 acres, tace'aty-SeUea bales Of
cotton; on the same land in 1875
he made twenty-five bales, and ii
1871, twenty-three. bales. Las
year no one made more than hali
a crop, yet he made, on the sam
land, and arihoa.t any assistance
ten bales of cotton, in addition
which he had built on his farr
the finest gin house in this SEE