The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1878-01-09
My Trip 10 Texas.

I Having heard much about the Lone !
+ Star State " and having daughter living
/ there whom | wished 20 visit, | set ont on s
/ Nov. 18th. 1873, TO Louisville, and from c
: thence took the route 10y st. Louis, via
/ Missouri Kansas and Texas railway. rs I
/ this road has direct connections through
| to TeTas We made the trip from Lou>
! isville to Dallas, IN just IS hours. As ,
our trip through lndiania and . part OF
/ llinoi, ~a. in the night, ". could see !
but hulr of the country, but foGpd the
/ latter to hs u fertile, farm-like looking
place. Gu looking at the wheat fields
OF Illinois, showing that the soil hsd
been thoroughly prepared, and the wheat
regularly planted With the drill, ] de-
cided would at no distant day recover
the expenses OF my trip, 10y a better
cultivation and q larger yield of wheat
No s"uLer, thought /, that we have no
better crops OF wheat in Kentucky, when,
10y our rough and careless manner of
sowing, We seldom get more than halt
a stand on the ground
THE GREAT WEST.
The man who has never seen il has
no remote idea how vast, how
grand. For twenty-four hours, we swept
; rapidly over country so smooth and so
level that NC did not see cut or fill in
the rosl A. the road from Sedalia runs
through Kausss and the Indian Terrilo>
~, and sutcrs Texas At Dennison, and |
leaves The pine region Of Eastern Texas
TO our left, We saw none but good land in
Texas We passed down as far Us Ennls
and took mp our headquarters at Waxa-
{ hachic, the county seat of Rllis, which il |
the fourth county from the northern |
boundary As you pass down the Central
= Il. r. to Houston.
The Scenery is grand, beyond descrip-
ton. The country is composed of prai-
I, ries. apparently elevated and dry, with
4 occasionally creek with = skirt of small
timber, which serves the purpose of fuel,
: and bow-dock for fence posts-the lasting
qualities OF which IL said to be msrvel~
: ous The soil OF Ellis county is as black
as coal slack and generally Of great
depth, and is said to be so lasting that
D cultivation does not diminish its proiuc>
: tiyeness. | am confident from observa-
J. ton, and from the best Of testimony,
f that one hundred acres of this land will
make q better farm than two hundred
acres OF our loan coil in Ohio county.
i The grass here is yet abundant as the
S prairies are covered with il as thick as any
:. domestic pasture. aud lie considered very
i nutritious. As there are no swamps
here, there is no malaria; the atmos>
phere is pure. Cotton and wheat are the
leading staples of commerce with the
agricultural men of this county The
{ sale Of the last cotton crop which was
l. below an average, aggregated near $500.
d 600. The defects of Texas generally
seems to be too much drouth late in
summer, and too great scarcity Of tim
IL ber Timber for building purposes is be-
$ ing supplied from the pine regions of
I, Eastern Texas. and can be bought on the
m railroad at reasonable rates, while bows
10 dock posts aud barbed wire makes quite
i, a cheap and durable fence.
Waxahachie is a thriving town about
twice the size of Hartford, though not
" more than twenty-five years old, and
s. gives evidence Of Thrift and prosperity.
ne At this place we met our esteemed friend
Of n. 6. Wise, who is a resident OF the
er town, he is doing good business and
$ shares largely the respect aud confidence
10 of the people. Mr. Wise has retsin' d
70 in large degree his youthful vigor, ma
= tive independence. good hard sense and
lively wit, which makes one feel that he
is still himself, and that an old friend is
at home in his presence. We con-
TESS TO the enjoyment of a renewing
OF an old association that had been
he broken by the lapse of 81 years
o, We also shared the hospitality of his
n. estimabe lady, whose familiar face re-
to minded us of early days in old Kentucky.
tie Z. G. Davis, Esq, is also IA citizen here,
a. and has the confidence of al intelligent
ire and apprecistive community. Unim-
ed proved land is worth from a to So pei
en- acre. generally. | am often asked. "Are
oh you going to move to Texas p answer
AS | am not On looking around, | found
,ut the lack of 70 many couyeniences ] have
Tvs at home; and, having a good home,
,t- expect TO stay here. But young MAI
ers who has no home here, can find one il
me Texas that will not desert him.
r" here give the amount necessary to ar
d a independent outfit for a small farm II
to Texas:
N One hundred acres of land at s.
- per acre ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ON
Breaking so acres at 50 per acre.. 10,
Fencing the same............"......- lot
it'll Box house mplete......-.......... 2O'
IN A good team and plows.....~...-... 2OC
Total outfit for farming. ,2Ot
guy Those who have not the means, an'
Id. have to rent land. can do perhaps as vel
nd here as anywhere, If they are disposal t
,ee work. II not so disposed, | would ad
-. wise all such not to 90; and yet. for tn
-, benefit of old Kentucky, should advis
i'n them not 10 stay. JAS. +. AUSTIN.
lly
my Mr. CARMEL. ONO County. Ky.
I'll Il 4