The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-12-31
Il TRIP TO TEXAS.
Life in the Lone Star State. Cotton,
Oil, Rice and Sporting Status of
the Negro in Texas.


write an articrle on my recent trip to
the Lone Star State" / will en-
deavor to give some of the incidents
and observations of my tour Leav-
ing home on the early Sunday morning
train for Montreal, l arrived in
Chicago, by the International Linn
tied, distance of $40 miles. IN
twenty fonr hours. My friend, Charles
s. Seaver of Joliet, ILL.,, joined me at
Chicago and accompanied me Oh the
trip.
We took the Santa Fe route for
Fort Worth, Tex. Arriving at the lat
ter city we notified NJ @. Baldwin,
known throughout Texas as the Ma
jor, " at Stephenville, that he might
expert two guests at dinner at T p. m.
On our arrival we were met at the
train by the Major, and our friend
Jones, the Cotton King" and re-
ceived a royal welcome.
tants, having several banks, many
large stores and fine school buildings.
The schools are excellent The
principal crop in this section is cotton,
the average farmer raising about
thirty acres, from which he gets about
half ball per acre, or $50 pounds.
Cotton was selling from ten to eleven
cents. Very little hired help is en-
ployed at picking cotton here, every
farmer with his family picking his
own crop. The cotton is planted in
rows and grows about three feet high.
1t is necessary to pick the field over
several times as the cotton ripens. L
saw thousands of acres of cotton in
the southern part of the State that
was completely destroyed by the boil
weevil, This insect is very destruct-
i've and is moving north and east
quite rapidly. Many predict that it
will soon spread over the whole cot
ton belt. Thus far the farmers have
found nothing to exterminate the
pest Generally speaking, crops OF
all kinds through the West and South
were good and the farmers seemed
happy. We visited the great oil
wells at Beaumont and Sour lake.
One can hardly realize the quantity of
oil that is pumped there daily,
amounting to several hundred car
loads Some wells pay we'll, many
others little, or nothing.
While in southern Texas l visited
some of the extensive rice fields. The
land is very level. In the cultiva-
tion of rice it is necessary to raise
bank around the field to hold water,
as the whole field must be flooded
Sometimes this is done by pumping
the water on by steam power, at
other times by irrigating bitches.
There are millions of acres there
adapted to the raising of rice, un-
touched. l visited several of the
most important cities in the State, in
GLIDING Houston, situated about forty
ship canal is. building to the gulf for
which there is an appropriation CT
So, 600, 900 from the United States
government.
We had our Thanksgiving dinner
with the Major, and it was dinner
long to be remembered. After the
turkey. there was course after course
of the best the land produced, and
cooked to perfection. can't find
language to do the feast justice. Seven
| prominent men in town were invited,
making a party of ten. When seated
at the table the hal doors were opened
and TO our surprise there was seated a
genuine colored band, which enter
tanned us with music that was fit to
singing continued during the dinner
hour, after which all repaired to the
parlor for pleasant chat. Men are
not plenty who support private
band, but the major is one OF them
All these people are in his employ.
During my stay in Texas the
weather was beautiful and warm, like
summer here Ranching in Texas,
was told, is not very profitable at pre-
sent. Cattle are low in price, and
many of the large ranches are being
divided up and sold. | had heard
and read much about tie condition
of the negro in the south and felt in
terested to study his true condition,
| know that in the various States the
situation differs somewhat. l found
that the negro was treated kindly
by the white people They have
their separate schools and churches,
all their children OF school age at
tend school, and compare favoIably
with the white children in proPress.
They get their share of the public
mouey. The negro is paid the same
wages as the white man for the same
service rendered, and here the matter
ends Social equality does not exist
The negro has his apartment at ia,
railway station in the cars and at al
public places After seeiug the tru,