The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-19
THE TRUTH ABOUT TEXAs.
Not Much of Paradise in the Big State
It Takes Hard Work There as Else
where to Dig Living Out Of the
Ground, Yet Some People Do
Live in "Dug Outs in Seem
ing Content.
Correspondence Herald and News.

au LOW UI1Ch Al oiNk ONcSAA Oe"AN
lima. I have seen much in the four
weeks out West, as the railroad porters
say, the wild and woody West. My
first experience was at Shreveport,
where the agent sent me nine hours
out of the way to reach my destination,
and from my experience with all Of
the railroad people of Texas, ] have
learned that they 60 on the principle
that 'the fartherest way round is the
easiest way found" for they certainly
do send you around good deal before
YOU can get to your destination. /
saw the great city of Dallas, but was
not tickled to death by the sight. My
impression of the "great and only"
Fort Worth was that it was city Of
great deal of boom about it and not so
much a reality as it was on paper.
Both Dallas and Forth Worth are
somewhat of railroad centres, and bid
fair to be cities of no mean Importance.
They are only forty miles apart, and
the one may have to give way to the
other. There is room for both. The
distance from Fort Worth to Henrietta
is about 100 miles, and is through one
of the most lonesome sections that I
have ever travelled over, sparsely settled
for nearly the entire distance, and
where it is settled it don't appear that
tits making much progress. The prairie
stretches SIS far as the eye can see, and
not tree to break the view beyond the
rolling hills, and not house for miles
and miles. There is nothing in this
section to invite or tempt the sturdy
pioneer to tickle nature to see if she
will smile. One can see thousands of
cattle grazing and running wild appa-
:rently.
"No USE FOR NIGGERs."
My first stop was at Bowie in Mon
aague county. This section seems to be
much better as farming section. This
is new town, being only six or seven
years old. There are several nice busi-
ness houses there, and they seem to be
doing fair business. AT this place l
struck the best hotel I stopped at in the
entire State of Texas. In this town
they permit no colored people to stay.
AS they putt: "We've got no use for
the niggers." And they don't have
any either. It is not congenial eli
mate for them, l suppose, and they
move on ''instanter.' This is the case
in majority Of the towns in western
Texas and the Pan Handle, they told
me. The white people do all of their
own work. There are a number of
white servants to be seen.
MUCH BONES AND BEER.
My next stop was at Henrietta in Clay
county. This county is now eNperien-
cling boom, or they are trying to boom
it, but the boom is fiat. Henrietta, the
county seat, has been doomed to death.
T walked all over the town. Saw some
fine buildings in it, and number OF
them are empty. There were heavy
stocks in all the stores, and no business
doing of any kind that could see. At
this place saw pile of bones as large
as Mr.. Ruff7s shop that had been
gathered on the prairie and were being
loaded on the cars to be shipped North,
or East as they say. The parties that
were loading them told me they were
to go to New York to refine sugar with.
I supposed they were going toafertl-
lizer factory. Which? ? I also saw on
the platform for shipment to Fort Sill,
Indian Territory, over 100 barrels OF
bottled lager beer. 1t is against the law
to sell liquor ofany kind in the terri
tory, but they give beer "tits," Judging
by the quantity at this place.
ENTERTAINMENT BY HOME FOLKS.
Leaving Henrietta at 5 p. M, ar
rived at Belcher, where Mr.. W. 5.
Birge lives, with but one mishap. The
train was stopped by a Texas steer
being on the track and not getting off.
On investigating it was found that he
was fastened in ''cattle guard"
Train hands and passengers bya strong
and a united pull and pull altogether
succeeded in pulling him out, and thus
we were permitted to go on our way.
l would say that they don't seem to
care for cattle out there. counted fifty
carcasses in a run of about fifty miles
on single side of the road. Hundreds
are killed every year by the trains.
You could see them in all conditions
from the freshly killed to the bleaching
skeleton.
GREAT COTTON SECTION.
We had a royal time at "Bro. Billy's,"
and right glad I was, too, to see him.
I enjoyed his hospitality for two days.
He seems to be doing we'll and making
money. He has made some very fine
investments in real estate. His bt tier