New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-11

ard the range for cattle is circumscrlbeu' oe'ter
methods will, of necessity, be adopted Nearly
every pursuit in the South is carried on or rainier
GOES on. with similar wastciulncss OF methou ana
result No industry produces 50 much OF Is nearly
- ,roGtable rs would be the case if it were prose
ruted with even moderate energy. foresight ana
prudence. Upon this subject should not like TO
EXPRESS myself SO forcibly Southern men them
selves do everywhere.
WASTE AND NEGLECTED LANDS.
In the interior Of Texas there is a great deal OF
land which is only moderately productive, with
much. of course that is of hotter quality. The
farmers own large tracts and raise some cattle and
some cotton but many of them give little attention
Ia their farms or crops. They grow tired ot suern
tending the work in a little while after the crop
gets started" and leave il 10 the care of the negro
lahorcrs while they 90 oil on hunting expeditions
They tell me these things Of each other and of them
selves. They say: L" It's often bad weather for
work i'm The fields: its too hot too cold, or too dry
or too wet. but it's most always bout night for
huntln" No douht the climate and most other
conditions of life here favor easy slpohod methods
of work. and Of life generally.
Much of the country east of san Antonio-or san
Antoine rs the people say hcrcio plainly subject T."
severe drouth In fact its normal. usual. condi-
tion is one of severe drouth II will not d? to h'-
licve all that the emigration agents and the railroad
comranics publish regarding the climate and s"il ~
this region. But am constantly made To wonder
i'm every part Of the South. nj the want oi judgment
and apparently even Of observation shown 10y :"
many immigrants in selecting lands where II would
seen, that almost anybody should hc able 20 rccoG-
nzc the disadvantages of the location There l. al
WAYS something that can be done. some things thdi
can be produced. in each particular region. hnt
MANY people come ont here expecting TO make
&. L.. 1. fl,,tr, lt-ffI ron
is not at all suitable.
For long distance eastward from san Antonio
the whole landscape, when the trcs are l"aiicSS'
looks siurularly gray almost white. The bark of
all the trees takes this PREVAILING color :cuinding
one of what We read If the gray look OF olive
crowned hills in the East. though the TINT OF tins
Texan landscape is probably whittier than that All
the tyigs and small branches of the trees ana shrubs
are wonderfully stiff. hard and inicNihlc And eN-
animation shows that the annual growth II eX-
trcmcly small Where these features IN the char
actcr Of the trees aud shrubs are observed "" may
always I've certain either that the land l. poor W
that the rainfall is very scay- az that b"ih th'''
conditions prevail Here the land is neither very
rich nor very poor hut the amount OF ram u nah"
quatc and over much of this region agrioulur" Is
disappointing and Improbable pursuit. II There
were enough rain the soil would produce fairly T'"d
crons of various kinds Ihcrc several native
crasss of considerable value ia TN, region and some
of the land not fitted for cultivation DOES well for
grazing Some cotton j. grown almost everywhere
Here at san Antonio the people az" still bringing II
in from the fields They come ia on small Il'h'ttF
wagons drawn bv two. often ilr" yoke oi i"nE
horned oxen which III only = htilr hcti'r con-
,lltiou than the starving cattle on u" prhii'N.
Sometimes mules aud oxen ~" h1rnr~~"d I" tie
same wagon Here first SAW oxen with the y"l'-
or what takes It's placc-fa,tcncd {" The horns
They are not all yokcd thu way, and asked -
Young Indian tcaIuser this morning Which Wa Tie
best method in which way the oxen could Ora" the
hcayics, load. He replied: Mcbbc ~ both good.
likce other way" Thus did not learn much from
him. but should never yoke an OK 10y the horns.
The mules arr small and poor hrrc-tha IT, th"
natives OF this region are have ia>t seen drove
of vcrv large aud fine mules which were brought
here from Alabama for sale MANY Of th" teams
here have horse-collars which are hoinc-m"dr.'
made by the nreIocS and other transfers ont ~
slucl~." corn hu,k~- The Same Kind "i collar Il
used III Northern Alabnu.a. Herr. 10 san Antoine"
We see the cowboy ON his native heath. and 900 aH
the glory Of broad -lrimmcd hat whip 81 unnn-
aenablc length. ana iron spur =" lair" and rud"
that one think, they must ha>" been mad" i"r bur
lr,que representation ou the Stag. HE Gown u
usually mounted on a small poor ho'-c or mule. and
rides in gallon which is. after all. not RAPID gait
Nearly every body appears to be armed here and ihc
market wagons on the plaza. bringing IN """d
cotton aud other products, have each shotgun
sluir ia front. within easy reach of the driver
A STRANGE town FoR TRADE.
San Autnniol one feels here and ~-c- That %" i-
under alien skies. and among people s"lnc"l lat
rulilc-wcI say New Englaudcrs at least. I''rY-
body talks Il little Spanish and httlr INDIAN ami
great deal more of lingo which - uciihcr "n" imnr
nor another. Tbcrc are Indians and McNcan' every
where in the streets have just encountered the
first bcgpar ever saw on horsc-"r rather uul'-
bnck He was riding mule nnt very much larger
tlan n sheep and a fat. c"n,cnod looking Mex
lean cripple who took oil hIs hat and "'irr'd up
dcvont prayer for each bcnciactor who dropped
coin into it. gave him trliic for the picturesque
ness Of it, Besides if half the stnic, have heard
Of Texas are true, may need M prayers ''I"I'
get out Of the country
There j. a great deal Of money. and great deal 81
bnsinr,s here The money j. brought from all parts
nf the world. almost. t0 he expended The town Is
not supported. or lis business sustained. ~ very
large measure by the pr"duciiv" in"uNiuc' oi ihr
surrounding country but vast quantities oi goods
and SUPPLIES of all kinds are bought here hy people
who are going further West. though. Of course the
sockraisng in this region L. one s"urc" q" WI" hH'l
ness and wealth of the town. II h not III every
way a pleasant town Ia do business in. merchant
coming into the place and opening new store If ne
merely attended 10 his own business IN quiet way.
a. in other parts of the country. would find that he
had a hard road to travel. The men who are al
rrady engaged in the same line of business here
wonld regard him as an intruder they would resent
his having come in without their permission as some
thing not to he permitted. an mpudence 10 Ice pun
isbed and they would soon Z" run him out" do
NOT mean that he would he assaulted. or subjected
Ia personal violence but the old merchants wonld