The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1914-03-06

Topeka, the capital city of Kansas,
and very pretty city it is. Thence
on through Kansas, over its broad roll
ing praries. Thence south into Okla
homa, riding all the forenoon through
rich farm country, gently rolling
land with cotton and corn fields on
either side. We leave Oklahoma at
Terral and enter Texas, the Lone Star
State. At Ringold we see noticeable in
crease in mules and niggers, cotton
and COOLERS. We pass through fine
farming country and promptly on
time We pull into the Union Depot at
Ft. Worth. Here we have a hustling
southern city of. $4,000 people, with
its square in the center of town, and
it's market, with hundreds of farm
ers, white and black, all Of them with
something to sell, from cotton to Gu
cumberS. People were in their shirt
sleeves, and darkies barefooted. The
city is connected with Dallas by in
terurban and several steam railroads,
and the combined population OF the
two places exceeds 165, 900. So far as
| can see the only thing to support
them is a rich agricultural country.
Within a radius of 100 miles, connect
ed by interurban and steam roads, are
Waco 900 people, Corsicana 10000,
Tyler 10000, Clebourne 10,500, and
WaXahachie 1000. 1t requires a
mighty rich country to support so
many people living within circle of
100 miles. Well, to continue on our
southern trip. The next morning we
board the T. & B. V. train for Hous
ton, 272 miles south, and pass through
a gently rolling country for $50 miles,
with the land in cultivation on each
side of the track as far as you can
see, 80 per cent of the land growing
cotton year after year. Now we enter
the timber belt, which continues to
within few miles of Houston. This
land has been cut off, the saw timber
all removed and is growing up mostly
to hard wood, with some long leaf
pine. This land has been bought up
by real estate sharks, like my friend
Pierce, of Houston, at prices ranging
from So to S. per acre, and is adver-
tised for sale in the east and north
on ten to twenty years time, at per
cent, and thousands of acres have been
sold at prices ranging from $25 to $50
per acre. AS l look at my folder | see
we are nearing the holdings of my
friend, Pierce. The brakeman calls
"Ullmer." The train stops and 2 pas
sengers get on board, taking seats
near me. | ask them if they knew Mr..
Pierce's Northwood farms at $40 per
acre. YES" they said, I'VE will pass
through them. Here they are now,
or both sides of the track" On one
side | beheld swamp that could
never be reclaimed; on the other side
is rough, poor land that would never
be worth half what it would cost to
clear it. It is covered with a lot of
poor, scrubby timber. These men
told me that fully fifty families had
bought land of Pierce and settled upon
it. Those who could get away had
left the country, losing what they paid
on the land. The balance are up
against a hard game. However, there
is some good rich land in this cut
over belt, but it is not owned by the
large land spectators, and it can be
bought cheap.
Arriving at Houston at $3.50 p. m,
decided to remain a few days. Next
morning / met an old friend who
worked with me in Mexico in 1897.
He passed me on the street, wheeled
around and asked me if my name was
not Getsey. You can imagine my sur
prise We have been companions ever
since the chance meeting.
], f. GETSEY.