The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-12-06
SOMETHING ABOUT TEXAS.
John R. Jones Gives His Impressions
of the Lone Star State"

carries more people from this county
to Texas than to any other state or
territory, consequently what John R.
Jones, county clerk of Marshall coun
ty, writes will be of interest to our
readers. He says:
After travelling over various parts
of the state of Texas, | believe |
can with some degree of propriety
say, "The Empire State of the south
west" is a designation richly merited
by her, and as we'll she has been po-
etically called by her people, ''The
Lone Star" because her ensign when
an independent republic, like her coat
of arms today, was emblazoned with
a single star.
While the flags of FIVE nations have
floated over her imperial dimensions,
yet she succeeded in wrestling her in
dependence from Mexico in 1886, I'M
der the celebrated leadership of Gen
eral Sam Houston, whose name
stands today without a peer SO far
as Texas is concerned.
The city of Houston in Harris
county, with a population of $4,000
and commercially one of the best To-
Gated cities in the state, and / doubt
not the time is not far distant when
it will be one of the important cities
of the United States, is no mean
monument to be left to this distin-
guished general.
In the year 1916 Texas abdicated
her sovereignty and was formally an
nexed to the United States, in De-
cember of that year. With only few
thousand inhabitants at that time, she
today exceeds three and half mil
lions of people, mostly cosmopoli-
tan population, coming from every
state in the Union and from every
civilized nation on the globe There
fore her people are characterized by
thrift and enterprise and by a spirit
of progress and liberaIity that is not
surpassed by any state in the Union.
Owing TO her vast extent of area,
265,7s square miles of the best all
round productive soil in the world,
with a population in 1900 of only 11.6
persons to the square mile, it is suffi-
cient evidence to indicate that much
of her vast territory has not as yet
been reduced to private ownership
and in my judgment no place will
better bear investigation for those
who want to own their own homes,
than will Texas. 1t is but natural that
one of the first inquiries from those
seeking homes in strange land is,
be enjoyed there?" In reply to same
| beg to say, it affords me much
pleasure to inform you that Texas, in
this regard, has been peculiarly for
tunate. She has a State University,
an A & NJ college much to be en-
We'd and the Normal and other educa-
tional institutions.
Last but not least, her Constitution
requires a six months term of public
school during each year; but best OF
of all, Texas, unlike her sister states,
when she came into the Union, in
stead of ceding her public lands to
the general government, reserved
them to herself And at that time a
large percent of her lands were pub
lie lands, one half OF which was set
aside as permanent school fund. II
follows that today she has a school
fund represented in bonds, land notes
ETC., exceeding $45,0O0,OOO in value,
of which only the interest arising
therefrom can be used in the conduct
of her schools. 1t goes without say
ing, the influence Of her educational
system and facilities upon her citi-
zens may be read in the fact that she
has only fourteen per cent of litter
acy-far less than any other south
ern state-while among her white
population, there is only per cent
of illiteracy.
The advantages for obtaining a
home, surrounded with such oppor-
tunities is exceptional; but that they
are being appreciated by the people
throughout the, country at large, is
proven by the fact that a flood tide
of immigration is now pouring into
the state The last trip / made to
Texas over the NJ. K & T., the train
was run in three sections to accom-
modate those bent on seeing for
themselves what heretofore they
were compelled to be satisfied with
only reading some one else's glowing
reports. These excursions were
largely made up of men from the
North and East, who after selling
their land from $50 to 500 per acre
are now buying lands equally as good
in the great commonwealth of Texas
at from $40 to $50 per acre. have
seen lands that were bought a genera
ton ago at from so cents to $3.50 per
acre, which are today selling at from
s25 to SIS per acre-and this all TAX
ing place away down i'll Texas. His
tory is repeating itself, but with &C
CELEBRATED speed. The last chance to
obtain cheap lands in the United
States is being eagerly seized by the
homeseekers and investors in antici-
patton of that land famine which
must soon and inevitably come upon
us. He who buys home in Texas is
not only enriching himself but con-
tributing vastly TO the population,
the power. the prosperity of the glor-
ious Empire State of the Southwest
Texas.
A Sensible Southern Editor.
Clark University at Atlanta. Ga. is