Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-10-04
MIDLAND.
Land Donated on Which TO Build a
Future Emporium and Town
Company Formed.
Some False Representations Made by
Individuals Engendering Little
Hard Feeling
Healthy Growth of the Embryo Town
Details Of improvements Max
ing-Bright Prospects.
speclnl correspondence Of tho oazetle.

TEX, Oct. 2.--It having become gen.
orally known through the press and
other channels that dissension of some
character existed or was supposed TO
exist among the members Of the Mid
land Town company, and possibly be-
tween the officers Of that company and
some of the purchasers Of lots in Mid
land aud citizens of the place, THE
GAZETTE man paid a visit to the
"Wonder Of the Plains" with view
of personally learning the actual status
ofafIairs.
A ride, more or less pleasant, of $40
miles west Of Fort Worth brings you
to the northern edge Of Tom Green
county, the Texas d Pacific road pass
ing on southwest through that county.
On old maps Midland Is known as
Midway. The country round about Is.
in common with all this section, bald
prairie land, but hereabout with
marked advantage in respect TO excel
lent soil, grass and abundant pure
water, which Is obtainable at an aver
age depth of thirty-five feet. The ele-
walton of Midland is 2770 feet above
the sea; hence It's claim to healthful-
ness is just and needs no substantial
ton.
SOME HISTORY.
In May, 1888, a number of gentle.
men decided TO form stock company,
to be known as the Midland Town
company, and here lay out town site
and do their share toward building
town. On the Sd of May, 1884, this
company was chartered. It comprised
twenty-five members, the majority of
whom were and are prominent men In
railroad, professional and other circles
in six different states. Five
directors were elected and now hold
office, These are: Gen. j. A. McCler-
nand, president; h. G.. Mower, vice
president; DIR. j. o. Harris, secretary;
George p. Phillips, treasurer; John
Howard. The company had been
given TO understand that they could
obtain from the Texas q Pacific Rail-
way company n section OF land at
mere nominal figures il the Midland
company would cause town TO be
built thereon. The land was virtually
donation from the railroad company,
aud was accepted. On the
18th and 18th Of May last the most
successful public sale OF town lots ever
made In the state occurred, reaching
the large figure Of SIS, 900. There was
then on the ground nothing but the
railroad section house. DIR. j. o. Har-
ris, whose home Is In Ottawa, Ill was
elected secretary OF the town company
and in June located here as the repre-
sentative OF his company.
CLOUDED HORIZON.
In their efforts to get immigrants
from the old states emigration
Ill Of ~ 40
made promises and representa-
tions respecting Midland not easily
forgotten or misconstrued. AT the
auction sale Capt. Hossack, In his hap
Ply way, spoke In a glowing manner,
aud from what he said seems 10 have
been drawn differences accepted with
the weight Of promises as If made by
the town company. 1t soon became
evident that the policy pursued by
the town company Dr. Harris being
the exponent of that policy was
not in accordance with what
some of the lot buyers, perhaps most
of them, and one or more of the stock
holders had been led to expect, From
this arose the differences among inter
ested parties and some friction. TIL,
Town company was unwilling as
company to feel itself bound by glow
ing promises made by individual
members of the company, and ha
steadily maintained that every prom
Use made In its corporate capacity Ina
been or Ia in progress OF fultillmenI
There can be no doubt tina
injudicious promises and positive mis-
representations have been made by In
dividuals, and the tendency has bee
to hold the company responsible fe
them. On the other hand men {
moderate means have been induced b
these promises to invest and locai
here; whether these promises wei
authoritative or not these settlers WEI
in no position TO judge or question.
them II seemed natural. that
town company, receiving nearl
500. 00O for one section of pr
irie land would make some substai
tial return for the money, and tho
who oppose the policy the compan
Ia pursuing think the corporation m
ises were made by them officially
not.
THE CoAIPANY's POLICY.
Through the Secretary, DIR. ].
Harris, learn that the majority
the directors have considered
wise not TO erect hous
and store buildings In tow
until the surrounding country is sui
cIently populated 70 sustain the stor
which might have opened here, and
the end Of getting ranchmen and esq
cially small farmers TO locate near
have they addressed their efforts.
better control and handle the Ian
hereabout the company have stour
twenty-five and one-half sections
adjacent land and have filed on eig
other sections. II may be remark
in passing that In securi
some OF this land, no
bly, two sections adjoining I
town section, very hard feelings we
engendered actual settlers had
they supposed located on these h
sections, but what is reported as
erroneous survey by Big Springs 81
veyor led these settlers TO build tn
improvements on a section other Tia
their own. Technicalities in tn,
4,afavaaa rostaa1 harah nrlffniurt. ~ 4