The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-01-11
A Voice from Texas.
What an Old South Carolinian Has to Say
of the s'Prairie Land.''
COLEMAN CRY, December IS, 1887.

! COLEMAN CITY, December IS, 1887.
EDITOR MANNING TINES: As it has been
almost three years since I left your county,
and have been on the go nearly all the time
looking for the Eldorado, [ will give You a
descrip ption of where I've been and what I've
seen. If you think it worthy Of your ralua-
BILE space, you can use it, ii not, conslgn 1t
to the waste basket.
I left Lake City January Sc for Texas, and
arrived at Corsicana, the objective point, 10
due time found il to be 4 live little city,
full of energy and push, surrounded by the
most beautiful prairie country L ever saw
Twelve years ago cattle Was almost the eX-
elusive industry, only now and then 4 farm,
but with immigration came the piow ana
the hoe, and to-day Navarro IS one Of the
best agricultural counties in the State. Cor
sicana alone handled over $4,000 bales OF
cotton last season, besides a splendid wheat
and oat trade. Farm hands areh!n demand
at $3.50 to $500 per month and board.
Almost any farmer is glad to furnish land,
team, and implements and feed hand and
team, and give you half you can make and
house. The land is very fertile. With GOOD
seasons the yield IS % 10 so bushels corn,
l,200 to 1,5OU pounds Of cotton, 40 to 10
bushels OF oats, and from s to Ii bushels OF
wheat. Farming land is worth from Sl2 10
$50 per acre; the black landis practically IL
exhaustable, the soil measuring from I'VE to
twenty feet. Some farmers have to haul
water, but generally they have wells and
tanks convenient to the house, and general
" wood enough on the farms for all purpos-
es; some may have to. haul as far as six miles
but that is always done in the time when
the roads are rs hard as brick, and it ain
as big job as you people think; ali the
fencing is done with w!re.
After visiting several places OF note ID
Guest of good location, lhave ct las; settled
in Coleman county for the present. 1t wont
be long until the stock viii have to move on
west. If my advice is worth an thing to
home-seekers, they should by all means
come as far west as Brown coaIt3; land IS
cheaper and just as good, with cuttel for
stock. The only difference lseeiS, we don
have quite as much rain, but we can stand
the Srouth so much better If we can have
good stock, and the rain is only question
of time; as the land is cultivated the rains
increase. State School lands. classed as
agricultural land, is worth s. on thirty years
time some Of the pretJ!est valleys ever saw
the soil is black and "a yellow loan sandy
soil. Farm land improved IS worth FROM
S3 to $40 per acre in any size tracts and easy
time A few years ago this county was all
open and now nearly the whole county Is
under fence, and plenty Of farms starting.
This is the poor mans country; the grass IS
very nutritious and will keep stock IN good
order, with moderate use.
lind can live cheaper here than II South
Carolina; not enough people in the county
to hinder time to visit, and not necessary to
put on so much style. The morals OF this
State will compare tavorably with South Car
olna. All this talk about having to carry
six-shooter and dirk is all bosh; the socie-
ty is not as refined as it might be, but clev-
er, hospitable and generous as any people l
ever saw. One of the most desirable features
in our society is the absence Of all prctense
at fashion and female rousters with aristo-
cratic notions. The ladies do all Of their
work with few exceptions, and families that
are worth $4,000 to 100000 don't put on
as much style as the family Of some retail
clerk in South Carolina who lives on saia-
~ of S35 per month We have churches
and schools in almost every settlement. Our
free school system is the best in the South; in
many places running 10 months in the year.
l spent the year 1885 in Florida looking
for an easy Job, and big money. I took il
the whole State and have talked with many
people from California, who left Texas to
get rich in short time, and find IN every
instance they wish they had stayed here;
and between Texas and Florida for the poor
man, We have many advantages to offer
where Florida has none.
I would say by way of warning to the
young men that all the soft jobs are taken,
and the only chacce to climb the ladder to
fame and fortune, is by grit and muscle
As this is my first attempt at writing up
Texas, I will quit for this time, lest | weary
the patience OF the reader. Although feel
that have but poorly described the beauty,
fertility, and advantages of our county. You
will-haTe to come and see it to appreciate 1t.
| With many warm wishes for the. prosperity
of my friends in old Clarendon, remain
4 TEXAS.