San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-06-14
Texas,
National Farmer.

c1Ilec. ,aea OF iss immense size i
obtained, and it is but lately tha s Is Is
was possible TO traverse Il w vaas II
devoting weeks to the journey 'I p't
the railroads have pushed tbro wI.
the Lone Star State, bringing ; IT,
removed borders within compsr at ,si
easy reach; and now in about th;,s,!
six hours travellers are carried tro!,
Texarkana diagonally across 4 %a
State to Laredo, on the Rio G,.n 'ae
border, and within two DAYS. ~
Paso. at the extreme western end =
the State can be reached, eith =.
from TexArkana, in the north =
Galveston IN the south. Thstnort;svu,
of the great empire of Texas wb;.I I
extends north Of the Red river. anu
forms the western boundary Of Indian
Territory, and whose rectsponIass
shape has been ridiculously STYLED thu
Panhandle" is about the onlv nav, s
not now accessible by RAILROADS
Towns and villages have naturalIr
followed the railroad oonstruct;or
and the population is advancing n
number rapidly. Fortunately f.,
Texas, the character of its newcomer.
are generally such as to be creditabh
to the State, and secure its material
advancement. The towns are we'll
built, and the climate will encoumOe
a continuous increase of population.
Formerly the name of Texas was a
terror in the eyes of most of our
people, but strong and prompt exc.
cution of the laws land of the lawless)
has removed that stain from the es.
cutcheon Of the Lone Star State, and
she is right in the line of material
progress. Already manufactures are
numerous, and the immense areas on
which cotton can be advantageously
grown will assuredly cause the erec.
ton of numerous large mills. Iron
ore is found in the northeastern Dor.
ton Of the State. One blast furnace
is in operation and two more are in
course of construction. The fuel for
these furnac is charcoal-there be.
ing a considerable amount Of good
timber in Eastern Texas. It is not
that mineral fuel can also
be obtained. Coal exists in Indian
Territory. and is mined on large
scale. 1t is also found in Northern
Texas, but the deposit has not been
developed. Lignite occurs in South
western Texas, but the brightest
prospects are at present on the Rio
Grande, about thirty miles west of
the prosperous town of LAREDO. For
the development of this "fnd," the
Texans are indebted to Ex-Governor
Hunt, of Colorado, who has opened
several mines and built a railroad
(the Rio Grande and Pecos Bailroad)
from there to Laredo. Alread these
mines are doing good business, and
cannot supply the demand. E1ten.
sive engagements are in progress and
it is expected that the Rio Grande
and Pecos Railroad will be the coal
road of the Southwest. Nothinghas
done so much to insure the advance.
ment of Texas as the opening Of
these mines, for the fuel problem was
becoming q grave one. With d rap
idly augmenting population, incr'as;
ing mileage of railroads and demand
for manufactures, the scanty growth
of mesquite in Southwestern Texas
would soon have been exhausted,
leaving tho State to depend on coal
brought from Indian Territory, OF BY
water to the gulf ports. If cheap
fuel means anything, it means mate
rial advancement of Texas AID Texan
industries.
The proportion of the negro sle-
nent is MUCK less in Texas than Id
most Southern States, This race IS
there, and In large numbers. but
there are probably as many MeucanS
and half-breed Indians as negroes
The whites, however, predominant
and form the business element,
which support immense herds OF
horses, cattle, sheep, or goats "
arge plantations of cotton or cereals IL"
Cotton is grown almost to the
,ortheru boundary of she State ana
;he rich, black soil of what is known
Is the wax lands" would grow a,
most anything. Texas is in the ngn'
.oad, and we may look for great ue
in the Lone Star State.
With iron ore in the east cOdi
Llong the Rio Grande nver, 0eIet
,pment everywhere, population aug
railroads extending, a sTPeas
.,,o,4 IL tba STATE. a large