Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-11-20
AMAGNIFICENr STATE.

The fact was noted in the REGISTER,
a few days ago, that q number of Eng
lish capitalists had purchased 4,50O, 900
acres of land in the State Of Texas for
the purpose of establishing colony.
This purchase gives some notion of
the magnitude of the area of that great
State. The tract of land sold would
make quite large State in itself. 1t
would be nearly as large as West Vir-
ginia; larger than some of the New
England States; FIVE times as large as
Rhode Island, and four times as large
as Delaware. Yet Texas would hardly
miss it, If cut out of her territory.
Texans assert that the land is well
adapted to general farming, and large
portion of it TO cattle and sheep raising.
They believe that land now valued at
= and s. an acre will, as soon as the
scheme is well on foot, be brought up to
SO and so in value. English survey
DIS are expected in Texas shortly when
the lots will be set of, and early in the
spring the first colonists will arrive.
In many respects Texas is one Of the
most promising States in the Union.
In spite of the fact that it is so far away
from the eenters of commerce and civ
ilization, it is beginning to make its in
fiuences felt as very large factor in the
the sum of American prosperity in a
way that commands the admiration of
the world. 1t contributes to the total
crop this year an amount that would
feed an empire and clothe its population
unless they wanted something more
pretentious than cotton fabrics. Its I'M
precedented production has made up
fordeficiencies elsewhere and has shown
that in the future it must be reekOned as
section rather than as State in the
general estimate.
A correspondent of the New York
Tribune shows in surprising figures the
progress that this great State has made
in the last ten years. In 1872 two or
three railroads were creeping slowly to
the North and West from the more
thiekly settled portions of the State. At
that time the entire population of Cen
trail and Western Texas would not have
exceeded $4,000 persons, and the as
sessed value of the poperty was about
81, 100000. In the immense pine re-
gions Throughout that section, there
were eight small saw-mills that did GUS
tom work when it was to Be had. Cot
ton was about the only product of the
and this was carried in
wagons from 400 to 500 miles to
jefferson and Shreveport, these towns
being at the head of navigation on Red
river. The entire population of the
State was about $4,000 persons; the
cotton product was 100000 bales, and
the entire growth of cereals did not ex-
coed p 100000 bushels. Now a railroad
traverses the country, and along the
are neat dwellings, grow
ing crops, and smiling plantations, and
the music of busy machinery arises at
frequent intervals. Many plantations
have been opened in these "piney
woods" the settlers being principally
from Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.
From Minneols west, as the train
emerges from the timber, the improve.
ment at once becomes more marked.
Asfar as can be seen over the vast
prairie substantial farm houses, growing
crops and ooung orchards meet the eye.
This country Is what is known as the
central, eastern, northern and north
western portion of the great agricultu-
raj region Of Texas, and which ten
years ago was almost uninhabited.
The correspondent from which we
have quoted gives the increase in the
last decade as folio VS.: In population,
1872 to 1882, 1,175,OOO persons; in pro-
duct of cereals, 1882 over 1872, 2S,0OO,00O
bushels; bules of cotton, 1882 over 1872,
100000 bales, nearly two-thirds of this
being in northeastern, northern and
northwestern Texas; increase in inn
parts from foreign countries, SS,0O0,0O0;
in exports to foreign countries, S26,OOO,-
600. The local trade on the railroads is
large and constantly increasing. The
station platforms are covered with
goods of all descriptions and crowded
with passengers. The familiar drum
mer with his ample trunks is to be seen
at every station, and the large and in
creasing business is the subject of very
general remark. To sum the subject up
in few words, the country tributary to
the Texas and Pacific and New Or
leans Pacific railways is about 77,0OO,-
900 acres of land, containing q popula-
ton of over !, 900, 900 persons, who own
property of the taxable value of nearly
500, 100000. This is remarkable ex-
hibit, and one that we think almost
without parallel. Texas is growing
too unwieldy for q single common
wealth, and another ten years of such
expansion will also compel division,
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