The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-08-30

be given away to actual settlers-160 acres
to the head of family, and so acres TO
each single man-free and for nothing, the
only cost to the settler being for his survey
and patent. which altogether is about SIS.
The great bulk of this public land lies in
the northwestern section of the State, north
of the 32nd parallel and west of the Tooth
meridian. Il is not yet organized into
counties, but it is good land, compares IA
vorabIy with the rest of the State, is fairly
watered, bears timber enough for fuel, is
we'll adapted for both cotton and wheat and
there is 10 finer grazing land in the world.
The Canadian and Red rivers cross it from
east TO west and several tributaries of the
latter have their source in this region.
Two projected branches of the Houston
and Texas Central Railroad traverse ii,
from the northwest to the southwest, and
the Texas Pacific Railroad, which Is al
ready running from Shreveport TO Fl.
Worth, crosses the southern part Of it from
east TO west. Besides the vast tract of land
to be given TO actual settlers the State pos
sesses about eight million acres of school
lands to be sold to actual settlers at 81, 80
per acre, payable in ten annual payments.
The Houston and Texas Central Railroad
Company owns about FIVE million acres, ly-
ing principally within the line of the Uni
ted States forts, and there are all over the
State large tracts of land owned by indi-
viduals which can be bought cheap. l am
now in correspondence with one hundred
and fortY-two persons who are organizing
colonies for Texas.
| HOW TO HELP THE POOR,
But wish to get the largest capitalists
interested in the subject. l wish to show
them how the four millions of idle person.
may be proftably empoyed, not the bum.
mers and tramps-we don't want them il
Texas; but those who are willing to work
1 intend to show capitalists how they car
carry out noble philanthrophy and at The
same time make money for themselves
Our plan is to get a number of capitalist
to buy tract of say twenty thousand o.
thirty thousand acres of land, and selling
one half of it to colonists, reserying ever.
alternate section or settlement. Sell thes,
homes to the colonists on long time. a
cheap rates and low interest, with the priv
ilege OF paying the whole of the purchas
money at any time he may be able, an,
thereby stop interest.
The company should furnish transporta
ton to such as require it, and guarantee t
each settler one years supply of necessar.
provisions and clothing and the seed, team
and tools to make his first crop. Thi
gives any man who is willing to work a
opportunity to secure for himself and fam
lily home, which once secured is such be
yond any contingencies, for in Texas man
homestead cannot be sold for debt and b
cannot mortgage it. The only way he ca
get rid of it is by selling it out and ou
The plan offers an investment that prope,
ly managed, will yield handsome prof
The settlement of one hundred families O
, the alternate sections of tract of 5000
acres will make the reserved sections wort
more than the whole cost, in addition I
which there will be the principal and in
terest on that sold to the colonists. Las
year one thousand families settled in Brow
county, paying for their land from seventy
five cents 10 81, so an acre; now land i
l Brown county is worth SIS an acre. Me
say the hard times are the result Of owe
production, but it would be more correct t
say that an unnaturally limited consumI
ton is the cause. Let these four millio
idle persons become prosperous Texas fal
mers-and there is no reason why the
should not-and they Will consume twent
times as much as they do now. New Ii
will be infused into every branch of indu
y try, and we shall hear no more about ha,
times We have public schools in evel
u inhabited section of the State for viii
g and colored children, and the State pa.
for four months school. Whenever al
= of our school lands are sold the procee
3 are placed in the permanent fund, only Il
interest being used besides, one-fourth
| dll lue otdtt tdAGS ~ ~ TUG sSAOoA AuhN,
that in flew years we shall be able to ha'
longer school terms Besides the HON
J. steads that we have to offer we can give ell
u ployment to forty thousand agricultural
is borers, if they will go away from the ra;
n roads, at from sixteen to twenty dollars
r month.
" The TndeDendent