Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-07-14
LETTER FROM t,ExAs.
lexaS vs. Tennessee--Its Grtat Size and Re-
markable Productlyeness.

AlaDama, georgia and South Carolina
then there will bo twenty million acres
left for a garden spot. That being the
case, there is great diversity of eli
mate, soil and productiveness. 1t Il
first in area, first in production of cot.
ton, first in number of sheep, cattle,
horses and mules raised, fourth in
wealth and is close contestant with
Missouri for the fifth place as to popu.
lation. The State ia divided into 247
counties, Of which twenty one are un.
organized Some of the COUNTIES are
nearly twice as large as iae State of
Massachusetts,, and nearly every legis.
lsture creates new counties by cutting
up some Of the older ones. Texas oc.
cupies ten and one half degrees of
latitude and fourteen degrees of longi.
tude, and has almost every variety of
soil and climate, producing abundant
ly almost any agricultural product
known to the North American cont.
nent. The mineral RESOURCES include
coal, iron. petroleum, copper, lead,
gypsum, potters clay, fire clay, kaolin,
limestone and cement material, marls,
nearly all varieties of building stone
GRANTEES and marbles, manganese,
some gold and silver, and large guam
titles of salt wells, salt lakes and beds
Of salt rock.
General custom has given the State
five geographical divisions-North,
South, East, West and Central Texas
to which may be added Northwest
Texas, which embraces the Panhandle,
and Southwest Texas, which includes
the extreme western portion of the
lower, or coast country.
The difference in climate may be
conjectured from the fact that the dis.
tance from Texarcana, on the eastern
border, to Ell Paso, on the western, is
about the same distance as from New
York to Chicago, and the southeastern
corner of the State to the northwestern
one thousand miles in straight line.
The country lying east of the ninety
sixth degree of longiture and north of
the thirtieth parallel of latitude, known
as East Texas, is marked by the heavy
growth of timber principally pine, oak
and hickory.
The territory west of the timber re-
gion and north of the gulf coast is
vast open plain composed of gently
rolling praries and gradual elevations,
dotted by AN occasional mott OF timter
extending to the Red River on the
north and the mountain ranges OF the
west and northwest.
The water courses and ravines usu.
ally fringed with growth of hack.
berry, ash, elm, cottonwood, pecan,
walnut and various oaks.
West and northwest lie the hills and
mountain ranges of the State. In the
extreme northwest is the elevated table
land, formerly known as Lano Esta-
cado, or staked plains, but now desig-
mated as the Panhandle of Texas.
The western portion of the State usu
ally can not be relied upon for full
crop every year, as it is more subject
to drouth than the eastern part, but
there is no year that there is not an
abundant crop in large portion Of the
State. The very best of iron ore is
found, also coal in abundance, but
said not to be of the very best quality,
hut good enough for ordinary purposes.
Every plant or vegetable grown in Ten.
nessee can be grown here in some parts
of Texas, and many that can not be
grown in Tennessee at all are grown in
the southern part of Texas. In the
southern part we scarcely ever have
frost from the last of February until
the latter part of November and some
times Christmas. We have vegetables
all the year except about about three
months in winter, and sometimes Of
very dry seasons one or two months in
summer they are scarce. Bro. D. you
are good at guessing. You said must
be disappointed married man or
sour old bachelor. You are right. There
are fully dozen of US fellows around
here and we enjoy ourselves we'll, too.
The prettiest farm ever saw, ten acres
Is owned by one of US and he has more
flowers around his house and yard than
any one ever saw. Two others are
cultivating fifty acres cotton, three
Others 130 acres, two others thirty
acres, another twenty five acres, an.
other owns 1900 acres Of land, had 300
acres of sod broke last winter and has
that and about 200 acres more under
cultivation, and am cultivating fifty
two acres cotton, ten of US have 800
acres In cultivation. We enjoy our.
selves and try to make those happy
who are lucky enough to fall In with
US, so that when we are gone it can not
be said the world is no better by us
having lived in it. Say, Bro. D., I've
heard it said that certain Queen said
If she could have the care of one gen.
Grafton Of children until certain age
i believe it was seven years-she
could have kingdom or queendom
just to suit her notion. Now If that be
true why don't our good women at the
baby box train up esch baby to be q
prohibitionist in early childhood and
not wait till she has the opportunity