The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1911-08-31

tune hunting romaniticism as our faith
ers half century ago, looked upon Ne
braska, Kansas and Oklahoma. Hun
dreds of families sell everything and
settle in this pioneer section of the
state, Most of them come back in a
year or two penniless, especially if they
have grown crop of "bumblebee" cot
ton. If the first year or two is season.
able till the new settler gets established
and can have enough ahead to tide him
over a crop failure, he is likely to find
farming in this section quite profitable,
for when there is anything like a good
crop the yield is enormous. The soil is
very rich. 1t has never been leached Of
its plant-growing elements by too much
rainfall or by the growing of useless
vegetation. For the most part it is
barren except for sparsely-set sod in
the early spring, and almost every
known species Of the cactus. MANY of
these grow to the height of several feet,
and often form wilderness hundreds
of miles in extent. In these men and
domestic beasts often lose their way
and perish from thirst and hunger be-
fore they can be rescued. Game ami
mails, especially the deer, are plentiful
in these cactus forests, and sportsmen
are about the first men to explore their
;ol- Tho yrrlDl, &c h.
thickly settled portion of the state is
overrun with agents selling town sites
in Western Texas. Usually these towns
are to be built where some new railroad
is to cross a river; and quite often both
the town and the railroad are imaginary
In one instance four different agents
were selling lots IN "a new and thriving
town" where a certain railroad crossed
a certain river. Each town had a differ
ent name and location. When investi-
gated, it was found that all four were
fakes. None Of the places existed. The
railroad engineers themselves did not
know where the line would cross the
river. In another little town in the far
west, a single location would be sold to
as many as five persons. These agents
will come to a town, hire a dray on
which is hoisted large canvas map Of
the imaginary site, then drive up and
down the streets singing like madmen
of the wonderful merits Of the town in
which they are sacrificing lots just for
the special benefit OF the people of the
town they are parading.
All the land in West Texas is not to
be laughed at. Where it can be irri-
gated either from the rivers or from
artesian wells, it will produce equal to
any soil in America. In some places a
flowing well can be had at from seven
to nine hundred feet. In a number of
places, as in the case of Artisia, thirty
ing town with prosperous farming
region all about it springs up around a
system of wells. The vicinity of Artisia
leads the world for growing onions.
Texas boasts that she grows some Of
everything that America produces.
This is probably true, but it is generally
accepted that her one crop is cotton
Of Texas and her cotton, hope to be
able to write you in detail at some later
date.
To convince my Garrett county friends
that Texas Democracy is unique will
not be very hard task. One example
will suffice. In the town in which my
college is located there is but one Re
publican, and the citizens say they toll
crate him only because he happens to
be the grandson of General U. S. Grant
This, however, is an extreme case. In
the large cities, ESPECIALLY Galveston
and some of the northern cities, the
other political parties poll good many
votes. G. N. STEYER.