Middletown transcript., 1878-03-16

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1 am frequently asked if il is not
unsafe to settle in Texas, on account
of Mexican raids. Now, of course this
depends entirely on what part of the
State one settles in. If one chooses to
| SQUAT himself himself down tilerHn en- the Mexican
border he may get his carcass perfor-
ated with bullets. But the counties
along principal railroads and these on
either side of the Colorado and Brazos
rivers, into which thousands Of emf
grants are now pouring (there locali-
ties are not within 500 miles of the
Mexican border) there is less talk a.
bout Mexican troubles than here. Few
persons who ask this question compre-
bend how large a State Texas is. We
think we know, or conceive, how large
Ohio is, aud Pennsylvania just beyond,
and the great State Of New York just
beyond that, and the size of six New
England States still further east, yet
Texas is larger in extent than all these
States combined, without including
her buffalo park, which is larger than
Virginia, Maryland and Delaware
combined. When Texas has the pop
ulation per square mile that New
York now has, she will be entitled to
one hundred and forty-fve members
of Congress!
l am asked why there are SO many
conflicting reports about the climate,
soil and resources of Texas. | sup
pose it is because there are "many men
of many minds" Comparatively few
of many men are satisfied with the
same thing, circumstances or situa-
ton. In passing judgment upon Tex
as, can only ask the application of
the same principal that I have fire.
quently asked for Michigan when in
the East, viz: To judge her by the
people who live there, and not by the
people that go away from there grum-
bling about this or that trouble.
Some persons are under the impress
sion that land can be located in Texas
by U. S. land warrants. This is not
the case. The general government
owns no land in Texas it all belongs
to the State. The State, however,
gives to the head of every family 200
acres. be the head male or female,
white, red, yellow or black. These
lands are generally in front the west
ward march of emigration, and some
distance from railroads.
The public institutions of the State
are richly endowed by land grants.
The blind, deaf and insane are well
taken care of in separate asylums,
under careful management. The Uni
versity has magnificent endowment
of l %, 400 acres of land. The Ag-
ricultural, Mechanical and Military
| College is also splendidly endowed.
| One-half of all the public lands, and
one-fourth of all the general revenues
are set apart for perpetual fund for
common free schools. The free school
land already in market or sold amounts
to $3O,O0O,O0O If the next genera
tion is not educated in that State it
will be either for the want Of brains or
the enforcement act.
No one inquiries or seems to care
anything about your politics, but you
will have frequent inquiry made as to
your religious views. This seemed to
me getting Revelations in ahead of
Deuteronomy, but on little reflection
I could understand it. Persons thrown
together from all portions Of the States,
naturally grapple for the first and cas-
lest bond of union. The church as a
whole and lis several parts affords
this and hence the inquiry. | was
not through the best part Of the stock
region, though all the farmers pay
more or less attention to it, and in the
counties just west of my travels there
were considerable herds. The Texan
calculates to make % to 45 per cent
per annum from herd Of horses. He
expects his sheep to increase about 80
per cent per annum, and the value Of
the increase depends on how much
Merino blood he has infused into his
flock. The annual increase of a herd
of cattle is supposed to be 33 per cent.
Stock cattle can be bought at from 81
to Sc per head.
Texas has built and is now building
many railroads that l never heard of
until l visited the State; several are
narrow guage. There must be at least
twenty distinct railroad corporations
in the State at work.
One picks up many curious bits Of
local history during few weeks visit
there. The great family of Austins,
after whom the capital was named,
were from Connecticut. After Texas
gained her independence, her first
Governor was New England man. l
met a gentleman whose father came
from Ohio with company and fought
for Texas independence, help gain it,
settled there and raised a family of
children, of which he was one. He
told me that the ladies of Cincinnati
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