Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-29
A WONDERFUL CAR.
Commissioner Wilkinson from Texas-A
Live Boom for the Land of Cattle
and Sorghum.
Lewiston (Me.) Journal.

l. MS Is OOiul III isSlOueT W llhluSOu.
Commissioner wilkinson is tall, dark
bearded man of strong physique and
pleasant address.
He Is immigration commissioner of the
Fort Worth and Rio Grande railway
company of Fort worth, Tex, and he
is here with q monster advertising car,
which is side tracked at the fair grounds
and which is open to the pu blc-a grand
show place worth coming far to see. 1t
is next best thing to a visit 10 Texss-the
biggest state of this glorious Union.
\ GENEROUSLY PAINTED CAR.
The outside of the car is deliberately
painted with pictures of scenery and
places of interest in Texas, more espe-
cially those in and about that hustling
city, Fort Worth. A big map on the one
side shows Fort Worth to be the great
center of PA $50 miles of railroad. A
picture close by represents n Confederate
and Union soldier shaking hands, over
them being the motto, ''Let Us Have
Pence 1t is interesting to look at the
car from the outside. Inside, it is filled
TO the doors with specimens of the pro-
ducts of Texas, there being only sufficient
room for the visitor to get about. II is
wonderful collection, including many
fine grains, fruits of great size, remark
ably tall grass and wheat, and fine speci-
mems of tobacco, cotton, wool, and
scores of other things which we have not
the space to note.
AS you enter the beautiful car to look
over the display you will notice among
the preserved products is an ear of corn
sixteen inches long, and near by it pears
weighing q pound and a half each.
Above these fastened to the top of the
car are two stalks of corn twelve feet
long with five ears of corn on them. On
one side of the car are specimens of
Texas grass over seven feet tall.
They get three crops per year, and the
average number of tons per acre is
eight. 1t is no uncommon thing to get
twelve tons from an acre, Col. Wilkin-
son tells US. Specimens of Western
clover are shown, cut the 18th Gay of
last July, which yielded a ton and
half to the acre, second crop
of the season. They call it alfalfa.
Another side of the car Is lined with
specimens of Texas sorghum, which
yields twelve rs 10 the acre. 1t an
swers the purpose for which fodder corn
is used by our Maine farmers. Twelve
tons they call light yield. Pictures are
shown of sorghum fields in which a man
six feet tall could not reach the tops of
the stalks.
1t will be interesting to many to see
the banana plant and hear Mr.. Wllkin-
con explain how the fruit grows. A large
pad first forms and then it bursts and |
lots of blossoms open, each blossom later |
on developing a banana. Specimens of |
the blossoms are shown in bottle at the |
foot of the plant. Texas, they say, is |
very favorable to the raising of honey, |
and the car contains some fine specimens |
of it. A cluster from a pear tree on |
which are eleven little pears is some
thing of a curiosity. Big straw berries
are in the jars and look inviting.
MARvELs OF TEXAS AGRICULTURE.
awe can raise nearly everything YOU
can here in Maine and many things YOU
can 't,'' said Col. Wilkinson to the
Journal this morning. "We can't raise
either blueoerries or cranberries, but l
don't know but wen get round to do 1t
by and by. We've been able to do
everything we've started on so far.
Here is some vinegar made from the
Algeria berry. which grows wild like
your blueberries. Just taste OF it, you
can't find better vinegar. The berry
makes excellent wine also. Here is a
long. Beans grow equally as well.
'Here in this bottle is q sample of our
soil. You see it Is very rich. Great
crops can he raised without dressing.
It's light loan, easy to work and easy
for things TO grow in. Here are the
pecan trees and their fruit, which your
people will be glad to look at because so
many of the nuts are seen here in your
stores. There's specimens of our cotton
and wool. 1t didn t cost the owner of
the sheep on whose backs that wool
grew FIVE cents for feed. The sheep
find a plenty to eat the year. round on
the ranches.
And so Col. wilkinson goes on explain
ing the various specimens in his car. His
wife and family are there with him and
they assist in the work. The colonel is a
Northern man, veteran of the Union
army. Has been in Texas seven years
and is thoroughly in love with the state.
He thinks It's the best place for q North
Prn man to settle. The object of the ex-
hihit is to advertise Texas, especially
that part of it through which the Fort
Worth and Rio Grande railroad passes,
and to create favorable impression of
The state generally.
There is no admission fee to the car.
The whole show is free to all and all are
welcome. Don't miss seeing It.