The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1881-06-04
TEXAS.
TEXAS.
North, Fast and West Texas.
PARIS, Texas, May 29th 'Sl

| To the Editor oil the Comet
have proposed frequently since l
came to Texas to write a letter for
THE COMET. But hitherto deferred
it for the convenient season." Many
of my old friends In Mississippi have
written to me making inquiry on all
points of interest to those who desire
a new country. / have answered
their inquiries in private way, and
in a guarded manner as practicable,
lest some one influenced by my advice
should make move that they would
afterwards regret and would be cen-
sured.
came TO Texas in January of last
year, too late to take my place in the
ranks as travelling Methodist preach
er and engage in the Irregular work."
as we term 1t. Being without Il
pastorate for the time, l was free to
travel and "spy out the land" as OPP
portunity offered, and during last
year l took in much of what is des-
ignated as North and East Texas.
North Texas, strictly embraces all
that portion of the State lying North
of line extending due West from a
point opposite Shreveport, La, and
between such line and Red River on
the North, and constitutes with a
few exceptional localities the most
desirable portion of the State have
have seen, for agricultural purposes.
Included in this area are perhaps
some forty counties of the State. The
greater portion of this territory is open
| prairie skirted with timber sufficient
for all ordinary purposes. There are
occasional bodies of umbercd land,
thousands of acres together, all just
as rich, ii would seem, rs land could
be; so that man need not be at loss
To choose for himself. All kinds of
| grain can be grown successfully on
these lands; corn, wheat, rye, oats,
barley, the various grasses grown in
other States, besides such as are in
digenous. There are no uplands in
Mississippi equal to these for cotton,
and with proper culture these lands
will yield annually, an average crop
with the Yazoo, Big Black or even the
Mississippi bottoms.
Fast Texas, so-called, is that por-
tlon Of the Stste lying between tine
Trinity aud Sabine rivers bordering
ON Louisiana. This Is the great
pinery Of Texas. The topography of
this portion of the State resembles
very much that portion of Mis- issippi,
beginning with a line North 6f a ITALIA
county, including Leak, Neshoba,
Scott, Smith Jasper, Rankin, Simpson,
Copiah, then South TO the Sea-shore.
Besides the abundance of timber and
pure water this portion Of Texas has
recently been discovered 10 contain
rich beds Of iron, ore, Goals and other
minerals. And although it is consid-
cred the poorest part of Texas, it is
being developed and its resources
utilized in such a variety of ways as
to make it as desirable as alnsst any
portion | have seen, except for the
purposes of Agriculture. The rail-
road facilities for which Texas bids
fair to become famous beyond every
other Southern State, are abundant in
eastern Texas.
You can have no conception Of the
activity pervading all classes and
every Departmental businessi In Texas.
If you could just come over and
spend few weeks in travelling
through North Texas, / wouldn't be
surprised il you determined TO trans
late your "CoMET" to this new sphere,
and leave only the tail of it in dear
old Mississippi. Still would say to
you, as well as all my old friends in
Mississippi, come and "look before
you leap" There are a great many
Mississippians here; they hail from
all parts of the State, chiefly however,
from the Northern counties. Lowndes
county is largely represented in this
Lamar County, There are several
families from Leake, some from Kinds,
some from Claiborne, Madison, and
one of the stumps from old LawreBce
where you were drought up" Henry
Swami, formerly Of Jackson, was
here last week. I go to no town or
city, scarcely to a neighborhood in
Texas where l fail to see some one
have known before. and believe | am
about the only one who wants 10 be
back i'm dear old Mississippi.
My family have had excellent
health; we have made many kind
friends and bv dint Of earnest effort
and rigid economy we have made a
living. They do not pay preachers
nor newspaper men in Texas as they
do in Mississippi. Preachers have to
live ON short allowance, and in the
department of job work, printers get
fifty per cent less than In Missis-
sippi. Living is much cheaper here
however. Thousands Of bushels Of
corn can be bought In this country at
25 to 80 cents bushel. Thousands
Of pounds Of pork sold here the past
winter at 81 to cents a pound-and
choice home raised corn-fed bacon is
now very cheap. Beef is the most
costly meat in Texas. We have had
a succession Of heavy raips within
the last two or three weeks, which
has made grass and weeds grow rap
idly, but the crop prospect is fine
nevertheless. But must stop. This
letter is too long already. II accep-
table | will write again.
Your friend. II. r. HARRIs.
THE people Of Tate county are cali