Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-18
TEXAS UNKNOWN.
That is the Truth and all the Truth in
Most Sections of the North.
The People Don't Know We Have Farming
Land-The Manufac turers' Convention
Should do Something.
WICHITA FALLS. TEX. Sept. 10, 1880.
Editor Gazette.
find the following in late copy OF
THE GAZETTE:

THE GAZETTE:
TEXAS NOT ADVERTISED.
MARTINsvIILE, IND, Sept. 4, 1890.
To the Gazette
Being up here in Indiana on a visit. have
made inquiries as to whether or not Texas had
been advertised, in order to induce immigration
from this section, but tina it has not. and few If
any know of the great advantages of our state.
hence the great need OF advertising matter
through this section of Indiana.
Money is lying idle here and cannot be loaned
at per cent. Banks charge s, but not many
borrowers. Those who have money TO loan are
anxious to loan it at per cent. per annum, and
when it falls due they object TO taking the prin-
cipal. as they only want the interest. II Texas
people had such opportunities to borrow money
they would not be compelled to give everything
per month for money and smile at the borrower
as if he was doing him a great favor in letting
him have it at that. j. B. Z.
Having just returned from four
weeks trip through the old states, can
fully indorse all that 81 B. E.' has to
say in regard to Texas as not being ad-
vertised. Nothing would please me more
than to be able to report that everything
was lovely I'D North for Texas and that
our state was "attracting more attention
than any other section and that "the
immigration to Texas this fall and win
ter would be heavY,'' etc.
As l have seen, others have who have
been North this season. 1 am one of
those who think it best for all interested
in the development and settlement of
Texas to know the situation as it is and
not tiatter ourselves that every thing is
o. K. when it is just the opposite.
While North | attended the convention
of railroad travelling passenger and emf
grafton agents-Cf which l am Der
at Buffalo, n. Y 1t must he admitted
that the passenger and emigration agent
is authority on emigration busln ess. At
Buffalo | met and talked with about 100
members of the association who came
from the different states of the Union
and who represented nearly all the differ
ent lines of railroads in the country. L
made it my business to inquire into the
prospects for emigration to Texas this
season. The usual reply was, 'there is
no inquiry for Texas to speak of and the
prospects for emigration to that state are
not at all good. ~
With the exception of few represent
atives from roads in the Southeast states
Tennessee and Georgia), this was the
general answer l received from men
whose business 1t is to keep up with the
passenger and immigration work. Agents
from the Southeast states informed me
that Texas would secure quite an in
crease in population this fall and win
ter from that section. When asked why
it YVES that Texas did not receive more
people from the Middle and Eastern
states the reply would invariably be:
"Texas is not advertised; the people
don I know anything about it as O farm
ing country. People 60 to Washington,
Oregon, Manitoba and other Sec
tons because those states aud their
resources are constantly kept
before them.'' "The people of those |
states and the railroads leading to and |
running through them spend hundreds of |
thousands of dollars in printers ink |
yearly, as well as make low rates for the |
actual settler, and in this way they keep |
the tide going their way.
Now, Dir. Editor, it may be that those |
agents are all mistaken, and that it is as |
some of our citizens report on their re- |
turn from the East, viz: ''That Texas is |
all the talk and that she is going to get |
rush of people and capital from the !
North this season.
l certainly hope they will not be disap-
pointed or disappoint others who are
anxious to see Texas come to the front
After having looked the ground over and
consulting with men who are constantly
in the saddle and on the lookout for i'm
migration business and seeing the letter
from "J. B. E. - and knowing from
experience that the gentleman is right,
could not help asking for space to indorse
his letter and add my observations to
it, with the hope that it may
induce those interested to investigate the
situation and learn whether or not Texas
is advertised as it should and will have
-, :. 20 |
people and capital. AS far as this por-
ton of the state is concerned we are
getting a good class of people and lots
of them from the old counties in Texas,
and can get along very well without any
"rush'' from the old states; but the
question Is, can the old counties and
large cities IN the state stand this heavy
drain on them without securing people to
take the place of those thousands who
are moving here? L think not, and this
is why l think it to the interest of all
that the facts be made known.
In my humble opinion, the convention |
to be held at Fort Worth on the oath
inst. would do well TO enquire well into
the immigration matter and see if
some plan can be decided aud acted upon
by which tide of immigration can be
started to Texas. The factories will be
sure to follow. Capitalists follow the
farmer just as night follows day, and
the money offered to and paid as bonuses
to factories, etc., if spent in securing
farmers to settle and develop the unde-
veloped lands, would indirectly bring all
the factories required, and that too
without any big bonus.
Fort Worth wants hogs for her
packery about to be completed.
You can't have hogs without
you have farmers to raise them. The
same will apply to many other enter
prIses that we would like to see started.
In short, you can't build cities in an ag-
ricultural country without having farm
ers, and lots of them, in the country.
This letter is already too long, but be-
core closing 1 will quote q well-known
passenger agents reply to my question:
What could be done to turn the tide of
home seekers and investors to Texas from