The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1905-08-31

Frank Rowbottom, one of the best
known young men of the village of
Bristol, has been living in Texas for
several years, and he has sent the fol-
lowing interesting letter in regard to
Texas and her offering to the home
seeker:
Houston, Texas.
Dear Editor have been in Texas
for several months and have received
letters from my friends in and about
my old home asking about soil, eli
mate, transportation facilities, and
the general outlook for Northern cap
ltal and brains, in this fast develop
ing state of Texas. To those who
may be interested in seeking new
country where much of the land has
been unturned by the plow and active
manufacturing is as yet unknown,
except in the more popu1ous cities, 1
take this opportunity to present to
my Northern friends such informa-
ton as has come to my possession
either through my own observation
or the impaired knowledge of others.
It has been said, and truthfully too,
that if Texas were cut off from the
rest of the states of the Union that
she could exist independently, for she
has all the natural resources that go
to make the state an Empire within
itself.
Her soil is SO varied, that starting
from the extreme northern part of
the state and travelling south, we
find the cereals such as are raised in
the Northern States being success
fully grown, and continuing farther
south we find the climate adapted to
the raising of all kinds of semi-trop-
ical fruits and an endless variety of
vegeta bles.
The climate in the undeve1oped por-
ton of Texas is so mild that the grow
ing season continues practically
throughout the entire year without
interruption, and fruits and vegeta-
b1es are raised and shipped north Just
at the season of the year when the
northern produce is out of the mar
ket. Thus it is that the Southern
truck-grower is able to get his pro-
duce into the market several months
ahead of his Northern brother, before
the market is over-stocked, and he
consequently receives better prices
for his shipments. Coupled with this
fact, we find that the Southern truck
grower can raise nearly double the
amount on the same acreage per year
than in other climates, and taking
into consideration the fact that the
value of the land is only about half of
that of the cultivated lands of the
North, together with the fact that he
is in direct communication with the
best markets of the North and East,
it is not difficult to see that with the
same amount of labor the Southern
farmer can make at least fifty per
cent more on the same acreage than
his Northern brother.
Owing to the fact that I have
gained most Of my information about
the Southern portion of Texas-the
undeve1oped part-the greater part
of this short letter will be devoted to
that portion of the state.
The great cry for the last three or
four years has been straise rice
The rice fad was taken up with so
much enthusiasm in the past that the
market became over-stocked, thus
forcing the rice farmer to sell his crop
in the face of an already over-stocked
market, or to place his crop in the
hands of storage company who
charged him an excessive price for
holding same until the market be-
came stronger. Of course there are
instances in whichSthe farmers made
a success of raising rice, but I am
giving you general estimate and
not the few particular cases. be-
lieve it is the general opinion of those
versed on the rice question that at
the present time there is no money in
raising rice, at the same time, where
farming is conducted on the diversi-
fed line, the farmers are making
money from their crops and are also
seeing their lands gradually increase
in value.
AS regards manufacturing little
has been done up to the present time
because of the fuel proposition. With
the finding of lakes of oil and the
bringing in of new gushers through
out south-central Texas, the fuel
proposition, not only as regards man
ufacturing but also as regards trans
portation, has been solved. With the
natural mineral resources of the
state of Texas with cheap fuel and,
rapid transportation facilities, both,
by water and by rail, this portion is