The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-05-18

as in Tarrant County. Tarrant County
lays high and somewhat rolling. There
is but little low fiat land in the county,
and the water III all the streams is so
clear and pure, that the trout live in
them. The Trinity river running on
the north edge of the town, stream as
large as the Cannon river, has plenty of
trout, so they told me. Water on the
high lands can be got by digging from
fifteen to twenty-five feet, it is "free-
stone" water, consequently is soft.
The "Cross Timbers,'' as they are
called, running through the State and
also through Tarrant County, affords
plenty Of timber. It is of the Post oak
variety, suitable for fencing.
It is not tall like Wisconsin timber, but
plenty of it. I found all kinds of mer
chandise fully as cheap as here, al
though they have as yet to haul all
goods from Dallas, thirty-fve
miles, but this hanling will soon be
stopped as the cars will come into
Fort Worth this Fall. Lumber is plen-
ty in Texas. At Dallas pine lumber
is from $l8 to $25 per thousand. I
found but few improved farms in Tar
rant County for sale. If there was one
for sale it was where the owner wanted
to better his location in the same county.
found people generally we'll pleased
with the country, and in particular
Northern men, as regards soil there are
four or five kinds, the strongest land
is the black, waxy land harder to work
than the other kinds. The loamy soil
is the easiest to work and is, all in all,
the best adapted to all kinds of grain
and potatoes. Potatoes do not keep
the year round as well as here: in fact
they say they will not keep only half
the year, but they raise plenty of sweet
potatoes and they take the place of other
ones. When l left, the Sd of May,
wheat was in blossom, corn was being
gone through, or cultivated the second
time. New potatoes und peas were in
market. 1 found good lands unim-
proved, with timber and water, within
from six to nine miles from town, worth
from three to seven dollars per acre.
The town of Fort Worth is laborine
under the disadvantage of two years ex-
tension of the time for building the
railroad, still it has $500 inhabitants,
and nearly all has been done within
four years. was happily disappointed
with the people of Texas, particularly
in Fort Worth. I found them very So
ciable, anxious to have. Northern peo-
pie settle there, in fact I thought they
took extra pains to show people lands
and town property. There are some
eighteen or twenty stores, many of
them doing thrifty business. Among
the merchants is Mr.. Bennett, for
merly of Rochester, in this State, also
Mr.. Nash, Of St. Paul, who keeps a
hardware store, they are among the SOL
id merchants Of the town. ! had the
pleasure Of taking tea with Mr.. and
Mrs. Nash, they are handsomely locat-
ed as we'll as Mr.. Bennett, whose dwell
ing and grounds would be an ornament
to an older town. There are four no.
tells; the Continental, the Trans, Con-
tanel and the Commercial. The CON-
mercial is kept by Mr.. Pierce; jolly
good natured land lord, he is, and a
finer land lady never graced the parlor
Or dinning room of any hotel, I know
whereof speak, every thing tasty and
in good order. I can recommend the
Commercial to the travelling public.
The othen hotels are well spoken of:
The principal land agents, those of
whom or through whom I bought my
farm, are Messrs. Lawrence g. Brewer.
men Of truth and veracity, wide awake,
and ready always to spare no pains to
show people lands. I would recon-
mend any one going from here there, to
call and see them.