Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-07
PADDING ONES OWN CANOE.

| Undoubtedly the greatest need of Texas
at the present time is a large addition to
her population composed of people capable
of working up and turning to good account
| her ineXhaustible quantity of raw materials
| now lying entirely dormant, and contribut-
| ing nothing:o our prosperity. AS vet CON-
paratively little attention has been directed
to this matter, consequently we have been
neglecting, more or less. one of our most
agitation mas been in favor of drawing in
outside capital, leaving what we have in the
way of home resources lying on the shelf
for future use, as it were.
Outside capital is certainly a good thing
to give boost to the progress of a new
country, but that kind Of boost cannot be
depended upon for permanent progress.
1t is like when the swimmer plunges head
long into the water from some elevated
standing point on the shore. He holds his
hands together in front and when he strikes
the water IS seen moving ahead at u rapid
rate of speed, but unless he begins to kick
with his feet and paddle with his hands he
hausted itself. Again, your friend on shore
pushes out your canoe and gives it lively
Send-off into the stream. The start is fine
but you must not sit back and depend
wholly upon that start. Unless you soon
begin padding your own canoe a drift
pile somewhere down the stream will get
you as sure as fate You must paddle your
own canoe. Everything of this world must
in some way be made self-sustaining. 1t is
the inevitable III al natural laws There IS
no such thing as perpetual motion.
We have in Texas many very important
resources comparatively little worked, as
yet, but the greatest Of these is in the soil.
Texas needs millions more of soil workers
than she can now boast of. She has room
enough for all of them, and resources sufti-
Gent to make them all rich. Let Us, there
fore, bend our energies towards getting
them. The world krows of Texas as one
of the greatest regions on the face of the
globe, ana yet here lies one of her most
wonderful resources Cher soip left almost
wholly out of consideration As a result
Texas is not getting from her soils any
thing like what she ought to be getting.
There are thousands upon thousands of ag-
ricultural people living in less favored re-
gions, who would jump at the chance of
working such soils as we have here did
they know Of them. Why they don't know
of them is much our own fault. When we
go abroad we talk long, and loud, and cor
rectly, about our pushing cities, and our i'm
mense railroad systems, and our great man.
industries. sbut we leave our su-
perior agricultural capabilities mainly out
of mention. The agriculturists of other re- |
gions listen with open-mouthed wonder at |
all we have to say, and when we are |
through they vote Texas great country |
sure enough, while at they same time they |
are left to see our agricultural capabilities |
merely as such things appear in their own !
home looking glasses.
Let US at once change our tactics in this |
matter; or. at least let us add to our usual /
talks about Texas greatness fair show (
ing of Texas agricultural capa abilities. Let |