New-York tribune., 1909-09-25
Opportunity in Southwest

the population. owned S. per cent Of the land.
yet they could not sell foot oven Of the land
they could not Such Indians as now have
the right to sell can give a clear title as they
hold a perfect one from the federal government
Oklahoma is by no means arid. The average
rainfall is than thirty inches per annum.
permitting the raising OF all ordinary crops
Nevertheless irrigation will give the farmers
greater variety Of products, and the states share
in the national irrigation fund Is S3.2Oo,oOO
With this sum irrigation projects are being car
ried out under direction Of the United states
authorities.
Let few Texan truths be epitomiZed. They
may never have been generally known. or per
haps. may have been forgotten And first as TO
Galveston. the worlds mightiest cotton port
whose stupendous scawau will protect her for
all time from such tornadoes as that OF 1900
she is the gateway to Europe. the West Indies
Central and South America, and. by way OF the
Isthrnlls OF Panama to the Pacific and beyond
Thirty foreign trading steamship lines enter
her channel and her wharf facilities are e1-
ceeded on this continent only by the Port OF
New York Fort Worth is but 81 miles from
Galveston: Dallas Is thirty miles nearer on
the other hand Chicago is 800 miles from New
York and 81. Paul 1890. These twin Texan
cities are nearer London than any Northern
cities west OF Pennsylvania
The Rocky Mountains. the north. and The
Gulf. on the south. make Texas health resort
the year around. aud that is one reason why
thousands Of hoIeseekers are 5ourneying there
as never before. As TO farming. Il would be
useless 10 enter upon 4 subject that has no end.
but il may b. said that one farm II known 70
produce two and half tons $500 OF grapes TO
the acre. that canteloupes. the finest Ia the
world also yield 500 or more acre and that
farms Of ten acres OF irrigated Rio Grande land
yield far greater profit than many a costly
one hundred acre farm ia the North.
Buff you think OF settling among them. re
member that in "a few years il Will cost ~ least
double what it does now and the same Is true
OF the entir- Southwest.
Take for example. the five states particularly
chosen as typical They are almost the children
of the Rock Island Frisco lines, and these lines
also play no unirnTortant part IN the prosperity
OF the other fifteen named There may De-. and
doubtless are thousands OF people who IN Il
thoughtless sort Of way take il for granted that
a railroads only interest in prospective settler
is to sell him a ticket To his destination There
, never was a greater error. The ticket IS the
most Insignificant thing the railroad has IL nina
in association with a traveller Of that character
A railroad such as Is constituted by the ROCK
Isaud-'Frisco lines Is anxious that he should be-
"A resident OF these tIdESflg SFAAt1u
that he should prosper. aiding In their develop
ment and helping 10 build up a vast shipping
busiD.ss To this end II aids the homesceker
and the investor in many and costly ways
This is more particularly true Of the agricult-
urist for as Mr. Yoakum, president OF the
Rock Island Frisco. recently said 10 the farm
crs' Union OF Oklahoma: The farmers ana ihe
railroads are natural partners" This IS a truth
which should be universally recognized as a
,ruisIn There is no doubt but that Mr. Yoahum'
roade arc anxious 20 aid the farmers to ware
house their crops marketing them gradually ana
AZ hotter prices than when forced to marker
,he,, within a few weeks Also there Is no
question hut that every mile Of new road viii
aao froyn 80 10 $50 TO the value Of every acre
along the route. But. except as an hducehei'
IN those considering moving west or sou'h"es'
IN do so before values RISE this is q subject oi
interest only to those already settled there
The remarkable Industrial growth along the
Rock Isand-'Frisco lines is indicated by the ioi-
! loving table, showing the number ana value OF
a. fndustries established during the last year;