New-York tribune., 1873-06-17
A RIDE ACROSS TEXAS.

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belt Of rich prairie land 400 miles across which lies be-
tween the latitude Of Austin and the Indian county.
loses many of its attractions. The greater portion OF
Central and Northern Texas through which the Houston
and Texas Central Railroad now extends, and which lies
halfway between the two great competing markets or
Galveston and ST. Louis could then be reached only by
| store-ccach, and It's crops had to be moved
| by slow and expensive teams. And yet Mr..
| Greeley's visit to this Empire State of the
| south marked the beginning OF new era,
| not only in the politics OF TeXas-for prejudice and
political bigqtry are fast disappearing-but IN It's
! material growth With prophetic vision ihe saw more
clearly than any other visitor has yet, the glorious
future of this great commonwealth and already while
his predictions are sti fresh in the memories of us ALL
have seen the beginning OF their fuhment Everything
which has been said of the beauty and fertility OF the In
dian country may repeated being equally applicable
10 Texas aud then you remember that the center OF
the State probably the richest land in IT, Is IN tho
latitude of Charleston and Savannah wholly within the
cotton belt and upon its edge, as the Indian Ierrl
tory is and that the Northern grains as well as the
Southern staples grow almost anywhere in the state,
fromits noxthern boundary to the Gulf aud produce
large crops in Illinois or Kansas can add very 1T
tie In praise Of Its agricultural resources.
TEXAN MUSHROOM TOWN.
We first saw Texas at the railroad town OF Denni
SON. at which place arrived during the night. AS we
looked out the through the pouring rain was
impossible
State The scene was entirely Western. Who OF all our
party though he may have Travelled up and down the
South before the war; during the war; since the war;
ever before saw anywhere south Of Mason and DXon's
line genuine Western mushroom town OF 1000 or 1900
people, with its wholesale and retail stores, It's rum
shops its gambngholls its hotels and telegraph office
standing in last years wheat fedf Such towns as
these may not be the most attractive 10 the awaoding
citizen and their society may be far from congenial to
tha Off nd
progress and civilization and Of them has more OF
promise for the future than whole counties where enter
prise stopped before the and lstagnaon and ruin
alone greet the eye OF the stranger. And here
let me say that Dennson not the
only flown through which passed that
seemed TO ihave the genuine Western spirit to get
up and get" Sherman, though Of the oldest towns
of the State has, to-day, three four times large
population 1t had four months when the railroad
constructors reached It, People ockng in from the
North and the South and the West faster than sccommo
dations Tor them can be provided hundreds are yet
living in tents and lots command as high price,
almost as they do in Jersey City, within sight OF the
CITY Hail. NewYork. Dallas. still farther South, and
half dozen other along the line OF the road show
similar signs Of enterprise OF course much OF the
tresent excitement is unnatural, and must soon give
place to a reaction less disastrous, but is,
nevertheless sign OF great PROMISE and upon IL alone,
il safe predict greater future for Texas than lies
before any other Southern State.
When the reaction comes do not anticipate that II
will be as disastrous as that from which many ephem
eral' Pacific Railroad towns suffered Dennison sher-
man. Mckinney. Corscana, Dallas, all OF the railroad
towns from the Indiana frontier to Houston have about
them the material for their support and steady rapid
growth The "black waxy" soil Of the surrounding
praires is nowhere surpassed in productveness, and
the crops arc not limited TO either eOrn wheat tobacco,
or coton-hey all grow with equal vigoT, and bring the
farmer rich returns while the back country s rich in
pasturage as in the world. Riding through Central
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, in the middle
OF MAY I saw very few Of the cornteds plowed or
nj panted and the wheat in the best fields was not more
than three or four inches high. In southwestern Mis-
souri, the corn was mostly planted but not up. In the
Indian Territory first the tenderlbades above the
Oround In Northern Texas the corn had been once
powed and hoed and the wheat was beginning to head
and in Central and Southern Texas grain was almost
ready for the harvest while Galveston saw whole
fields Of corn covered with roastingears.
WONDERFUL PRoDUCTIvENEss OF THE SOIL
Ihave said that description Of the Indian country
will apply equally Texas The latter is but conn-
~ the former but in many respects is richer
The streams are more frequent and the wood along the
bottoms more valuable and abundaE. very common
tree ia boisdarc, bodark as the Texans ea H. ms
ia identical with the Usage orange used for hedges In
sope of the Western States and grows here Two or three
feet in diameter It's texture is very fine and nrm max
ing ~ suitable Tor auu -
sad 70 be more desirable than even cypress The ties OF
the Houston and Texas Central Railroad for miles are
entirely OF this wood Very much OF the prairie land
what is known as "black wsIy" SOIL It's rich vege-
table mold from Is feet in depth, and 80 productive
that no fertilizers are required II seems TO contain
very LITTLE IL any clay, and does not, therefore,
bate in the sun After o rain the ether hand the
ann q nm Giving the air TO the roots OF the
growing crons don't know which grows best In Central
Teraseorn cotton or wheat The cotton Is very back
ward this year and is now only @ few inches hgh'
was therefore unable TO learn, from what saw WHAT
kind OF cotton crop the land produces The larmers
said that the average yield was from tnreeourtns oi
bale TO bale an acre on ana ninrsd by disssse or
the worm, half bale 10 an acre Nas m o. ,bs
ever gathered The yield Of corn said 70 90 ao9u. e
same az in Illinois Kansas, ana that OF What n
claimed 10 be Greater We saw repeatedly al the way
from Dennison Houston what thlnA u rarely seen "a
any other state-good corn, wheat ana COTTON gows 81 @
In the same field On one new plantation saw pIonn
sng crops OF corn, wheat, rye oats, cotton toDsco1
sweet. and Irish potatoes. The Texan plsneL "n, th
think send to the g. Louis or Galveston aSt ,s ~ sni
ton and planters of the other southern "
obliged TO purchase beside raising HIS own supplies
We saw very little Of what now tne caifIe teeSDs
upon the wild OF the prairie The great nerus "
Texas back from the railroads II Is not CUSTOMARY
The sate and bs Instance are very rare where any
shelter provided the cattle in the Winter SONIC
farmers from the North WHO nave setea ih dne thst
| thew were az vet undecided whether the cultivated
grasses Of the North would grow there not They sad
that attempts 70 raise clover had failed but that el
perirnents with timothy and herdsgrass had been more
promising Some Of the more enterprising stockrsers
Of the State turning their attention 10 the improve
sars 70 & IT, ,as much better bsef than that
4 which ID now sent North
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