Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-04
VIEWS OF SOUTHERN TEXAS.
The cImate-The crops-The Oil
Field-The Great Rice industry
Texas Uncertainties.

The cI;nate-The Crops The Oil
Field-The Great Rice industry
Texas Opportunities.
Sealy, Tex, jan 23.-Editor Times
Republican: knowing that great
many northern people are interested in
southern Texas and having had an op-
portunity of observing existing condi-
tions in a considerable section of this
part of the state, ! take pleasure in
transferring some of my observations
on paper for the benefit of Times
Republican readers.
Probably the first thing to be noted
in regard to any particular section OF
country is it's climate and general con-
ditions as regards health. The climate
Is almost semi-tropical, the winters be-
ing very mild, the two that l nave re-
sided here being especially 50. Pracu-
cally the only cold weather we have
here is caused by the cold winds which
sweep down from the north, and tho
the rapid change of temperature is felt
more keenly than the continued cold OF
the north, 1t is always of short dura-
ton, usually but day or two and sell
winter season here is usually 81 rainy
season, and while the cold rains are
often very disagreeabie they are tenn
pered with many intervening bright
warm days. when working out of doors
in shirt sleeves is possible. The pres
ent winter and last have been excep-
tionally pleasant, really ideal weather
1t is true the summer days are very hot
but the nights, with hardly a single ex-
ception, are cool. While the northern
people are sweltering in the middle of
the midsummer nights coo. breeze
from the gulf has toned down the tenn
perature of southern Texas to point
where sleep is refreshing and a pleas
ure. OF course the hot weather here is
of longer duration, but owing to the
proximity of the gulf the cool breezes
make 1t, believe, less oppressive than
in the north.
There Is, however, one unpleasant
feature of summer-mosquitoes. So
numerous and yoracious are they that
lit Is almost impossible to sleep unless
protected by mosquito bars. They say
here that mosquito will fly over a
dozen southerners to get at one thin
skinned Yankee statement which l
can bear out from personal experience.
With the exception of chills and fe-
yer southern Texas is very healthful
country. Typhoid fever does not pre-
vail to any great extent, no more so
than in other sections of the United
States, and smallpox and yellow fever
are not feared. But in the river bot
toms and in some of the lower prairie
localities the common complaint is
chills and fever. 1t might be said,
however, that as many people here lose
their lives thru shooting ARRAYS as thru
disease.
The number of murders, manslaugh-
ters and accidental killings in Texas is
appalling and it rivals Kentucky in the
number and bitterness of it's feuds. On
Ily last night in Bellville. the county
seat of this county, four men were
killed and three wounded in shoot
| ing ARRAY which occurred in crowd
at the depot while waiting for train.
| Ii was the reopening of hostilities be-
tween two factions, brought about by
The trial, for murder, of one of the par
ties at the present term of court. Pts
toll "toting" is one of the greatest evils
of Texas.
The principal crops here are cotton,
corn and sugar cane. the production OF
the latter being limited to the river bot
toms Corn is raised here as elsewhere
for home consumption and to enable
the farmer to make other money crops.
Cotton is valuable crop. but one
which requires great deal of labor in
Its production and one which suffers
greatly from unnatural climatic condi-
lions and from the ravages of an insect
which attacks and destroys the form
ing bolls. Heretofore cotton has been
the crop, but the advent of irrigating
canals for rice growing has put diff
ferent aspect on the situation. The
new industry, together with the fact
that cotton crops the past two or three
years have been partial failures, have
caused the farmer to look to diversi-
fication of his crops. 1t has shown US,
! too, that agricultural development in
south Texas is practically in its in
fancy.
At present the two greatest topics of
conversation and discussion in Texas
| are oil and rice. Everywhere you go
| YOU hear 1T. OF course every one iS
more or less familiar with the wonder
| full oil field. so recently discovered at
Beaumont, which is unequalled by any
other field In the world. No one can
4 estimate its value to Texas and
the world, with it's seemingly I'M
limited producing capacity. 1t is one
| of the wonders of the age. a field where
within the proven territory" the bring
ing in of a gusher is certain when a
/ derrick is raised and a drill started A
view of Spindle Top presents Won
derful spectacle of derricks 80 closely
huddled together that ii is almost i'm
possible to drive wagon between
4 them. Real estate values in the Beau
mont oil field rival the fabulous prices
at which city business property is held
/ But wonderful and priceless in value
as the oil discovery is, 1t has not the
bearing upon the general populace as
has the rice industry. Rice growing
| has been carried on for great many
years in the older Atlantic coast states
/ but 1T is new to south Texas and Lou
isiana, and in the past few years has
made wonderful advancement.
| I will not enter into any lengthy dis
sertation on rice growing, suffice 1T to
/ say that to make the crop the fields
must be kept flooded with water for Il
/ period varying from sixty to eighty
days. Hence the growth of the rice in
dustry to even its present proportions
been invested In pumping machinery