Year: 1872




week, beyond the present limits o
railroads, and in travelling over th'
country by stage and other slow
coach convcyances have had Il goot
opportunity to see the country anc
become acquainted with the people


] find this part of Texas TO be al
that it has been represented to be


in fact, the country is more beau
tiful and the soil more fertile than
had expected to find it. After see
ing IT feel that could no. do Il
better service to the thousands in
the older States who arc unable to
own land whore they live, and who
are dcsirous of emigrating where
they can with their limited means
procure homes, than by calling
their attention to the advantages
offered by this section. ! will not
say that it is n better country Git
is probably not so good in some re
spects as other parts of the United
States, and there are some obiec-
tionable features tn IT'D but l know
of no place where greater vari-
ETY. of more abu ndant c-ops can be
produced with the same amount of
labor. The climate and soil seem
almost equally well suited to wheat,
oats, barley, cotton, and all kinds
Of vegetables and fruits which are
raised in other States.


A portion of the country through
which ] have passed has been set
tied for thirty years, though it is
still comparatively undeveloped.
One may travel in almost any di-
rection for miles and miles over the
country, and sec thousands of acres
of as fine prairie land rs tho sun
ever shonc upon, still in its virgin
state. And the farming that has
been done is no test, in its results,
of what the country is capable of
producing. The aim of the farm
ers seem to have been to get along
with Just as little labor as possible,
and the richness of the soil and ease
with which it may be cultivated,
offer great inducements for laziness.
| have seen many planting their
crops without preparing the ground
atall other than by running burrows
to plant by. They break up the
land at their leisure after planting.
Yet, with such farming as that, it
appears that they may reasonably
count on raising from thirty to fifty
bushels of corn, nearly y bale of
cotton, or yield in other crops in
proportion. Horace Greeley was
accused of having misreprescnted
the State last year, in regard to the
amount of fruit raised, but ! am of
the opinion, from my own obscrva-
tion, that his estimation was fair
one.


There aro good many peaches
raised, and Of the finest quality, but
after travelling near four hundred
miles since have boon in the State,
! could not testify, except from
hearsay, that there is single APP
pie tree in the State of Texas. Yet
| have no doubt, from all that | can
learn, that apples may be raised in
abundance, with proper culture, in
all Northern Texas. The people
have simply been too lazy and in
dolcnt to plant and cultivate or
chards in such way asi is necessary
to get fruit raising properly star
ted. The principal objection to
this country is q scarcity of timber
and water. This county, Dallas,
appears to be pretty well supplied
with both, but in some counties
where have been there is lack,
and cistcrns are the main depcn-
dcncc for water, and lumber for
building purposes has to be hauled
from Eastern Texas. The climate,
in the main, is pleasant the year
round. The ground seldom freezes
in the winter, and the heat of the
summer is moderated by southern
q suppose gulD breezes.


Cattle which have had no shelter
or food, except what they have got
on the prairie, are in fair order
look much better, in fact, than the
cattle | saw two hundred miles
south of here. The most disagree
able feature of the winters here is
the "Northcrs, cold winds from the
north, which appear to come when
least expected, and continue from
one to three or four days.


/ have experienced two since l
have been in the State, and am free
to say that they are anything but
pleasant. Yet, after experimenting
with both, / would nearly as soon
take my chances for comfort in
"Texas Norther" us in somc "i'exas
hotels"


The emigration to Northern Tex
as has been pretty large since the
war, but nothing like what it will
no doubt be when railroad commu-
nication is established between this
and other sections of the country,
which will be within n year.


The prospect of railroads has al
ready produced a spirit of progress
among the people. Towns are stri-
wing 10 secure the location of froads,
and more interest is being manifcs-
ted in public and private improve
ments, generally. A large number
of persons are visiting the country
with view of selecting locations,
or to making investments in land.
Land in some places has increased
very much in value during the last
few years, though it is still low.
The best quality of lands can be
boaght in desirable localities for
from three TO ten dollars an acre.


Dallas, the place from which l
write, is situated in Dallas county,
on the Trinity river, three hundred
and twenty miles north of Calves
ton, and about two hundred miles
west of Marshall. the starting point