The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-03-28
FROM ABROAD
And IIomeSeekers Tell How They Are
Pleased
WITH HOUSTON AND SOUTHERN TESA'
The "BIix,srd- Northwest in Con-
trast with the Genial southin""'
The Mcnnonitcs.

Judge A. B. Balcom Of Blue Earth
MINI. came to Houston yesterday II was
his second visit to the coast country ana
he now proposes TO make Houston ms
winter home. The judge said to Post
reporter I'VE of the far Northwest are
more and more enamored Of the climate
of the South and another such winter as
ave have Just passed through will ent'ee
thousands to try your more genial climate
II liked Houston when | was here be-
FORE" said the judge, but now | per-
celve the quickened movement that mas
been given TO all business by the appio-
priation tor deep water Just obtained This
viii again advertise Houston among our
people, for We of the Northwest arc equally
interested with You in securing another
deep water port on the gulf
~
Hon. Henry A. Smith, member for the
past four years of the Kansas legislature
is in Houston from his home at WILLS
Kan. He was with the excursion party
r.,
until he had seen the Texas metropolis
Today he will examine tract OF 1000
acres, of choice land near Houston, upon
which he expects to locate home for him.
self and family OF grown children. lie
and Colonel w. b. Slosson Of this city
were neighbors in Northern Kansas Tor
over thirty years and will probably again
be neighbors in the Sunny South in the
/ future.
! Hon. w G. Francis. who has for the
( past eight years been connected with the
Continental bank of Chicago, came 10
Houston yesterday from Dallas and is a
/ guest of Colonel w B. Slosson of this
| city. Mr.. Francis has been for some time
contemplating the establishment of bank
in some of the growing towns of Southern
Texas and he and Colonel Slosson will
today visit several localities with this
end in view There Is always room in
South Texas for such men as Mr.. Francis
~
Mr.. John P. Klaassen and Franz Helm
ricks. members of the Mennonite colony oil
Fort Bend county were in the city yes
terday and made The Post a pleasant call
These gentlemen were among the trusted
committee who helped to select the foul
Mennonite colonies near Houston last year
To Post reporter Mr.. Helnricks said
Our people are well satisfied with the
change from Kansas. and one great reason
is we have better land at one-third the
price of the Kansas land. The climate suits
us-no such terrible winds and no Goa
bills. We are very healthy here. II |!
Just the country for poor people, as wo
do not have to feed our cattle half the
months in the year. In March l see nearly
all the children barefooted.
In our fifteen months residence il
Texas" continued Mr. Heinricks, II have
broken up 40 acres of prairie fenced II
my farm of 307 acres and have alread!
planted twenty acres of corn. twenty acre!
of millet. and have seventy acres OF cot,
ION land ready for planting. besides hav,
put up two tenement houses, put dowr
two wells and when | sell off my tive
farms in Kansas shall certainly invest thu
money in these cheap lands and improve
ments in this coast country of Texas. w,
go out to the creek that borders the land
of our colony fishing. Last Monday VI
caught some very fine ones, one weighed
thirty-nine pounds, some of the cells wer
fine; and one thing I notice that fish ant
oysters here are very plentiful and Away
fresh We are much pleased with our new
home"
~
more of our people are coming. The terri
bic hard winter in the North and the larg
amount of sickness there, while we are S.
healthy here, are strong arguments 70
new settlers IN Texas. / have broken III
over 100 acres, put UP good two-stor,
house and barn and have the house paint
cd. and did what was said could not b
done in this country, made a good dry un
foreground cellar under it all. | have Sc
out good orchard, planted thirty acre
of corn now UP and nearly ready to pillow
my oats are about eight inches high an
my live acres of kaffir corn and sorghum
look we'll my five acres of sweet po
tatoes are up and growing nicely, We &c
from 200 to 400 bushels per acre. GU
Mennonite people have now good churc
and school of siXty-fve scholars and a
we have bought land with a soil rich, blac
and six feet deep for $40 per acre, bette
and nearer market than the s35 acre Ian
We left in the North, you can not wonde
that we are contented.
We asked Mr. Slosson to investigate an
see if we could not raise wheat here, a
our Mennonite people have always raise
wheat. He did So and published in TIL
Post statements from farmers that whea
could be raised here and now we are try
! ing it, This year our wheat is now NOR
Than foot high, and l never saw a NOR
thrifty crop. When We show that thi
Is wheat country we shall have hundred
more to come from the North and ais
} from Europe here.
, Next week" continued Mr.. Klaasser
II intend to go to Kansas to attend
church gathering. and will bring som
more OF our people down to Texas. w
. nave made the Santa Fe the official route
and that company has treated us so we
and given us such a good writeup in thei
coast country illustrated book that W
feel like staying by them"
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