Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-05-11
Let the Members Of the Nineteenth
Legislature Visit West and
Northwest Texas.
Nothing Can Check Actual Settlement
More than the Lease Law and
Ignorance Of our sOlons.
The Lessee Won't Go, the Settler Won't
Come, the Law Won'tbe Changed
Til the Truth 10 Known.
Rusr, TEX, May 3, 1855.

been Tor fOme years past. Ontll quite
recently / had never been west OF your
city. ] was finally induced by your
editorials and letters from your able
correspondents 10 Wait West and
Northwest Texas, and after seeing
that part Of our great state, and find
ing 90 much better country than | ex-
pected TO see, cannot help making a
suggestion through your paper TO the
people Of that section, and / hope you
will kindly give me space for the same
Before going further / will admit
that /, like thousands Of others In the
old settled counties OF our state, was
prtiudiced against that part OF The
state, and nothing but a personal an
speciion and investigation could have
convinced me that / was labOring I'M
der mistaken idea. After spending
several weeks In looking over the
counny west and northwest Of Fort
Worth, / am thoroughly convinced
that that section Is not understood or
appreciated ~ 1t should be snd con-
slider II very important that the facts
be known and that the people Of the
now thickly settled counties be en-
! lightened ON the resources and ad-
vantages which that country has for
those Of our people in search Of lands
and homes who are limited In means
The development Of West Texas
naturally builds up and adds TO the
business OF the older.settled parts Of
the state The settlement Of the West
makes a market for our lumber, gives
| traffic 10 our railroads and In many
ways helps 70 increase the trade and
commerce of our state. My sugges-
tisn to the people Of West aud North.
west Texas IA this : Let those on the
| lines OF the Texas d. Pacific railway
and the Fort Worth IL Denver City
railway from Fort Worth to
the terminus Of each line
| invite the members of the Nineteenth
legislature to take trip over the lines
named aud visit the principal points
ON those lines, and see for themselves
what has been done in the past few
| years In the way OF development and
settlement Of that country, 10 will
pay the people 70 do this and 1t will
also pay our Lawmakers to take the
time to make the trip.
why make this suggestion IL that,
| on visit to Austin during the session
this lat winter, had good oppor-
tunity to see how little the majority of
the members knew OF the state and it's
wants, Al that time / thought but
httle OF the country referred to myself,
but now that | have seen 1t 1 think
every one who has any interest in
IeXas should see and know OF
the new West, and especially
our law makers; for how can we
expect them TO make laws q at will
dement, the state If they know nothing
OK the slate" IL is hard to expect men
70 appreciate somelhlng that they
know nothing Of and II the Nine.
teenih legislature has, and no doubt il
WIN nave, An extra session, the mem.
Ders shou'd by all means see the coun.
Try referred 10. In case there Ia nc
extra session, tho KIN jwledge they
Wonia acquire. on such trip would
enable those who are members OF the
nwehueth Legislature TO do justice tc
that section OF the country.
A trip In daylight over the Texas 4
Pacific railway from Fort Worth Il
the Pecos river will convince MI thai
the actual settler Ia not farce or /,
: hobby or a 'myth,n as some O
our members OF the Nine
tenth legislature call him
When the actual settler Is spoken of
they will find that he Ia ther,
4 In reality and has come I,
1 stay, aud they will becom,
. convinced that he aud the country ar,
entitled TO some little confederation
!. and take my word for II, they will nm
/ preciate both the actual settler and III
country, and the trip, II made, will re
/ SUIT IN good to our state at large.
= Let the gen .lemen after RETURNING
rom the West take run up over th
4 Fort Worth Il Denver City railway
4 ana see what the "actuRl settlerp ha
3 Done for that part OF the state In tn
last TWO years, and they will agre
= with the writer that nothing coul,
Y check the settlement OF Texas NOR
IMAM the lease law and the lack q
/. knowledge OF our great state and n
i. resources by the gentlemen uno,
whom we are dependent TO make en-
q laws The Leasing OF the lands, 10 ON,
I VINO has been on the ground and SEQ,
q Tor himself the workings OF the Law
aud the result, Is simply tying up m,
y laud and keeping out the actual settler
a Those who favor the lease law will tel
you, "the lands are leased subiect !,
v sale, and all that, but show me a mar
|. with family who wants 10 or will q,
. lntoa new country and the first NOV,
4 he makes take up piece OF land ths
anoiher party or corporation has III
ready leased, to feel and know that n,
y not wanted there. Those who hay,
the land leased look upon him. IN,
Y actual settler, as an intruder who In,
no right interfering with their ar
{ lapgements, and they viii make i
anything hu. pleasant for the aetna
settler aud his little family, KNOWN,
wei that II he Is allowed 70 remain n,
: VIII be successful aud be the means Il
bringing others who will also seItI,
I aud cultivate the soil, the resnlt y
!, which would naturally be that IN,
man With the lease would have 4,
|. move .onn and the state would y
course be the gamer. But take nv
! word for II, the man with the leas,
: ls not going, neither Is the actusl sst
, TIER coming, until the lease business 4
! done away with. V
!, ~ least this Ia the humble oninlor
OF me subscriber after looking IN,
: Held over, Ms one, you might cav lbs,
mas no interest In West pexas M,