Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-15
TEXAS AS SHE is.
Flags-Her Wonderful and Varied Re-
sources and Vast Area
Minneapolis Tribune.

| very lew people III tue great stF6Icu Ol
our Northwestern possessions can realize
the vast area of territory comprised
within the boundary of Texas, the va
rietY OF its productions, its climate and
the character of its people.
The state growth is going on to-day
with phenomenal vigor, and in a COM
mercial sense it is bound to exercise q
great influence in the family of states
that comprise the Union.
When Cortez landed upon the shores
of Mexico, Texas was a loyal subject OF
the Montezumas. With the conquest
of Mexico 1t became a subject of Spain ,
and remained thus for three centuries
until the overthrow of the Spanish rule
| and the independence of Mexico early in
the present century. 1t was q subject of
Mexico until 1886, after which time it
was an Independent republic until 1916,
at which date Texas was admitted into
the union of the United States, aud was
proud member of the Union until 1861.
She then threw in her lot with the
Confederate States and remained so
til 1865, when she became one of the
United States again.
Thus, it will be seen, that Texas has
given allegiance to no less than six diff
| ferent governments and tioated five diff
| ferent flags over her vast domain.
The first English speaking settlers
| were largely from the New England
states. In 1920 Moses Austin obtained
a charter from the Mexican government
and a grant of land, with authority to
establish colonies, and many emf
| grants from the New England and other
states migrated and settled on the rich
| and fertile lands embraced in the grant
| to Austin. These settlements extended
and multiplied rapidly until 1885, when,
| owing to the expressions of the Mexican
| rule, the settlers were driven to revolt.
! Several severe battles were fought and
! the ever memorable massacre of the
| heroic defenders of the Alamo is proud
and mournful chapter IN the history of
that war The Texans war for indie
| pendence from Mexico finally ended ID
the defeat of the Mexicans and the cap
ture of the great Capt. Santa Anna HIM
self. Then for nine years the bonnie
blue flag with single star fioated over
the republic of Texas. Two republics,
| both of whom shed their blood for their
independence from tyrant rule-the
W
eventually absorbed by mutual consent,
and is to-day a proud portion of the
grandest republic the world has ever
known.
In 1916 Texas was admitted into the
Union. Since then its history has been
somewhat uneventful. But few, if any
of the stirring events of the late war
transpired within her borders. The raw
ages and horrors of the war done no in
jury to her, although they scourged her
sister states of the cOnfederacy.
= Texas equals in geographical proper
tons Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and
Illinois combined.
By the above statement the reader will
have some conception of the immensely
of the area of the state of Texas.
Although Texas has an ancient his
tory, it is actually a new state, and its
development more recent than that of
California Until the close of the war
the curse of slavery hung over it like a
pail as it did over the other slave hold
ing states. preventing Northern immi-
grafton and preventing the settlement
of the country and development of its
resources. And again, Texas was sep
arated Gas it is to large extent to-day
from the older states by a vast extent of
unsettled territory.
At the close of the war she had no rail
ways. She had no cities of any i'm
portance and few towns of any conse-
quence. In fact, the birth of Texas may
be dated from the close of the civil war
Since the war Texas has grown to be
the second state in the Union IN point of
railroad mileage, having to-day 1929
miles of completed railroad, Illinois be-
ing first with 9572. A glance at the map
will show that this mileage is nearly all
in the eastern and southern one-third of
the state, leaving the great northern and
western portions yet to be traversed.
In a short time Texas will exceed all
other states IN railroad mileage.
The population of the state in 1880 was
l ,591 ,749, and the census for 1890 will,
it is estimated show, a population of
over 3, 600 900. 1t will take rank as the
fifth, if not the fourth state in the
Union in matter of population.
The increase of population of the next
decade will, at the rate things are going
on, be greater than the past, as the rush
of settlement to the state is greater than
ever, and the political influence which
Texas is destined to weld will be in the
future. by reason of its popular vote,
only second to New York.
holds forth for settlement are combined
with the prolific productions of rich
Southern soil. To-day Texas has over
twenty cities with populations from 10 ZOO
to rs 900.
The state has 400 miles of sea coast.
The Southern Pacific railroad, one of the
great highways of travel and traffic be-
tween the East and California, traverses
her entire length from east to west,
and with the completion of the st. Louis
sDd San Francisco through the northern
portion of the state, she will be traversed
by a second highway to the Pacific ocean.
Two lines extending through the terrific
~ into Mexico.
The trade of California and Mexico
which railroads have already established,
is of the highest Importance to Texas.
When Galveston secures a harbor deep |
enough for the commerce of the world to
enter, it will effect a revolution in the |
transportation problem for the Western |
states. The corps of engineers sent out |
by the government have recommended |
the deepening of the harbor at Galveston |
so that the heaviest sea-going vessel may |