Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-07
"see Those Vacant Surroundings"

that there is one all-im portant factor OF
permanent growth which, as rule, Is
too much overlooked for their own good
by our young and phenomenally advance
ing cities. That overlooked factor lies
In neglect TO have the immediate sur
roundings of the place keep pace, so far
as relates 10 their agriculture, with the
city's progress.
This statement has no reference what
ever 10 any particular city or any par
ticular region. We find the short-com-
ing mentioned existing in Texas and
everywhere else within the newly -setti-
ing countries of the United States. 1t is
exactly the reverse of how things WORT;
!n the older portions of the world. There
prosperous agricultural region builds
the town, but here the town is built first,
without any particular thought of the
agriculture, leaving the latter TO build
itself on Its own hook, if IT will. Ia
mining regions where from the depths OF
the earth pours q constant stimulus to
city advancement such thing may work
all well enough, but in every case where
there exists no such peculiar feeder to
progress u neglect of the agricultural
surroundings cannot be otherwise than
great mistake.
OF course we can well understand how
IIis Sldlb "a hllhlTs Hdpptu5 " oAlsl
advantageous location for a large city is
discovered in Il new country and lot of
hustiers get possession of the lands.
They tell the word all about the advan-
tages of their location, and if the tale
they tell proves true one on investiRa-
ton, the place grows up like q mush-
room. Everybody knows that great
fortunes have been speedily realized from
Investments made in an embryo city of
future greatness, so everybody wants to
invest. once the Investment is made
the next thought Is to push the young
city ahead rs rapidly as possible, for the
fortunes counted upon are dependent
upon the progrs ss Of the place. So II is
II long pull, Il strong pull, and pull all
together FOR III" city : advancement. 1t
IS certainly :. gerg GOOD kind OF pull to
make Nhs-n there Is really something
solid to pull upon, and where you find
place attaining to any considerable pro-
portions you may know there is some
thing solid. Bu: even in the most
favored locations, cut o, the mining re-
gions. this land specializing stimulus
cannot last always. Every place will
eventually reach the limit OF big profits
IN that objection. II will crystaliZe
down into pertnauency and then o new
class of people will begin looking II over
in search Of Il desirable home for them
selves and their heirs forever. They
Will come to the city over its suburbs.
IL all those suburbs show up IS blank,
30 much unlike the subjects OF
the old places they have left
lat horne, - they will Mt once con-
clude that there must be something
wrong with the country, rendering il
wholly non productive in an agricultural
A ntr,- of hD 40 or ny "a n n
the kind of country they are looking
after, for. in their opinion, q region
without rich mines must depend wholly
upon its agriculture. IL yOu tell them
that the region is one of the best agricul-
turaI regions in the world, even acting
npou full knowledge of the fact that
YOU are telling them the truth. the
whole truth, and nothing but tho truth,
''see those vacant surroundings, Will
greet you az reply, the which viii be
about all that you Will be able to get
from them for your pans. IL will do no
good to argue the case-they will pull
out for other pastures all the same, and
your CITY will TINS lose n contribution TO
one of her best elements of permanent
success.
On approaching the larger cities eaat
OF us, say In GeOrgia, you know where
along the railroad. Thirty miles out the
farms appear closer together and the
farm buildings look better than they
were looking further back. Ten miles
out and the vineyards and orchards set
IN, all appearing 10 be under high state
of culture. Five miles out and the
whole country appears as garden, with
numerous Industrial plants figuring here
and there on the landscape. You almost
feel that Won are i'll town q considerable
time before you begin TO see the city
spires.
How very different it appears as we
approach not Il few of our cities in the
so-called new country, They may be
larger than are those cities of Georgia.
Yuu know there is 8 town somewhere
anead, but you don't know how far
nhead, and from the outlook you con-
Guide it must yet be long way off.
Nothing III sight but open rolling prairie
--beautiful but wild looking vistas seen
from the car window. Not house or
habtatiou in sight unless 1t should be II
very little hut far away on some emf |
hence, the which you decide must be the
home of some cowboy or buffalo hunter.
Where are the buffaloes? They ought to
be seen in great herds romiug over the
distant plains, You conclude, for the
country looks entirely wild enough for
them. 1t may be their meal-taking time
oC day and they have retired 20 some de-
preston in the far distance out of sight
from the train, 10 enjoy their picnic in
quiet But look. What is that? On
wonder distant highlands stands q large
plant of some kind. 1t has a tall smoke
stack but there is no smoke issuing |
from it. Nothing seems to be going on
there II is not saw-mill. for there
are no forests in sight. II Is |
not fruit and vegetable carnery,
FOR surrounding it are no cultivated |
srounds-all open and unoccuped prai-
RE II must be q concern put up for
packing buffalo beef, and its apparent
rest may be due TO the fact that this is
not the packing season. And down by
the side of the high grade over which you
are passing appears dimiuutive hut,
the home OF railroad section boss, you
presume. Away over yonder appears
something else--you can't exactly make |
cut what II is, but il looks like a farm
house with some orhard trees about 1t,
though you can outline no farm. The |
locomotive whistle just now gives out q |
long and mouruful howl, and ere you |