The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1878-01-13
DALLAS AND THE FRONTIER,

For quite thirty years, Or over since
The first settlement was made at 'lhe
Three Forks, as tho village was Then
called, Dallas has maintained a close
social aud business connection with
over one halfoi the entire frontier Of
Texas For many years the stock
game and peliry products of the vast
region west Of us were brought here Tor
a market and were exchanged lur such
supplies as the early irenliersmen need
cd or was compelled to purchase. II
would be- q curious study 10 note the
gradual change in the nature Of both
the sales and purchases for the years
since, Bear meat for pork, aud prl'
tire. for clothes, are no longer barter
ed for powder aud lead The pack
horse has laid down bis burden forever
aud long trains Of cars transport Hup'
plies TO our hardy borderors The Mex
lean spur the larat and the broad
brimmed sombrero have vanished, and
the western settler aud his acooutre'
ments differ In no sense from tho cill'
zen of the older aud richer portions OF
the state
Where hundreds In those early days
sought market here, thousands are
now taking their places The rude OBJ
iects Of traffic have been abandoned,
and instead Of bear meat, droyos of the
finest hogs are brought distance OF
nearly two hundred wilos, or from Cole
man county to Dallas, not only to sup'
ply local demands, but for shipment to
distant markets, such as ST. Louis, Chs
cago and Now Orleans, our frontier
people are entering thus into u sharp
competition with the people Of Miss
souri,, Illinois and lndiana'aud IN pro,
duclions which those states cprouds
ly boosted belonged exclusively to
them, We daily SEQ merchants, traders
and farmers selling aud buying in our
markets not the rude articles OF the
past, but such things M are demanded
by even the ultraToinement of tho
older states in their palmiest days.
Books, pictures aud musical instru'
menis are purchased and carried to our
western homes, unerringly denoting
the progress of culture and refinement
among the people,
A new empire has grown up to the
west of U.S. where formerly all was vii.
dorncss, as still and silent a. the Llanc
Esacado is now 1t has developed new
tnstes, new necessities, aud requires new
and better facilities for their supply
As the people of the frontier in those
early days looked to Dallas for u market
to sell the results OF the hunt, so dc
they now for the sale of their stock
cotton, grain and fruit rs they then
purchased the rude woolscy.linscy AID
jeans for clothing here, so do they nov
seek their silks and broodcloths to-
day. Instead of meeting their bust
ness advances coldly, or in a hackwar,
or selfish way, the new Dallas mer
chants, remembering the close bonds o
the old days, should welcom,
them by providing the surest, hes
and most reliable means of transi
within the reach of the west In thin
connection, every means Of transit, rail
roads, plank'roads, MNcAdamised road
and free bridges should be provided to
the accommodation of our customers
Dallas needs this trade, and must d,
something to retain IT. 1t is all wei
enough to build whole blocks of pala
tial stores, and fill them to over flown
with the rich fabrics from both loreic,
and domestic looms, but it would b
both Improbable and foolish to suite
them to rot, rather than invite the trad
of the west, or make some sacrifice ever
to attract it, Dallas has already don
much, bat she must do much more
before she realizes the full advantage O
her peerless situation. We must no
only build railroads, but we must i'm
prove, construct and repair the wagol
roads, as well, A great city like thi,
cannot be permitted to 90 to the wal
simply because little effort and none,
requisite to enable her to grasp tn
advantages within her reach.