The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-05-07

/
oeives eighteen or twenty dollars per
month and his board.
We talked with man who had been
merchandising in Texas for O long
time. We asked him IL no sold Tor
cash or did credit business. He said
he had gone broke three times by Civ
ing credit, but he had adopted the cash
system or it's equivalent. That he took
mortgages on cattle, wagons, musical
Instruments, etc., and generally at the
end of the year he took it all in. That
sounded very much like South Caro-
lima. The rate of interest on money is
high, eight and ten per cent. 1t is
strange that country 80 rich labors
under such disabilities.
Now, what we have said about Texas
ls our honest opinion, formed by wha t |
wc were told and what we saw. Tint
it is magnificent farming country all
will admit. Why is it, then, that the |
farmers are not all rich, or at least in
dependent. We can't sny for certain,
but we believe that crop failures are
more disastrous in Texas than they
are with us. When they make Il good
crop they make it all, and when they
fail they lose nil. we were told that
Texas has suffered from hard times
since cotton began declining several
years ago, just as we have suffered from
| the same cause.
a great many farmers went to Texas
on this trip from Anderson County.
They had heard so much about Texas
and its rich lands, that they wanted to
see with their own eyes, and look ut
the situation on the spot, and if things
looked favorable they might possibly
sell out and move to Texas. Friends
and relatives living in Texas
said to them if they had gold
farms in Anderson County and were
fairly prosperous they would probably
do as we'll to remain ut home.
In conclusion we have this to say
five were young man eighteen or
twenty-one years old, and without a
home here, we would go to Texas or
Oklahoma. The possibilities for a
young man are great. Labor is in
great demand, and ct fair wages. By
working hard and saving his earnings
he could in time buy farm and be
independent for life But for the
middle-aged man it would, we believe
be suicidal to pull up stakes and &c
West The change in water and eli
mate might prove disastrous.
NOTES.
The people Of South Carolina ought
to be much obliged to Texas farmers
for being lazy and not knowing how te
farm. In fact it is not necessary tt
know how to farm out there. The LAND
is 80 rich that they just SOW things anC
they grow. II they cultivated theil
crops and put the amount Of work upo1
them we are compelled to do in Soutl
, Carolina it would aoon be goodbye K
, cotton in this State. We would have
to find something else to do and give
: up cotton. The black lands of Texal
will, We believe, produce two bales o.
cotton to the acre if the seasons ar
pr0pitious and worked by South Caro-
, lima farmers.
, We have often wondered why it wa
, that Texas, which produces over one
? third of the cotton crop, had no cottol
! mills. The reason is plain now-they
, have no labor to furnish cotton mills
, Why should poor people go into thi
, mills, where they would be compelled
, to work ten or eleven hours day
when for six months in the year tn,
| women and children can. go into tn
cotton fields and earn from one to tw,
{ dollars a day picking cotton. Unit
Texas becomes more populous she can
{ not go into the manufacture of cotton
, There is one cotton mill at Dallas an,
! one at Sherman, we believe, but the,
: are small affairs.
E Texas raises thousands OF cattle, an,
8 occasionally we would run by a cattl
pen by the side of the railroad where
/ thousand head were being slipped t.
: market, but we were not much I'M
!, pressed with their appearance, bein
: sMal! and only in fair condition. Their
may be fine cattle out there but W
+ failed to see them.
The farm mules and horses we sny
l at work in the fields were inferior
4 those on the farms in Anderson County
! the mules being small and the horse
: on the pony order.
I 1t was quite novelty to most of u
q to see the sulky plows at work in tn
Q fields, the man sitting on q spring sea
t under big umbrella. No wonde
r Texas farmers are said to be lazy.
On our trip going and coming W
9 passed through a portion of India
h Territory, which the U. 8. set apal
8 for the exclusive use Of the Indian!
] The country in undeveloped, and VI
suppose will always remain 80 If lei
9 to the Indians. Their villages alon
l the road are dilapidated, tuInble>dow
: looking affairs, and If the gcvernmen
+ did not 1o0lr oSfor <t,oU, xy.> or,~coc