Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-03-14
TEXAS.
An Empire i'm Area. Resources and
Population.
IMPRESSIONS AND FACTS RESPECTING
THE LONE STAR STATE.

Editor of the Republican:
DEAR SIR:-Having lately passed
rapidly through the central portion
OF the great state of Texas, and in
terviewed leading citizens long IA
miliar with its history, resources, and
developments, and being aware that
some Of our people are considering
the advantages claimed for Texas by
some who formerly resided here,
but who are now of that state, pos
sibly you may admit me to the
columns of your influential journal,
and allow me to state few facts and
impressions relative to
TEXAS AND IT'S RESOURCES.
HIsToRY:-The first settlement was
made by LaSalle, under French au-
thority, at Matagorda bay, in 1856.
In 1890 the Spanish took possession,
but 1922 on the independence Of
Mexico, it became a Mexican prov
ince, and so remained till the revo-
luton Of 1886, when, under Gen.
Houston, it became an independent
republic, with a government mod
eled upon the plan Of that Of the
United States, and it was so rec
ognized until 1916, when @The Lone
Star State" became the Goth state o;
the Union, the conditions imposed
by Congress having been accepted
by the Texan government; conditions
that, as the people claim, @were SELF
imposed" She was more than CO.
equal in that she reserved, as her
own, all her public lands of nearly
two hundred million acres, to be di-
vided into smaller states upon-and
only by her oion violation-a right
that Gov. Hubbard declares will
never be exercisedcuntil San Jacinto
is forgotten. and the martyrdom Of
the Alamo fades from the memory Of
man. While Texas came into the
Union with history illuminated by
sacrifices and valerous deeds, yet she
came to us as more than free. be-
cause she came asking nothing, and
the government paid not dollar OF
her millions OF war debt, for she
liquidated this indebtedness prompt
ly, and without assistance.
ExTENT:-It is difficult to compre-
hend the territorial magnitude of this
southwestern empire of the Ameri-
can Union. It is the largest state in
the Union, and so much greater in
extent Of territory that we give only
the proper conceptions Of the fact by
saying that the six New England
states, with Delaware. Virginia,
Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania
and Ohio, all united, do not compass
its territorial granduer. 1t is
greater than the whole combined. It
contains 274,366 square miles Of
land. It has a seaboard of nearly
one thousand miles In length; along
which, for a distance OF seventy
miles inland, is found lands Of un-
rivaled productiveness, back of
which is found the upland belt, or
Middle Texas, lying five hundred
feet above the sea level, and con-
tanning every variety OF soil, abund-
antly watered, and where prairies
alternate with forests, end together
with the hills that overlook as beau
tiful valleys as fancy can picture,
from a Diversified scene, OH eUery
hand most beautiful. North and
West Of the central belt are the
great plains and table lands, some
times broken by lofty mountains. 1t
is claimed within this area there is a
greater proportion Of tillable lands,
with less that is unproductive, than
is found elsewhere in an equal area
upon the habitable globe.
Steam navigation is found, or can
be had, upon many Of her rivers to-
wit: The Sabine. the Red river and
its tributaries. the Trinity. the Bra
zos, the Colorado and the Rio
Grande.
RAILwAYs:-Thefi first mile of rail.
road was constructed in 1853. There
are now not far from 1900 miles of
railroad in operation. New railway
lines are under survey, and at least
three important Trunk liaes,-one a
narrow guage-will be early con-
structed through the state.
HUMDIrY:-The rainfall in the
northern and central portions of the
state, is equal to that of Ohio or
Illinois; but In the southwest, and
westerly portions, it is less, and
there is less humidity. The air in
many places is very drv. and the
lands require irrigation in the same
way many Of the California farms
are irrigated. San Antonia is said
to be the center OF the dry section.
but for the last six years the mean
annual rainfall has been $500, near
ly as great as in our own state. In
deed, the increase of rain and hu-
midity following the increased culti-
walton Of the soil is very marked.
TEMPERArURE:-It is generally sup
posed the heat in summer throughout
the state is very oppressive. The
idea is erroneous. am told at any