Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-20
THE REASON FOR IT.
Why the People "Drift" to the North
west Instead of Coming to Texas.
II the Roads Would Pull for the Southwest
and Texas as They Do for Other Sec
lions It Would be Different
FORT WORTH, TEX, April IS, 1890

FORT WORTH, Tex, April Is, 1890.
To the Gazette.
elf Texas were located where Kansas,
Nebraska or Iowa are it would have all
been settled up by this time. The people
have drifted to the Northwest and some
Of them ventured too far So says
Jay Gould in late interview which was
published in the Dallas News. One who
is not posted on the workings
and policy of the different rail-
roads in the different sections of the
country would infer from what Mr..
Gould says that the people naturally
"drifted to the Northwest of their
own accord instead of coming to the
Southwest. Had Mr.. Gould gone litzs
tie further and explained why the psgT
pie moved to the West aud Northwest
instead of coming to ;Texas
it would have been interesting reading to
the people of this state.
MIR. Gould could have told us that the
railroads of the West and Northwest made
a speciality of the immigration work; that
they thoroughly advertised their country,
spending hundreds of thousands tof dol
lars yearly for this work; that they Of
fered every inducement possible tie new
settlers and assisted and encourage4the
after they located in the way Of giving
them low rates on lumber, seed, grajHs
feed and fuel, that they gave them very
low rates to go and look at the country
before purchasing homes, that the ma
joritY of the people who are now living
in the West and Northwest were
carried there for cent
per mile, and often times
for less rate; that roads having land
grants refunded to the settlers the money
paid for freight on household goods and
stock when the settlers purchased land
from the railroad company; that they
issued thousands of free passes to repre-
sentative men to go and look at
their country; that they employed
hundreds of men to travel
through the old states and Europe
whose business it was to advertise the
West and Northwest and solicit immigra-
ton for it; that those men were supplied
with abundance of printed matter and
with power to cut rates, give passes, and,
in fact, instructions to secure the people
regardless of rates or expenses. Yes,
dear GAZETTE, Mr.. Gould could have
told us of all this and much
more of the same kind of information,
but perhaps he overlooked il. Let us
hope that he will give Texas the same
''medicine' that the railroads have
given other sections for years, or even
give US the same rates for immigra ton
purposes that Kansas, Nebras-
ka and Colorado are having
to-day and have had for the
past four weeks. If the Texas and Pa
cifo, Houston and Texas Central, Inter
national and Great Northern and Gulf,
Colorado and Santa Fe will dc for Texas
what the Fort Worth and Denver has in
the way of immigration work We would
soon see Texas settled by a good and in
dustrious class of people. The roads
named, with the exception of the Fort
land grants from the state,
hence there is no excuse
for those roads not doing as the roads Ia
the West and Northwest have. If Mr.
Gould would lead off in this work, which
it IS but proper he should, no doubt the
people on the line of the Texas and Pa
cific would join him in the good work,
just as the people on the line
of the Denver have that road.
The policy of railroad has great deal
to do with the prosperity of the country
through which it runs, and if the COM
pany meet the people half way they will
do their part. Folks are folks, regard |
less of where you find them, and it is
safe to say that the people on the lines
of the Texas and Pacific, Gulf,
Colorado and Santa Fe, Hous- |
ton and Texas Central and |
the International and Great Northern
railways are just as progressive and |
liberal as those on the Fort Worth and |
Denver. All they want is the same |
management and liberal policy as is pur-
sued by the Denver, to induce them to |
WORK and spend money for immigration |
aud other work. A pull together by the |
people and railroads Is all that is wanted |
to settle and develop Texas. X. X.