Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-24
Greer County Affairs.

For the Gazette.
Accept my thanks for your kindness in
publishing my communication on the
question of ''Why Greer County is Set
Ting So Much More Rapidly than It's
Neighbors, - and your friendly criticism.
I never doubted nor intimated that you
did not have what appeared to you TO be
good reasons for the opinion that you eX
pressed viz: ''That the unusually large
immigration to Greer during the last two
years was due to the chance of the dis
puted territory reverting to the Federal
government and thus falling within the
operation of the Federal land laws. -
This l denied, and presented reasons that
satisfied my mind, but you say that they
"oan hardly be accepted as satisfac-
tory - VIII you permit me to answer
some of your objections to my theory?
First, the people who are coming
to Greer, and who make improve
ments, invest their money and undergo
the hardships of development do not re-
gard it as ga mere chance of owner
ship - Many of them have taken the
pains to inform themselves, and have no
fears in regard to their getting the benefit
of their improvements-at least to the
extent of 160 acres-whether Texas con-
tinues to hold it or the Federal govern
ment should gain the possession of it and
it be included in the Oklahoma territory.
They do not believe that the Federal gov
eminent would again send soldiers Gas
was done four or five years ago. and de-
strOy their improvements and drive them
out.
Secondly, you ask if the people of
Greer would be satisfied with an OppOr-
tunity to purchase of the state under the
present terms of sale offered with respect
to the school land. Why did they not
locate in territory within sight of Greer,
with all its characteristics, and where no
difficulty exists in making purchases of
the state under the school land law?
This question shows to my mind that
you are not correctly informed in regard
to the characteristics of Greer. [ pro-
posed your question this morning to four
intelligent gentlemen who have recently
come to Greer and taken claims on a Sec
ton a piece Three of them have ample
means to improve. Their answers were
in substance the same-that it was the
superior natural resources of Greer, and
that they had rather buy a section on the
terms offered by Texas for school land
than to have quarter-sectiOn given to
them provided that they were not allowed
to acquire more by purchase. These men
have good stock, and aim to use labor
saving machinery. One of the natural
advantages that Greer has over her neigh
bors is the abundant supply of water. If
you will look at map you will see this at
a glance, but in addition to the numerous
streams wells are easily made
with no blasting of rock.
Two men usually dig a well in
from one to two days, using only pick
and shovel. l wade a well in the base
ment of my son s house, using a post
hole digger. In about two hours struck
good water. Then taking posthole
augur and splicing it with a two by-four
scantIing, l bored ten feet deeper and
put in cistern pump costing 81 80, on a
one and halfinch pipe sixteen feet long.
The basement is dug three feet. From the
surface of the ground TO the water is ten
feet and the water is ten feet deep in the
hole l tried for half day, with man
to help me, to exhaust the water, raising
one pint of water at each stroke of the
pump lever. Such wells can be made in
many places Wells thirty feet are not
-cOmmon-uSually from ten to twenty
feet. Besides wells and in many places
running springs, tanks or ponds are nu-
merous and are easily made, as in many
places the sub-soil is impervious to water
and wells do not require to be walled
or curbed. I viii shortly send you the
names of leading men and their views on
this question. But what is the signifi-
canoe OF the question? 1t is possible that
we may both be mistaken. have formed
my opinion from conversing with the peo-
pie and from the way they are doing
There is another question involved and it
is with reference to the bearing this has
on that and thus gives it an Importance
which it would not have abstractly, about
which we are perhaps more concerned
and about which we may not materially
differ. If understand you, the Texas
land laws are not entirely satisfactory
and that it would be better for the state
TO give homesteads of 100 acres TO actual
settlers than to sell them at any price in
such a way as to permit them to go into
the hands of spectators and thus retard
the settlement of our vast territory But
how is this to be done? That large tracts
of land held by individuals or
corporations for speculation or TO
be rented are great drawback
to the settlement of country
is too well-known to be denied. l have
seen many illustrations of this. Those
sections where the land is held in such
quantities as the owners can manage 4
without renting, and the population
permanent are much more prosperous
than where the land is owned by persons