The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1876-07-26
LETTER FROM TEXAS.
What a D1spassiOnate Tennes-
sean Thinks of the Country.
RoLLA, Mo-, July 1, 1876.

What a D1spassiOnate Tennes-
sean Thinks of the Country.
RoLLA, Mo-. July 1, 1876.
| To the Editor of the AIorristown Gazette:
Having received several letters
from parties in East Tennessee want
ing to know something of the Lone
Star or Long Horn State. (Texas), /
concluded / would give them brief
sketch through your medium. and
hope you will not think me intrud-
ing on your kindness in asking you
to give it place in your paper.
/ arrived at Dallas, Texas, on the
1st of May, and found it a nice little
city, of about eighteen thousand in
habitants, composed of, l might say,
all the nations of the globe. trav-
eled over a considerable portion of
Dallas county, which is about as fine
farming county as Texas has in
deed, I saw some very fine farms.
From Dallas went to Sherman and
Denison, Grayson county, passing
through a very fine country. AT
Sherman met with an East Tennes-
sean, Gabriel Etter, of Mooresburg.
who seems to be doing good busi-
ness. | also spent few days with
w. N. Southern, formerly of Clai-
borne county, East Tennessee. Will
lis is live young man, and handles
the Singer Sewing Machine to per-
fection. Leaving Denison / pro-
ceeded through the Indian Nation,
much finer country than Texas.
Met with J. r Brown, of Messy
Creek, at Ataka, L. T., on the NJ, X.
and T. Railroad. Arrived at Virrita,
where one vast prairie extends on
all sides, as far as the human eye
can reach, with not tree of any de-
scription to be seen. From Virrita
L vamosed to Rolla, Mo, where l
found everything in a buzz, prepar-
ing for the celebration Of the Centen-
nial year on the 4th of July. | find
a great many East Tennesseans here,
among them Jas. L. Smith, of Grain
ger county, who is now Sheriff of
Phelps county, and has been their
choice for the past six years, until
the law says: "James, you must
rest awhile I see my old friend
Sammy Smith here, enjoying good
health, although crippled so that he
has to use q crutch. Uncle Sammy
is widower now, and says if any of
the girls want to be a good-looking
"old mans darling" to just call on
him and, if she has plenty Of the
"scads,'' they will have a good time.
But [ see | have entirely left my
subject. AS to Texas, the lands are
very good, as a general thing, and
the prices are fully as good. Water
is exceedingly scarce, and wood is
scarce and of very poor kind the
seasons are very uncertain, about
one good crop out of five; stock is
very inferior; society bad farm pro-
ducts low; labor cheap; long-horn
steers, buck rabbits, saloons, loafers
and gamblers in abundance, and rob-
berry and murder common occur
renee and, upon the whole, I call
Texas ''hard place" for a poor
man. If you have plenty Of money
you are all right. If you 60 there
poor they are going to keep you so.
To those who wish to know all about
Texas, let me say, you had better do
as L have done, and then you will
know all abou it. But if you are
willing to take friends advice,
say you had better remain in Ten
nessee, as / consider it the best
chance. Everything considered,
am fully convinced that Tennessee
is the best country yet for one who
wants to live an honest and healthy
life. As for myself, Tennessee is
my home now, henceforth and for
ever. Texas is fine country when
you just look at the fine land, but
when you bring up the wood, water
and uncertainty of the seasons, it
will balance against the land.
What / have written is from the
best farmers in Texas, and saw a
great many who told me they would
leave but they were too poor to get
away; and. in fact, there are more
poor men in Texas than any place ]
have ever been. [ was led to be
lieve that if could only get to Tex
as, would strike the finest State in
the Union. But alas how different
After celebrating the 4th here [ will
return to my native home in the
mountains, where all wishing to &c
to Texas can get complete way
bill by calling on ROVER.
|