Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1874-11-17
TEXAS IN A NUTSHELL.
From the Great South Vest

From the Great southwest.
The great State of Texas is now
attracting such vast emigration
from all sections of the United States
and Europe, that we feel that we
cannot do our readers a greater
fayor than to glance at some of the
principal characteristics of that
Young giant Empire.
The area of the State is 274,000
square miles, equal to lie, 500, 900
acres. The population in 1850 was
$4,000; it is now 100000, with 10
ner cent. Of the colored element.
The total bonded debt of the State is
only 81, ,565, 900, and as the State
owns all the land, her resources are
nearly sufficient to run the State
government without taxation; be-
fore the war it was l2% cents on the
hundred dollars; and is only one
dollar now for both State and Coun-
ty. The taxable property in 1850
was S51, 100000. She freed SS5, ,00O,-
900 worth of slaves, and has now
s24O, ,000, 900, which does not include
her railroads; but most of these will
be taxable in another year. She has
about 1000 miles of railroad in
operation, and building in every
direction. Before the war, about
100000 bales of cotton were annually
raised; and the estimates for 1874
100000 bales. She has $4,000 square
miles of wheat district, equal to any
in the world; there are 100000 acres
of pine timber, rich in tar and tur-
pentine. as any in North Carolina.
Gold, silver, lead, iron, coal, gyp-
sum, and other minerals abound in
many sections, and her copper fields
have no equal on the continent.
She has given her domain to rail-
roads with lavish hand, often as
much as sixteen sections to the mile,
but never except in alternate SEQ
tions, reserving the even numbers
for her citizens, and for the strangers
that NAV come within her gates.
The immigration last year was
$4,000, and it is estimated at from
250,0O0 to 100000 this year. Each
immigrant is entitled to 160 acres
out of any of her public domain, on
condition of occupancy for three
years as homestead, and paying
surveyors fees, from nine to twelve
dollars. A clause in her constitu-
ton exempts the homestead with
200 acres of land from forced sale
for any debt, except the purchase
money, for taxes, or for labor or
material expended on it; it also ex-
empts all household and kitchen
furniture; all implements of hus-
bandry; all tools or apparatus be-
longing to any trade or profession;
all books, private or public; five
milk cows; two yoke of oxen; two
horses and one wagon; one carriage
or buggy; one gin; twenty hogs;
twenty sheep; all provisions on
hand for home consumption and for
teams. 1t also exempts town or city
lot or lots, to the value of $4,000 at
the time of their destination as
homestead, and without reference to
the improvements upon them. She
has no usury law, and any rate OF
interest agreed upon is legal. Her
school law contemplates that every
child in the State shall receive fair
English education. She has in sue
cessful operation asylums for the
deaf and dumb, the blind, the in
sane, and orphans of the State.
AS a farming and fruit growing
region, she stands unequaled; the
United States census report for 1870,
shows she made sixteen dollars to
each acre in cultivation, while the
best of the Western States rarely
reach twelve; and.her proximity to
the sea for over 500 miles of ter
ritory, gives rapid outlet to her
varied productions at less than one
half the cost to the Western States.
Stock raising is source of untold
wealth, and she has been titly styled
the I" great meat house OF America"
Notwithstanding all that is said OF
Texas, there is as little crime, and 1t
is as speedily suppressed and pun
ished as in any of the States.
Churches and religion are better
supported than in any State or Ter
ritory of like population. (See the
American Bible Society's report tor
IS7O.) BY an act of the last legisla-
ture, the State has now for the first
time, placed her school and railroad
lands upon the market ito actual
settlers only at one dollar and flfty
cents per acre, on credit OF ten
years, with ten per cent. interest,
payable annually. Most OF these
school and university lands were
locatad from tWenty-fiye to forty
wears ago, and are now in old settled
counties, surrounded by towns, and
crossed by railroads. Our space
being exhausted, we must refer our
readers to the Texas Bureau OF I'M
migration, whose business is to give
all information free. Address Hon.
J. B. Robertson, Houston, Texas;
C. w. Mathews, Atlanta, Ca; or W.
G, Kingsbury, st. Louis, Mo.