Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-01-16
TEXAS AND ARKANSAS.
Observations of York County Farmer
In the Southwest.

OlnerS 10 snare the enjoyment WIFI
me. So l will give my experiences and
of a trip to Arkansas and
Western Texas, to your many readers.
On leaving Yorkville, December 18th,
1t was my intention to get to Atlanta,
Ga, early the next morning in order
to catch the first train going out to
Birmingham and Memphis. OF course,
I got there in time, but was surprised
to find several hundred people in At
!anta waiting to take advantage Of the
cheap rates to any point in the west.
So lots Of other people had the same
notion I had. These excursion tickets
have been sold every 1st and 3rd Tues
days during the fall months and Dec.
10 being the last opportunity to take
Of the cheap rates, accounts
for the large crowd in waiting from
all parts Of Georgia and South Caro-
lima
On arriving in Texarkana on the af-
ternoon of Dec. 20, found the next
train on which 1 was to go up into Ar
kansas, would not leave until early the
next morning so l set about taking in
the sights of the town. But to my
great discomfort that which was in
sight most, was the mud, that sticky
black kind that wants to climb up
your ankles when you try to kick 1t off.
After learning 1t did not take kicks like
our South Carolina mud, l contented
myself by carrying a load to each of
my feet. Texarkana Is a thriving city
of something over twenty-five thou
sand people, and Is something OF a
center.
My destination in Arkansas was the
towns of DeQueen and Lockesburg, in
Sewer county to visit relatives. They
knew Of my coming, so lost little time
in getting some much needed rest.
Here, are to be found plenty of people
from South Carolina and some from
York county. 1t had been raining here
pretty much all fall, and all summer
too.
Sewer county Is considered to be a
fine farming county, but the past year
crops were a most complete failure on
account Of too much rain. One farmer
told me. out Of over 100 acres planted
in cotton he gathered only six bales.
Times were not dull there; but on
the contrary trade seemed to be good
for the time Of year. There Is a big
lumber plant in Sewer county that
gives employment to hundreds Of men
at good wages. On Tuesday, Dec. 26,
I bid farewell to my relatives in Ar
kansas and pulled out for the western
part Of Texas, a distance Of 600 miles
or more from DeQueen, Ark.
After getting in towards central
Texas, noticed lots of cotton to be
picked. The cotton crop looked to me
to be rather sorry and late about ma
turing; on account Of so much wet
weather the farmers had little chance
After getting through the central
part of this state, l began to feel a
difference In the atmosphere. The
stars were shining brighter, the sky
was clear, and there was little moisture
in the air. BY the time arrived In this
part of Texas it could be seen that
the weather was altogether different.
There has not been a good rain in this
county since the 7th Of last May. This
Is strictly a prairie country-no rum
ming water that l have seen.
Stock water Is secured by throwing
up or making a dam out of dirt, across
some low place or hollow. These dams
are known as tanks. Cooking and
water Is caught off roofs of
houses and run into underground els
terms. So rain water Is the depend
ence they have. While 1t Is very dry
like 1t Is now, only the deepest and
largest tanks have water In them.
The largest tanks are something like
Is feet deep and cover from one-half
to one acre of ground, though have
seen a few fully 80 feet deep and COW
ering about three acres Of ground.
Many farmers have shallow tanks
and they are having to haul their wa
ter from some old settlers place posi-
bly, a distance from one to five miles.
When l bathe my face and hands, l
am very careful to pour the same wa
ter into another vessel to give to th2
thirsty chickens and hogs, lest / ho
wasting water. I.
In spite of the little rainfall this
made a good crop last year.
The land is easily cultivated, one man
working rs acres or more. The ro VS.
Of cotton here are about feet apart
and 700 to 1000 yards in length
The average was about one-half bale
per acre. There are no boil weevils In
this part Of Texas. There is very lit
tie corn raised here as 1t Is not need
ed so much, only for fattenlng hogs.
Corn makes from 40 to 60 bushels per
acre. For feeding horses, mules and
cattle, farmers raise sorghum and milo
maize.
This Is a fine grazing country, con-
little feeding Is necessary
They have the stock law here, but
every. plantation Is wired In. Thou
sands Of head Of cattle are shipped out
Of this county every year. The only
shelter can see for cattle here Is
barbed wire fence and the north star:
They seem to thrive on this dead
grass, as have my first poor cow to
see yet.
Three years ago, 1t is said, one could
travel westward from here for 40 miles
and not see a single farm house.
Now the country Is all cut up into
small farms of 100 and up to $40 acres
EACH Land has doubled In price In
the past three years.
This Is a prohibition county and has
been so for three years. I have not
seen or heard Of a drunk man since
churches Of different denominations
about here. The schools are said to
be the very best, the term Of free
schools being eight months In each
year.
The fire wood used Is gotten off the
prairie, called mesquite, a dwarfy
kind Of tree that grows very scatter
ing. When 1t gives out, farmers Will
have to either burn coal or haul their
wood a distance of something over fif-
teen miles. The mesquite wood will
give out in two or three years more.
seems to be in a good hu-
NOR and consider the scarcity OF wood
and water as a question OF small i'm
portance.
There Is some game about, coyote
wolves and jackrabbits being plentiful.
The wind has never ceased to blow
since I have been here, but no rain In
sight yet.
The Southern Cotton association Is
we'll organized in this county. Cole
man county has an area Of something
over 1,400 square miles and a popula-
ton of something like 10000. l under
stand there are about 100 negroes In
this county, but so far I have not seen
1 single negro.
Labor on farms Is scarce. Wage hands
get from $50 to $25 per month and
BOARD. Day labor Is $1.25 and $1.5O
per day and board, and cannot be
found at times at all.
Cotton Is picked mostly by farmers
themselves: one family Of eight chill
lren 1 know picked their whole crop OF
Is bales. Those that had to hire pick
ng, paid as high as $1.25 per hundred:
Mexicans flock through here every fall
n large numbers and this Is the most
available help the farmers have to
gather their crops.
I saw a farmer hauling corn to
market over to Lampasses county the
,ther day and I asked him how much
1e was getting. He said 38 cents per
o,,bol ua r,oodo aho,1t IN bushels tO