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

With seventy five or one hundred other
we boarded the train for
Dallas, Texas, distant about one thou
sand miles. which we reached SUNDAY
morning at 10 o'clock, three hours be-
hind schedule time. The trip out was
tlresome in the extreme, the cars
crowded and no chance to get sleeping
berths at night.
The gathering at Dallas was an i'm
mense concourse of other people as
we'll as an assembly of former Confed-
crates, being estimated at about 1885,
00O. 1t has become tremendous un- |
dertaking to house and feed q reunion |
of this character, and as the men who |
fought in 1S61-05 are getting to be !
oid men their ability to contend with |
such trips and such crowds has also be-
come a serious matter. While these
long, crowded trips afford excitement
and novelty, they carry along consid-
erable risk and danger to life and
health, especially to elderly people.
The war has been over for thirty seven
years. Unless these veterans were
youths in the early sixties they are now
past middle life and travelling the
downward sunset slope Of life. AS
years increase physical vigor declines,
and it seems pity that reunion
stands for so much fatigue and physi-
cal strain for the people who are sup
posed to be the benefciaries.
Although such an immense crowd
was present Dallas, city Of about
$4,000, easily housed and fed the null
titude, and we heard few complaints.
In fact Dallas is an up-to- date city
in more respects than one. AS We
have said above we reached tho town
at 10 a. III. Sunday. and we're surprised
while walking along the streets to find
the clothing stores, bar-rnoms ana
other places of business in full blast.
And then in the afternoon 10000 or
$1,000 people were said to have attend
ed game of baseball at tho park.
Still Dallas has some magnificent
churches, which are said to be we'll at
tended. After our short stop in the
city our impression was and is that
Dallas is bad place, morally speak
ing, but probably no worse than other
Western cities. We were told by old
residents of other sections of Texas
that it was wrong to judge the whole
State by what one sees and hears in the
cities-that Texas as a whole would
compare morally with the older States.
On our trip out we passed through q
portion of Georgia, Alabama, Tennes-
see, Arkaneas, Indian Territory and
Texas. Judging by what we could sec
from the car window we saw no lands
superior to those of Anderson County,
and vast amount not half as good
We saw no evidence of progressive
farming along the route-no terracing,
ETC. But after passing through the
Indian Territory, which is an unde-
veloped country. still occupied BY the
Indians, and reaching Texas the scene
changes. From what we had read and
been told about the black lands of
Texas we we're expecting to SEQ rich
farming country, but the half had not
been told US. AS far as the eye can
reach the prairies stretch out, almost as
level as the floor of house, and the
soil apparently inexhaustable. The
farming is done to large extent by
machinery. We regret very much that
/ the spring was late ont there es with
us. as we would like to have seen the
crops about grown, as one could have
formed q correct opinion as to the
value of the country by seeing matured
crops. Cotton was just about up, and
corn five or six inches high.
Beyond doubt Texas is the richest
farming country, probably, in the Uni
ted States. With us the great object
is to keep our lands from washing
away, but in Texas they can't gel
away, and the fertility of the soil is pre-
served. It looks to an outsider that
with such soil, and the opportunities
for raising cattle and stock of all kinds
that every farmer who owns his own
land ought to get rich. On the con-
trary, outside of the towns and cities
one sees from the car window very lit.
tie evidence of wealth or prosperity
With us here in Anderson if farmer
has been successful he builds himself
n nice residence, barn, stables and
other conveniences. A man out in
Texas, living on land said to be worth
one hundred dollars an acre, is salts.
fed to live in a house our tenants would
object to. And then he has no stables
or shelter for horse or COW. 1t is true
that lumber is scarce and high out
there, but If the man had any highe,
ambition to live in better house and
was rich, he could have it, even if hs
had to send GIL the way back to South
Carolina for it. But we believe he is
satisfied to live as his fathers did, anG
that settles it.
Another thing. AJAX mar in Texas
how much cotton those rioh lands vii
produce to the acre, end the answer in.
variably is o bale to the acre. No,