, 1877-09-26
TEXAS.
A Preliminary Report from Mr..
o. c, Gibbs.
Tho Soil, Crops, Etc., In tho North.
eastern Part Of The Btato.
Tbs Water-supply, Style Of Farm
Buildings, Etc.

Tbs Water-supply, Style Of Farm
Buildings, Etc.
From 0nr tcecfdi Correspondent
IoNo71Rwf Tux, Sept lin commencing
4, ur,tc about TexaA one Ia embarrassed Mt
oneo BY thu vastncss Of tho subject, and hardly
knows wt,ero TO begin. 4 State large euouEh
for op Empire, extending through eleven de-
r,ees Of tatisu,1c,-frum 25, to }Gh deg. north, |
md nearly lou miles In width from east 10 |
ve,t, With such variety Of climate nnd soil AZ It's
u1cst area mist incfude embracing In Its prott-
Scts nearly all those Of tho temperate regions, |
anil also many Of scmi-troptcal character. orc |
NAV we'll be excused for feeling Of di1ldeneo |
IN attempting to convey information to the
MADEIRA OF The TRIBUNE Of such country.
This feeling Of embarrassment Is further In
creased by the fact that many such readers arc
.n1ious1y looking TO such Information rs Afford
inr to them possible escape from present
condition OK enforced idlcness, distrcss for
themselves and families, aud still greater prof.
nective embarrassment and suffering tn tho f,-
tu,c, Texas Is too largo . country to ho de-
,e,ibcl ~ a whole. Like the Rtrl 50 big that
.ho could only be huggcd in scctlons," Texas
ean only 10 written Of in sections. This letter
Will DD 1CfQtEA w kuuS pVl tsoA VI kAO N&A$0 Neh
er,lly spoken of at the North aa Northern
Tc1as, but which Is moro properly
NORTHEASTERN TEXAS,
attract OF country about 100 miles In width from
north To south, and $50 In length from Gust to
west.
bas been from Te1arkana west to Sherman over
tho northern lino Of the Texas Pacinc; thence
south TO Dallas, aone seventy .hvc u.ilcs' thence
over the southern or main itnc Of the Texas
Pacific to where It lntcrsects the international
Rallroal running southwest to Austin III Con-
tal Eastern Texas.
light, 80 as to sec ali tho country passed over,
ttopptng at tho principal towns, from which l
have 1nado trips into the country Of ten to
twrnty miles among the farmers, as well ~
farmers as haye found them In tho towns
marketing tho produce Of their farms. Tho In
formation thus gained In many things
docs not correspond with tho pnbllsicI state.
ii tho North In tho interest OF those who have
lands 10 sell, or other interests to serve; but
liking Into tho account the sources from which
il is gathered, and the lack Of motlvu for mis-
Tho struuxer coming fgum tile North over tho
81. Lou!s &: Iron Mountain Kailroad oets
HIS FIRST INTRODUCTION To TEXAS
mt Tc1arkata, tho terminus OF the road, and
wbcro it receives the traffic of the two branches
Of the Texas racii!c running west, and tho In
teruattonnl running southwest. Tho town Is
built IN part In Arkansas and part TIT, "a Texas,
names Of tho two states,-tolcrab1y successful
but q llttje jaw.brrakLng. It ia = thriving,
bustlspE town, surrounded BY the pine mud oak
forests from which It's alto las been wrestcd, and
has very crcdisable railroad and business build
Ings, churches, schools, and prirate residences:
Hitherto, since leaving tho prairie country. of
1liinois, ny route Ind been entirely through q
Ink tho statc line tl,o character Of tho country
changed 70 open tImbered lands, called here ~
post-oak lands,-n thin growth Of oak, usually
o{ ANAL size, with the surfnce Of the country
covered with thick growth OF wild grasses.
IN ITS 0ENEnAL APPEARANCE,
undu1attng suEfaec, growth OF Timber, grasses,
and wild lowern, texture and appearance Of the
soli. II very greatly ,esemeles, the "9ak open
lii, anll sUsne portions OF Northern Illinois ut
m early lay. These lnpda ara very aparscl5
settled; Ia fact, can hardly DO said to bc settled
+ al and are regardea " the people liylng !.
ral purposes. though nm confident the tint
will couis when sIch farming communities vii
; grow up upon thcn.
III going south from Te1arkann tho pine for
eats 81 Arkansas lap over into the State, form
Ing the cntlre eastern border with this belt o.
postoak lands between It and the pEairic eoun
lfy, forming q tiinbered region Of fifty TO sew
enty-1ve miles In width. At distance Of sixt.
to scyenty.iiyc miles cast Of Tc1arknna Til
pruirLe country IL reached, which extends iron
thrnce wcstwarl across tic entire Statc.- l,u
i. IL only TINT portion which have passed ove
frontier region beyond ior q trip which expec
tu take a. far a. settlements have penetrated
west on my return from southern Texas.
In general appearances this country strongly X
resembles tho pra!riu country Of Northern III!
nots. The SAME broad swclls Of land, ti'nbc
skirtinc tho streams and wates-courses, an
fur1ntllK belts and Islands IN the prairics:. Fo
prairIa country It Is wclltimbesed. and hav
seen but fuv puints whcrc Timber ras NOR
than three Or four mt1cs tlistant. Tho timber
comparatively short and scrubby, but larg
enough for fcnclng, OF which Il forms ainos
thu entire material used, and ID mainly u oa
nut along tho water-coursts, an,l mixture
mesquite, osage orange, and other yaristlcs nc
known at tho North.
varies in quality from, the '*black ~sxy'" {
almost fabIlDua depth aad rchness 10 blacl
dark, nI,l light sandy. The black waxy soil
regarded a. the sichest soil IN tho State, ~
snusl stSppns fst usn yesss
not In Tbs least alEcct Its pr0lurtivcneas. IT
objection TO 1t IL that it is I'm cxctedinEiy Y!
comfortable one to work Or live upon.. \
pl0w that las ever been tual1c Will cleun In
uru no tnnn has ever turned clean fuFrow
1t. Tho nlost that can be done Is to ruot I
aud disturb the surface. To this end The al
has been ~ get plu~ that can DC utaN
by the accumulation .: soil npon tllc mold boart
9nd this, It !s thought, is now actoupsisAr
by plow mado EXPRESSLY for these lands, 81
linda haye about tho consistency aud adhcsiy
NESS ol Thick tas, rendering lUc0Mott0n Gf A.
ktn'l anything but pleasant, md cultivation II
The black md dark sandy lnuls. while lac
Ing tic fertility Of Tho black wary, arc very pt
Iuctlyt, Anu much more comfortable to live vi
work upon, can ho worked when tho othe