The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-19

could catch one. We passed through
a dog town, but I did not call on the
mayor or make the acquaintance OF
any Of the grandees ofthe town. There
is in this section some fine farming
lands, they tell me.
BEATS NEWBERRY FOR Mud.
After spending two days pleasantly,
I bad adieu to 'William and Mamie"
and their interesting little family and
boarded the train for. Overton; but
alas! I was thirty-siX hours in going
about two EIndred and twenty-five
miles. It was q stop here and lie
over there, and only got to Greenville,
Texas, Saturday morning. This town
is in the "black lands" as they are
called, and the mud sticks to your
shoe soles and wagon wheels like wax.
I saw wagon with two step-ladders
on it stop in the street, and it took
four horses to pulla load Of ten sides of
bacon. The mud will fill up the entire
space between the spokes and hub,
making solid wheel. Started again
at 5 p. M, got fifty miles, and had to
stay all night at Miueola.
THE FIRST SMALLPOX SCARE.
Got to Overton next day at II. There
was quite stir there about smallpox.
This was the town where We expected
to locate, but one day was enough for
me. Messrs. Wyse and Brown had been
there several days. After consulting
we leftand went to Mineola aud located.
We got down to work there, and were
making excellent progress when the
smallpox scare came Oh, and the
quarantine got so strict that business
was almost suspended, and we had to
get out. The town we left (Overton)
had thirteen new cases Of smallpox in
it week after we left, and We learned
that the adjoining county to US was
offering ten dollars day for nurses.
We consider that we made narrow
escape, and "we are glad we are here at
home tonight"
DISADVANTAGES OF LIVING IN TENAS.
There are some sections Of Texas III
which the farmers seem to be doing
very well, but on the whole they are
not in my opinion as we'll of, as are the
farmers in South Carolina. My ad-
vice to every one who is making a liv-
lug here is to stay here, for you can't
do any more there, and the hardships
there as three to one here. Stick to
your forty acres of land and mule in
South Carolina, and don't swap. |
never in my life saw as many poor
people as l saw in Texas, and [ would
say to the women in general, don't go
to Texas unless you want to shorten
your days. y lady with whom talked
said : Texas is a woman killer" Be
warned in time. Let ''do we'll" alone
and stay where you are. There are so
many disadvantages there as rule
over against the few advantages. /
saw plenty Of families living in tent
l1xlG feet, and some living in wagons,
and others living il dug outs" Dug
outs are holes dug in the ground and Il
tent stretched over the hole. Others
are dug in the side of a hill and a door
put in, and that is how they live, move
and have their being. The negroes
here in most instances are better
housed than the white people there
in great many instances. The disad-
vantages are many--the advan-
tages few. They claim as one of
greatest advantages the fertility Of the
soil, requiring no fertilizing, &C., but
they pay from 81 to Sl.25 per day for
work, and 81 per 100 pounds for pick
ing cotton, and other things equally as
high, so when it is all summed up the
farmer in South Carolina with q half 4
bale of cotton to the acre makes about
as much as the average farmer in
Texas, and then there are not near so
many disadvantages here. They have
good schools in most places; in fact,
this is the only advantage that I could
see Texas had over South Carolina. AS
to religion and religious training and
Sunday observance, there is very little
of it as far as l could see. Freight
trains run on Sunday the same as any
other day. Hunting and fishing on
Sunday is what great many engage
in. The first invitation had was to
60 quail hunting on Sunday. 1 de-
clined with thanks.
l attended church in Mineola and
heard the pastor say that when he
came to church that morning he found
fifty children there waiting for some
one to come teach them, and not a
teacher nor an adult in the house.
What sad state. He asked, 'what
are we coming to ." and echo answers
what? How long will it be before
these children will quit coming if their
parents don't go?
FLEECING THE FARMERS.
I would rather have half a loaf.in
South Carolina than a whole loaf in
Texas in some or most Of the sections
that l was in. OF course, there are
some good sections, and it is great
State, aud a good place to make money
if you have money, but to 60 there and