The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-10-26
BILL ARP'S TALK.
Arp Writes About What he Bees In tho
Lone Star State.
atlanta Constitution.

Lone Star State.
Atlanta Constellation.
Just think of it-Georgia has been set.
tied over 200 years-has been in the Un'
ion 1l6 years. Texas achieved her in
dependence in 1885 and was admitted
into the Union ia 1845 and here she is
in her full manhood and abreast with
any of her sister States in che East. Her
progress has been wonderful for she has
no seacost to speak of and for years she
was beeet with savages aud specked with
outlaws and desperadoes who had fled
from Justice in the older States-where
they have all gone to do not know, but
you can't find more peaceful, law 'abid-
ing population anywhere than you now
find in Texas. More than that you
cam. find a people more advanced in
civilization, more hospitsble, more will
ing to give and take. The press and
pulpit are the best indexes of commu.
nifty, and you can't find better editors or
better preachers anywhere. Somebody
laid the foundations of this common
wealth broad and deep, and I am proud
20 know that Georgians had good deal
to do with it. Mirabeau Lamar and
Rusk were both Georgians. Miss Vir'
ginia Troutman, of Macon, made the
first lone star flag and presented it to the
company who came out here to avenge
the massacre of Fammin and his COM
rades, who were Georgians. From that
flag Texas took it's name as the lone star
republic in 1885. Mirabeau Lamar was
the hero of San Jaciuto To him Santa
Anna delivered his sword when he sur.
rendered. He gave it to his nephew
Larvissier Lamar, who lived at Cedar.
town and whom I often saw in Rome.
He died in the house of Judge Borders,
at Cedartown, and through gratitude for
his kindness gave him the sword. Judge
Borders refused to part with it, though
often importuned, but now he is dead
and as some of his sons settled in Texas
it is believed that the sword of Santa
Anna will be presented to the State by
them. That is right. They ought to do
it and I believe they will.
Of course eastern Texas became set
tied first, for it was more like Georgia
and Alabama and Tennessee. There
we're woods and running water and the
soil was mixed with sand and clay, but
in later years the settlers ventured into
the prairies and railroads followed them
and more immigrants followed the rail.
roads. The cry Is still they come. Every
train brings them, but the broad acres
seem boundless and the infex Of thou
sands seem to make but small impress
sion. The capabilities OF single Coun-
ty are just immense, for there are no
mountains, no hill sides, no poor lands,
no waste. At Mexia they market
80, 900 bales of cotton and it is ell made
in Limestone County. At Ennis they
market 10000 bales aud it is made in
Ellis County. a cotton man told me
that nobody need depend on short crop
in that region, for it never happened.
For fear somebody may be deceived let
me say that Mexia is pronounced Ma.
hayer, with accent on the second sylla.
ble-and Bexar is pronounced Bayer--
aud Slaeo is pronounced YannorMexia
has only 5000 people, but you would
think i. had 10000 from the signs. The
town is covered with wagons aud the
cotton bales cover acres Of ground. The
railroad can't take it away as fast as it
comes. Every store is occupied and
everybody at work. They have the best
of schools and teachers, and don't owe
their preachers a dollar. Their ceme-
terry is adorned with gravel walks and
flowers and evergreens. Trinity college
is not far away and 1 mot about fifty of
the young men and their honored Presi.
dent, DR.. Cookeren. II alarms me and
humblas my pride to stand up before
such cultured audiences as I find in
Texas.
But cotton is not all that you find in
these cotton regions. There WAS Coun.
ty fair in full blast at Minneapolis, and
the exhibits of corn and oats and hay
and potatoes were splendid. The horti.
cultural display surpassed anything that
we can show in the East, and as for pol.
itics it is as thick as the leaves Oh the
trees or the grass on the plains. Every.
body reads it and talks it, but nobody
gets mad. The Dallas Meaos and the
Fort Worth Gazette and the Houston
Post are everywhere. I heard Farmer
Shaw speak at Athens to large crowd
of Hoggites. I don't think there were a
dozen Clark men present. They won't
go unless there is a joint discussion.
Farmer Shaw made capital speech and
I congratulated him and said it was the
best speech I had heard since had been
in Texas. BE thanked me-and then
asked Who else I had heard and l said
nobody" Next day heard negro
preacher talk for Clark. he said he was
born in Scotland, educated in Canada
and naturalized in Texas. He tore his
hair and cavorted around smartly and
used big words like sheckaua and Cher
abin and Seraphin and said that anybody
who said he was speaking for revenue
only was liar.
One thing he said vas impressive. "I
thank God," said he, "that the time has
come, the losg expected time, the first
time in the history of our race where the