Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-04-05

IeX8S Is only q name. From enc UC
end of the state you may travel with.
out seeing a dozen creameries. On
every hand are to be seen herds OF
dairy stock, Herefords. Durham,
Shorthorns and Jerseys. What be-
comes of the milk and cream ought to
come from these herds is a mystery.
1t is not fed to the hegs,-there are
none. It is not made into butter and
cheese, for the state imports Is per
cent Of the butter consumed
I travelled yesterday through the
cotton belt of Texas for two hundred
miles south of Waco. In this part OF
the state cotton is king; the great
plantations stretch out as far as the
eye can see. They contain $50 to 5000
acres. The work on these plantations
Is done almost entirely by the negro.
On plantation of 5000 acres, about
one hundred and twenty cabins will
be scattered over the plantation, each
containing family OF negro laborers,
These men receive about $500 pei
month wages and board themselves
There is generally one white man, as
overseer. This land produces about
enc bale of cotton per acre. At the
present time the average bale OF
cotton Is worth $4,000. Land is worth
about $4,000 per acre. The picking OF
the cotton extends often through the
winter. On some plantations they
have just finished picking and ginn-
ing. A man can average about 300
pounds per day picking cotton. II
requires $500 pounds of cotton as
gathered from the field to make one
bale of 500 pounds lint, after the
cotton has been ginned, as there are
1000 pounds of seed to 500 pounds of
lint. This seed is worth $1,000 per
ton, and more than pays for the
ginning. There are hundreds of
bales of cotton all through the south
remaining out doors all winter unin-
jured. Last year Texas produced
1000, 900 bales of cotton, or bale for
every man, woman or child.
Notwithstanding this brave show
ing cotton is the most unsatisfactory
crop grown in Texas. The trouble is
;cotton has been king. And universal
experience has demonstrated that
agricultural monarchs are failures.
While corn was king in Illinois, Iowa
and Nebraska, the people had to pay
tribute to other states. While the
northwest was under the rule of king
wheat, despite the showing Of broad
fields and glittering statistics OF
average yield and total profit, the
mortgages went unpaid. King rule is
an exploded economic theory.
More than half of the population
through the cotton belt is colored.
The mule and the negro are in.
separable-they seem to understand
one another and have about the same
views Of life. They work when they
have to, but would much rather doze
in the sun.
The negro as problem is certainl ,
a great success, His status, social
and political, manages to keep him
before the country and whatever
views we may bold, we must admit
that the negro as problem has few
equals. However If our constitution
and flag mean anything at all they
mean-give every man chance.
like the people of Texas, they are
southern in speech, but western in
their makeup and business trans
actions. The hotels are not as good
at the same price as they are in the
north, but they always try to make 1t
home-like for the traveller. l find the
southern people very kospitable, and
always anxious to do a favor. The
better class in the south will compare
favorably with the people one meets
in the north. And their climate is
certainly desirable, especially at this
season OF the year.
/ 90 tomorrow to San Antonio and
Austin. A. DECKER