The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-03-27
WE MUST WORK.
How the Future of the Texas Coast
Country Can BE Determined.


Country Can be Determined.
To the Editor OF The Post
Alta Iona, Texas, March 2s.-In writ
Ing UP the necessity of tile draining this
coast land / naturally had to show some
thing OF the dark side of the picture. Now.
with yoiir permission, desire to emu.
nerate some OF the reasons why | have
such unlimited faith in the future PROS
perity OF this particular section OF South
Texas.
Forty years ago the popular cry was
Go west. young man, and grow IN with
'ne country, la Horace Greeley, and
many followed that advice TO their IN
doing, for emigration pushed TOO far west
on the arid plains OF Kansas and Ne
nIaska' and they have been Obliged 10
doubie back and seek homes elsewhere
Inen. the fearfully cold winters I'm Inc
extreme Northwest are driving thousands
from that region to hunt a Blilder cline.
There being no more West ia 20 "a
emigration VIII now NATURALLY turn south.
ana Texas presents the most inviting field
Tor the homeseeker, with its wonderful ma :
turaI resources, Its great variety of soils
climate and products, sufficient to suit ali
classes. But this coast country possesses
peculiar advantages. which il properly I'M
more Intelligent ard onterprising. VINO
are looking for new and growing cities
and country.
Let us look at some of these advau-
tages. The results of the late war with
spaln-without saying anything about the
rlgnt or the wrong OF it--has given us
possessions encircling the world. inside of
the tropics with the completion of shin
canal across Central America--which is a
toregone conclusion. Tom Reed to the con
trary Observation-Disclosures will start a
new line of commerce, around the glonu,
INSIDE the tropics, with our Texas Gulf
ports at the gateway both for exports and
imports
The Cuban and Porto Rican, with their
maehete; the Filipino and the Sandwich
Islander, with their bow and arrow.
whether willing or unwilling viii be rcle-
gated to the rear, and those countries un-
der the magic touch of the white man, 3"
with his steam and electricity. will be
made to produce enormous quantities OF
tropical products, which will naturally
seek the markets of this country
Then. again, that vast body of land ly-
ing between the Mississippi river and the
crest of the Rocky mountains. and stretch
ing north from the Gulf of Mexico to the
British possessions. is the greatest grain
and food producing section of this mum
dane sphere, 1t has no equal in that re-
spect. It is inhabited with the most IN
tellsent, industrious and enterpTising
people upon the face OF the earth and II
Ia only in its infancy, not one half devel-
oped Now, every bushcl of grain, every
pound OF products, of whatsoever nature
| from that region should seek the markets
OF the world through these Gulf ports.
Shakespeare h said: There is a tide In
| the affairs of mon, which, taken at the
| Hood tide, leads on to fortune" That tide
is now right out in front of us. Have we
the enterprise to grasp the situation and
make the most OF our opportunlties7
Houston and Galveston should be made
TO rival Chicago as great shipping ports
and commercial omporums. But don't
for moment let us deceive ourselves iuto
believing that all this will come about
without any effort upon our part. There
must be united. intelligent pulling OF
! every string with that end in view.
! With great cities at Houston and
| Galveston. this intermediate country
| win soon be filled with suburban
| homes Of the wealthy and the refined,
| Which. with our temperate climate and
health giving Gulf breezes win make of
this section Of South Texas one of the
most desirable portions of the United
States,
In another article ! desire TO call at
tenticn to some OF the chief hndraYces
| which have thus far prevented the rapid
| development of this ctsltry In doing so
/ may step on somebody's toes. "If the
snoe nts' let them put it on" S. S, Linn.