Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-02-04
FROM TEXAS.
HrrcucooK. GALVESTON. COUNTY, !
TEXAS, Jan. 20, 1898. !

| EDITORS NEWbs Uh tSN P,S~"S
allow me space In your paper for
short letter TO my friends, thinking
that some Of them would like TO hear
from the coast country OF sunny
Southern Texas.
left your little city Dec. % during
severe cold weather and arrived here
the next night, finding roses in bloom
and vegetables growing in the gar
dems. Hitchcock is situated on the
Gulf. Colorado and Santa Fe railroad,
IL miles west of Galveston, seven
miles from the bay aud 40 miles from
| Houston. Ii is II settlement OF small
farms of from 10 TO 70 acres each.
The people are engaged exclusively in
gardening and fruit growing for the
Northern markets. Ihcy are turning
their attention to Strawberries and the
cultivation of the pear tree, which so
far has been great success here, the
only place known in the United States
where blight has not affected them. |
visited the Stringiellow pear orchard
Ut Hitchcock IN company with gent
llcnan who had recently been in the
great fruit section OF California, but he
said that without doubt this was the
finest pear orchard he had ever seen.
Mr.. Slringfellow first introduced the
pear tree in Southern Texas ten years
ago. People laughed at him for ex-
perimenlng in salt marsh, As they
termed il then, hut he went right
ahead aud sci out 1000 pear trees and
today has one OF the finest pear orch
ards known, which is visited every
week by train loads of excursionists
from the northern and eastern states
who express themselves as delighted
with this country, especially the eli
mate. Mr.. Strngiellow averaged $500
per acre net profit last year and only
had what he called half crop. Pears
sold for So a bushcl in the home mar
kcts of Galveston and Houston.
| have purchased piece of land
here and will set ont all orchard right
away which in five years | expect to
be more valuable than an orange
orchard in California or Florida of
the same size. While orange growing
may be overdone the pear will never
be owing to the small scope of coun-
try in which il can he successfully
grown and the many ways in which IL
can be used, while oranges can only
be eaten from the trees. Oranges and
figs also do well here.
| was told before | came here that
the . God land was all improved and II
poor man got home he would have
to take the swamps, and those were
filled with alligators. | want to say
that that is all false. We have AS
pretty prairie country, with Il black,
sandy soil, as the sun ever Shome on.
Ii looks perfectly level, hut there are
bayous extending out from the bay
which drain the land very well. There
is Il sub-irrigation only six feet from
the surface which affords abundant
moisture. Ariesian wells can easily
be had here from 200 To 700 feet and
Ordinary well from six 10 fifteen feet.
Cislern water is mostly used for drink
in@ purposes.
The climate has no equal. We are
now enjoying spring weather, people
are making garden aud straw berries
are in blo0m. There is not mouth
in the year hut that something can he
crown for market. This is healthy
country, no malaria. We have no
doctor here, none needed. A better
place for the cure of rheumatism eau
not be found.
TO make gardening and fruit grow
ing more profitable we want more
people engaged in the business here so
we will be able to ship in larger guam
titles, in refrigerator cars and tram
load lots. Hitchcock expects TO ship
three Cur loads of strawberries per
week this year. Strawberries begin
ripening about March l and the sea-
son lasts up into May. Unimproved
Iand can I've bought for from $25 to
500 per acre. Improved farms are
worth from $3.50 to $500 an acre.
Galveston is the second largest cot
ton port in America. The south jetty
will be completed this year and will
give Galveston deeper water. 1t now
has 10 feet aud ships drawing l5R feet
are coming and going every day.
Galveston has four lines OF railroad
and the NJ. X. & T.. will soon be run
ming there also. The Rock Island and
Southern Pacific roads IRE trying to
get into the city.
No better spot can be found by the
investor or home seeker. Galveston has
the markets of the world on one side
and One-halt of the United States on
the other. A wagon bridge is being
built across the bay to connect the city
with the main land. 1t will be two
miles long and will be completed by
fall. This will undoubtedly increase
the price of land, so I would say to
anyone thinking of coming to this part
of the country now is the time TO come.
If Won want home " here the climate