The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-11-07
DALLAS PAST AND PRESENT.


The rapid growth, soldily and beauty
of Dallas IL bosh aud the wonderful
fertility Of the surrounding country, 49,
well ~ the hoaslod nlIdnasi Of the oil,
mate ara tricks Of the advertiser
This fugitive paragraph Is now going
the rounds Of the press IN Wisconsin
and Iowa, and Is enclosed to as by o
friend in Eau Claire for candid state
mont Of hols, The hlsiCy Of the IN
credited paragraph, no contradictory OF
all other accounts Of Dallas Wy CONNER
aiul travellers aud correspondents Of the
reputable newspapers OF the country,
should be plain 10 the comprehension
OF the most careless reader, A few
years ago our city, which now contains
population OF twenty thousand, was a
mere village-of no particular imports
anoe beyond being the center OF the
wheat regions OF lexa, yet 10 be opened
by the Pacific aud Houston railways
and not one,Grth Of its present dimen'
sions No ono 10 much as dreamed of
its extraordinary growth and rapid de-
yelopment. with the construction OF
these roads 10 the west fork of the Trim
10y river, IN rapid, steady progress no
city in the state has been able TO keep
pace with her, and to day she is second
only TO Galveston in point of wealth,
population and power is the grain and
Touring mill center of the state, and as u
railroad distributing point has become
equal in importance TO any in the
southwest, rs is Witnessed by the branch
houscs of the colossal manufacturing
companies of the country,
The people are thoroughly cosmo-
politan in character, being composed Of
representatives from neatly every ma
tonality on the face of the earth. A
stranger in half hours stroll upon
the streets would more likely than not
encounter tawny Turk a decayed
Russian duke or n heather Chinee =
but the prevailing elements are the
American from all sections of the
union, French and German, and it is
to the genius, spirit, enterprise and
courage of these races that we look
for the future prosperity and glory of
the city, Thus far the people of Dallas
have devoted their energies to the use,
.M rather than to the ornamental.
They have introduced street cars--a
sie qua non in the way of public con,
yenience which can never be dispensed
with, and their gas and water works
are altogether very complete But as
yet they have paid little or no alten.
ton to the indulgence of their aesthetic
tnstes in the way Of fine architecture,
the business blocks being plain, sub.
stantial brick buildings, two and three
stories high, and the residences pretty
cottage-style homesteads, comfortable
and rs u rule well finished, but with
out any pretensions to grandeur
The courthouse is the only building,
whether public or private, of any pres
tensions, and this is solid stone
structure, plainly finished and built at
a cost of something less than one hum
dred thousand dollars. Our city is the
objective point of all that vast tide of
emigration which Is constantly pouring
in from the north and the east. and so
long rs this continues to be the case it
is certain to grow and prosper.
But this is not the real secret of its
success. 1t is tho centre of the great
cotton and wheat growing region of the
state and the favorite emporium of
trade of the people in all the surround
ing counties, and exactly in the same
ratio with the increase of wealth, popu-
lation and productions in those counties
will be the growth and development of
the city. The shipments of grain and
cotton increase with each revolving
year, new buildings are going up in
every direction, the streets are always
crowded with drays and wagons and 9th.
er signs OF business lite and activity, the
sidewalks are thronged with strangers
from all parts of the world
the hotels are constantly filled,
and the prospect, take it all in
all, is rosy and full of glorious promise.
We think ourself safe in the prediction
that in ten years from now Dallas will
contain forty thousand inhabitants
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