The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1882-01-19


For poverty Expresses me,
While fortune holds me a. shave;
And would almost bet cent
That no expensive monument
VIII e'cr adern my humble grave.-rN.
Glimpses 1t Texas.
Editor PLAIN DEALER:-Since my
return home on Thursday lust 50
many arc asking the question, well
how do you like Texas" that / have
concluded, with your permission to
give some further glimpses Of It as
seen throug my spcctacles. Ny trip
extended from Dennison via Mine0la
to Austin, and San Antonio, by the
]. s. G. N. Ry., and return from San
Antonio to Marshall, from there over
the Texas Pacific to Big Springs
some 265 miles west Of Fl, Worth.
So you can see that have had quite
an extended look at 1t, and / stopped
OF frequently to look around, and
ask questions, and / want to give
your readers my impression, candid
" and without prejudice either way.
Now, sir. it Is an undeniable tact
that Texas is, on the whole mag
nificient country to look at. It Is
better supplied with timber and run
ming streams than / expected to see
II, and although some belts or strips,
look as though they were forsakcn Of
God and man, there is vast amount
OF the finest looking land ever made,
just laying around loose as you
might say, waiting for some one to
use it, and these choice lands, can be
bought for from 50 cts, to &l.5O per
acre on very favorable terms.
These are along the F. ?, Ry., with
no settlement except ut the stations.
In the settled counties lands vary
from $500 up to perhaps $4,000 per
acre in the settled part Of the count
ry. The stock is living out without
feed, but most OF 1t looked rs though
q little feed would not do any harm,
at least. In the unsettled country
where the range Is better, stock looks
remarkably well, but 1t is not green
grass on which they are living, but
the dried grass Of last years growth.
The water in nearly in every place
/ tried 1t, appears to be pure and
sweet, but SO warm, 1t Is not palata-
BILE In some places. Cistcrn water il
used exclusively and that did not
suit me. Might be all right when
one got accustomed to it. The mer-
chants complain of dull trade and
the people OF hard times, just as they
do here, evidently last season was .
hard one on Texas, as they had little
or no rain from May to September.
As consequence there was very
short crop. Some OF the towns where
the II. r. Co.'S, have shops and are
large amounts Of money
trade is brisk and every thing lively.
As to the people they appear kindly,
we'll disposed, hospitable, and anx-
ious to have northern people come
among them. Mostly they appear to
lock the vim, snap and energy OF our
northern men, and it appears to me
they do not half cultivate their land.
or do any thing else thoroughly.
Just think Of y full grown man plow-
ing with one mule or pony, that
looks as though he could carry it on
his back, and call that farming.
Whether the climate necessarily
takes the energy and snap out Of o
man or not, can not tell, not having
been there long enough to test it.
The weather was really enjoyable
during my stay, and my conviction
is that should prefer the climate Of
Texas, to that OF Iowa, and can see
no reason why the average Of health
should not compare iavorably with
any state In the Union, and Tor
people afflicted with lung diseases or
asthma &c. Think the
change Of climate would be dccid-
ed benefit. Austin, San Marcos and
San Antonio, are we'll filled with
northern people seeking relief from
above mentioned maladies and those
with whom. I have talked think. they
are being benefited by the change.
On the whole I enjoyed my trip very
much AMI shall look back upon It
with pleasure, still am not ready to
advise every one to rush of to Texas
as it Is q matter OF grave Importance,
the breaking up Of old associations
and habits and forming new ones.
Still it is my conviction deliberately
formed, that should I emigrate at all
I would prefer Texas to any part Of
the north west, Notwithstanding the
to me, grave objection OF itsllarge
proportion Of Negro and Mexican
population. In conclusion / would
say to any one thinking OF going
there, don't 60 it blind, gather all the
Information you can and then go and
look the ground over for your self.
As to the political outlook am con-
vinced that the principles OF the
Greenback party is gaining among
the reading and thinking portion Of
the people, and that in the near fu-
ture there will be . great sheaking up
among the dry bones OF both the old
fossil parties. Respectfully.
w. +. DANIELS.