Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-10-01
Texas as Viewed by a New Yorker
What he Finds Down Here
and What He Expected
to Find.
A Glorious Future Not Assured Until
the Immigrants Who Como Here
Can Buy Land,
His Notes on the Cream City Of the
Empire Of Texas-A Visit to the
Ferris Dairy Farm.
Fonr wonrn, ~. sept. ., I'D.

Texas is n great and glorious state,
with as bright future as any state in
the Union. OF this am the more
fully convinced the longer / remain
here, and the more / travel through
this Southwestern empire, for such it
really is. had heard n great deal
about Texas and had read everything
/ could find on the subject, and my
self and my friend came to the con-
clusion that IL must be fine country,
with its broad, swelling pralries, with
rich grasses, It's valuable timbers and
productive soil. combined with its sa-
lubrious climate, &c 1 determined to
come here ana investigate, and, II /
thought favorably OF the country, |
would report to my friends In New
York state, and likely several well-t0-
families would come here and buy
tracts of land and settle. With this
project in view | boarded train at
Buffalo and told the conductor TO let
me Off at Texas, and, after riding
several days and nights, he woke me
up about midnight and told me we
had got there, and dumped me OIL at
Denison.
The next morning / looked
around aud inqulrlng was informed
that this was Texas and that Denison
was the golden gate TO the great em-
pire, and that the denizsns held the
key; that / hae been let Off at the
right place, and for me to speak up
and let my wants be known and they
would serve me at once.
spoke Of going into business. This
was certainly the spot, as all goods and
everybody coming into the state had
10 come by way of the gate. ] found,
however, upon further investigation
that the rents were we're very high,
bushes dull, cotton short aud grass
shorter; interest high, money scarce
and everything dry and dusty. Every
thing seemed demoralized and the
denizens looked respondent at each
other. In answer TO my inquiries
about the apparent state of affairs,
was promptly told that the short crop
OF cotton caused by the drouth was the
cause of dull times, but the state had
glorious future before IL and / had
better invest my surplus capital at
once. asked whether there were no
other cities where i might strike
more favorable location. They an
swered that Denison was the only city
In the state of any importance and
that she WIS intrusted with the gem
eral management and welfare Of the
great empire. then con-
suited my map and found several
other places marked as cities, and
against their wishes / started for
Gainesville, although they stoutly de-
MED there was any such place, other
than few houses and big pasture
field. WI N l reached there found
matters even more deplorable, but was
assured by old aud young that the
stagnation was only momeutary, and
the state had u glorions future before
1t, and, as Gainesville way the chief
town of Texas. and had all the Nation
trade, IL would be the first to catch the
boom, and had better settle at once.
Upon inquirlnG about buying some
county or school lands, | was told
that was thing of the past" that
no lands were for sale now In the state
only by land sharks and monopolies.
then turned my face toward Sher-
man and Dallas, and visited them
with tho same results. 1 could not
buy an acre OF county or school lands;
rents We're too high and trade too dull
TO start into the dry goods business,
but was fully assured that notwlth-
standing all these drawbacks Texas
had q glorious future before 1t. be.
gan 10 think / did not know anything
about the future OF Texas, but from
present prospects most of my future
was behind me, for all OF my hlgl
hopes had been knocked gallev...est.
The Dallas people told 20 That
theirs was the only gep-Sne lexan
city, and all the other "oul1-oe cities
were tributarv Ia I~aiias, and the en-
lire wealth ~ 30 realm poured into
their cofIs-.s Moreover, they said that
buvinS and for agricultural purposes
W. dot thought OF now, RS 1t was Inn
fosslble to buy IL only at speculative
and ruinous prices; that buying city
property and building In Dallas was
the chief pursuit. OF all men who really
had the future advancement of Texss
ut heart. just then happened 10 In
guire II there was not place called
Fort Worth somewhere In the north
ern part, at which they grew frantic,
and most soiemnly protested that IL
was merely small station out West, n
few miles from Dallas, that all the peo-
PIE came 10 Dallas to trade, that the
~ Nf NhNAN 0NAH hltit nOAfHNtS OF
Dallas and that we really about hold
all the Fort Is Worth, and that Texas
had n glorious future; all had 10 do
was TO give them the custody OF NV
money, and they would sec that / was
well cared for, and that would be rich
IN few years sure.
When boy had read Of the In
dian wigwams beyond the western
waters, towards the setting sun, aud.
inspired by the novel description of
the Folt by the Dallas people
was bent on conquest and determined
TO visit this famous settlement of In
dian wlgwame and see il could NOT
treat with the chief for few sections
OF land, ~ / had assured my Eastern
friends / would purchase plenty Of
land Cor them 70 till the balance of
their lives.
arrived here In the morning. and
as l stood on the car steps, glass in
hand, 10 catch the hrst
glimpse OF the abiding place OF the no.
ole red men In lts prlmeyal glory and
sun showing traces of its palmiest
days, nnsallied by the ruthless hand