Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-08-15
For the Herald and Tribune.
LETTER FROM TEXAS.
The Empire State as Seen by Former
East TennGSSCAn.
MCKINNEY, TEX. August 6, 1894.

East TenncSScan.
MCKINNEY, Ten, August 6, 1894
Mckinney is of reputation exceed
ingly fair, and will compare in her
make up with the other cities in the
great State of Texas. Texas has little
of every thing, but she has many good
people, and multiplying annually. This
is now and ever will be the greatest
State in the whole Union. They have
here cotton, wool, iron, coal, salt, meat,
bread and all varieties of fruits, etc.
The State is an empire of itself. have
made two tours through Texas, and
yet | can say with all candor, the
country and people grow on ME as l
see and know more of them. If | pro-
posed to farm for living would come
to Texas and locate in these black
prairie lands somewhere and settle
down for life. An industrious, frugal
farmer can do no better anywhere than
here. Home seekers are coming to
Texas rapidly and are well pleased with
her resources. In fact steady flow of
immigration is on, and Texas can &C.
commodate all those who come, besides
give them hearty welcome. The
prospects for Texas crops this year was
never better. With the rain that is yet
to come, the bridge of the future as to
crops will be there when it is time to
cross it. BY precedent this should be
an exceptionally bountifully crop year
in the blood thirsty State. A severe
storm prevailed over large scope of
the country Sunday morning last about
$50 O'Clock. There was considerable
hail in some places and the wind and
rain partook very much of the nature
of cyclone. Many of our people got
up and dressed so as to be prepared in
case the worst come. There was con-
tinual flashing of lightning and loud
rumbling as of train of cars could be
distinctly heard above the roar of the
wind and rain. As hes often been
said, there is no State in the Union
whose history prevents such varied and
romantic scenes as does that of Texas.
Texas is free, independent State, sub
ject only to the Constitution of the
United States, and the maintenance of
our free institutions, and the perpetuity
of the Union depends upon the preser-
walton of the right OF local self govern
ment unimpaired, to all the State
When one looks backward over Texas
history, he sees much for which we
should be grateful to the Great Father
above. During even the last eighteen
years wonderful changes have took
place; cities have grown up on all
sides. The population was then quite
small, but we now number two and q
half millions. Wealth has poured into
our Golfers, railroads were then in their
infancy, but now the iron horse rushes
on his fiery course to nearly every por-
tion of the State. Public education has
made decided progress, but there still
remains much in this line to be done.
Let the boys and girls of this genera
tion fit themselves to take up the duties
that must soon fall upon their shoul
1ers; let them learn to love their State
wisely, not blindly; seeing her needs
and filling them. Let them resolve
that education shall be as free as the
sunlight that floods our Italian skies;
let these things be done, and our Texas
shall shine forth not as the Lone Star,
but as Venus, the brilliant morning
star in the armament of the red, white
and blue. If any one has doubts about
Collier County being the garden spot of
the globe just let him visit its borders
now and gaze over its bounteous fields
of grain, cotton, fruits and vegetables.
Mckinney, the county site, is on tiptoe
with expectation of free and unlimited
coinage of prosperity during the coming
fall which is assured if prices will only
return to the arms of confidence. The
hammer and saw furnish music in
abundance for the citizenship of our
city. If my letter isn't planted in the
waste basket, l. may come again.
May beautiful flowers ever bloom in
the garden of every reader of the Herald
and Tribune is the wish of your humble
scribe. F. E. MCCRAY.