Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-11
HOW TO sETrLE TaERANr.

In the course of a conversation with one
Of Fort Worth's most prominent business
men some days ago that gentleman said he
had in mind plan that if carried out would
settle up Tarrant county more rapidly than
anything else yet suggested. 1t was en-
tirely feasible, and wholly within the reach
of our citizens could concert of action be
secured
His plan was for the business men Of
Fort Worth, and others, to chip together
and build eight good macadamized roads,
each extending eight miles out from the
city through the best agricultural lands in
the county, sixty-four miles Of road in all
OF course It would cost considerable money
to build these roads, but he thoughtit could
be done easily enough. The eight roads
would not cost near so much as sixty-four
miles of railroad, as a railroad called for
heavier grading than would be at all nee
essary in this case, and we would not hes
itate for moment TO build sixty-four miles
of railroad if we thought such road would
settle up the county. In no other region
perhaps could good macadamized roads be
so cheaply built, as every cut necessary to
make would supply all the stone needed,
and of the very best quality. He thought
it would be possible to raise the required
capital Immediately in the city. was such
such course would not be nee
essary, as the large land owners
along the lines, to whose special interests
the roads would be, would contribute
largely to their construction. If they hap
pened not to have cash to contribute
they could contribute lands, which would
be all the same, for lands along the lines
would become the same as cash SO soon as
the roads were finished.
The gentleman's reasoning as to results
showed that he had digested the matter
thoroughly, and had thorough knowledge
of the prosperity insured by such roads in
other sections of our common country. He
said the class of farmers needed by us were
farmers who farmed to make money. Such
farmers, when they came to an undeveloped
region with view to location, invariably
took into consideration the means offered
of getting their products to market If they
found the region without good roads they
went On to look somewhere else, and never
came back again. But these roads would
draw every time. Il city in Texas with
fine macadamized roads leading off in every
direction would be peculiarly attractive,
and h ence the lands along them would be
wanted by well-to-do class Of far ners. In
word, they would bsrapidly taken up and
the county would be settled in the shortest
kind of order
Eventually these roads could be ex-
tended, and branches built off from them
as necessity called for, until not cultivat-
able acre in Tarrant was left unoccupied.
As to how the roads would be kept up
could be made an after consideration. No
doubt the farmers settling along them
would arrange that matter in their own
way The main thing would be to first
build the roads and put them in good condi-
ton, then get out nice map of tine county
showing where the roads ran, and some
thing Of the cheap but frst-class lands
bordering them. Such a map would bring
thousands to see how it was for them
selves, and quite a large proportion of those
prospectors would buy homes and stay.
For our own part, we consider this idea
a very good one, and one if put into shape
as reality, that would soon bring US a
dense rural population. The prosperous
farmer is not so much looking after con-
venient railroad facilities as he is after
good roads over which ne may do his own
hauling with his own teams.