The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-11-26
C'orTespondence Baltimore County linton.
LETTER FROM TEXAS.

RELIANCE, TEXAS. November 1lth. 1904
Messys. Editors Since my last letter to you
have had the pleasure of visiting some Of the
most prominent places of this vast State, among
them Victoria, Port Lavaca and this place, at
which am sojourning for season.
Victoria City is one of the Oldest settlements
in the State, situated on the Southern Pacific
Railway, 100 miles southwest from Houston in
Victoria county and bounded on one side by the
beautiful Guadalupe river. The city contains
the finest churches and school buildings that /
have seen anywhere in the State. The court
house is q model of neatness and strength, built
Of q blush gray rock. The main streets are
paved for several miles out of the city, afford
ing good travelling facilities to the farmers in
the country around. The people believe in good
roads and they have them.
Besides thousands of acres Of pasture land
that surrounds the city, on which is raised hum
dreds Of cattle and sheep, there are fine farms
and orchards. Pears, apples and peaches yield
satisfactorily here. The raising Of pecans is one
Of the greatest industries In the country. While
taking drive of mile or so outside of the cor
porate limits was shown farm Of 100 acres of
land the whole of which is planted in pecan
trees in regular order. about 30 feet apart. The
trees are from to 10 inches in diameter and are
about 20 years old. This year they were full Of
nuts. There are many more smaller pecan
groves around Victoria. Eighty thousand dol
lars worth Of these nuts have been shipped
from Victoria up to date and the season is not
quite over.
Port Laveca is great summer resort on the
Gulf of Mexico, about 30 miles south Of Victoria.
with pleasure. seekers from different parts of
mi ko nm
The main sporting features here are boating,
bathing and fishing.
Reliance is a thickly settled neighborhood,
about 10 miles east of Bryan, in the midst of the
cotton belt Of Texas. The people are nearly all
old settlers from the older Southern States and
happy, industrious and prosperous farmers.
The destructive work of the Mexican boil weevil
In the cotton growing district has caused good
many changes to be made in the farming opera
tions Of this settlement. The people raise more
hogs and corn and pay more attention to truck
farming since the advent of that dreaded and
destructive insect. There has been, however.
this year a fairly good cotton crop made, the
average yield being about half bale per acre
and the price has varied from OK 10 10K cents
per pound. The seed sells for s13 to SIS per ton,
making bale of lint with the seed worth about
$50.
The hog industry is growing in Importance
here. It is no uncommon thing to see teamster
driving to town with from to 10 large fat hogs
for sale.
There is a postofice here to which the mail is
brought from Bryan three times week. There
is also one of the best Schools in the county and
one which will compare favorably with any free
school in the State.
The weather up to this time has been very dry
during the gathering season. thus giving the
farmers favorable opportunity to save their
fall crops. Yesterday was decidedly cold day
for the season. There was ice half an inch thick
and the old log fire in the fireplace felt very
comfortable.
Election day passed quietly as general thing
all over the State and the result of the National
election was received with good deal of salts
faction to quite large portion of the voters of
the State. NJ.