Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1915-07-14
etlgetleld Adrertiser'.
LONE STAR STATE.
Mr. Garnett Writes Interesting
Letter From Texas. Giving
Crop and Business
Conditions.

Editor The Advertiser: AS am
a long way from home, loved ones
and friends, want to ask you to
give me a small space in your paper
this week. I feel like talking to my
old friends throughout Edgeheld
county. I often 90 to bed at night
thinking of Ben Cogburn, Jim
Minis, Auditor Zimmerman, Sheriff
Swearingen, Gov. Sheppard and his
brother, Mack Simkins, George
Evans and Bob Dunovant. l regret
ted that l could not get back there
in May for the reunion of the old
soldiers, and see> and talk with you
all. l feel like l could walk into Bob
Dunovant's store just now and get
one of those good smokes that he
always gives me. / am sure that |
would enjoy it. Say, Bob, don't
you think you could send me a
package by mail? They are far bet
ter than what I get here.
Well, / am 275 miles south OF
Houston, on the Brownsville rail-
road. Also about 80 or Is miles
from the gulf ard the Mexican line.
The land here is low, fat and
marshy. No timber or growth ex-
cept muskcat bushes, prickly pear
and cactus about waist high, which
is SO thick on uncultivated land
that one can hardly get about.
Mr.. Editor, / went yesterday
through the country in an automo-
bile to Portland,a town down on the
great bay, about IS miles from here.
Portland has about 10000 inhabi.
tants. Ny son is pastor of the First
Baptist church there and is con-
ducting meeting. ] made the trip
through the country so could see
the fan ms and crops. They look
fine. Cotton is from hip to waist
high and filled with blooms. The
rows seem to be from half to three
quarters of mile in length. / pass
ell the great Taft ranch, which is
owned by two brothers who live IN
the north and have agents here
looking after the ranch. They have
built up two towns just two miles
apart, owning all the property. One
is named Taft and the other Gryrey.
Both have fine schools and churches,
also a bank and good hotels. The
Taft brothers own all the property
and rent everything to other people,
except the cattle ranch. Their crop
looks fine but I was told that the
boil weevil Is running it.
am sorry to report it, but the
people here seem to have no more
regard for Sunday than any other
day. Saturday afternoon eight or
ten automobiles flleds with young
people go down to the bay or Port
land, where they fish all nil ght and
throughout Sunday, coming home
Monday morning with loads of fish.
On my way to Portland last Sunday
I saw wagons hauling wood and
hay. There is no stock law here. ALI
stock is free to go where it wishes.
The town is not incorporated but
has four churches, two good banks,
a fine preparatory school, a college,
four hotels and two saloons. You
can get all the whiskey VOW want
and everybody does as they please.
There are no negroes here, nearly
all the labor being Mexicans, and
they are very sorry too. They work
for 25 and 80 cents per day.
Farmers grow caffircorn to feed
their stock on. They say it is cheap
or than corn, as more can be made
to the acre. It produces 8 and 4
tons per acre and brings $50 per
ton. I see large fields of it here and
would advise Edge6eld farmers to
grow it for their stock. 1t is plant
ed and worked just like molasses
cane. Every head is like an ear of
corn. It does not require as much
rain or work either as corn. Corn
sells here for sl.25 per bushel, meat
as cents, lard Is cents, butter 35
cents and eggs 80 cents. There are
agents here every week or two buy.
ing food stuff to send to Mexico,
which makes food of all kinds high
to those who have it to buy.
Banks here have not loaned any
money to farmers this year and they
say they will not let out any to pay
for cotton this fall. Farmers will
have to ship their cotton to Hous-
ton and Galveston to find sale fol
it.
Mr.. Editor, I am always glad to
read The Advertiser and when 1t
comes the first thing ] look for is