The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-05-09

thc'r logs by the clT load anil dump
them into the pond near the mill.
This preserves them. We saw logs
as close as they could lie in the pond
utmost withorr number. They must
have filled a space half II mile wide
by mile long, while sawed lumber
was stacked on every hand in great
he"ps. 1t was there by the million
feet. This great plant had big fire
some few months ago which burned
portion of their buildings which were
Immediately rebuilt and almost double
original size. There is pretty lake
near here called Spirit Lake. A
pretty club house stands about the
center on the opposite bank and
there is good fishing to be had there.
1t Is owned by northerners. Mag
nesia Springs is another great resort
for picnic parties during summer,
and is not far away.
lt being late when we left Tex
arkaua | went to bed and the country
between Dallas and Texarkana will
have to be observed on my return
trip which | will make in the day
time, so that | can reverse nv
chedule coming aud get day runs
where | got night runs.
AS our train was somewhat late
getting into Dallas Oh the morning
of Friday, April 25th, arriving at
6:45 by slow time, 7:45 by our time,
l got to see some of the country be-
fore getting into Dallas, and the
sight was something to be remcm-
bered. The rich, black soil was al
ready putting forth fruit and that of
a healthy kinl. We passed corn
field after corn field and cotton fields
without number; the corn was al.
ready up aud and some Of it knee
high and ofa deep black green color
and as it gently waved in the prairie
breeze you could almost imagine you
could see it grow. Cotton seemed
to be literally popping out of the
ground, some of it three inches high,
these fields spread out on either side
of the railroad in one vast, broad
expanse to the distant timber land
on either horizon. There are differ
ent tracts Of course, but the land is
80 level that it has the appearance of
growing. crops covering a vast acre,
age almost incalculable. Seeing
this and noting the extraordinary
healthy appearance of the crops, and
knowing that when we had goue Il
couple of hundred miles into this
country we had only Just gone
through the border lands of this
great empire State, and that it was
as far to the other side as it was
back to our home. One could hard
ly help shudaering when he thought
of poor old South Carolina depend
ing upon its cotton crop to buy the
necessities of life. 1t is eleven hun
dred miles from Union to Dallas,
Texas. 1t is nearly eleven hundred
miles across the State of Texas.
Texas has large area of black,
waxy, rich soil that is ineXhaustible.
1t is 10 to Is feet deep. 1t cannot
wash away and can never wear out.
Guano or any other commercial fer
tilizer is an unknown thing in this
country. They have their droughts,
which is a considerable set back to
them, but their land absorbs the
rains and retains it, and the blowing
continues. These same droughts
seems to be providcntial thing for
the protection of the farmers of other
sections Of the country. Should
they get good seasons every year in
Texas, our farmers in the South
would be utterly frozc out as they
could not possibly compete with this
crop producing country. Texas could
raise cotton and corn enough, ! do
believe, to supply every man woman
and child in the United States with
their yearly consumption of these
articles. 1t would not do for Texas
not to experience serious droug hit oc-
casionally. AS it is they can make
enough in one good year to tide
them over three years of drought.
We are more firmly convinced than
ever that the true and the only sal
vation for our farmers in this section
is to diversity their farming. And
be sure you raise enough to supply
your home needs for your family and
stock. Let your cotton crop be your
| aido iaonn IL i, tho nnl,r ,unu un,,