The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-09-04
FROM TEXAS.
An INTERESTING LETTER FROM
JOHN B. JONES.
DoDD CITY, TEXAS,
Aug. %, 1878.

DoDD CITY, TEXAS,
Aug. %, 1878.
To the Editor of the Morrtstown Gazette:
Previous to leaving Morristown for
Texas, I was requested by quite mum
Der of friends, who are readers of your
paper, to write you letter in relation
to this country, and after a sojourn of
half a year will assay to fulfil my
promise, feeling that am better pre-
pared to give true statement in re-
gard to the country than if had writ
ten the next day or next week after my
arrival And 1 must say here that al
though first saw the prairies of Texas
when the gloom of winter was hanging
over them, was pleased with the conn
try and have not seen anything yet to
change my opinion; for am fully con-
WINGED from the cheapness and produc-
tiveness of the land, as well as from the
many persons / meet with who came
here without anything, and who are
now well to do in this worlds goods,
that this is good country. am furth-
er convinced that man from the poor,
billy farms of East Tennessee, with a
reasonable amount of industry and per-
severance in his nature and a railroad
ticket for Texas in his pocket is on the
high road to prosperity.
This is no Ell Dorado where you can
get rich without work, but it is coun-
try where there is an abundance of rich
virgin soil, ready cleared, which win
bring forth fruit some thirty, some six
ty, and some an hundred fold to him
who sows. And there are hundreds of
industrious poor men in Hamblen coun-
ty who toll from year to year and can
barely live, who, if they could get the
consent of their minds to cut loose from
the homes of their childhood, relations
and friends and seek new homes and
new friends in this country, would soon
be enjoying a prosperity to which they
are and ever will be strangers If they
stay where they are.
This county (Fannin) is situated in
the north east corner of the State and
has an area of nine hundred square
miles, nne-third timber and two-thirds
prairie is said to contain more rich, ar
able land than any other county in the
State, and has a population of twenty
eight thousand
From what have seen of the county
estimate that there is about one-siRth
of the land in cultivation.
There is poor land here, or at least
what the natives call poor yet it will
produce from fifteen TO twenty bushels
of corn, from six to ten of wheat, and
from nneFthird to one-half bale cotton
per acre, while tho good lands will yield
three times this amount.
The land here is divided into three
grades Black waxey, black sandy, and
sandy and rate in productiveness in or
der as named above. The best land can
be bought at from five to ten dollars per
acre for unimproved and eight to TWEEN
ty for improved location having much
to do with price.
Fencing is made of rails, plank and
A Bots dare picket will
last almost forever and can be made for
less than one dollar per rod. The tim
bered lands from which rails and pick
cts are obtained are found along the
creeks and upon the Red river hills,
The growth consists of oak, hickory,
pecan, blackberry, elm, ash, Bots dare,
etc. Timbered land can be had at from
two to ten dollars per acre.
expected before l came here to find
a dry country but my expectations have
not been realized. This year the season
has been fine Except through May and
June there being too much rain during
these months am told this season was
wet consequently the land is
full to OVERLOOKING with all the neces.
saries of life.
Fruit and vegetables of all kinds do
well here. There are but few springs
here and those few not very good. |
Wells afford the chief supply, many of
which yield an abundance of good cold |
water.
The people here say that this is very
healthy country, except in wet seasons |
ls this has been. Then they may ex-
oect chills. There is great deal of |
shaking going on at this time but the
people don't seem to mind it much.
Aside from chills there has been very |
title sickness. Educational interests |
eem to be alive. Almost every neigh
,orhood has a nice white school house
md money enough to pay teachers good
wages to teach the public schools of the
county.
The people all seem to have plenty,
nd yet I find that here, as in Tennes-
ee, they complain of scarcity of money
nd high taxes, and that too when the
ounty is out of debt and only levies a
ak of twenty five cents on the hundred
ollars. In fact, am almost persuaded
has we have become nation of chron-
G grumblers. verify believe we would
rumble on if the government was to
elieve us from all tax aud curse it for
OF giving us money to support our fam
lies without any labor or return for it
n our part.
Your correspondent, Yellow Bird,
ives himself great latitude and think
peaks in too broad terms, when he
peaks of Texas as he does. It may be
hat he, like the man that went or start
d down to Jerico. has fallen among
lieves. It wont do to Judge the peo-
lie of great State like Texas by local
~ or neighborhood for a man might
o into some neighborhoods in Tennes-
&c, and with equal propriety, proclaim
} the world that there is the "hardest
1T of cusses conglomerated together in
ennessee to be found anywhere on
lrth." 1, like your correspondent,
nd many Tennesseans here; in fact
'ennesseans and Missourians form the
ulk OF the population in this locality,