The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-30
The Texas
Coast Country.

the utilization OF the many waterways for
commercial purposes, the extension OF tho
sphere OF agriculture and the making OF
new towns and cities will change the coast
country into one OF the most productive
and prosperous OF the whole Southwest.
What hns been done thus far Is but in
embryo improvements contemplating vast
expenditures are projected which, II pro-
secuted to successful conclusion, Will do
much toward developing the country.
~
The canalization OF the whole interior
waterway route from Galveston to the Rio
Grande has beer the subject of serious
consideration. hlong the whole stretch
OF the Texas coast are wide bays, which
act as basins for the output OF the many
rivers that drain the great State, These
bays are for the most part shallow and
only navigable by vessels OF very light
draft. 1t Is pointed out that by connecting
all the bays and dredging channel
through the chain the whole vast section
fronting on tho bays and the lands on
the rivers that empty into the bays will
be brought within easy reach by water
navigation. A cut OF less than thirty
miles would connect all these bays from
Galveston to the Rio Grande.
The cost OF making and maintaining a
channel would be small In comparison
with tho enhancement in values of lands
and the stimulus such an undertaking
would give to trade immigration and gem
eral commercial interchange. AS all the
lands within twenty miles OF the bay
shores would participate in the advantages
OF water communication and railroad rates
would necessarily be based upon the water
carrying charges It Is believed th4s- the
opening OF this canal would be of more
direct benefit to the whole coast country
than almost any other project so far before
the public for consideration.
~
Lands in the coast country are not only
cheap, but the terms OF sale are easy. The
school system of Texas Is admirable taxes
arc low and lumber cheap. To make a
home in the coast country is easy for any
good Industrious farmer. In no other
state can farmer get so quick return
Melons can be grown on the sod. From
most vegetables two crops a year are as
sured. farmer can maintain his family
and pay for his land while his orchard is
groptng Good prices are paid for live
stock The building OF great packing
house at Houston opens a market ~ the
coast country farmer for his hogs and beef
The wide pralries give plenty OF feeding
ground for cattle while. II n farmer Is
prudent and goes about 1t systematically.
he can fatten his live stock al small cost
with his surplus sweet potatoes, his cotton
seed and his corn.
~
The public road builders have not been
idle In the coast country. In Harris and In
Galveston counties. fine. wide roads OF
she'll, well graded and carefully main
tained are numerous. The agitation for
good roads has spread through tho other
coast country counties and there Is
reasonable assurance that no public Inn
provement will receive more earnest at
tention.
The great majority OF the coast country
towns are but OF recent creation. Many
of them are not yet on the map They
will be, however. when the next general
map Of South Texas is made. Az matter
OF fact the mapmakers will be kept busy
keeping up with the blossomng OF new
towns In the coast country. None of-rhese
towns have had very rapid growth. There
has been no boom; no effort at boom,
The coast country needs no boom. It
stands on It's merits. An Idle farmer has
no more chance there than he would have
elsewhere, but an intelligent. active tlller
OF the soil is sure of success, The pop
ulation OF the agricultural portion OF Har
f!s and Galveston counties has increas,
more rapidly, perhapo than that OF other
counties in the coast country, but that is
merely by reason Of nearness to the cities
OF Houston and Galveston,
49,
The success which has attended SOME OF
the pioneer farmers OF the coast country
lands reads like romance. Colonel II. NJ.
siringfellow sold thirteen acres OF orchard
lands on which the trees were bearing
thirteen acres with young trees and twenty
acres Of unimproved land at Hitchcock
for $4,000. Prof. Linderbers OF Houston
sold eighteen acres OF an orchard for sll.
900 Prof. Shirley was offered s2l, 900 for
nfiy-six acres, only twenty OF which we're
in fruit and six in bearing trees. To be
sure II took nearly ten years OF patient
work to bring these orchards into high
state OF cultivation. but while ne fruit
trees wero growing tho farmers were able
TO support themselves rom the garden
truck they raised in the soil between the
rows Of trees Where is there another
place where land can be bought for al-
most song and where such results are
possiblog
Billiards are unknown. cyclones are I'M
known frost is almcst stranger water
Is plentiful, drainage IA easy when farmers
Cooperate and act in;elllgently and sclon-
tihcslly. fhere Is no danger Of drouth. the
climate Is healthy. the summers. though
l1ns. arc not as hot "a those Of Kansas,
there IA but short mild winter ana II Il
Dossihle 20 work outdoors every DAY Ia the