Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-01-09

see in recent letter from DR.. Gam
brell, of Texas. published in The Chris
tian Index, after describing the immensely
of the state. that it is capable of furnish
Ing homes for the entire population of the
United States, supply all their wants and
have a large export trade. Accepting the
doctors statement as true, and may say
farther to her credit, his predicate is upon
the actual now production, being done
largely by farmers who once lived in the
old states. Just like the great mass OF our
people who are mere swimmers. they raise
all the way from 20 to LIS bushels OF corn
and from half to a bale of cotton per
acre-some even two bales. People are go
ing In there from every land by the thou
sands, and doubtless there are still a
number Of our people who want to go.
While all the above is favorable to Texas
and we may not be jealous Of her pros
perity, there is another as truthful view
which I wish to give those who contem-
plate leaving Georgia.
Remember. the ine crops spoken of are
only when they have good seasons, and
when they do not they make very little.
In fact, some years total failure, even
so dry that you can hardly get drinking
water, and you sometimes feel like you
would give thousand dollars for drink
out of one of these old Georgia springs or
has to water his mule in.
But to say no more against that coun-
try with its billiards. and hot winds that
last sometimes three days, that you would
prefer a dungeon to get out Of. Let US
look around home and compare that with
this. : You hear of the rich Red River
bottoms Of Texas, the Cottonwood and
Kansas in Kansas. and the Jim river in
Dakota, and many others, of their fer
tility which is all true. I once owned
some of that Identical class of land on the
Neosho, in Southeast Kansas but could
not get 1t now without paying fabulous
price for 1t. Can you AFFORD 1t? So all
that class Of land is out Of your reach
Now what have we got in Georgia? Too
many river bottoms to mention, that you
can't get. If you would be willing to live
down in the Red river bottoms, go down
near our coast and get just as good for
the money. So leave these finest settled
lands of both sections out Of the question
and think about the uplands of the west
and the old red hills of Georgia
1t is true there the surface is richer
and you can pillow longer rows. but re-
member that on that prairie land where
the vegetable mould is from three, to forty
feet thick, without good seasons the mois-
ture sinks down to the bottom. clear out Of
reach of plant roots; have seen cracks
that you could pitch a rail full length into;
that year nothing, and It is possible that
after you have broke up and moved there
admitting you are able to get there and
fix up a shack, which many live In for
years, with chilIs and fever, till what Is
left of your family becomes acciimatedD
you may strike one of those dry belts that
last one or two years. Here. you are ac-
climated. fair houses to live in. plenty of
wood and water free. 1t is true the sur
face generally is poor and on account of
hills your rows are shorter. but suppose
you spend the same time, energy and
money as would cost you to get out there
to live as well as you do now, what would
be the result? Your land ought to be pro-
ducing four or FIVE times what 1t does now.
Your land here has enough clay in It to
hold the water near enough the surface