Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-06-05
Letter from Texas.
BELroN, Texas, May 1s, 1879.
EDS. HERALD:

BELTON, TEXAS, May 10, 1879.
EDS. HERALD:
By your permission, I wish to advise
those who contemplate emigrating to
Texas, that many inducements are held
out by large land holders, real estate
agents and SPECTATORS, to get people 10
come here and settle her vast idle domain.
While Texas, in many respects, is fac
country, these interested parties have
willfully misrepresented this country /;
in short, they have lied, and that in q
most gratuitously criminal way, in order
to mislead and humbug the eredulous, by
making believe this is the gilded region
the Meca OF American youth-Eld
hunters paradise-fshermen' home-ia
fact, land flowing with milk and honey
where men and women live at their ease,
and riot in luxury to their hearts con-
tent, and that corn, cotton and wheat are
raised without cultivation, cattle grow
and fatten without care. All have read
these highly painted aud overdFawn des-
criptions by land-sharks and spectators.
When men, with families and friends,
come here and find they have been duped
by knaves; that this is not thecountry
where they can bask in perpetual sun
SHINE; that they cannot live here any
easier than in Ohio, without care, toll and
money, they are disgusted with the coun-
try and people. A thousand miles inter
Fene between them, home and friends
with no plastic hand to administer the
balm of consolation; his wife begins tC
pine and fret for mothers council and so
ciety the country is not as the husband
expected to find it and he, too, is discour-
aged, and easily prevailed with to go
back. They have spent and squandered
all their means and go home again to be-
gin anew in life.
This is no tgnistatuas, but truth exem-
plified here every day. They are NOV
ing: some further westward, others,
having exhausted their means, are drag
ging back a swarm of hollow-eyed, ema-
ciated, ragged little children. Enough
to sadden the heart of satyr. Thus
they are drifting hither and thither, up
and down, looking for that imaginary
paradise they are destined never to find.
The labor market is over-stocked there
is scarcely day that we are not begged
for bread, or something to eat, by men
who are educated, good mechanics, and
willing toswork, if they could get some
thing to do, and who, back in the old
States, would rather have died upon the
rack than be seen begging aims.
In all candOr, we say to the young man
with his hair parted in the middle and
thoroughly CREASED with hogs lard and
goose grease; though you may have an
education, or be a good mechanic, stay
where you are if you have no money
but, with plenty of money, energy ant
integrity, you may come here and be sur'
of success, if you strike good lead ant
pursue the proper course. Money is: tht
sine Qatd non, without which your position
here may be anything but pleasant.
You think that we are not.only on the
confines of civilization, but in the wilds
of Western Texas, surrounded BY wolves
catamounts, wildcats wild Indians ami
still wilder cowboys, liable to be carried
captive at any time, but such is not, alto
gether, the case. Gentlemen and ladie
of culture and refinement are plent,
here--no rdrd GUts, but fearfully in tn,
minority. Indeed, the atmosphere smell
entirely too strong of pistols and bat
whisky to be healthy and sound. Al
must acknowledge that there is too mucl
blood-letting. Murder is entirely to com
mon. Men and boys meet, drink, roll ten
pins, gamble, get drunk, fancy them
selves insulted, insult the civil, and
whisky, they dog the steps of their vic
tim till they provoke an attack and thel
shoot him down, and nine cases out of tel
are acquitted on the plea of self-defense
Thus the country is swarming will
swindlers, gamblers, freebooters, bandit
and desperadoes, who are stealing, mur
dering and committing all kinds of depre
dations, till the thing has eliminated an,
reached a point at which forbearanc
ceases to be virtue, and the people, driv
en- to desperation by the commission 0
these monstrosities, have determined t
take the law in their own hands and ri
the country of these blood-thirsty vii
lains and kleptomaniacs. =
It does seem that all fugitives from tn
Northern and Eastern States, flying from
the penalty of outraged law, come di
rectly to Texas, as safe retreat from al
prehension, and, with our home-mad
stock, of which, it. is humiliating to az
knowledge, we have entirely too many
the country is over-run BY bad ,adesper
ate men; ready for the worst, if necessar,
to consummate their purposes. And ,unt
> society comes down with Indignation, an
the law with its penalty, we cannot e1
pect much better. You will understan
: the ''status of the case' when 1 tell yo
f that in this town (Belton), of 1000 fnhal
itants, there are four tenpin alleys an
eleven whisky saloons, besides other ce
pools of vice and corruption, designe
to lead the young and volatile into reel
less, vicious habits. -lshz-fsl 5sara sSs
[ have been more chronic than Il
tended, and yet it would require sma
volume to give the facts in detail. l1If
can save one family from financial disa
ter, or one man from moral wreck, a
paid. You may think these statemen
exaggerated, but, I had time and spact
could establish all have said. =
This is the fastest town, for its size,
have ever lived or been in. If you cou
see our streets, alleys, and the plaza, <
business days, swarming with people al
crowded with wagons and horses, "
would say, "Where do they come from
Corn is in tassel, and roasting-ears al
all kinds of vegetables are in mark,