The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1885-08-27
IT OPENED HIS OP rlCS.
A mAnwHo WENT TO WEST TEX,
n. T.usd Counir. Fun of isvitation
b.t vmpty NJ the Eyidesoes "i The
s,bandman's froseseo
Tho Cow Mans Capid-
ity-Chssp Money,

EAsrLASp, Aug, ls,-,Editor lER-
ALnI-Itisa saio venture 10 say that
-four ill,hs OF the people of Texas do
not know really what the word Texas
means in It's comprehensive idea. /
eanlosa frankly that, for all l have
lived In the Sga,a more than a quarter
OF a century, 10 me tbs great West was
tern incognita until within tho past
faw months. Now that l have "boCn
thore," have soon the people, the coun'
try aud the times, feel very much OF
the satisfaction enjoyed by the school
boy who has mastered diflcult les
son. Ny trip has extended beyond the
railroads into a section OF country
wholly indebted TO h0rse, cattle ana
sheep raising for Its subsistence anu
its prosperity, aud yet have not been
80 very far west-only Gis-
TANGO OF about 100 miles
from tho haunt Of the iron-horse.
Taking, ir YOU will permit me, the
counties Of Mccullough, Concho, Mo,
nnrd, Runnels, Coleman, callahan aud
ER. and, as q section for rough sketch
ing, 1 viii lay down the venture al tho
outset that all In ali here Will bo recog
niZed in n day not very far distant,
one Of the most fertile, one or tho most
healthfui and one OF the most prosper
GUS districts in the great State OF Texas.
In Mccullough, Concho and Menard
counties to-day farming ~ but little
thought of; indeed, the 1T gck men seek,
iuEt ~ thsy did around Dallas, not so
many wears ago, 10 discourage
Ig,E 4 fgtI lFEnnnnI la.
and by intelligent mon at that, that
attempts OF farming were eXempliii-
cations OF folly, tor nothing would
grow, Yot l saw open valleys con-
tanning Thousands of acres OF land ~
lair rs ever the sun
rays kissed, nesting between noun
tain ranges that were covered with
ample fuel supply, and seeming 10 in
vie tho advent of the plC4 ard ,hS
plOwmau. Do not fear, either. Ne
will come, and by his Labor and indus
try viii correct the evil report OF the
interested stOckman. There arc Two
facts Just here that are worthy OF con-
siGaration: Tho stockmar haa fed and
fattened on the free open range; his
stock have increased and his pocket
book has grown plothorie, with but lit-
tie cost and less labor 10 himself. The
resistiess tide of immigration, how
ever, following the onward stretch Of
railroads, has warned him that he
must either 10 west or quit; hence bis
struggle. He dies hard and dies game
ps we'll, but tho inevitable must come,
and IL this section, whore
acres high up in the thousands
are hold in tho monopolistic
grasp of the Srszer to the exclusion OF
the plCdding plowman who wants a
cheap home and good ono. DON'T
understand me as tending toward
FREE GRASS OR LAND LEASE
discU ssion. The weather is too warm
for that. am simply aiming TO show
that here. within 200 miles Of Dallas,
is territory of country that now pro
duces nothing, comparatively speak
ing, tor u Texas market, that consumes
comparatively little bought in Texas
market, and that ought to DO to-day
what IL will DO few years hence-s
belt to be proud OF and its business to
be- sought after.
The second point / make is this
change that is surely to come; the
transition Of this country from stock
raising TO agriculture. The
Santa Fe road, now pushing
out into, or rather towsTd,
this portion OF tho State
has already set q good many men 70
wearing stoutly-made thinking caps.
/ conversed not n great while ego with
q gentleman in one of these counties,
whose wires enclos9 G0,000 acres of SUI
Derb land, not 10 acres OF it in cultiya-
ton. Said he: "You won't find six
farms or 200 acres OF plowed land in
all this county now, but have sense
enough to see that this will not con-
tinue to be the case. When tho change
comes ] shall DO prepared 10 meet it;
indeed shall be one OF the first TO in
augurate it. have plan OF my own,
which | think will pay" l asked him
what il was, and he replied: 81 have
for some time recognized the tact that
these
LARGE PASTURES MUST GO,
and the big herds of cattle must
give way to stock farms. L
intend 10 cut my land up
into tracts Of size to enable q man OF
small means to buy, cultivate part OF
1t and raise at the Same time u small
amouut OF STOCK. l shall sell on long
time to mon who will work farms and
feed stock. Our experience last winter
has shown ny that we have got 20 feed
and take care OF Our stock II we want
to carry them over. For myself shall
pursue the same course, introducing
and raising thOroughbreds. I see no
reason why Texans should need to go
to tho old States for fine stock, when
we can produce better here S. home"
asked him why he did NOT make
ready 30 put his plan into operation at
once. s. id he, "rhe lack OF m an IN
the drawback. We feel the financial
depression more keenly than the az
Icultural part OF Tho country does, he
cause we have TO buy every thing-cven
to our flour and bacon, and dOiiar5 are
scarce articles, assure you. | notice
from the papers, and the gentleman is
liberal patron OF printerdOm, that
the reaction Is already beginning to De
felt in the settlements, but the wave
hasn't turned this way yet, nor viii it
for some time. Ii would be folly for
me TO try to sell my cattle under the
present depression, and as for borrow
ing money, excuse me from it.
THE INTEREST RATE ON MONEY
ia lust q ''ieetle" too steep for NO."
Now this conversation took place
before THE HERALD inaugurated it's
crusade against the money tiends.
How he braves and applauds you, [
am eure, in the good work you have
undertaken. There are hundreds OF
others Just like him who will says TO
you, "keep up the fight, don't let the
column waver."
In Coleman county 1 found the
Santa he extension the absorbing
topic. IL seems to be accepted that
the line will be built into if not
through the county right away, but
what particular route IL viii take is
the disturbing stump. The town of
Coleman, when i was there, was on a
verv warm seat of anxiousness. The
people have made up all that they
nave bean told would DO required of
them, but still haunting fear exists
that they will be given the go By. II
they are, look out for efforts in your
direction. They want the iron horse,
and will get 1t, and when they do there
will be opened up a magnificent coun-
try that In q few YoGrs will make itselt